Villagers scramble for meat after two hippos are shot near the Mpofu homestead

ZimParks officers on site

By Anna Miti

EPPING FOREST — Scores of villagers descended on a pond outside ZANU‑PF Politburo member Obert Mpofu’s rural homestead on Tuesday after two hippos were shot dead and hauled from the water, local officials said.

The animals were first sighted on Monday morning at Mpofu’s Village 4 homestead after footprints were noticed near a pond just metres from the main house. Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) officers, together with conservation staff from the Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage and Research Centre, attended the scene and initially discussed options to extract and relocate the hippos. Those plans were abandoned on safety grounds, and the animals were later shot.

Scene at the pond and community response

Once the two hippos were removed from the pond, hundreds of villagers set about skinning the carcasses and dividing the meat. For many families, the haul represented a rare windfall and a chance to secure relish that could last for weeks. Observers noted the scale of the animals meant there was a substantial quantity of meat to distribute.

Adult male hippos can weigh between 1,500 and 3,200 kg, while females typically weigh 1,300 to 1,800 kg, underscoring why the animals provided so much meat.

Conservation and legal questions

The involvement of ZimParks and Chipangali indicates authorities were aware of the animals’ presence and initially sought a non‑lethal resolution. The decision to shoot the hippos and the subsequent mass harvesting by villagers raises conservation, public‑safety, and legal issues, including:

• Protected species status and permits: Hippos are protected under national wildlife laws; any lethal removal normally requires clear justification and appropriate permits.

• Human safety: Authorities cited safety concerns as the reason for abandoning relocation plans. Hippos are highly dangerous when threatened and can pose immediate risks to nearby residents.

• Public health and food safety: Improper handling and butchery of wild animals can create health risks; wildlife and health officials typically advise controlled processing and inspection.

• Community needs and resource pressures: In rural areas facing food insecurity, wild meat can be seen as an emergency resource, complicating enforcement of conservation rules.

At the time of reporting, ZimParks had not released a detailed statement explaining the decision to shoot the animals or outlining any follow‑up enforcement action.

Local context

Epping Forest in Matabeleland North Province is a rural area where human‑wildlife interactions are not uncommon. Residents and local leaders often face difficult trade‑offs between protecting livelihoods and conserving wildlife. The incident is likely to prompt calls for clearer protocols on how to manage large wildlife that stray into populated homesteads, and for improved community engagement on wildlife safety and compensation mechanisms.

hippos shot Epping Forest Mpofu homestead