Timothy Mamman-Gawas was expecting a bountiful harvest from his rice plantation this year. But when he visited his farm at sunset, he was met with a devastating sight: a herd of hippopotamuses had invaded his land and were feasting on his crops.
This is not the first time that hippos have invaded Mamman-Gawas’s farm. According to PUNCH, the animals have been a problem in the Difa community for years, and their attacks have caused significant losses for farmers.
The hippopotamus invasion in Difa results from the animals being displaced from their natural habitat due to deforestation and other human activities.
In 1999, Mamman-Gawas was among the first farmers to experience a hippopotamus attack. He said that he lost all of his crops that year and has been struggling to make a living ever since.
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The hippopotamus population in the Difa community has grown in recent years, and the animals have become increasingly aggressive. In 2020, Mamman-Gawas spent four months vigil at his farm to scare away the hippos, but he could only harvest 54 bags of rice, a fraction of what he expected.
Other farmers in the community have been even less fortunate. Some have lost their entire harvests to hippo attacks, and others have been injured or killed by the animals.
Gombe State’s government has taken steps to address the hippopotamus problem, but the measures have been largely ineffective. Farmers are calling for more comprehensive solutions, such as building a fence around the community to keep the hippos out.
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In the meantime, farmers like Mamman-Gawas are struggling to make ends meet. They are losing their livelihoods, and their families are going hungry. The hippopotamus invasion is a significant threat to the community, and the government must take action to protect the farmers.
The hippopotamus is Africa’s most dangerous large land mammal, responsible for more human deaths than any other animal.
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