2021 loading… Residents in Fourways, Johannesburg have been warned to be cautious after a hippopotamus was seen roaming the streets over the past few days.
The Gauteng Agriculture Department said it first received a call about a hippo on the loose in Chartwell near the Jukskei River on December 29. The hippo has not been captured since and residents are urged to remain vigilant.
Hippos are herbivores, but have been known to become aggressive if provoked.
‘The Department has alerted the SAPS together with the local conservation practitioners in the area, and a private security company who assist on wildlife issues. [The Department] is collaborating with these stakeholders to monitor the movements of the hippo. To date, the hippo has not caused any damage nor posed a threat to any human or animal lives,’ the Department said according to Times Live.
WARNING TO RESIDENTS OF GAUTENG FOURWAYS – JUKSKEI RIVER AREA : HIPPO VISITING. pic.twitter.com/NDpaC2dh1d
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The hippo comes from the Hartbeespoort Dam, and will return there in due time if left alone.
‘The hippo should not be fed, so that it is discouraged from staying in the area. Therefore, the animal should not be provoked or tampered with. Like any other wild animal, the hippo is moving between the Jukskei river (Chartwell, Fourways), Crocodile river and Hartbeespoort Dam (the place of origin and its habitat) on a regular basis,’ the Department continued.
It added that the hippo will be monitored, and an intervention will be made should the hippo pose any risk to human life.
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