Whats Happening to Hippos?
Hippos are threatened in the wild. In the last 10 years, their numbers have declined by up to 20%, and it’s estimated that as few as 125,000 hippos remain in Africa. More important than the total number of hippos, however, is their distribution. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and West African countries have seen the sharpest hippo declines; if the trend continues, the hippo could become extinct in these areas. Hippos are hunted for their meat and for their canine teeth. There is an increasing demand for hippo teeth in the illegal ivory trade, due largely to the ban on elephant ivory. Many items that appear to be carved from small elephant tusks are in fact made from hippo canines. Another problem is habitat loss. As people move into hippo habitat, they come into conflict with the animals, which raid their crops. Some of these hippos are shot and killed. Others escape wounded — and dangerous. Rampaging hippos can attack and kill people on land or in the river. What’s being done t
