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Maun, Botswana
Trapped in the mud of dried-up ponds, the large mammals are in danger of dying: in Botswana, entire herds of hippos are falling victim to severe drought, with conservation authorities still trying to account for losses.
“The river systems are drying up and the animals are in danger,” explained Lesego Moseki, spokesperson for the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) in Gaborone.
“The Namiland hippopotamus is dependent on water from the Okavango Delta”, she continued, adding that the number of animals that have succumbed to the drought has not yet been established.
Southern Africa has been hit by a severe drought that has severely affected harvests and plunged millions of people into hunger. Several countries in the region have recently declared a state of national disaster. According to experts, the phenomenon is mainly due to El Niรฑo, which is causing a rise in global temperatures.
In northern Botswana, near the vast wetlands of the Okavango Delta, the drying up of the Thamalakane River has forced herds of hippos to head for natural water reserves close to the tourist town of Maun, from where most tourists set off on safari in the country’s major wildlife parks.
Thick-skinned but sensitive hippos need to bathe regularly to avoid sunburn, and usually live in humid areas. In the absence of water, they can become aggressive and approach villages.
Local authorities are requesting that hippos be relocated to reserves, not least to avoid conflict with humans.
Botswana is home to one of the world’s largest populations of hippos living in the wild, estimated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at between 2,000 and 4,000 specimens.
The species is considered to be at high risk of extinction.
Humaniterre with AFP
