Communities in the Fezile Dabi district have been warned to be on the lookout for eight hippos that are on the loose in the Vierfontein area in the Free State. The hippos are said to be in the coal-mining village in the Free State, after being flooded out of their boma at the Bellevue Game Farm near the Vaal River.
The animals were flushed out of their enclosure on Wednesday following recent heavy rains that hit the Fezile Dabi district municipality.
The provincial department of economic, small business development, tourism and environmental affairs said it has noted with concern the report of the escape.
Mojalefa Mphaphang, spokesperson for the department, said: “During the recent floods, the camps were flooded and destroyed.
“Hippos went missing after being flooded out from the boma at Bellevue Game Farm. The department visited the farm to assess the situation and has confirmed the incident.
“Communities and farmers in the area have been informed and are encouraged to be vigilant and not to confront the animals, but to inform the department’s environmental management inspectors when these animals are spotted,” said Mphaphang.
Mphaphang added that the rising water levels in the [Vaal] river are also making the search operation difficult.
“It is unfortunate that the river levels continue to rise, and this makes the search operation difficult,” he said.
“The department will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with other stakeholders, including the farm owner, in trying to locate and recapture the animals.”
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