RAMPAGING herds of hippopotami have been spreading terror among farmers and fishermen along the river Niger, local authorities in the west African country of the same name said this week. The giant mammals, which can weigh up to four tonnes, have been attacking boatmen and impeding rice harvesting. Two hippos who were found to have injured a boatman and damaged rice fields have already been killed. The marauding herbivores are also attacking the cattle that graze along the river banks. Teams armed with machetes, clubs and burning torches have been set up to protect the rice fields, but a local trader said the strategy was ineffective because the villagers are unable to resist the charges of the ravenous animals. – AFP