Hippos, Croc, Rescued in Namibia

by Sherry Morse

A group of 60 hippos, and one crocodile, were rescued recently after becoming stuck and remaining stranded for days in a muddy, fast-drying water channel near the Chobe River in the northeastern Caprivi region of Namibia.

The area where the hippos became stuck has had very little rain since May. A team of veterinarians and senior officials from the ministry of environment and tourism traveled to the area near Kapani to assess the situation in early November.

At that time, the team wanted to fence off a corridor between the water channel and the Chobe River so the hippos could walk to the river, or else use a helicopter to airlift them to the river.

In the end, however, wildlife officials and community members from the area near the Botswana border lined the banks of the channel and made loud noises to encourage the hippos to move.

They then chased the animals from the muddy channel to an area one mile closer to the river, using trucks to nudge them in the right direction.

Three hippo cows and their calves still remain in the original channel.

In addition to hippos and crocodiles, buffalo and elephants have been affected by the dry conditions in the area.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.