TWO hippos that had been spotted near the rural home of former minister and Zanu-PF Politburo member, Dr Obert Mpofu, in Epping Forest, Umguza District, were shot after attempts to safely relocate them proved too risky. The massive animals were first seen on Monday morning in a pond just a few metres from Dr Mpofu’s Village 4 homestead. Footprints indicated their presence earlier in the day before they were visually confirmed in the water.
“We saw the footprints in the morning and later spotted them in the pond,” Dr Mpofu said. “We called people from Zimparks and, together with officials from Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage and Research Centre, the team is now on the farm. We are happy they are there to assess the situation and advise on what to do.
We are now at ease.” Hundreds of villagers thronged to see the hippos and also witness Zimparks and Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage work together to try to relocate them. However, conservation officer Mr Ashton Tshuma of Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage said the animals posed a serious threat and officials were initially exploring options for safe relocation. “We were working with Zimparks to see how best to deal with the situation.
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Our goal was to safely remove them so that they don’t pose a danger to people or themselves,” Mr Tshuma said. The presence of two hippos in a single pond complicated relocation efforts. “The reason we ended up shooting them,” Mr Tshuma explained, “is that if we want to dart them, we can’t dart just one because there are two in the water.
Normally, you dart one, remove it, and then go for the next. But with one still alive, it becomes extremely dangerous. “They come out at night and start destroying things.
We even heard reports that three children were killed by hippos somewhere near the Gwayi River. So, given the risks, we had to take decisive action to prevent further tragedy.”
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