Lately, hippos come out of the rivers, Lake Tanganyika to graze. Unfortunately, currently, they no longer have enough leeway. Their buffer zone, which was to serve as pasture, was already invaded by houses, agricultural fields, etc. Thus, hippos and humans come face to face. A conflicting coexistence. Léonidas Nzigiyimpa, environmentalist tells us what to do.
After the hippopotamuses who had settled not far from the Bujumbura-Rugombo roadà Buringa, Gihanga commune, Bubanza province, this time, a hippopotamus terrorizes the inhabitants of the Gisyo district, Kanyosha zone, Muha commune. According to locals, this amphibian has been living there for more than a year. They say their lives are in danger. Deaths have even already taken place according to the testimonies which ask that this animal be relocated or killed.
Nevertheless, Léonidas Nzigiyimpa, environmentalist and president of the NGO 3C (Conservations, Communities of Change) finds that instead of lamenting, we must recognize that man has attacked these animals. “The buffer zone of the lake and its tributaries is today occupied by houses and agricultural fields. However, it was recommended to leave at least an area of 150 m for the lake and 25 m on either side of the rivers flowing into it. It is in this space that hippos should find pasture. And hippos spend most of the day in the water, and come out in the evening to graze. When there is not this buffer zone, these animals attack the agricultural fields which are there”, he explains.
To those who think of slaughtering these animals or selling them as a solution, this environmentalist indicates that this does not hold. First, he points out that the number of hippopotamuses has noticeably decreased.
To those who think that man should be favored over these animals, his answer is clear: “Animals and humans must live together to maintain ecological and biological balance”. For him, Burundians should consider these animals as a wealth and adopt strategies for their protection: “With the development of tourism, these animals can bring a lot of money into the country.”
He also finds that these animals must be allowed to age and die a natural death, because, he explains, this is part of the biological and environmental balance: “Today people wonder why fish production has dropped. This is linked, in part, to the decrease in the number of these animals. When they spend all day in the water, they defecate there. And their excrement contributes to the increase of phytoplankton, fish food ».
He also recalls that these animals are protected by international conventions and even national texts that Burundi has ratified. He cites the Convention CITES de Washingtonthe new forest code of Burundi, the environmental code and the law establishing and delimiting protected areas in Burundi.
Learn to live with hippos
Instead of attacking these animals, Mr. Nzigiyimpa finds on the contrary that the population must be taught how to behave in front of them. For example, when you go to the lake to draw water or swim, you must first be reassured that there are no hippos in the wakes.
“It is not advisable to dive straight in or approach. You have to wait between 10 to 15 minutes. Because most of the time, it happens that a hippopotamus is there but in depth. And when he hears someone throwing himself into the water, he can suddenly come up and attack the individual. It’s good to wait then. Because following 15 minutes he has to come back up to breathe. And when you notice that following this time, no hippos show up, it means that they are not around,” he details.
And when you come across a hippopotamus, Mr. Nzigiyimpa stresses that you shouldn’t expect this animal to leave you the way: “It’s up to you to get out of his way and let him continue.” According to him, it is very rare for a hippopotamus to attack a person if it is not provoked, disturbed. He only becomes violent, offensive when he has a baby to protect.
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