In the
News...
March 2007
The World Conservation
This month's stories:
South African hippo dies after being darted
According to the Independent Online of South Africa, a young hippo from the Rondevlei Reserve near Cape Town, which escaped from the reserve through a broken fence, died on Monday after it was darted during an attempt to capture it. The dart contained a drug called M99 which game capture expert, Douw Grobler, claims was, “a death penalty” and that anyone experienced in capturing hippos would have known it. “M99 is fine for elephant and buffalo, but give M99 to a hippo and you'll kill it.”
Julia
Wood, head of the city's nature conservation department, said on
Thursday that Rondevlei staff had been monitoring the young hippo which
had stayed close to the Cape Flats sewerage works.
She said an adult male hippo had driven the young male out of the reserve through the broken fence.
Rondevlei staff had arranged with a game ranch in the Western Cape to capture the hippo. "These people wanted the hippo and assisted us at no cost," she said. According to Ms. Wood, there was a vet present and another person qualified in game capture from the ranch, but she would not say who they were or which game ranch they came from.
"They darted it once with M99. You always use M99 on hippo and then captured it but unfortunately it died," She said after it had been darted it ran into the water. Capture staff brought the hippo to shore using ropes and a net, and got it on to a small truck. "They gave it more drugs because they needed to keep it tranquillised but, either due to the drugs or the stress, it died. It's a risk and there was a possibility it would die," she said.s.
30 March 2007 (1-04-07)
Hippo dies at Brimingham, AL zoo
One
of the oldest hippos in the U.S., Mama Petite, died on Wednesday, 7
March 2007 at the age of 50. She arrived at the Zoo in 1959 and
gave birth to nine offspring during her time in Brimingham. The
1,300 kg (2,800 lb) hippo had been in good health until just a couple
of years ago when she got sunburned. She was treated and recovered, but
eventually developed a recurring skin condition that became
increasingly difficult to control. Her health visibly worsened
this week and caretakers decided Wednesday that she was suffering
beyond necessity.
According to Dr. Marie Rush, director of veterinary services the zoo, “She was comforted and she knew we were present." Mama Petite was euthanized in her outdoor enclosure while surrounded by her zoo caretakers.
9 March 2007
(1-04-07)
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