Hippopotamus  (Hippopotamus amphibius)

The principle threats to the hippopotamus are loss of essential grazing lands to cultivation and encroaching human settlement and unregulated or illegal hunting (6) (9). Due to increased development and human population growth, these large animals have also run into frequent conflict with humans, and have been said to kill more people in Africa than any other animal, attacking when feeling threatened (3). The species is a notorious crop-raider and can cause extensive damage through grazing and trampling. In certain countries, farmers can file a complaint about hippopotamuses damaging their crops, after which officials can legally kill the offending animals. Unfortunately, farmers have sometimes been suspected of filing false claims of damage so as to not have to worry about this potential threat in the future (9). Unregulated or illegal hunting is also a significant threat, with this enormous animal being prized by hunters for its meat, skins and ivory (6) (8) (9). The ban on international trade in elephant ivory has led to the increased exploitation of the carvable canine teeth of hippopotamuses, which can measure upward of 60 cm in length and are not subject to the same import/export restrictions. An increase of 530 % in the annual export of hippo teeth ensued within two years of the elephant ivory ban taking effect (9). Hippo populations have been decimated in former stronghold areas by unregulated hunting for bush-meat and for ivory, most notably in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Once home to more than 25,000 hippos, this population may have been hunted to less than 2000 over the past 15 years as a result of intense hunting pressure during more than eight years of civil unrest and fighting (9).

The hippopotamus is found in a number of protected areas (2) and breeds readily in captivity, deeming captive-breeding and reintroduction programmes a viable conservation measure in the future should numbers become critically low in the wild. However, habitat protection is currently a more pressing priority, including measures to prevent the drying-up of water courses and loss of grazing ground. An Action Plan has been drawn up for this species, which aims to ensure that viable populations survive in each of the states in which it is currently found. Sadly, many of the sub-populations in West Africa now contain fewer than 50 individuals each, well below the minimum considered viable in the long-term. A principle objective is therefore to increase these group sizes to 500, at which number they are considered reasonably free from the risk of extinction. However, with the current climate of hippopotamus-human conflict, which is surely set to grow as populations expand and proximity increases, conservation efforts must take into consideration the welfare of human populations and local economies. If conflict issues could be addressed and reconciled, and greater local support gained, this unusual amphibious mammal would have a much better chance of long-term survival in the wild (6).