A 50-year-old Nxaraga native attacked by a hippo while out looking for his goats has died from his wounds.
A small settlement near Maun, Nxaraga has a natural pool which is home to over 200 hippos; due to the heavy recent rains, many of the mammals have left the pool and roam the area freely.
Confirming the tragedy, Maun Station Commander, Joseph Lepodise said they received the report from the deceased’s relatives at around 23:30hrs on Sunday night (Feb 16, 2025).
“When the goats returned home after grazing, the deceased realized that some of them were missing. He decided to look for them in the nearby bushes when he encountered the hippo that attacked him,” revealed the police boss.
The top cop told The Voice the family grew worried when, with the light fading and night fast approaching, their loved one had still not returned home.
They were able to get through to him on his phone, only to learn he was lying in the bush unable to move, his back and waist in agony after being mauled by a hippo.
“The family embarked on a search for him. Through his directions on the phone they managed to locate him and rushed him to Nxaraga clinic where he was further referred to Letsholathebe Memorial Hospital in Maun. Unfortunately, he was certified dead upon arrival,” stated Lepodise, adding this was on Monday morning.
The dead man’s body remains at the Hospital awaiting post-mortem.
Lepodise cautioned people living in wildlife corridors to be on high alert when moving around, as animals are roaming about due to the current abundance of water.
“Wherever possible, they should desist from going into the bush without company,” he advised.
Preaching a similar message at a North West District Council session earlier this year, Chairperson, Itumeleng Kelebetseng noted flooding in the region had displaced wildlife, bringing wild animals into close proximity to humans.
“The flooding forces wild animals to travel distances from the protected areas and concessions to neighboring cattle posts. The situation in particular poses a threat to human lives as some animals are dangerous. The public is advised to take extra care when traversing the thicket areas where visibility of the animals is also limited,” said Kelebetseng back on 21st January.
