04/04/2021
Good morning
I find this very helpful...
1. The following is a general approach and caution to how to approach hippopotamus so as to avoid hippo aggression. This follows an alleged observation of hippos at lagoons in Shashe. The presence of hippos and crocodiles at lagoons at Shashe means the animals moved there during the period when there were bountiful rains. Now that we r getting into the dry season the lagoons are starting to dry. As a result, the water dependent animals are getting stranded and getting aggressive as to defend themselves and their calves from human beings.Hence the need to be cautious and avoid areas these hippo habitats.
2. When occupying lagoons whose water is receding, hippos are known to leave at night (when it's cool) and travel to areas with large water bodies. Hippos are known to travel more than 10km in one night to join other water bodies. As a result, it is possible that the hippos at Shashe may move from lagoons in Shashe (at night or during the day when it's cool) pass thru Maun village n join the Thamalakane River. During the travel hippos may become aggressive and charge when they meet residents.
3. It is well known in wildlife cycles that the animal that kills more human beings in Africa is not the lion, neither buffalo nor elephant. It is the hippopotamus. A hippo has an average ground speed of 40kph. Seasoned athletes, the likes of Usain Bolt have an average ground speed of 38kph.Now be the judge and determine whether you can outrun a hippo if you become a victim. Perhaps that is why hippos kill more people. Most people may underestimate its speed looking at its not so beautiful shape. The animal is also vertically challenged. By the time you realise you can't outrun a hippo its too late.
4. If you are in the field, as a word of caution, do the following to reduce hippo aggression (and wildlife aggression in general) and ensure your safety.
a) First, avoid going to areas where there are hippos, in this case the Shashe lagoons.Prevention is better than control.
b) Secondly, if for some reasons you have to be at areas where there are hippos then ensure that at any given time you keep a good distance between your position and the hippos's position.The hippo won't even bother about you. In other words you are in the hippos comfort zone. However if you happen to move towards the hippo, the hippo will run away when you are in its flight zone. If, on the other hand, you happen to be too close to a hippo, whether intentionally or unintentionally (eg not seeing the hippo) the hippo will give you an aggressive attack as a way of self-defence.
c) Thirdly, avoid your position being between a hippo and the river or lagoon.A river or lagoon is the hippos safest place to run to when threatened. If a hippo happens to be outside water and feels threatened and you happen to be standing between the hippo and water the hippo will be left with no option but to hit you.
d) Fourthly avoid getting in between the mother and her calf.
e) Lastly avoid injured animals. They have bad temper and are generally more aggressive.
5. Even when you are in Maun village there are certain general behaviours that you can keep to avoid wildlife agression including hippos. Often times wildlife has been observed in Maun village at night or early morning. Occasionally during the day. So when in Maun avoid walking at night, evenings and early morning. If you do morning and evening walks or jogs it is better to conduct your walks/jogging after sunrise and before sunset. At the time when visibility is good. Also take your walks close to main roads where its unlikely to see wildlife and where you are likely to get assistance shulod you encounter wildlife agression. if possible do your walks with a partner Four eyes are better than one pair.
6. Unfortunately when wildlife kills a human being that wild animal is in most cases killed because human life has been lost. In most cases the killing of the wildlife is regardless of whether the wild animal was at fault or not. So let us be cautious with wildlife so as to avoid human mortalities caused by wildlife and the consequent retaliatory killing of the wildlife. We need to conserve wildlife. We share this planet.And this is the only planet where our wildlife can exist. Maun is a wildlife paradise.And the presence of wildlife should be a bonus.Not a curse. Let's learn the song of Co-existance with wildlife. And sing from the same hymn book. its a fact that some people (those who are rich) travel thousands of kilometres to come and see our wildlife. And their countries used to have wildlife. But it is no more. We certainly do not want to get to that level. Where our grand children (and only those who will be rich) will travel thousands of kilometres to see an animal that was once common in Botswana.
