Hippo kills Mpuma man

2004-02-23 15:17

p>Zenzele Kuhlase

Hazyview - The mangled body of an Mpumalanga villager was recovered on Sunday after he was attacked by an adult hippopotamus near the holiday town of Hazyview.

Alfred Dube's body, with deep bite marks to his torso, was found trampled in a thicket over 10m from the Sabie River by distraught friends and neighbours.

He was seized by the hippo on Friday morning while swimming across the strongly flowing river with two friends.

"The men knew the river was home to crocodiles and hippo, but claim they had no other way of crossing. Dube was the second to swim across, and appears to have been seized almost exactly in the middle of the river," said regional police spokesperson Captain Benjamin Bhembe on Monday.

"The screamed and struggled, but was apparently unable to free himself from the large animal's jaws. When he was dragged underwater, his horrified friends ran for help in opposite directions."

Hazyview police station almost immediately dispatched a rescue team, but was unable to trace the missing man.

"All we found were some very large blood stains on the river bank near the scene," said Captain Bhembe.

Dube's family rallied friends and neighbours to continue the search over the weekend, with a small search party finally finding his body on Sunday evening.

"We're still uncertain whether Dube was dragged into the dense thicket and then trampled, or whether he was trying to escape. The most significant injuries were two deep bite wounds in the back," said Captain Bhembe.

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

Conservationists explain that hippo are extremely territorial, and are very protective of their young. They are also short-sighted, and instinctively use their large jaws and 60cm teeth to crush canoes or chomp perceived threats.

They are also regularly reported to use their weight of up to three tons to trample people who come between grazing hippos and the safety of water.

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

- African Eye