Poacher in Togo Uses Dynamite to Kill 50+ Hippos |
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| Fifty to sixty hippos were
killed in Togo in May this year. A poacher from Ghana used dynamite to kill
the hippos, which he sold to local farmers. Among the dead were 25 young
and 10 baby hippos. This message was received by the Netherlands Committee
for IUCN (NC-IUCN) at the end of last month.
Through the Small Grants Programme for Benin (SGPB), NC-IUCN finances a project in the Bénin part of the river Mono, that aims at contributing to the conservation of hippos and the diversification of income-generating activities of local communities through the setting up of a network of reserves. Awareness-raising and education activities on the functions and values of both wetlands and hippos (e.g. tourism and maintaining habitats favourable for fish) are directed at the local population (e.g. villages, schools) and local authorities. |
The fact that the agricultural fields
of the farmers are right next to the river where the hippos live in gives
rise to conflicts between the farmers and the hippos. At night, the hippos
cause a lot of damage to the fields, leaving the already poor farmers in
desperation. By showing people the value of living hippos, NC-IUCN hopes
they will become aware of the opportunities these animals can create for
them. The incident in Togo shows the need for an ecoregional approach, which
means the different countries in the catchment of the river Mono must work
together. This seems the only way to protect the hippos and their habitat
and the only way to prevent massacres like the one in Togo.
Source: Matthijs Schuring - Netherlands
Committee for IUCN. |
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