Adamawa Community Kills Rogue Hippopotamus After Deadly Attack

A hippopotamus believed to have killed a fisherman in Ban Local Government Area, was hunted down and killed by residents of nearby Shelleng town last week. The attack, which occurred while the victim was fishing along the River Gongola, sparked fear across riverside communities already on edge due to recent wildlife incursions.

Authorities say the hippos, driven out of their natural habitats by seasonal flooding and shrinking grazing areas, have increasingly encroached on farmlands and human settlements.

“We’ve cautioned residents to stay clear of riverbanks,” said Shalom Kassa, Chairman of Guyuk LGA. “But these animals become erratic and dangerous when displaced.”

Following the fatal attack, local vigilante groups and hunters launched a coordinated effort to track the hippo. Hours later, the animal was located and brought down using traditional hunting techniques.

But the story took a different turn after the kill. Instead of discarding the carcass, community members divided the meat among households and sold portions locally — transforming a symbol of fear into a communal meal.

“It took one of ours,” said a resident in Shelleng. “Now it feeds many of us.”

While some residents view the outcome as a form of poetic justice, conservationists urge caution.

“This isn’t a victory — it’s a warning,” a local wildlife expert explained. “These animals are reacting to habitat loss. Unless we address the root causes, such encounters will only increase.”

The incident underscores the mounting tension between displaced wildlife and rural communities in Nigeria, with climate change and environmental degradation accelerating the frequency of such dangerous crossovers.

As residents of Guyuk and Shelleng remain wary, the hippo’s death offers both a moment of reprieve and a sobering reminder of the cost of ecological imbalance.