Sierra Leone Legal Tender Wildlife Crown Hippopotamus 2005 BU

One of the four wildlife crowns issued by Sierra Leone in 2005, this coin has a legal tender value of $1 in its country of origin. The smallest of the hippo species that once roamed in Europe and Asia, the pigmy hippopotamus is now found only in West Africa. Measuring about 5 feet long, 3 feet high, and weighing between 400-600 pounds the pygmy hippo is truly a dwarf species compared to the Nile Hippopotamus, which can weigh as much as 4,000 pounds (ten times the weight of the pygmy)! This shy and illusive creature inhabits areas where lakes and rivers can offer it the plant diet and cover of water it requires. If you want to see a pygmy hippo in the wild then be prepared to wait. Small, endangered, and very shy, the pygmy hippo is capable of remaining completely submerged for up to 5 minutes.