Two hippopotamuses were shot dead in the Limpopo River on Friday last week after they attacked and injured a Zimbabwean man who was trying to cross into South Africa illegally.
The Municipality of Beitbridge confirmed the attack and revealed that the injured man later died from his wounds at the Beitbridge District Hospital. The council said in a statement:
Two hippos were gunned down in Limpopo River (after) having injured an individual suspected to be a border jumper in the early hours of Friday. The injured individual is said to have passed on later at the Beitbridge District Hospital.
The incident comes after a Zimbabwe National Army officer was killed by a hippo on patrol near the Limpopo River in July this year.
Pelious Moyo from Tongwe in Beitbridge district was part of soldiers deployed at a checkpoint between Zimbabwe and South Africa. He was attacked at dawn as the hippo was headed to the river from grazing.