The dwarf or pygmy hippopotamus lives in the humid equatorial African rainforest, where swampy terrains, lagoons, mudflats, and waterways abound.

They do not form groups, but rather move through the jungles isolated or in pairs. During the dry season, they take refuge in caves on the banks of rivers.

They are not territorial animals; when two males meet, they simply ignore each other. To protect themselves, they do not do so in the water, but rather hide in the dim light of the undergrowth. Mothers protect their young during the first days of their lives within the water.

When the first specimen of pygmy hippopotamus was described as a species, many scientists thought it was a juvenile or stunted common hippopotamus. The existence of this species was not scientifically confirmed until 1911.

It is in grave danger of extinction due to the increasing development of agriculture, which is destroying the rainforest where it lives; and to its hunting by indigenous populations, as its meat is highly valued.