Amazing shot: Zebra puts head in hippo’s mouth

Placing one’s head in the open mouth of an animal considered the deadliest in Africa isn’t a choice we’d all make, but that didn’t stop this zebra from leaning directly into a hippopotamus’s jaws at Zurich zoo.

Hippos are notoriously bad-tempered and aggressive creatures, having killed hundreds of humans down the years, and will attack other animals they deem a threat. They also possess a bite so powerful it can break small boats in two. So did this zebra pay for its action by losing its head?

Fortunately, no. The zebra was actually cleaning the hippo’s teeth, which is just about the most adorable (if slightly gross) thing I’ve read this week. Apparently the zebra spent fifteen minutes on this task, before trotting off unharmed to be with its calf.

[Via BBC]