18 Sep 2024

Professor Joseph Mbaiwa, an expert in tourism studies at the Okavango Research Institute, has emphasised  the importance of implementing measures to minimise interactions between humans and hippos in regions where the encounters are prevalent.

Speaking during the ongoing Full Council meeting on Tuesday, Prof. Mbaiwa addressed the pressing issue of over 100 hippos that haA become stranded at Nxaraga lagoon. He underscored the necessity of educating communities about the risks associated with hippo encounters and advocated for ensuring that the animals should have designated space to inhabit, away from human settlements.

The expert highlighted the impact of the El Niño-induced drought affecting much of Southern Africa.

This environmental crisi, he said had resulted in scarce water supplies, wreaking havoc on food sources and critical habitats for various wildlife species.

According to Prof. Mbaiwa, extreme drought conditions had trapped herds of endangered hippos in drying ponds across the district, forcing them into the Nxaraga pool stating that  overcrowding had intensified competition for limited resources among hippos, livestock, and other wildlife.

“These hippos are now in a human settlement area, leading to inevitable human-wildlife conflicts. It is crucial to understand that hippos can be surprisingly dangerous, particularly when they come into contact with people,” he said.

Prof. Mbaiwa further elaborated on the risks associated with hippos, noting their aggressive behavior due to their territorial nature. He warned that they could become extremely hostile if threatened and were particularly protective of their young.

To mitigate the situation at Nxaraga, the professor suggested that councillors contemplate translocating the hippos, budget permitting.

He also proposed strategies such as providing food and drilling boreholes to ensure a water supply for the hippos, which could potentially help to replenish the drying channels.

Prof. Mbaiwa acknowledged the assistance of organisations like Save Wildlife Conservation and the Department of Wildlife, which had contributed bales of Lucerne from Ghanzi to feed the hippos. However, he cautioned that both feeding and providing water come at significant costs.

He stated that the KAZA elephant survey of 2022 indicated that  KAZA region, which includes Nxaraga, had a total of 8 649 hippos.

“Our hippo population is healthy, and removing 100 will not adversely affect the environment. Other countries, like Namibia and Zimbabwe, are planning to cull animals to manage food shortages resulting from drought conditions.

Namibia plans to cull 83 elephants, 30 hippos, and 60 buffaloes, among other species, and we can adopt a similar approach,” he emphasised.

The advice follows a recent visit to the pool by a team comprising councillors and government officials who aimed to assess the animals’ concerning situation.

The team shared its findings, which highlighted that five hippo deaths had been recorded this year.

The Department of Wildlife is planning to transfer some hippos to the Moremi Game Reserve while leaving a few for the Nxaraga community.

Team leader Mr Ramolopo stressed the urgent need for intervention to save the hippos, warning that they would starve or cause disturbances for residents in search of water.

During the discussion, councillors expressed mixed feelings; some supported the translocation of the hippos, while others advocated for the culling of a few to provide food for feeding purposes, as well as issuing a hunting quota to the Nxaraga community to generate income benefits.

Councillor Kebareeditse Ntsogotlho from the Khwai/Mababe ward, who supported translocation, argued that the hippos should be moved to the Okavango Delta, allowing nature to dictate their survival.

He suggested that the relevant department should source funding from the Conservation Fund, stating that feeding and watering the hippos was not economically viable.

Councillor Luke of Motlaleselelo from the Bojanala ward supported the view, emphasising that if the budget permited, the translocation should occur, prioritising the safety of residents.

Conversely, those in support of culling and selling the meat argued that there was no harm in doing so instead of spending money on relocation, especially given the survey results indicating a high population. Ends