'Don't kill the wandering hippo'

2008-07-15 08:55

Durban - Animal rights activists on Tuesday appealed to wildlife authorities not to shoot a wandering hippo suspected of killing a Durban man at the weekend.

The hippo had shown no aggression towards humans it had encountered thus far and it still needed to be proved that the hippo was behind the kill, Animal Rights Africa spokesperson Steve Smit said in a statement.

KwaZulu-Natal police earlier said the 60-year-old victim, Ben Dlamini, had been found in Verulam with one wound to the head and facial injuries.

Smit said the injuries were minor compared to the damage a hippo could cause.

Ezemvelo Wildlife spokesperson Jeff Gaisford said a hippo usually used its top and bottom tusks during an attack.

"Then you would have two holes... It's generally pretty clear (a hippo bite)," he said.

The victim, however, sustained only one deep hole.

A post mortem had not yet been carried out, police said.

The eThekwini Municipality's Christo Swart, who had been tasked to deal with the case, told Sapa on Tuesday they would issue a media statement shortly.

- SAPA