Hippo kills fisherman

2005-03-08 15:15

Riot Hlatshwayo

Hazyview - A Mpumalanga villager's mangled body was recovered on Monday after being attacked by a hippopotamus in the Sabie River near Hazyview.

Moses Morena, 30, of Goromani village was fishing with a friend when a hippo came charging out of the water at about 13:00.

Superintendent Moatshe Ngoepe said: "The hippo caught Morena, who screamed and struggled but was unable to free himself from the animal's enormous jaws.

"When he was dragged underwater, his friend ran for help."

By the time police arrived, Morena was nowhere to be found, but a while later his body was found in the water with deep bite marks in his stomach.

Police urged villagers to be on the alert whenever they walk near the river.

It is not the first time a hippo had killed someone at the Sabie River.

Biggest killers

In February last year, a hippo seized Alfred Dube while he was swimming with two friends. His body was later found in a thicket 10m away.

However, vegetarian hippos are considered to be Africa's most dangerous large animal and are reputed to kill more people every year than flesh-eating predators such as lion or crocodile.

Conservationists explained that hippo were territorial and were protective of their young.

They were also short-sighted, and instinctively use their large jaws and 60cm teeth to crush canoes or chomp perceived threats.

Hippos were regularly reported to use their weight of up to three tons to trample people who came between their grazing and the safety of water.

One of the highest-profile killings included the trampling of tourist Annatjie Mienie at the Kruger River Lodge in 2002, 10km from the site of Dube's death, and the death of Sabie River Sun security guard Mandla Msimango in 2001.

- African Eye