Panic as hippos stray into Naivasha Town, one shot dead

Naivasha, Kenya: There was drama in Naivasha Wednesday morning after a pack of hippos strayed into the central business district in search of pastures.

Motorcycle operators and night guards had to flee as over five hippos camped between two buildings during the 3am incident.

Police on patrol were called in and they shot dead one of the hippos dead as the others fled back to Lake Naivasha, which is 2kms away.

The fear was turned into merry as tens of residents moved in to share the meat of the shot animal.

According to a motorcycle operator James Mwathi, they spotted five hippos feeding by the roadside and informed the police.

The operator said that it became impossible to pass through the section of the road as the wild animals sought pastures to the shock of area residents

Mwathi said that cases of hippos of straying from the lake were on the rise mainly along the Moi South Lake road.

"The hippos had camped outside the banks and this caused panic before police on patrol moved in and shot one dead as the others escaped," he said.

KWS officers later moved in and towed the animal from the main road to the nearby Kihoto estate, where the meat was shared by area residents.
 

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