In the News...
April 2007
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This month's stories:

Krueger Park Facilities to cut Water Usage

News24 (online) of South Africa reports that below normal water levels are having an effect on more than just the hippos.  Beginning on Monday 23 April 2007, water use at lodges, ranger posts, hostels and staff villages will be reduced by half.  Car washes and other services will be equally affected.  This was regardless of whether or not the water was drawn from rivers or boreholes. 

Dr Freek Venter, head of the park's conservation services, said on Wednesday: "We realise the restrictions will have a noticeable effect on tourist facilities as the lawns will not be as lush and green as they have been for the past few years, but we need to start conserving the little water that we have."

Venter said: "It is now the end of summer and these rivers are supposed to be flowing well, but, in actual fact, are flowing at the rates that are normal for September or October.
"Our biggest worry is the long-term effect on the ecosystems found in our rivers which are, in effect, part of biodiversity."

When river levels dropped too much, insects and fish were forced into pools, forcing them to compete for survival and making them easy prey for predators.

Meanwhile, while hippo defecation in the water is normally are credited with providing the nutrients to stimulate plant growth, within the confines of the individual pools, the excess of hippo feces could remove oxygen from the water causing the death of fish and other aquatic life.

Sources: New24 (online) of South Africa 18 April 2007
21/04/07

Pygmy Hippo Naming Contest Coming to a Close

The Courier Journal reported on 20 April 2007 that a contest to name the recently born pygmy hippo at the Louisville Zoo is in its final stages after more that 2,000 suggestions were entered.  The final three entries are: Isoke, Lily and Zuri.  The name Isoke is a word meaning “satisfying gift” and Zuri is a Swahili word for “beautiful.”  Zoo staff selected the three names which will now be voted on by the public at a kiosk by the front of the zoo.

The person who submitted the name that gets the most votes will receive a zoo family membership, two round-trip tickets from Frontier Airlines valued at $1,000, a $50 gift certificate from Whole Foods and a behind-the-scenes tour to meet the baby hippo.


Sources: The Courier Journal (online) of South Carolina, USA  20 April 2007
21/04/07

Hippo Injuries Elderly Man in Kenya

The Kenya Broadcast Company reports that David Wambua suffered injuries after encountering a hippo on his way home from doing some shopping.  The hippo had left the Tana River and bit Mr. Wambua on the head and thigh.  Mr. Wambua was subsequently admitted to the Thika District Hospital.  Residents of the area who reportedly live in fear of the hippos are also claiming the hippos have caused serious damage to their crops.  Residents are now calling on government to take steps before things get out of hand to ensure that there is a peaceful co-existence between the hippos and humans.


Sources: Kenya Broadcast Company (online)  7 April 2007
21/04/07

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