Farmers lament hippo rampage #gambia

Local farmers in the Central River Region (CRR) south
recently marched to the Office of the Governor to once again
report the persistent menace of hippo rampage in the area.
In a meeting with Governor Omar Khan, the farmers said
attacks by hippos in the village of Sambang had caused
great panic among local dwellers, forcing women to
abandon their fields.
The chief of the area, Ngai Dampha, said hippos had
threatened the lives of their women at the rice fields in
Sambang on two occasions. He revealed that on the third
day of the assault, the hippos followed their cattle up to
their backyard, which was about 20 meters away from the
village.
"When the hippos were going back, they went through our
herd of cattle and dispersed them. Thanks to the
intervention of some villagers, the hippos didn't harm any
cattle," he told the governor.
The chief appealed to the authorities for urgent help,
warning that lack of timely intervention could result in
fatalities in the village.
One Dicko Bah, a women leader in Sambang, Nguga Kunda,
Metta Keita, Fatoumatta Wally, and Jainaba Jallow, all
expressed similar concerns. They all narrated their ordeal
with hippos, informing the governor that the wild animals
attacked them while they were working on their rice fields.
The women farmers further expressed concern that if
nothing is done to arrest the situation, hippos could hinder
their farming activities. They appealed for urgent help
especially given the fact that four in the area own the rice
field in which they were attacked.
Responding, the governor assured that his office would
write to the Department of Parks and Wildlife about the
matter. He urged them to be patient, as their problem will be
addressed as quickly as possible. Khan said his office has
been receiving similar complaints from other villages, and
assured them that everything will be put under control.
Hippos are the largest mammals in The Gambia. At sunset,
they leave the water and travel over land to graze. They can
travel for six kilometers in a night along single file
pathways to graze an average of 35-40 kilograms of grass.
Considering their enormous size, a hippo's intake is
relatively low. If threatened on land, they take refuge and
run for the water and they match a human's speed for short
distances.
Hippos possess short, stumpy legs, and barrel shaped
bodies. They have large heads, with broad mouths, and
nostrils placed at the top of the snout. Hippos are ungulate,
although unlike most other such animals, they have no
hooves, instead using a pad of tough connective tissue.
Their stomach has three chambers, but they are not true
ruminants. While they resemble pigs physiologically, their
closest living relatives are actually the whales.
The length of a hippo is about 3.3 to 5 meters; the shoulder
height is 1.6 meters, weight 3-to 3.5tons. The main threats
are increase in human population and increase land
conservation for rice cultivation.