Hippos could be added to the list of the world’s most endangered animals due to declining populations caused by the climate crisis, poaching and the ivory trade.
Semi-aquatic mammals are found in lakes and rivers in sub-Saharan Africa, with a estimated population of 115,000-130,000. In addition to the trade in ivory, which is found in their teeth, and animal parts, they are threatened by habitat loss and degradation and the effects of global warming.
Hippos are also legally traded for commercial purposes and hunting trophies under Cites, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Ahead of the next Cites Cop in Panama in November of this year10 West African countries, including Togo, Gabon, and Mali, Have proposed that hippos receive maximum protection under Cites by including them in appendix I of the convention. Hippos are already listed as an Appendix II species, meaning they are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but could be if their trade is not regulated.
If passed, it would mean a complete international ban on trade in hippo body parts and ivory to help prevent the decline of the species. It is estimated that at least 77,579 hippo parts and products were legally traded between 2009 and 2018.
In 2016, hippos were classified as vulnerable to extinction in the IUCN red list with local declines, particularly in West Africa, raising fears about the survival of the species in some of the 38 African countries where it is found.
The hippopotamus is one of the heaviest land animals in the world; males can weigh up to 1,800 kg and are often found in large groups. The animals are especially vulnerable to over-exploitation due to their long gestation periods of eight months, with females not reaching sexual maturity until they are nine or 10 years old.
Rebecca Lewison, co-chair of the IUCN SSC hippo specialist group, said hippos have been overlooked as a species of conservation concern due to their high population densities, which can give the impression that there are many in nature. But populations have declined substantially in the last 20 years.
“The biggest threat to hippos is habitat loss and degradation. Common hippos rely on fresh water to survive, and that often puts them in conflict with local communities that also need fresh water for agriculture, power, fishing, and residential development,” he said.
“Hippo-human conflicts are on the rise, particularly in the West Africa, where common hippopotamus populations are rapidly declining. Unfortunately, human-hippo conflicts result in deaths of both hippos and humans and have contributed to a problem related to unregulated hunting for hippo meat and ivory, which is found in their canine teeth,” he added.
The proposals are unlikely to affect a small population of hippos found in colombia, which has grown from the private collection of drug lord Pablo Escobar. Many environmentalists say that these are invasive species and must be removed.
Following the proposal, the Cites secretariat will provide an assessment to see if the hippos meet the Appendix I criteria and produce an expert evidence-based recommendation.
Keenan Stears, an ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara who spends part of the year in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, said he supported the proposed listing because of the important role hippos play in ecosystems. “A large proportion of hippos are found in rivers that are experiencing significant reductions in river flow. Threats like habitat destruction for agriculture are a big problem,” he said.
But given the right conditions, Stears said, populations could stabilize. “They can recover pretty quickly with enough vegetation. Any kind of protected area would be perfectly fine for the population to increase rapidly.”
John Scanlon, secretary general of Cites from 2010 to 2018, said the update to appendix I would ban all trade in hippos, but would not ban hunting of wild animals. “Be it meat, teeth or skin: any international commercial exchange would be prohibited.
“Various organizations will offer their views on the proposal, and I suspect it will be a big deal,” he added. “There are only about 1,500 species that are listed on Appendix I.”
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