Soldiers Kill Hippopotamus In Gombe State - Agriculture -

A hippopotamus that has terrorized residents around Dadin-Kowa dam and environs in Yamaltu-Deba local government of Gombe state for the past two years has been killed by men of the 301 Artillery Regiment, Gombe. Head of Forestry Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Council, Malam Ismail Umar who confirmed the killing of the animal added that the wild beast had constituted a major threat to the lives of fishermen and farmers as well as destroying their equipments and farm lands for the past two and the half years. “We discovered it since the last two and half years, but unfortunately it has become very notorious and hazardous to people, farmers and fishermen. “The people wrote to the local government council authorities complaining about the damages it was causing them, and we forwarded to the ministry, seeking the approval of the Governor. “We received the approval last week, and we decided to go hunting for it, which we took over a week before we finally got it Wednesday night. “We were lucky to trap it outside; we used military men to shoot it with the help of the local hunters. “We shot it yesterday night around 10:30 pm when it came out to eat grasses, and today we butchered it in to pieces. He said there were about 100 of them in the water, “but the one that was killed decided to cross to the lower side of the dam”. Mr Adamu Pukuma, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources acknowledged that Hippopotamus is one among the animal that were going instinct and therefore under protection, but that the particular one that was killed had become notorious. “It killed people around the area as well as destroyed people’s farms and fishing equipment. “There were complaints and huge outcry from the people of the area that was why we sought for the Governor’s approval and killed it” he said.