Massacre of hippos: 2 thousand specimens will be killed for an absurd reason

The Zambian government does not leave hippos alone: every year, any excuse is good to kill them

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Two thousand hippos in five years will be killed because they drink too much and risk consuming the water resources of the Luangwa River. The Zambian government doesn't just leave hippos alone: every year, any excuse is good for killing them.

Last June, they had to be killed 'to stop a possible spread of anthrax', then a preventive extermination to avert an epidemic that was not in progress. Maybe the motivation didn't hold up enough. We asked ourselves: can a massacre be legalized for fear that there may be contagion in the future?

And here the Republic of Zambia in central-southern Africa immediately found another: hippos must be killed because the water levels of the river cannot quench everyone's thirst.
According to Zambian tourism minister, Charles Banda, it would be too expensive to move the animals elsewhere, thus giving the go-ahead for culling.

"South Luangwa National Park has a population of over 13 hippos, but the area is ideal for only 5 hippos," Banda said.

These data, however, clash with the fact that the hippo is on the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature) with an estimated population of only 115-130 thousand animals in total.
So while the government continues to say that the ecosystem is threatened by overcrowding, the Born Free and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife argue that there is no evidence of either the large number or the fact that previous culls have brought benefits. Not to mention that the government has never provided scientific evidence that a massacre could prevent an anthrax outbreak.

The clear data is that hippos may disappear in a few years. Also according to the conservation body, in the last decade (until 2016), over 6 thousand hippos have been hunted. International trade records show that about 2004 kg of hippo ivory was imported into Hong Kong between 2014 and 60.

And the impression is that behind these killing there is a market for hunting trophies and more.

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