Wandering hippos under threat

2008-06-19 17:25

Johannesburg - Up to 20 hippos have escaped from the Great Fish River Reserve in Grahamstown in the past few months and the provincial government is reportedly planning to "destroy" the animals, the Herald Online reported on Thursday.

Wildlife and Environment Society chairperson Irene de Moor in Grahamstown said there were rumours that the Eastern Cape Parks Board wanted to kill the wandering hippos.

"Our understanding was that up to 20 hippos had got out of the reserve (since last year). We communicated with the Eastern Cape Parks Board, the agency that manages the reserve, and conveyed our concerns and proposals regarding this.

"They said there had been many complaints from farmers, and serious financial damage had been caused," said De Moor.

"We subsequently heard they had passed a resolution to destroy the hippos and now there are rumours this could begin at any time," she added.

Vulnerable species

She said the hippos did pose a threat to people and property, but that they were listed as a vulnerable species on the World Conservation Union's red data list.

"All non-lethal measures should be investigated and destroying them should only be a last resort," De Moor told the Herald Online.

One of the options is to erect an electric fence to prevent the hippos from wandering away.

She said hippos were difficult to capture because if they were darted, they headed for the water and then drowned.

The head of scientific services at the Eastern Cape Parks Board, Dave Balfour, denied knowledge of a plan to destroy the hippos.

- SAPA