Hippos at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve

THE first herd of hippos arrived at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve in the Klein Karoo, Western Cape, on November 23. This is a major accomplishment for the reserve especially after the floods in March washed away the four million cubic metre Bellair Dam, built in the early 1900s. This resulted in the natural formation of a perennial water habitat just below the original dam suitable for the hippos. The hippos were translocated from the currently drought-strickened Mpumalanga province. The adaptation and wellbeing of these animals and the impact they have on the natural vegetation are constantly being monitored by Sanbona's Wildlife Department. (Corin Baker)