26 Mar 2024

 The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) has been called upon to consider relocating hippos that remain stranded at the Nxaraga hippo pool due to the drying of Thamalakane River. 

Some councillors expressed disappointment about the current situation at the pool, saying it needed an urgent attention. 

The hippos are trapped in the mud and they requested the department to relocate the poor animals to areas such as Moremi Game Reserve or parks, where water was still available. 

“The situation at the pool is worrisome as the drying of the river has forced some hippos from Nxaichai pool and other areas to relocate to the Nxaraga pool and currently they are overpopulated and competing for space and the little resource together with livestock and other wildlife species,” said Councillor Kenson Kgaga of Sennonori/Boro ward. 

Some hippos, he said, ended up dying because they were struggling to cool themselves in the pool muddy pool while others died due to territorial fights. 

He said hippos needed a conducive environment because eventhough their skin was thick, it was extremely sensitive and could easily burn or dry out more so that the area was experiencing high temperatures. 

In addition, he said they spent most of the time in the water or mud to cool, moisturise and protect their delicate skin. 

While he appreciated efforts by some local organisations such as the Save Wildlife Conservation Fund Botswana and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks to drill a borehole to pump water into the pool, Mr Kgaga said the water levels were not adequate as hippos preferred suitable conditions where there was plenty of water and open grazing. 

Furthermore, he revealed that hippos were influenced in habitat choice by the nature of the rivers as well as by the depth and flow of the water, noting that ideally, they should also have an area with mud for wallowing, separate to the water body they require. 

Currently, the animals are disgruntled, hence they become aggressive and intrude into human inhabitants to cause havoc because they are in search of water. 

Nxaraga area councillor, Mr Morolong Mosimanyana concurred that the situation was bad and wished the department could save the remaining over 100 hippos by relocating them to areas with better water levels. 

He said efforts had been made to pump water into the pool, but the pressure was low and could not cater for all species as they could not submerse to cool themselves. 

“Hippos are graceful in the water and they need it to survive because it keeps their skin moist and safe from sunlight and the current situation is unbearable as they are exposed to the heat,” he added.

Councillor Kebareeditse Ntsogotlho of Khwai/Mababe also supported the idea of relocation to save the species. 

He also proposed that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks should use money from the Conservation Fund to drill more boreholes aimed at providing water for the wildlife in their habitat in an effort to mitigate the prevailing human wildlife conflict. 

Currently, he said, the animals were intruding into human settlements in search of water and food and their interaction results in conflicts such as damage to property, killing of other animals or humans, damage to crops as well as threatening the tourism industry. 

“Establishing some water supply or drilling boreholes for the animals in their habitat could be a lasting solution. 

Government can also consider allocating hunting quotas to communities residing along the buffalo fence so that the profits generated from the sales of the quotas could help in conservation initiatives,” he added. Ends