Uganda: Hippos migrate to Munyonyo in Kampala

August 15th, 2009

 

 

Kampala (Uganda) — A school of hippos has found a new home at Munyonyo in Kampala. The hippos have become a regular spectacle at the shores of Lake Victoria at Speke Resort, Munyonyo.

According to the local fishermen, there are three hippos, an adult male, which is as big as a "commuter taxi" and a mother hippo, which is always accompanying her baby. They are often sighted in the evenings at around 6:00pm and early in the morning.

"It is rare to see hippos in this part of the country," said Timothy Bukumunhe, a resident of Munyonyo. "This has added value to Speke Resort Munyonyo since intending tourists do not have to travel to Murchison Falls National Park to see hippos."

While the managers at resort and country club are excited about the hippos, the animals have scared the fishing community at Munyonyo. Robert Mukasa, a local fisherman, pointed out that the hippos come out of the water to the beach.

"We have seen the hippos walking near the resort and sometimes feeding on the grass and potato vines. They often move around a large territory within the Munyonyo bay," he said.

The hippos have been seen in the bay for more than a year. They are thought to have come from parts of Lake Victoria near Kaazi or Entebbe.

"The male hippo probably lost a territorial battle with superior males in the larger school, forcing it to migrate, Mukasa said. The mother sometimes disappears, probably to link up with the larger group, leaving the male behind.

"It is now unsafe to fish because the mother is too aggressive. Whereas her baby is playful and approaches canoes, the mother swiftly intervenes to protect it," he added.

Fishermen warn each other to vacate the lake whenever the hippos are sighted. "The hippos also tear our nets at night," Mukasa said.

In an interview, Achilles Byaruhanga, the director of Nature Uganda, said smaller groups of hippos have been seen at Lutembe bay and Nakiwogo near Entebbe. He said the hippos are in danger of being killed by residents because they are perceived as dangerous.

"The fishermen either avoid places where they are or kill them. That is why they hide during the day, only coming out at night."

Byaruhanga said the gazetted protected areas left out marine parks that are vital in tourism and protection of bio-diversity. Two years ago, part of Lake Victoria near Munyonyo, Kaazi and around the Buvuma islands, was declared a Commonwealth reserve and marine park because of its diversity in species, but nothing has been done to protect the area.

source.New Vision (Uganda)