Hippo kills Zambian man while fishing

KATIMA MULILO – A 44-year-old Zambian man was killed by a hippo when it attacked him while fishing at Lake Lyambezi in the Zilitene area of Zambezi region on Tuesday morning.

The deceased, identified as Walubita Figo, was reportedly fishing with a friend in a canoe at Kamatanda cattle post when two aggressive hippos attacked their canoe at around 09h00.

Zambezi Police regional commander, Commissioner Julia Sakuwa-Neo, said the two men fell into the water during the attack, after which one of the hippos charged at Figo and fatally attacked him.

His companion managed to escape and rushed to the cattle post to alert other people about the incident.

Sakuwa-Neo said the deceased’s next of kin have been informed.

She also expressed appreciation to the local community for assisting in retrieving the body from the water by providing a boat to help search for the deceased.

The hippo involved in the attack was identified, and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) was informed of the incident.

The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by territorial hippos, particularly to people engaging in activities on or near water bodies where the animals are present.

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