Hippos are most often pictured gliding through the water or lazing on a bank, but new research suggests the giant land creatures can become airborne for substantial periods of time.

When trotting fast, their feet leave the ground for up to 0.3 seconds at a time, a new study has found.

Research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) also suggests that unlike most large land animals, hippos almost exclusively trot, with the fastest ones taking to the air.

The findings suggest they are able to…