Hippo remain one of the wildlife species menaced by human driven activities as the pastures and home have shrunk due to urbanization and fishing activities, fishermen have been assaulted in their domains.
Four fishermen were killed by a hippopotamus and one went missing after it (the hippo) hit their canoe on the 5th of November, 2023 according to the local newspaper.
I happened on the Tanganyika riverbank in GISYO located in Kanyosha south west of Bujumbura capital city.
According to witnesses, four men died immediately as two serieous wounded and were evacuated at the nearest health facility, not specified.
As confirmed by the ministry of home affairs, public development and security; in less than two months this hippopotamus has killed nine people including those four killed on Sunday 5th November, 2023.
Evariste NKURIKIYE, a citizen who lives in the area said that in the night, this hippopotamus leaves the water place and moves in the nearest quarters until it reaches the National Street No.3 (Bujumbura-Rumonge).
“I am fearful of that dangerous animal, for example yesterday, I met with it in front of my home, and it tried to eat me. I was saved”, added NKURIKIYE
The GISYO habitants call the authorities in charge of the environment to help them to chase this hippopotamus.
According to Gaspard NTAKIMAZI, environmentalist and Lecturer at the National University in the Department of Biology said hippotamus harms only when they feel threatened as self-defense mode.
He added that from a former time, it’s known that near Tanganyika Lake in the areas such as Nyabugete and Ruziba are the hippopotamus’ home.
Further, Gaspard advised residents to respect them, and fishermen should avoid using electronic boats while fishing.
However the abidance ensured by government to people, some citizens are angered by the day-by-day loss of human lives due to the hippo and claim at least its death what is contrary to environmental protection.
Berchimans HATUNGIMANA, representative of Burundi Environment Protection Office while on the field trip the same day said that people shouldn’t have built houses in a place where hippopotamuses reach.
HATUNGIMANA added that it’s not easy to push back the hippopotamus in Lake Tanganyika. He promised that he is going to make an effort in order to see how to handle this situation.
Hippopotamus is within the range of annual most killing animals. The National Geographic reports that a hippopotamus kills 300 people when he is protecting his living area.
