Nine year-old-girl, mauled to death by hippo in Kilifi

One of the hippos that disturb which cause trouble to resident of Angalo Villager was appearing in Lake Victoria at Angalo in Homa Bay Sub-county.[James Omoro/Standard] A nine-year-old girl was killed by a hippopotamus at Burangi village on the shores of the River Sabaki in Magarini Sub-County. Zawadi Zena Sababu, a Grade Six pupil at Kipangajeni Primary School, was attacked by a rogue hippo while washing clothes with her mother. Speaking at the Malindi Sub-County Hospital mortuary on Thursday, her father, Mr. Nyale Sababu, said his daughter was attacked at around 5 pm after her mother sent her to fetch water from the river so they could finish washing clothes. "I had come home from work at 4 pm and found her mother and the deceased washing clothes on the riverbank. At around 5 pm, I heard screams from the river. I rushed there only to find my daughter already dead," Sababu said, struggling to hold back tears. Hippopotamus attacks along the River Sabaki and its environs have become increasingly common. Most incidents occur while residents are fishing or swimming, though some victims are attacked on the mainland or even at their homes. The attacks happen both at night and during the day. The bereaved father has called on the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to find a lasting solution to the rising number of hippo attacks, saying the animals' growing population has become a threat to locals. "We want the government to be vigilant and ensure such an incident does not happen again. They should take action and increase surveillance," he said. Another family member, Lawrence Charo, urged KWS to restrain the River Sabaki hippos, noting that many residents rely on the river for their livelihoods. Families depend on the river for survival-drawing water from shallow wells, irrigating crops, and fishing. "Locals here use the water for farming, and others depend on fishing," Charo said. A resident, Mwavizi Charo, urged parents to be more vigilant and keep children away from the river, especially during the long holiday. "Many children come to the river to fish or help with farming. Parents need to be watchful and take precautions," he said. Human rights activist Thomas Karisa called on KWS to deploy officers to guard the riverbanks, especially during evening and night hours. "Hippopotamuses with young ones are the most aggressive, even attacking cattle that come to graze on the banks," he said. In July, KWS reported more than 1,300 cases of human-wildlife conflict in Kilifi County between 2021 and this year. The government, through KWS, has paid Sh60 million in compensation to Kilifi residents affected by human-wildlife conflict, in an effort to enhance fairness and restore trust and dignity among affected families.

Nine year-old-girl, mauled to death by hippo in Kilifi

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Nine year-old-girl, mauled to death by hippo in Kilifi

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