THE snaring of a hippo in the Mfolozi River turned fatal for local communities on Friday as two men drowned attempting to hack the carcass for meat.

In a joint statement issued this afternoon (Sunday), iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife confirmed the incident, which occurred on Friday.

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According to the conservation authorities, they received reports of the snared hippo on Friday, in the Mfolozi River near Monzi.

This follows reports from the previous weekend, of a hippo reportedly having been shot at by residents at an unconfirmed location in Mtubatuba.

It is not clear, however, if the two incidents are related.

Upon arrival at the scene this past Friday, Ezemvelo officials found a large crowd of community members gathered at the river’s edge.

“The Ezemvelo team assessed the situation and determined that rescuing the animal was impossible and extremely dangerous owing to muddy terrain and high-risk conditions,” read the statement.

“The team contacted a local veterinary service and a decision was taken to humanely euthanise the hippo to end its severe suffering.

Ezemvelo said, once the animal was destroyed, certain body parts, including the head and legs, were removed according to the conservation entity’s standard carcass management procedures.

Conditions prevented the removal of the carcass, which stayed in the water while options were deliberated.

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“During this time, members of the local community attempted to access the carcass to cut it for meat, resulting in an uncontrollable situation,” said the statement.

Two people drowned – one while attempting to access the carcass, and the second while searching for the other.

While extending sympathy to the families of the deceased, Ezemvelo and iSimangaliso urged communities to refrain from approaching wildlife carcasses or entering swollen rivers, as this poses serious danger to human life.

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