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| Hippopotamus |
A notorious hippopotamus in Dadinkowa dam that had been terrorizing the community for the past two years has been killed.
Head of Forestry unit of Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Council in Gombe, on Thursday, confirmed that the bulky animal, aside terrorizing people, had also been destroying crops and fishing facilities of fishermen in the area.
“We discovered it about two and half years ago, but unfortunately, it has become very notorious and dangerous to people.
“The community wrote to the local government council, complaining about the threat of the animal and we forwarded same to the Ministry of Environment, seeking the approval of the Governor to take action.
“We received the approval last week, and decided to go hunting for it, an exercise that took us one week before the animal was finally spotted yesterday night.
“We were lucky to trap it outside; we used military men to shoot it, with the help of the local hunters.
“We shot it yesterday night around 10:30 pm when it came out to eat grasses, and today we butchered it in to pieces.
According to him, there are about 100 of them in the water, but the one that was killed had been crossing to the lower side of the dam and causing havoc.
Mr Adamu Pukuma, Permanent Secretary, Gombe State Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources, while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said hippopotamuses are among the animals that were endangered and going extinct.
“We have been protecting them but the particular one that was killed was notorious.
“There were complaints from the people and that was why we sought for the approval of the Governor to protect lives and property."
The hippopotamus in the past two and half years, has reportedly killed no fewer than five persons, a leader of fishermen in Dadinkowa, Malam Sa’adu Sarkinruwa, said.
According to NAN after killing the animal, its meat was shared among those that actively participated in hunting it down.
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