Drought
Entire herds of hippos have fallen victim to the enormous drought in Botswana. They got stuck in the mud of dried up lakes and were in danger of dying. Local authorities reported this to the French news agency AFP.
“The river systems are drying up and animals are at risk,” said Lesego Moseki, spokesperson for the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) in Gaborone. “The hippopotamus in Ngamiland is dependent on water from the Okavango Delta,” Moseki continued, adding that the number of animals that have succumbed to the drought has not yet been determined.
© AFP
Southern Africa has been hit by a severe drought that has also severely affected harvests. As a result, millions of people are going hungry. Several countries in the region have recently declared a state of emergency. According to experts, the drought is mainly due to El Niño. This phenomenon causes an increase in the temperature on earth.
© AFP
In northern Botswana, near the vast wetlands of the Okavango Delta, the drying up of the Thamalakane River has forced herds of hippos to migrate to natural water reserves near the tourist town of Maun, from where most tourists go on safari go into the country’s large game parks.
Aggressive
Although hippos have thick skin, it is also sensitive. Therefore, they should take a bath regularly to avoid sunburn. They usually live in moist areas. When there is a lack of water, they can become aggressive and approach villages. Local authorities are demanding that the hippos be returned to the reserves to avoid conflict with humans.
© AFP
Botswana is home to one of the world’s largest populations of wild hippos. Their numbers are estimated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at 2,000 to 4,000 individuals. The species is considered to be in danger of extinction.
