Stray hippo dies after being darted in Mbombela
A stray hippo that was darted after it was spotted walking around a main road in Mbombela has died‚ according to local media reports.
The Lowvelder reported that the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency’s Dr Ferreira du Plessis said that hippos have a “complex physiology which causes their breathing to be easily affected by anaesthesia.”
The hippo was spotted grazing on the side of the road and in a three-hour operation‚ which included the closure of the road‚ officials darted the hippo‚ which was going to be taken to a nearby nature reserve.
The doctor told the publication that several darts had to be used and rescue personnel were confident that the operation had been a success.
– TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.