Do you know the saying ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’? Well, for this young hippo in Namibia, the water seemed bluer on the other side says Mariska Bijsterbosch from Wildlife Vets Namibia
We received a rather unusual phone call from a reserve in Namibia: ‘We have a hippo in the pool!’
When we arrived, we found a young hippo bull, indeed right in the swimming pool. He was probably expelled from his pod which was residing in a dam nearby. Among hippos, competition between males can be fierce. Dominant bulls guard their prime waters, forcing younger rivals to move on in search of a territory of their own.
Quite often these bull-to-bull interactions are extremely violent and can result in the younger bull being killed. But this seemingly cruel behaviour drives related young males out of the pod, helping to avoid inbreeding.
For this displaced youngster, the search for bluer waters led him to a pristine swimming pool surrounded by a lush lawn – what a jackpot for him! Lodge management was of a different opinion, however, and decided that he had to be moved for everyones’ safety.
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The reserve team had tried to chase him out but he refused to leave. That left only one option: to dart, immobilise and relocate him. He was in poor condition, probably due to weeks of conflict with the dominant bull.
Hippos are notoriously difficult to immobilise. A large dart with an extra‑long needle is needed to penetrate the thick fat layer and deliver the drugs. Even then, it can take up to 30 minutes before the drugs take effect. And one never truly knows if a hippo is fully asleep…
Monitoring anaesthesia is equally challenging, as they breathe only every 5–15 minutes. We used a special drug combination that leaves their dive reflex intact. This means while he was sedated, he would still come up for air while being in the water.
After careful planning, the young bull was partially immobilised in the pool and eventually he climbed out himself. After waiting some time, veterinary surgeon Dr Ulf Tubbesing cautiously approached him.
But as we mentioned before, a hippo’s seemingly sedate appearance is deceiving. As Doctor Ulf tried to push him away from the pool, the bull lunged, breaking Doctor Ulf’s pinky finger in the process. A stark reminder of how powerful these animals remain, even when sedated.
Eventually, the hippo was secured and guided to a transport crate. He was moved to another part of the reserve and released into a dam where he could recover from his misadventure and establish himself away from the dominance of older bulls. Thankfully, we did not receive any more calls about him reclaiming his pool!
