The search for Cape Town’s missing hippo was set to take to the air late on Saturday morning as nature conservation officials prepared to board a helicopter to view Zeekoevlei where the animal is hiding.
Game capture expert Douw Grobler has been flown in from the Limpopo province to assist with the recapture of the animal.
A patrol spotted it for the second night running on Friday, but once again was reluctant to dart it in the water for fear that it would drown, said City Nature Conservation official Clifford Dors.
”We will go up in the chopper, work out a strategy and implement it as soon as possible,” said Dors.
He said it was unlikely the capture would happen before nightfall.
The male hippo calf, which Cape Talk Radio has named ”Tannemanne” after asking listeners for suggestions, escaped from the nearby Rondevlei Nature Reserve after thieves destroyed a section of the fence.
Dors said Zeekoeivlei’s environment was exactly what hippos liked: shallow wetlands surrounded by reeds.
”It’s amazing to think how many hippos you could hide in there without ever seeing them again,” said Dors.
He said it was important to keep people away from the hippo, which could be very dangerous if cornered. – Sapa