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Hippos kill two flower farm workers in Lake Naivasha
A hippo foraging for food on the shores of Lake Naivasha. At least 10 people have been killed since the beginning of the year.
What you need to know:
- Most of the foot fishermen are killed while on fishing excursions along the shores of Lake Naivasha.
- In recent months, cases of human-wildlife conflict have risen around the water body, with encroachment on riparian land and crossing of wildlife corridors cited as the cause.
Cases of hippo attacks in Lake Naivasha are on the rise, with two flower farm workers being the latest victims.
Records from the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital indicate that at least 10 people have been killed since the beginning of the year.
The most recent incident occurred early this week when two flower farm workers were attacked and killed by hippos while fishing on the shores of the lake.
"One was killed while fishing near Kihoto, and the other in Karagita. The bodies were taken to the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital Mortuary," revealed Naivasha Subcounty Police Commander, Stephen Kirui.
A fortnight ago, an official at Kamere Beach was also attacked and killed by a hippo while on guard duty at the busy facility.
Despite a decrease in cases between 2022 and 2023, statistics show that at least two people are being attacked every month.
A nurse at the Naivasha Sub-County Referral Hospital disclosed that 80 per cent of the victims who survive the attacks suffer permanent injuries.
"The bites are severe, and we have victims who lose their limbs due to the severity of the injuries," said the medic.
The upsurge in hippo attacks is attributed to several factors, including illegal fishing, uncontrolled hippo population, and encroachment on riparian land around the lake.
On February 26, 2024, three middle-aged men were killed by hippos near Kihoto estate and Karagita landing beach in three separate incidents, while on an illegal fishing mission.
Last year, on September 26, a group of hippos attacked and killed a middle-aged worker at the Naivasha sewer plant who was on duty.
He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital.
That month alone, the hippos killed one person and seriously injured five others, including a student from one of the primary schools in Naivasha town.
According to the Naivasha Wildlife Research and Training Institute, the lake has an estimated 500 hippos, a number deemed optimal for the water body.
In the past year, over 20 people, mainly illegal fishermen also referred to as foot-fishermen, have either been killed or maimed by hippos.
Most of the foot fishermen are killed while on fishing excursions along the shores of Lake Naivasha.
In recent months, cases of human-wildlife conflict have risen around the water body, with encroachment on riparian land and crossing of wildlife corridors cited as the cause.
Mr Kirui termed the human-wildlife conflict worrying and called for concerted efforts to address the issue.
Seasoned boat operator David Kilo, in an interview with Nation.africa, admitted that the number of attacks has gone up, blaming it on unlicensed fishermen who are taking risks.
"They fish using rafters which are quite unstable, especially when being pursued by the dangerous animals, hence the latest increase in the number of attacks," he said.
However, the presence of the highly dreaded elite Coast Guard Service has led to the decline of illegal fishing, but the squad has severally been accused of high-handedness, leading to the current layback.
