The dust has not yet settled over the shooting of a hippo on Heia Safari Ranch north of Roodepoort, and its management again addressed the public on their decision.
Cathy Findley, managing director of the reserve’s public relations company, explained that “this problem is not unique to Heia and there have been problems over the last couple of years in the Muldersdrift area.
“Since hippos were first introduced in the area in the early eighties, they have bred predominantly male calves, and as a result there is now an overpopulation of bulls in this area. Muldersdrift, which is predominantly farmland and not bushveld, is too small for all these animals and they are increasingly becoming problematic and immune to the electric fencing,” said Findley.
Koos Dippenaar, professional game translocator, also defends the decision.
“We constructed a boma which was filled with lucerne continuously, hoping to lure the hippo out of the lake and relocate them – this was unsuccessful. Relocation is also often not an option as they are so difficult to catch when in a river or large dam. Last year we were faced with the same problem at two other estates in the area. Culling an animal is always our very last resort but in a lot of instances we have been left with no choice,” says Dippenaar.
General Manager for Heia Safari Ranch, Gaby Burgmer, said management agonised over the decision for over a year and it was a difficult one to take in the light that they are also conservationists.
“Killing the hippo broke our hearts but human lives had to come first,” said an emotional Burgmer.
