Hippos missing 11 people, including boat capsizes, children...To protect the baby?
Sep 08, 2025
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According to CBS and other foreign media, the accident occurred on the morning of the 5th (local time) on the Sassandra River in the southwestern part of Ivory Coast, West Africa, with a total of 14 people on board at the time.
Ivory Coast's Minister of Social Integration Miss Belmonde Dogo said in a statement that "11 people, including women, girls and infants, went missing in a boat capsized accident caused by hippos. To date, only three people have been confirmed to survive, and search and rescue operations are ongoing to find the remaining missing persons.'
He added "The government sends its deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and survivors for this tragedy."
Ivory Coast is home to about 500 hippos, most of which are found in rivers in the southern region.
According to a 2022 local study, hippos are considered the deadliest animals to humans in Ivory Coast. The annual death toll from hippos is estimated to be at least 500.
Hippos are the second largest terrestrial mammals after elephants and rhinos, weighing an average of 3,200kg, with a body length of 3-5m and a shoulder height of about 1.5m.
Despite its enormous body size, it is an agile animal that can run at a maximum speed of 30 km/h.
Meanwhile, in May 2023, a hippo overturned a boat in Malawi, Africa, killing one child and leaving more than 20 people missing.
At the time, a boat carrying 37 people from the Shire River near Nsanye in southern Malawi collided with a hippo and flipped over.
Shortly after the accident, local residents rescued 13 people, but the rest failed to rescue.
Experts say `It is rare for hippos to attack boats with people on board, but female hippos also show aggressive behavior to protect their young.'
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
