Happy Hippos: Resolving a 25-Year-old Human-Hippo Conflict in Gombe, Nigeria

“ACReSAL has taught us how to scare away the animals and protect ourselves and our farmlands and we are grateful for that”, Malam Malle Isah says.

He lives and farms the land bordering the Dadinkowa reservoir created by an earth dam about 37 kilometers away from Gombe, the capital of Gombe state in northern Nigeria. The dam is used for irrigation and electricity generation, and 14 communities along the reservoir (see Table 1) have suffered from aggressive hippos due to a longstanding human-hippo conflict.

The 180-strong flock of a rare and endangered species of hippos is believed to have migrated from Kiri Dam in neighboring Adamawa State. These animals, which remain submerged during the day and attack crops at night, have destroyed at least 157 farmlands in the last two rainy seasons. The conflict has caused the loss of 17 human lives and 5 hippos over the last 25 years.

Attacking the problem

The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project of the Government of Nigeria, supported by the World Bank, began an intervention in June 2023 to enhance the capacity of the Gombe State Wildlife Conservation and Management Department to address the problem. Apart from the procurement of wildlife management tools such as speed boats,  cameras, binoculars, motorcycles, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the intervention also included extensive community sensitization and setting up a data room to monitor hippo movement.

“It was difficult for us to travel to the villages due to the terrain and because we lacked vehicles for mobility, but now ACReSAL has equipped us to carry out our work effectively,” stated Mr. Ahmed Baagale, Director of Forestry, under the State Ministry of Water, Environment and Forest Resources (WE&FR).

“These wildlife management tools have improved our capacity to monitor and control the movement of the hippos. It is now easier for us to alert the locals to the potential threats from the animals.”

Reaping the benefits

The initiatives have not only prevented hippo attacks but have also fostered a sense of unity and empowerment among residents. They are also now better informed and aware of the importance of not provoking the hippos.

But, if an attack seems imminent – based on the real-time information on hippos’ activities and movements from the data room at the State Ministry of WE & FR, wildlife staff notify the communities, and villagers and forest rangers mobilize and use sound to deter the hippos – tracking them using and, if an attack is imminent,.

As a result of all these actions, the number of hippo attacks has significantly decreased in the 14 months from July 2023 to September 2024.

The communities around Dadinkowa Reservoir are experiencing a newfound sense of peace and security. They no longer fear for their lives when going about their daily and farming activities in the area. Even though the hippos still pose a threat, these community residents feel more empowered and better able to protect themselves and their crops. Malam Malle Isah now notes with relief:

“I used to cultivate less than a hectare and harvest 8 to 11 bags of rice because of the fear of hippos, but now I am cultivating more than two hectares. I am expecting to get over 60 to 70 bags of rice after harvesting this year. I can now take care of my family’s needs.”

Meanwhile, looking at long-term sustainability, the Gombe State Government has announced plans to create a hippo sanctuary to preserve the rare species of 180 Hippos around the Dadinkowa reservoir, in a safe environment away from the threats of habitat loss and human activities.