Hippos maul three fishermen to death in Buikwe

Buikwe, (UG):- Residents living alongside the shores of Lake Victoria in Buikwe District are living in fear after hippopotamuses invaded the area and killed three fishermen.

The deceased trio identified as; Asuman Nsekere, Ssebwalunyu Kizito and William Kaayi, were killed in two separate attacks in one week.

Ugandan daily newspaper, Monitor Sunday reported that Kaayi and Kizito were mauled by the hippos on March 26 while fishing at night while Nsekere was attacked on April 5 at around 4 pm.

The residents in the area have now cried out to responsible authorities to intervene as they are now living in fear of more hippos attacks.

Mr Julius Mukusike, the vice chairperson of Beach Management Unity Namaziina Landing site said one of the hippos moves with her calves and becomes more aggressive whenever it sees a human being.

“It[hippo] becomes more aggressive when it sees people and you would be lucky to survive if you are its target,” he said.

Mr Juma Kasozi, a fisherman at Namaziina landing site said the hippos attack their boats during day and night which has forced them to suspend fishing activities.

He appealed to the Uganda Wild life Authority (UWA) to help trap the animals to safeguard the lives of residents. “Hippos have put us on tenterhooks and we have run out of ideas because they attack everybody who moves near the lake shores. We call upon UWA to swiftly intervene,” he said.

UWA spokesperson, Mr Bashir Hangi when contacted for a comment said the affected residents had not yet officially alerted them, but advised them to be vigilant as they prepare to send their Problem Animal Capture team to the area.

“I am getting that information for the first time but if it’s true, let them be vigilant as we prepare to send our technical team to capture the animals,” he said.

According to him, residents who stay near the lake shores should avoid using the affected areas as gardens because hippos tend to get closer to the shores to nurse their newborns.

“I advise those residents to stay away from the 100-metre reserves from the lake shores. With this, the hippos will be controlled from attacking their homesteads and destroying crops,” he said.

Conservationists say hippos are Africa’s most dangerous large game animals, and they kill more people every year than other predators like crocodiles and lions.

For several years, stray hippos have attacked communities along the lake shores. For example; In August 2018, seven people were killed by hippos in their gardens on Bussi Island, Wakiso District.

In September, of the same year, hippos killed one person in Bussi and in the same month, two fishermen drowned in the water after their boat was crashed by the hippos.

Source: Monitor