HIPPO HAVEN. (cover story)

The article reports on the hippo refuge at the Savé Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe. The refuge is run by Karen and Jean-Roger Paolillo, a couple who live in the Conservancy and care for the animals, in spite of the danger and political turmoil that surrounds the area. Hippos live in hierarchical pods headed by a dominant male. Their girth and tusks make them what many consider the most dangerous animals in Africa. Hippos are made vulnerable by civil war, which is staged around their freshwater habitats, as well as poaching by starving people caught up in the conflicts. Squatters are clearing forests and building on land in the conservancy. INSET: IN THE SWIM.