BADFONTEIN – Fishermen at Kwena Dam got more than what they bargained for when an unexpected visitor made its appearance.

This past weekend, Martin Taljaard and his family were enjoying a relaxed few days next to the dam, when a massive hippo suddenly popped up about 10 metres from where they were sitting.

Taljaard said that they have been coming to this dam for years, and never come across a hippo before.

“During summer months, many children swim here,” he said, and wishes to warn others about the hippo.

Capt Pottie Potgieter of the Ehlanzeni Diving Unit said that even though this is a rare sight, wild animals like hippos and crocodiles are quite common in Lowveld dams and rivers, and said that caution should be practised wherever you go.

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