After 19 days of patience, persistence, and freezing nights, KWS Veterinary and Capture team has successfully captured 12 hippos at Mukindu Public Dam.
It has been intense days of work that called for precision and care, days that saw the team safely immobilized the massive animals before carefully loading them into specially designed translocation crates.
It may look effortless in the photos, but behind every image are countless hours of planning, teamwork, and determination. This was no ordinary wildlife operation.
Imagine spending more than two weeks on night vigils, enduring 19 consecutive nights in biting cold, wrapped in layers that somehow were never enough, keeping warm around crackling firewood while thick mist and stubborn fog settled over the dam.
Night after night, the hippos remained elusive. Then technology tipped the scales. Strategically placed 360-degree night vision monitoring equipment quietly revealed their movements, helping the team identify the perfect window for a successful capture in the wee hours of the morning.
Capturing a hippo is never as simple as “find hippo, load hippo, and drive away.” Every translocation involves meticulous planning, from constructing the boma and positioning the crates to patiently habituating the animals over several days. Every step must be carefully coordinated to ensure the safety of both the hippos and the people involved.
The operation became necessary after the shrinking and eventual drying of Lake Ol’ Bolossat forced the hippos to abandon their natural habitat in search of permanent water. They eventually settled in the small, unfenced three-acre Mukindu Public Dam in Nyandarua County.
While the dam became their refuge, it also brought them into close contact with nearby farms, homes, and communities, leading to years of increasing human-wildlife conflict.
Relocating the hippos to more suitable protected habitats is about safeguarding both wildlife and people, giving them a chance to thrive while reducing conflict with surrounding communities.
