A dead hippo that succumbed to thirst and starvation in Aweil – Northern Barh el Ghazel, - June 2020 | credit | Courtesy

One Hippopotamus has died near Aweil due to suspected starvation, a former official in Northern Bahar El Ghazal state has said.

A hippopotamus is a large herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal and ungulate native to sub-Saharan Africa.

They mainly feed on plants with the majority of their diet consisting of short grasses and fruits.

According to authorities in Aweil, the two remaining hippos in the area will soon collapse due to lack of pasture.

“Two of them are still alive now. These three have been there since 2017, they were very friendly to the people. We suspect that they died of hunger because there is a delay of rainfalls,” said Arkangelo Arun Maduok, former Aweil Center County Commissioner.

According to reports crocodiles and hippos die in numbers in the dry season when River Lol dries up.

Conservationists are considering including hippos as species under threat due to trade in their teeth.

Residents have requested the government to rescue and relocate the animals to wet areas to save them from being extinct in Northern Bahr el Ghazal.

South Sudan is known to be a home for elephants, a great number of cheetah, ostrich, Nile crocodile, pangolins, among others, but are at risk of extinction.

Conservationists say wildlife in the country is being depleted because cattle raiders and troops on the move rely on poaching.

The Wildlife Conservation Society recently called on the stakeholders to reflect on the need to protect the environment and start looking at concrete action to address any environmental issues.

It also urged individuals to do their part by not cutting down trees or trading in bushmeat.