The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital said on Facebook that they had been made aware of the presence of the hippo and that the Gauteng department of agricultural and rural development had been contacted. Picture: Facebook, Melanie Crossley.
It what might be a fitting end to a strange year, residents of Johannesburg need to be on the lookout for a lone hippo on New Year’s Eve (NYE).
Social media users in the Fourways area have shared footage of the hippo foraging along a river.
The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital said on Facebook that they had been made aware of the presence of the hippo and that the Gauteng Department of Agricultural and Rural Development (GDARD) had been contacted “and is on scene to assess the situation.”
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“GDARD is the official organisation required to assist and make decisions in situations such as this one,” they added.
CHARTWELL HIPPO: We are aware of the Hippopotamus sighted along the river in Chartwell. The Gauteng Department of…
Posted by Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital on Tuesday, 29 December 2020
According to Live Science, hippos are aggressive and are considered very dangerous.
“The hippopotamus is considered the world’s deadliest large land mammal,” they say, adding that hippos kill an estimated 500 people per year in Africa, according to the BBC.
A lone hippo spotted in Chartwell today. Nature Conservation has been contacted and the situation is under control.
Posted by Melanie Crossley on Tuesday, 29 December 2020
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