Riaan Roux, who has been helping with the search, said the hippos went missing after the flooding of the Vaal River on Monday 20 February 2023. He said it will be hard to locate the wild animals as they spend most of their time underwater or with only their eyes, ears and nostrils above the water – barely visible.

The animals went missing just outside of Orkney in the North West. He explained that so far, at least two hippos have been spotted near Mining Shaft 10 on the Leeudoringstad Road from Orkney, at the bridge where the Schoonspruit connects to the Vaal River. “There is also a possibility that these hippos might have been caught in the flood waters and travelled far downstream, but it is anyone’s guess how far. Some reports say hippos were spotted as far downstream as the town of Boshoff, but nothing could be confirmed.”

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Roux has been conducting the search via a Phantom 4 Drone. He also mentioned that hippos are not good swimmers, but they are able to hold their breath for up to 5 minutes at a time and can walk along the bottom of a river or lake. They are also known to wallow in the mud at the bottom of the water, which helps to keep their skin moist and protected from the sun. “While hippos are predominantly aquatic, they will leave the water at night to forage for food. They can travel several kilometres inland in search of suitable grazing grounds.”

He concluded that hippos are considered to be aggressive and unpredictable, particularly when they feel threatened or cornered. “Do not approach them or attempt to feed them. Try to keep them in sight and at a safe distance. Contact authorities so they can be captured. Hippos are known to be responsible for more human deaths in Africa than any other large animal.”

The owner of the reserve where the hippos went missing has declined to comment.

Meanwhile, authorities in the province are still in search of a lioness that went missing on Wednesday on Beesdam Road, in the area of Stella and Tlhakgameng. 

The spokesperson for the Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism, Jerry Matebesi, confirmed to OFM News that they still have not captured the lioness. Matebesi previously explained that the owner of the lioness was transporting two lions from one game reserve to another in Tlhakgameng, and it is understood that the lioness escaped during the trip.

OFM News