Durban - The “hippo about town” who had become a firm favourite with visitors and locals in the Zululand town of St Lucia was moved to Fanie’s Island, on the western shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, on Thursday.
The young male hippo, who had moved into the small town a couple of months ago and spent much of his day calmly chomping on grass outside iSimangaliso’s offices, had to be moved after a couple of people ventured too close.
Late yesterday, the park released a statement saying that while many wild animals were often spotted in the streets of St Lucia with rarely any negative encounters, the young hippo was “seemingly chilled as he grazed as peacefully as a domestic cow mere metres from passers-by, but after one or two people ventured a bit too close and received a display of his impressive tusks, management realised the day had come to relocate him to a quieter section of the park”.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife vet, Dr Dave Cooper, Dr Rowan Leeming and conservation managers worked together and the young hippo was darted.
With an audience of locals and tourists, the immobilised bull was bound and strapped before being hoisted by a crane and lowered gently into a large crate. He was driven to Fanie’s Island on the western shores of the park and released.
“He lowered himself happily into the water,” said the statement.