Brutus, the original male hippopotamus reintroduced to Rondevlei Nature Reserve on 20 November 1981, has sadly passed, the Visitors to Rondevlei Nature Reserve group reported.
Picture: Howard Langley / Facebook
In a Facebook update shared by Howard Langley, the group noted that Brutus – captured in Zululand at around three years old and transported by road to Rondevlei – likely succumbed to old age.
That estimate would place him at roughly 47 years old.
Hippos were first reintroduced to Rondevlei to help control an invasive South American grass threatening the vlei’s shoreline, and Brutus quickly became known as the reserve’s dominant male. Because the wetland is an important urban conservation site, the small population has always been closely monitored by the City of Cape Town. (capetown.gov.za)
Over the decades, the hippos have become a local attraction and the subject of occasional escapes and rescue efforts. Earlier this year, a young hippo wandered out of the reserve before being safely relocated.
Management and conservation teams continue to monitor both the animals’ welfare and the health of the vlei.
Brutus’s death marks the end of an era at Rondevlei. Staff and regular visitors remember him as a defining presence in the reserve’s living history and a symbol of urban wildlife conservation.
Article shared by Cape Town Etc
Follow us on social media for more travel news, inspiration, and guides. You can also tag us to be featured.
TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
ALSO READ: A morning in the wild: Sunrise at Nairobi National Park
