A 47-year-old fisherman has been killed by a hippo while fishing in Lake Victoria in Suba North constituency.
Richard Ouma was mauled by the wild animal at Olambwe beach on Friday morning.
Ouma fell into the water after the hippo attacked and overturned the boat.
Eyewitnesses said Ouma went close to the hippo’s young one unknowingly.
“The animal grabbed the fisherman by his thigh when he tried to escape,” said Homa Bay BMU chairman Edward Oremo.
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Oremo said the hippo split the boat and attacked the man.
“Ouma succumbed to the thigh injuries. He bled profusely and died a few minutes later,” Oremo said.
Attempts by other fishermen to rescue failed to bear fruit.
“Fishermen retrieved the body faster because they were following blood stains on water,” Oremo said.
The incident comes barely two days after a 38-year-old fisherman from Kisaka beach was seriously injured by a hippo.
Erick Otieno is still recuperating at St Lawrence hospital in Homa Bay town after the injuries.
KWS Homa Bay station warden Grace Wendot appealed to locals to avoid fishing in areas invaded by hippos.
“Let fishermen take precautionary measures and avoid looking for fish in areas with hippos. We don’t want people to lose a life,”Wendo said.
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