NAN – Head of Forestry unit of Yamaltu/Deba Local Governmen Council in Gombe on Thursday confirmed the killing of a notorious Hippopotamus in Dadinkowa dam that had been terrorizing the community for the past two years.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Thursday that the bulky animal, apart from terrorizing people, had also been destroying crops and fishing facilities of fishermen in the area.
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“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.
Speaking to the NAN, Mr Adamu Pukuma, Permanent Secretary, Gombe State Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources, said hippopotamuses are among the animals that were endangered and going instinct.
“We have been protecting them but the particular one that was killed was notorious.
“It killed people around the area, as well as destroyed crops and fishing equipment.
“There were complaints from the people and that was why we sought for the approval of the Governor to protect lives and property.
Leader of Fishermen in Dadinkowa, Malam Sa’adu Sarkinruwa, told NAN that the hippopotamus killed no fewer than five persons in the community in the past two and half years.
NAN reports that after killing the animal, its meat was shared among those that actively participated in hunting it down.
