Two men were killed by hippos in Lake Naivasha on Thursday in separate incidents, bringing to 14 the number of hippo-associated deaths this year.
The deaths have been blamed on the encroachment of the hippo habitat by workers laid off in flower farms and hotels due to Covid-19. The jobless workers have turned to fishing to earn a living.
The first incident involved two men who were attacked by a lone hippo at Tarambeta. One of them died while the other survived with serious injuries.
Tarambeta resident John Mwaura said the deceased was a 37-year-old former flower farm worker. The survivor was a teenager who was fishing nearby.
“The hippo first attacked the worker killing him on the spot while the teenager escaped with injuries,” he said.
The other fatality happened near DCK. The attack also involved two people, one a 25-year-old man who was killed. The other survived with leg and hand injuries.
Honorary warden David Kilo said another man was rescued and rushed to Naivasha Subcounty Hospital in critical condition.
Kilo attributed the sharp rise of hippo attacks on the illegal fishermen who had encroached on the animals' habitat.
“Every week we are reporting an increase in the number of hippo attacks in the lake,” he said.
Naivasha police boss Samuel Waweru confirmed both incidents.
“The injured are undergoing treatment at Naivasha Subcounty Hospital and they are in stable condition,” he said.
The number of foot-fishermen has risen sharply in the past few weeks.
The closure of wildlife corridors around the lake has also increased the human-wildlife conflict. The situation has been exacerbated by the lake's rising water levels.
- mwaniki fm
