Dear Editor,
Please gather your torches, pitchforks and other lynching paraphernalia as I bravely step up to the user-generated plate.
I have been giving some thought to Hippo "Nkululeko" that was wondering around KwaZulu-Natal. There has been a bit of an uproar lately about the fact that the local wildlife and Municipality officials shot the poor beastie.
The majority of the voices have been screaming blue murder and I have to ask why? On the one hand you have to keep in mind Hippos kill more people than any other animal in Africa - they are not the cute cuddly cartoon animals seen in children's cartoons, they are in fact three tons of bad-tempered, short-sighted aggression armed with formidable razor sharp teeth not unlike a Brakpan bouncer.
On the other hand the one thing that bothers me about the shooting of Nkululeko, (which means freedom if my rusty Zulu recollects properly and seems rather ironic considering the circumstances.) is that it appears to be purely a financial solution and not a humane one.
The costs involved in capturing and transporting an adult Hippo are formidable and a large logistical challenge and obviously not one the authorities are keen to pursue. Nkululeko was also the main suspect in the death of a local man and I'm sure that had a lot of bearing on the decision to remove him as a threat.
And the last thing of all is that the mortal remains of Nkululeko we thrown in a land fill. Three tons of meat is a lot of food to through away. Just because he or she had a name and made the news paper doesn't make him in inedible. There are a lot of hungry people out there, and no I'm not being stupid or condescending, some people have eaten hippo since the dawn of time.
So in the style of Jerry Spring I'll sum up my thoughts, the whole episode could have been handled better. It ended on a sad note and wasted an opportunity to help people.
Cameron,
KawZulu-Natal
Send a letter to the editor...
...more letters
Disclaimer: News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
- News24
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.