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Country Assessments
The World Conservation
Common Hippos
Common hippos are gregarious and social animals that can be found in wetlands, lakes, and rivers in at least 29 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Of those countries, confirmed population declines have been reported in half. The largest declines have occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country once thought to have one of the largest common hippo populations.
The primary threats to common hippos are illegal and unregulated hunting for meat and ivory (found in the canine teeth) and habitat loss. Illegal or unregulated hunting of common hippos has been found to be particularly high in areas of civil unrest. The common hippo's reliance on fresh water habitats appears to put them at odds with human populations and adds to their vulnerability, given the growing pressure on fresh water resources across Africa. Habitat loss stems from water diversion related to agricultural development as well as larger-scale development in and around wetland areas. Reports of human mortalities from common hippo interactions have also increased in recent years. Ten countries reported growing numbers of common hippo-human conflicts, in several cases exacerbated by drought conditions.
| Country | Population | Trend | Status | Concern | Protection | Enforcement | Protected Areas |
| Angola | ??? | Declining? | W-LD | Yes | Unknown | Poor | Quicama NP; Cameia NP, Bicaur NP, Mupa NP; Luando GS |
| Benin | 300-500 | Declining | RD-LA | No | Unknown | Poor | Pendjari NP; "W" NP; Pendjari HZ; Djona HR; Wari Maro FR; Mt. Koufee FR |
| Botswana | 2,000-4,000 | Declining | RD-LD | No | Total | Fair | Chobe NP; Makgadikgadi Pan GR; Moremi GR. |
| Burkina Faso | 500-1,000 | Declining | RD-LD | Yes | Partial | Poor | W NP; Arly FR; Deux Bales FR; Bala BR, Soula Lake |
| Burundi | 200-300 | Unknown | RD-LA | No | Total | Good | Ruvubu NP; Rusizi NR; Kigwena Forest NR; Lake Rwihinda NR |
| Cameroon | 500-1,500 | Unknown | W-LD | Yes | Total | Fair | Benoue NP; Faro NP; Kalamaloue NP; Pangar-Djerem HR; L. Lagdo; L. Maga; Benoue River |
| C.A.R. | 850 | Declining | RD-LA | Yes | Total | Poor | Andre Felix NP; Bamingui-Bangoran NP; Manovo-Gounda-Saint Floris NP; Yata- Ngaya FR; Gribingui FR; Koukourou FR; Lobaye River |
| Chad | Stable | RD | No | Partial | Good | Zakouma NP; Lake Iro, Lake Tchad, Chari River, Manda NP, Binder Lere FR; Loogone River | |
| D.R.C. | 2,000-4,000 | Declining | RD-HD | Yes | Partial | Fair/Poor | Garamba NP; Kundelungu NP; Salonga NP; Upemba NP; Virunga NP |
| Eq.Guinea | 100 | Unknown | RD-LD | No | Total | Poor | NONE |
| Ethiopia | 5,000 | Stable | W-LA | No | Total | Unknown | NO INFORMATION |
| Gabon | 250 | Declining? | W-LD | No | Total | Poor | Wonga-Wongue NP; Moukalaba FR; Sette-Cama FR |
| Gambia | 40 | Declining? | RD-LD | Yes | Total | Fair | Gambia River NP |
| Ghana | 400-500 | Declining? | RD-LD | Yes | Total | Good | Bui NP.; Digya NP; Mole NP |
| Guinea | 1,000-2,000 | Declining | W-LA | Yes | Total | Good | Badiar NP only during the wet season.; Haut Niger NP; other other tributarys of the Niger, like Niandan river/Kouya branch |
| Guinea Bissau | 1,000-2,000 | Declining? | RD-LA | Yes | Total | Unknown | Organo Islands NP, Corubal River, Rio Cacheu NP |
| Ivory Coast | 300-400 | Declining | RD-LD | Yes | Unknown | Poor | Marahoué NP; Mont Sangbé NP;River Sassandra mouth (close to Sassandra town); Comoé N |
| Kenya | 5,000 | Stable | W-LA | No | Total | Good | Amboseli NP; Lake Nakuru NP; Meru NP; Nairobi NP; Tsavo NP; Buffalo Springs NR; Kora NR; Lake Bogoria NR; Masai Mara NR; Mwea NR; North Kitui NR; Samburu NR, Lake Victoria |
| Malawi | 10,000 | Stable | W-LD | No | Partial | Good | Kasungu NP; Lake Malawi NP;Liwonde NP; Vwaza Marsh GR; Nkhotakota GR; Mwabvi GR |
| Mali | <200 | Unknown | RD-LD | Yes | Unknown | Unknown | Boucle du Baoule NP |
| Mozambique | 18,000 | Declining | W-LA | Yes | Partial | Unknown | Gorongosa NP; Limpopo NP; Gile GR.; Maputo GR; Marromeu GR; Niassa GR |
| Namibia | ??? | Unknown | RD-LA | Yes | Total | Good | Mudumo NP.(?); Nkasa NP.; Western Caprivi GR. |
| Niger | 100 | Declining | RD-LA | Yes | Total | Fair | "W" NP. |
| Nigeria | 300 | Declining | RD-LD | Yes | Partial | Fair | Kainji Lake NP; Kwiambana GR; Sambisa GR; Yankari GR. |
| Rwanda | 200-400 | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? | Akagera NP |
| Senegal | 500 | Declining | RD-LA | Yes | Total | Poor | Niokolo-Koba NP |
| Sierra Leone | 100 | Declining | RD-LD | Yes | Total | Poor | Outamba-Kilimi NP; Tiwai GS |
| Somalia | <50 | Declining | RD-LD | Yes | Unknown | Poor | Juba River, Scebele River |
| South Africa | 3,000-5,000 | Stable | RD-LA | No | Total | Excellent | Kruger NP |
| Sudan | 3,000-6,000 | Unknown | RD-LA | No | Total | Fair | Boma NP; Southern NP; Nimule NP;Badingeru GR; Fanyikango GR; Juba GR; Mongala GR; Shambe GR; Zeraf GR |
| Swaziland | Unknown | RD-LD | Yes | Total | Good | Mlilwane GS | |
| Tanzania | 20,000-30,000 | Stable | W-LA | No | Total | Fair | Arusha NP; Lake Manyara NP; Mikumi NP: Ruaha NP: Rubondo NP; Serengeti NP ; Taragire NP; Burigi GR; Biharamulo GR; Maswa GR; Selous GR; Moyowozi G.R; Ngorongoro CA |
| Togo | 300-500 | Unknown/Stable | RD-LD | No | Total | Good | Keran NP; Togodo GR |
| Uganda | 7,000 | Declining | W-LA | Yes | Total | Poor | Lake Mburu NP; Murchison Falls NP; Queen Elizabeth NP; Kyambura GR |
| Zambia | 40,000 | Increasing | W-LA | No | Partial | Fair | Blue Lagoon NP; Kasanka NP; Kafue NP; Lochinvar NP; Lukusuzi NP; Lower Zambezi NP; Mosi-Oa-Tunya NP; Mweru-Wantipa NP; North Luangwa NP; Nsumbu NP; South Luangwa NP; West Lunga NP |
| Zimbabwe | 7,000 | Stable | RD-LA | No | Partial | Excellent | Gonarexhou NP; Hwange NP; Mana Pools NP: Matusadona NP: Victoria Falls NP; Zambezi NP |
Pygmy Hippos
The population of pygmy hippos is isolated to entirely within West Africa. The range of this species has changed dramatically in the past 100 years, but most acutely in the past 30 years. Forests within the pygmy hippo's historical range have been steadily logged, farmed and settled. Human development activities have caused the retreat of pygmy hippos into diminishing parcels of forest, which are becoming increasingly fragmented and insular. Years of civil unrest pose dangers to the pygmy hippo population. The 1993 Action Plan estimated that there were approximately 2,000-3,000 individuals remaining . Subsequents reports of habitat loss and hunting suggest that the 1993 estimate may be high given current conditions.
| Country | Notes |
| Cote D'Ivoire | The Republic of the Ivory Coast has lost most of its historical forest cover and is likely to be home to fragmented PH populations along its border with Liberia in the Fresco region; PH populations may occur in Mount Nimba Reserve, Tai National Park, N'Zo Forest Reserve, Taipleu For?t, Tatigbo Lagoon, and along the Dagbe, Bolo, and Niouniourou Rivers. |
| Guinea | The Republic of Guinea contains fragmented pygmy hippo populations along the Liberian and Ivoirian border in the Reserve de Ziama, and the Dere Foret. |
| Liberia | The largest PH populations are believed to be in the central and south-eastern Liberia, although population sizes are unknown. Liberian PH populations are believed to occur in Sapo National Park, the Cestos-Senkwehn Forests, Krahn-Bassa National Forest, Gbi National Forest, Grebo National Forest and in Grand Kru County. |
| Nigeria | A distinct subspecies of pygmy hippos, Hexaprotodon liberiensis heslopi, was once discovered here. There have been no confirmed sightings for decades, but there are still hopes a few may remain. |
| Sierra Leone | Sightings of pygmy hippos in Sierra Leone have been scattered over a wide range of areas along the border it shares with Liberia. The population in Sierra Leone is estimated at 80-100. |