LIMPOPO – Two weeks ago, a motorist was injured and rushed to the hospital after colliding with a hippo on the R71 road in Letsitele.

Following the incident, other motorists and passersby slaughtered the animal to obtain meat.

Read more: Man injured as hippo collision sparks meat scavenging frenzy

In recent years, taking meat from roadkill or other dead wildlife has become increasingly common. The Herald spoke to Eugene Troskie of the Phalaborwa Natural Heritage Foundation about the dangers of consuming game meat.

Troskie outlined three major risks:

1. Health risks:
   Slaughtering and consuming meat from any animal, wild or domestic, can be dangerous due to potential diseases. Bovine tuberculosis, for example, can be transmitted from animals to humans. Troskie recalled an incident where a veterinarian contracted the disease after exposure to infected animals. He also warned that handling carcasses can spread foot-and-mouth disease and other zoonotic infections. If the meat is spoiled, it can lead to serious food poisoning. He added that bush meat is often unhygienic, with poached meat commonly contaminated with dirt, grass, or fly eggs, making it unsafe for consumption.
2. Legal risks:
   Possessing meat from protected or endangered animals, such as hippos, is illegal and can lead to arrest and imprisonment. Troskie urged people to report any roadkill to authorities, specifically the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (Ledet). The authorities will decide whether the community may legally use the carcass or remove it themselves.
3. Physical danger:
   Slaughtering an animal on a busy road poses serious risks to those involved. Troskie recounted a previous incident in the Letsitele area where people were killed after a truck hit them while they were butchering a hippo.

To report a dead animal, the public can contact Ledet at 076 168 9005 or 015 293 8300.