City Of Nigeria Celebrates After Hunt For 'killer Hippopotamus'

Residents of a town in northwestern Nigeria are celebrating after a rare but feared hippopotamus – along with its calf – was killed by rice farmers and fishermen during a several-week hunt.

People in Yauri, Kebbi State are terrified of the hippopotamus after it killed a fisherman working for the local traditional leader.

It prompted the Kebbi state government to order the killing of the animal for the safety of the community along the Niger River.

The Nigerian hippopotamus population has declined rapidly in recent decades; estimates suggest there are now around 100 animals, living mainly in protected areas.

The hippopotamus in Yauri was tracked down by young men, who used locally made spears known as ‘zagos’ to kill it.

The carcass has since been taken in a canoe to the palace of one of the high-ranking administrators of the Emir of Yauri, where it was butchered and the meat given to people in the local community.

“We are a town of fishermen and farmers and this hippo has prompted many to stop going out for fear of an attack,” resident Sani Yauri told the BBC.

“In addition to killing a member of the Emir’s staff, it seriously injured someone else – not to mention the damage it regularly causes to our agricultural lands.”

There are many rice fields along the banks of the river near the town, where the hippopotamus has sometimes been spotted.

“We are happy that the animal was killed and that the people came out jubilant – and also got their share of the meat,” Mr Yauri said.

Another resident, Isa Jamilu, said he was relieved to be able to return to his farm, which he had left weeks ago.

Photos of the dead animal have been shared widely on social media – with mixed reactions, with some praising members of the local community for standing up for themselves, while others expressed concern for the animal’s welfare.

The common hippopotamus is on the red list of threatened species drawn up by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

“This is an endangered species and I was saddened to see the video clip of people celebrating after the species was killed,” Isyaku Abdullahi, animal rights activist and founder of Nigeria’s African Voice for Animals Initiative, told the BBC.

“What the people of Yauri should have done was to report to the relevant authorities, who would take it and move it.”

He said communities living in rural areas, especially places like Kebbi State where there are several rivers and lakes, should be made aware of other options when it comes to dealing with the dangerous mammals.

Kebbi is famous for organizing the annual Argungu Fishing Festivalwhich is on the United Nations list of cultural heritage.

Hippos are the third largest land mammal and their teeth can grow up to 20 inches (50.8 cm) long. Despite their size, they can also reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.

Although the animals are herbivores, they can become very aggressive when they feel threatened or their habitats are disturbed – killing around 500 people every year in Africa.