Zimbabwe National Parks (Zimparks) and Kenya’s African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) are wrapping up aggregating and analysing data from their 2022 hippo census.
The census was done via helicopter over the winter months when the hippos are most visible. The two organisations covered 324 km of the Zimbabwe-Zambia part of the Zambezi River, more than the 259 km it covered in the 2002, 1998, and 1996 censuses.
Although the 2022 findings have not yet been published, the past censuses showed an estimate of 6 130 hippos on the river. Despite the fact that there has been a documented 1.5% annual growth rate among the hippo populations, this mammal is classified as a vulnerable species in Zimbabwe.
Tinashe Farawo, the Zimparks spokesperson, told News24 that ‘the river has had fluctuating water levels in recent years and that affects the hippopotamus’ semi-aquatic environments. [They] need to know how to navigate climate change and, at the same time, also understand their pattern of behaviour.
‘One of [their] biggest challenges is the human-to-wildlife conflicts. In as much as [they] want to conserve the wild, [they] also want to have a situation where people are safe.’
The census will assist leaders with policymaking, and finding ways to decrease human-wildlife conflict while preserving their wildlife.
Pictures: GettyImages
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