Successful relocation of a hippo to Plett!
A hippo has been moved to Plett Game Reserve after walking the streets of Grassy Park on the Cape Flats.
The bull had moved into the suburbs from the Rondevlei Nature Reserve in April probably to avoid possible violence with other males in the reserve.
According to the City of Cape Town’s biodiversity management office, the relocation took just 17 hours. It required a boma, a crane and a flatbed truck. It also needed highly skilled personnel, professional veterinary services, months of preparation, and a great deal of patience.
To the relief of the False Bay Nature Reserve team who helped with the container construction and capture, the four-year-old hippo made it safely to the Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve.
Because of their size, strength, potentially hazardous character, and sensitivity to stress, hippos are very difficult to capture and transport. Risks associated with these kinds of activities include overheating and capture stress, wintertime cold stress, injuries, and logistical difficulties.
The reason Plett Game Reserve was chosen
The Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve provides a suitable and secure habitat for hippos with adequate space, water resources and an existing hippo population where he can fit in.
The decision was taken because there was a chance that the hippo would move back into the neighboring Cape flats areas, endangering both himself and the communities around.
The move involved the following:
Guaranteeing the hippo’s safety and reduce stress meant making a specially made capture boma and transport crate. Then he needed wildlife veterinary tranquilization during the capture process.
The operation continued into the night to provide safer and more comfortable overnight transportation to the game reserve. The container was loaded onto a flatbed truck by a crane, and it left Cape Town 10.45 p.m. It reached the Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve at 8.30a.m. Thankfully the trip went smoothly.
Since he arrived, the hippo has been staying at a different dam under strict supervision so that he can become used to his surroundings. He will eventually be introduced into the local hippo pod.
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