The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has listed five survival tips that Kenyans can use to avoid hippopotamus attacks in a bid to reduce death cases by the animal.
In a statement dated 24th July,2024 KWS highlighted the dangers that the animal pose to human livelihood noting that they can attack at the slightest provocation.
“Hippos are known to be among the world’s most aggressive and dangerous animals. They can attack at the slightest provocation, and it is good have basic survival tips when visiting a hippo infested area,” reads part of the statement.
KWS listed five survival tips citizens can use in case they come face to face with the animal.
Photo/KWS
KWS Survival Tips to Escape Hippo Attack
KWS urged members of the public to respect stay away from hippo infested areas.
“Hippos are territorial and become aggressive when they feel threatened, therefore one should respect their space and keep off,” noted KWS.
Watch out for yawning hippos – The wildlife service noted that hippos use their yawn to warn their prey that they are getting too close and should keep their distance.
Third, KWS noted that hippos are fast and in case they charge at you, one should not run and instead seek cover to a higher ground.
Also Read: KWS Gives Update on Hyena Seen Roaming in Embakasi
Further, KWS noted that the killer animal does not like vibrations, hence humans can use vibrations to keep them away.
“Hippos don’t like vibrations. When boating in hippo territory, bang on your boat with anything that will vibrate it. This can prevent them from coming beneath and capsizing the boat,” advised KWS.
Lastly, hippos are referred to as nocturnal. At night, they come out of water to graze and may travel up to 5km away, minimize the risk of startling them in the dark by sticking to open areas.
Also Read: Govt Issues 7 Tips on How to Avoid Hyena Attack
However, KWS stated that hippos play an important ecological role by dropping and scattering their dung in the river bottom which enriches nutrients in the river resulting to favorable conditions for large fish populations and aquatic insects.
Some aquatic plants absorb nutrients from the dung, therefore playing a critical role in the food web and in the maintenance of the ecosystem.
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