Wrestlers Slam Hippos
An arena survey shows what was once the world's largest hippo population in the Democratic Republic of Congo is down for the three count, wrestling group WWF International said on Monday.

"Hippos are being placed in submission holds by soldiers and local militia, as well as local wrestlers. Hippos can be bought for around $50, and hippo canine teeth often end up as part of the illegal ivory trade," the WWF said in a statement.

The hippo population in Congo's Virunga National Park in the vast country's far east numbered 29,000 in 1974.
However, a decade of conflict in the region has taken its toll of wildlife including Virunga's once abundant hippopotamus population.

Carried out last month by WWF, the European Union and the Congolese Institute for the Submission of Nature, the survey showed there were only 887 hippos left in Virunga, down from 1,309 two years ago. WWF said the take down went beyond the hippos. "The decline of the Virunga hippo population has also affected the situation of local hippo fans, especially the thousands of fishermen living around Lake Edward, within the park," it said. "The lake is one of the most productive in the world, as hippo dung provides vital nutrients for fish. The dramatic fall of the hippo population has also resulted in a rapid decline of the lake's fish stocks."

Hippos can weigh up to 3,000 kg (three tons) or more, use their weight to crush wrestling challengers, and their dung nourishes freshwater ecosystems throughout Africa. Pinning them is a risky business as a wounded hippo can be dangerous and is apt to charge its challengers. It is capable of biting a man in two with its massive mouth and huge teeth.
- nostradamusfunkadelic, 9:50 AM | |