Hippo killed in Nyanyadzi

OFFICIALS from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority last week shot dead a hippopotamus that had wreaked havoc, damaging the winter wheat and endangering people’s lives in Nyanyadzi.

The hippo, which had a calf, is suspected to have escaped from the Save Valley Conservancy. ZimParks had ordered the shooting of the hippos following an outcry from the traditional leaders and their subjects over the burly mammal, which they said was destroying crops and endangering their lives. ZimParks official Mr John Danfa said they were still hunting for the calf which is believed to have found habitat along Save River.

“Usually hippos move up and down rivers during the rainy season. We believe the two escaped from the Save Valley Conservancy. They were both females and they do not usually click if there is no male.

“They are believed to have separated. We acted after receiving complaints from the traditional leaders in Hot Springs and Nyanyadzi that these hippos were destroying their wheat and crops in the fields,” he said.

“People’s lives were also in danger and as a result the authorities ordered its killing. The first time we attempted to kill it, it was in the company of so many cattle and we could not do anything.

“Our officers then teamed up with villagers to track it until last week when we shot it down in Nyanyadzi,” said Mr Danfa.

He said 12 bullets were pumped into the hippo before it died.

The meat was shared among villagers. Mr Tapiwa Munyati, of Dirikwe village said: “This hippo was becoming a threat to human lives in the area. It was being spotted near homesteads at night.”

“There are vegetable gardens along one of tributary that feed into Save River where it was being spotted. We have a villager who survived death by a whisker recently when the hippo strayed to his homestead. He went out of his house to investigate why his dogs were barking. He had a torch and the hippo, which does not like light, charged towards him. Fortunately, he managed to escape and notified other villagers. We are appealing to the responsible authorities to make sure that the remaining one is also killed”.