5 Crocodiles vs 1 hippo Crocodiles are afraid of hippos? Crocodiles and hippos are both large and potentially lethal animals, but their interactions in their shared environments are sometimes tense and unhappy. While crocodiles do not "fear" hippos in the same way that people do, they do recognize hippos as formidable rivals and avoid direct encounters with them if feasible. Here's why crocodiles might be cautious of hippos: Hippos are one of the largest and heaviest land mammals, with powerful