Residents Watch as Hippo Drowns Boy in Lake Victoria

A hippo pictured with its mouth wide open
A hippo pictured with its mouth wide open
Ebrahim Wildlife Photography

Residents of a village in Mbita, Homa Bay County are in shock after they watched a hippopotamus snatch a young boy and carry him into Lake Victoria.

According to a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke on Wednesday, September 16, the residents who gathered at the shore, helplessy shouted at the animal as it took off.

Some started hurling stones and logs at the hippo which only drove the animal further into the water. 

Hippos relaxing at the Meru National Park
Hippos relaxing at the Meru National Park
File

Unfortunately by the time the hippo let go of the young boy he had already died and his body had serious injuries.

Hippos are considered to be very aggressive animals and can stay underwater for upto 5 minutes without coming up for air. 

There were young children playing by the shore as adults washed clothes when the incident happened. 

While human widlife conflict has in the years caused the Kenya World Service to pay more than Ksh100 million in compensation, questions have been raised about how Kenyans contribute to endangering themselves.

Attacks by hippos have increased around the Lake Victoria region calling the attention of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

“For the last four months, the hippos have been terrorizing residents and making it impossible for fishermen to run their errands during the evening,” a resident told the media in June when 3 people were attacked.

Suba South Beach Management Unit Network chairman William Onditi and Karachuonyo Central MCA Julius Gaya have asked KWS to station a response team nearby for quick responces. 

“There should be officers on standby to tame the animals whenever they move out of the water. The officers can use their guns to scar them back to the water because civilians don’t have the ability to do so because we don’t have weapons,” he said.

County KWS Officer Millicent Ondudo says cases of hippo attacks have increasingly been reported along the beaches in Rachuonyo North, Suba and Mbita.

A man running away from a hippo
A man running away from a hippo
File
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