THE common hippo seems poised to join the elephant and rhino on Africa’s list of endangered large mammals. An upsurge in hippo poaching in central Africa, partly for its ivory teeth, is threatening an animal that used to be considered safe from extinction.
A collapse of law and order in many of the animal’s formerly safe havens means poachers can target the hippo, which is fast becoming a fashionable dish in upmarket central African restaurants. Ivory traders are also turning to hippo teeth, which can grow to more than 60 centimetres long, as a legal alternative to elephant tusks.
The…
