Hundreds of villagers scrambled for meat on Tuesday after two hippos were shot dead just outside ZANU-PF Politburo member Obert Mpofu’s rural homestead in Epping Forest, Matabeleland North Province.
The animals were first spotted on Monday morning at Mpofu’s Village 4 homestead after footprints were seen near a pond just metres from the main house.
Officials from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), along with conservation officers from the Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage and Research Centre, attended the scene.
There were initial discussions about safely extracting and relocating the hippos, but the plan was abandoned over safety concerns.
The animals were later shot.
Once the two beasts were hauled out of the pond, hundreds of villagers set about skinning them for meat in what many saw as a rare windfall. For some families, it was a chance to secure relish that could last for
Adult male hippos can weigh anything from 1,500 to 3,200kg, while females typically tip the scales at between 1,300 and 1,800kg meaning there was no shortage of meat to go around.
