In the News...
August 2005
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This month's stories:

Vancouver Hippo Exhibit Receives More Criticism

The Greater Vancouver Zoo is at odds with the city's humane society over the treatment of a baby hippopotamus that arrived from Quebec 10 months ago. The Vancouver Humane Society, along with some zoo visitors, say the barn housing the 317 kg (700 lb) animal is far from ideal. Hazina, whose name means "treasure" in Swahili, spends most of her waking hours submerged in a 2.4m x 2.4m (8' x 8') indoor pool, off limits to the public. 

Jamie Dorgan, the animal care manager at the zoo, says the barn is more than adequate. "She has two large stalls. She has an indoor pond. She has access to the door to get sunlight," he said. Peter Fricker, of the Vancouver Humane Society, said the zoo has a spotty record in caring for its animals. Four hippos have died at the popular attraction since 1983.

Since Hazina's arrival, the zoo has been promising to build a bigger home, but so far it hasn't happened. Zoo general manager Malcolm Weatherston says the zoo has already spent $150,000 on a new access road, electrical power grid and water well. Once the work is completed, Hazina's state-of-the-art hippo residence will cost $500,000 and will be twice the size of the old hippo barn. The zoo promises Hazina will have a new home in 60 days. The zoo is currently celebrating its 35th anniversary.

Sources: Canadian Broadcast Company (online) - 13 August 2005 and www.mytelus.com - 20 August 2005
10-09-05

South African Beauty Queen Still Recovering from Hippo Attack

Former Miss South Africa Diana Tilden-Davis, who was attacked by a hippopotamus, is still undergoing treatment for her injuries, the Herald Online reported. Tilden-Davis, 36, was attacked in Botswana in December 2003 and has undergone a series of operations to heal her injured leg. "I am still undergoing bone grafts and have a pin in my leg, but finally it looks as if the bone is mending," she said from Nature's Valley, near Plettenberg Bay.

Tilden-Davis, who still walks with crutches, spends most of her time with family in Johannesburg and Cape Town where she consults doctors and specialists. "The attack has taken me away from my job in Botswana where I was a specialist guide in a private game reserve in the Okavango delta.

I have spent most of my time with family and Kaylyn, which has been an amazing privilege that I don't take for granted." She said although the attack was a harrowing experience, more good had come from it than bad. "It has, for instance. taught me patience and to rely on my family - I have always been a very independent person."

Sources: News 24 (of South Africa - online) - 16 August 2005
10-09-05

Hippo Overcrowding Blamed for Fish Deaths

The Olifants River was one of the largest continuously flowing rivers in South Africa, but at this time of year it is reduced to a series of pools in the Kruger National Park (KNP), kept alive by water released from the Phalaborwa Barrage. 

As a result, hippos living in the river are forced into the ever dwindling pools which they share with the fish. Hippos are forced to congregate in the remaining pools of water. In the pool where the fish died, Dr Thomas Gyedu-Ababio, the KNP's aquatic biodiversity conservation manager, has found almost 100 hippos in less than 500 metres. 

According to Gyedu-Ababio this has caused many fish to die from oxygen starvation. Gyedu-Ababio found at least 500 dead fish on the banks of a pool in what remains of the Olifants River when he visited the site recently. They were mostly catfish, yellowfish and tilapia. 

In a reversal of their normal behaviour, Gyedu-Ababio said: "The hippos ran out of the water when they saw people," as there was not enough water in the pool to cover them. The hippo have been living and defecating in the pools, producing an excessive quantity of dung that was now decomposing. At normal levels the dung is usually associated with providing much needed nutrients to aquatic ecosystems.

However, at these levels, the decomposition removes oxygen from the water, causing the fish to suffocate. Fish jumping out of the water in other pools was also a sign of oxygen shortage.
The Phalaborwa Barrage is required to release water for the ecological needs of the Olifants River, but also has to provide water for human use. Gyedu-Ababio said the flow out of the barrage for several days prior to the fish deaths was so low that the gauging weir in the park could not accurately measure it. 

The barrage has very limited water storage, as almost 90% of the dam is occupied by silt. It is estimated that there is only enough water in the barrage when it is full for two to three days' water supply. The silt in the barrage is to be the subject of an environmental study which went out to tender in February. The tender has yet to be awarded, the Lepelle Northern Water authority said. The release of large volumes of silt-laden water from the barrage has previously caused fish deaths in the Olifants. The silt is largely derived from soil erosion caused by poor agricultural practices further upstream in the Olifants River, in Sekhukhuneland. 

Sources: News 24 (of South Africa - online) - 30 August 2005
10-09-05

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