Scientists at Yorkshire zoo say all four of the animals' feet can leave the ground at once.
Hippos can trot so fast they can glide through the air for a period of time, according to animal experts.
The discovery was made after two hippos at Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire were filmed moving in their paddock. However, Prof John Hutchinson and former RVC undergraduate student Emily Pringle looked into this further as they collected video footage of two hippos moving around at Flamingo Land.When comparing their videos to online footage of hippos moving, they found the animals were able to almost trot, even when walking slowly or running quickly.
He said: "It's hard to work with hippos as they tend to stick to the water and very seldom are trained to be studied in zoo collections.
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