Hippos destroy farms, crops in Yimbo

Samson Dimo, a resident of Nyangera village assessing the damage caused by marauding hippos in his farm.

Residents of Nyangera and Kanyibok villages in West Yimbo location, Bondo sub-county, are counting losses after hippos raided their farms and destroyed crops.

“The ongoing rains came as a relief, however, with the emergence of the hippos, a bumper harvest cannot be achieved,” said George Aremo, a resident of Nyangera village.

He added that despite raising the concern with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) no action had been taken.

The hippos roam the village, from about 6pm, and damage crops.

They sometimes injure or kill livestock and humans.

A KWS officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said there were only two officers in the county and they were overstretched.

“Victims have been reporting to us cases of wildlife attack but our biggest challenge is understaffing," said the officer. In Magare Island, at least 10 goats and five cows have been killed by hippos.

Fredrick Odongo recently lost a cow to a hippo. Last week, a man died in Siaya's Nyaudenge beach after he was attacked by a hippo.

The fisherman, 30, identified as Odero, is said to have gone fishing with three others.