Hello and good afternoon. Welcome to NSC HD's continuing coverage of WHC XI. You're probably more used to seeing me snuggled up with my badger but what people don't tend to realise is that I'm just at much at home with the crazy creatures battling it out for the 2018 title. We have eight of the best coming up for you over the course of four unforgettable ties. Over the course of the next few days some big players are going to have their hopes dashed but the victors will be one step closer to the crown and a showdown in the AnimalDome. First up, we have an absolute cracker for you...
HIPPOPOTAMUS - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippopotamus
Group B - 2nd with 22 votes
2nd round - Beat Salt Water Crocodile with 53 votes
Total votes to date - 75
Always a serious contender, the Hippo enhanced its already impeccable credentials with a majestic victory over the Salt Water Crocodile in the last round. Faced with one of the fiercest killing machines in the animal kingdom, the Hippo put on an awesome display, allying brute force with the best bar room brawling instincts of WHC. The Hippo will be quietly confident going into this match. Despite being a herbivore the Hippo has a swagger and can handle itself against all comers. Three tons in weight, capable of sprinting up to 30km/h, a bite force almost unmatched among mammals, all wrapped up in parcel of pure aggression. The Hippo is one of the most feared animals in all Africa and is responsible for the deaths of up to 500 people every year. The Hippo has all the head mental requirements of a true WHC champion. Can it go all the way?
SIBERIAN TIGER - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_tiger
Group A - Tied 2nd with 15 votes
2nd round - Beat Bobbit Worm with 32 votes
Total votes to date - 47
Beautiful yet brutal. The Siberian Tiger can measure up to 4 metres in length (including tail) and weigh up to 300 kg. It is the largest cat in the world. Occupying a bitter climate, the ST roams hundreds of miles of inhospitable terrain. They mate all year round. All suitably hard but it is the ST's status as an apex predator that makes it such a credible campaigner in the 'hard' stakes. It will hide in tall grasses and stealthily stalk its prey until the point of ambush, when power and agility take over. Research shows that in winter, when many species shed their summer fat, the ST actually kills larger prey more often. STs have been known to imitate the call of bears in order to attract them. Human fatalities have occurred over the years and this has doubtless enhanced the STs fearsome reputation over the years. It comfortably saw off the challenge of the Bobbit Worm in the last round but will have to dig deep if it is to progress to the semi finals.