Watch: Hippo goes on a walkabout in Cape Town suburb

In a highly unusual incident, a hippo was spotted in a Cape Town suburb on Saturday morning.

SOMEONE SPOTTED A HIPPO IN A CAPE TOWN SUBURB

Someone shared a video of a hippo spotted on 8th Avenue and Italian Road in Grassy Park on social media.

According to reports, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA’s Wildlife Department and other role players went out to investigate.

THEY HERDED THE HIPPO BACK INTO THE NATURE RESERVE

The team herded the hippo back into the Rondevlei Nature Reserve on Perth Road.

They temporarily secured the fence until repairs could be undertaken.

While hippos are a fairly common sight in Richards Bay, St Lucia and surrounds, spotting one in Cape Town is unusual.

Last year a video of two HIPPOS walking through the streets of Richards Bay went viral.

WATCH: HIPPOS WALKING THROUGH STREETS OF RICHARDS BAY

Someone in a vehicle filmed the video, capturing the hippos randomly walking on the grassy sidewalk in the suburb.

Musa Mntambo, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife communications manager, told the Herald Live, hippos walking around the Richards Bay area were a bit unusual.

HIPPOS STROLL DOWN THE ROAD

“If you reside next to a dam or a river with hippos, you will see the hippos roaming around. Even though they spend most of the time inside the water, at some stage, they will come outside, especially at night, to look for food and go back. In St Lucia (northern KZN), hippos roam around the streets and even in the CBD, and it’s normal on that side. In Richards Bay it’s not common, but it happens,”he said.

If you are visiting the Mother City, it is crucial to respect these animals. Here are some tips on how to interact safely with these animals:

HERE ARE FIVE TIPS TO STAY SAFE WHEN ENCOUNTERING A WILD ANIMAL: 

• Maintain a Safe Distance: Keep a respectful distance, especially if they are in their natural habitat. The law always requires a minimum distance of 5m. While pictures are great to have, make sure to take them from afar and not threaten the animals.
• No Feeding Allowed: Resist the urge to feed wild animals. Human food can be harmful to their health and disrupt their natural foraging behaviours. Instead, donate to an animal organisation of your choice.
• Keep quiet: Keep noise to a minimum. Loud sounds can stress animals and interrupt their daily routines.
• Direct eye contact can sometimes be perceived as a threat, even though it may seem like a friendly gesture. Keep a gentle gaze and let them go about their business undisturbed.
• Secure Your Belongings: Wildlife is naturally curious. Keep a close eye on your belongings and secure any food or items that might attract their attention.