WATCH: Flashback Friday | St Lucia hippo encounter

SHARING a Facebook memory from five years ago, one St Lucia resident used the special encounter as a reminder of acceptable ways to behave around hippos.

For those living in St Lucia, seeing hippos roaming the streets as they graze the grass verges under the cover of darkness might be a common occurrence, but that doesn’t mean each new sighting is no less special than the previous.

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Overcast days can also bring the hippos out of the estuary, but there have also been sightings of sleeping hippos in public places during broad daylight.

It was one of these cases that prompted long-time St Lucia resident and experienced estuary boat skipper Deiric Walsh to not only share his special sighting, but remind the public of how to behave around such wild animals.

Walsh was approaching his motorbike one day in November 2019 when he noticed a ‘sleeping beauty’ right next to his bike.

“Younger bulls hang in town and you must always keep your distance with a hippo. His speed is up to 40km per hour, some say even more,” said Walsh in his original Facebook post.

By approaching his bike very slowly, climbing onto it carefully with no sudden movements, and quietly wheeling the bike away, Walsh ensured a safe getaway – all under the watchful eye of the relaxing creature.

While Walsh is highly experienced around wildlife, therefore knew how to not aggravate the hippo, members of the public are reminded to always give them a wide berth, keeping a respectful distance.

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