Battling Hippos: The struggle of Gombe farmers to protect crops

Farmers engaged in dry-season farming in Difa, a community in Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, are facing a growing challenge from hippos that threaten their livelihoods. These massive animals have turned the farmers’ peaceful agricultural efforts into a battle for survival, forcing them to spend sleepless nights guarding their crops. The hippos, […]

Farmers engaged in dry-season farming in Difa, a community in Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, are facing a growing challenge from hippos that threaten their livelihoods. These massive animals have turned the farmers’ peaceful agricultural efforts into a battle for survival, forcing them to spend sleepless nights guarding their crops.

The hippos, which regularly leave the river to feed on farmland, cause extensive damage to crops, especially rice. The farmers, already grappling with limited resources, are finding it increasingly difficult to counter the threat effectively.

Our correspondent visited Difa, located about 50 kilometres from Gombe, to observe the situation firsthand. Spending the night by the riverside alongside the farmers, the reality of their plight became evident.

Yahaya Haruna, a rice farmer and fisherman, shared a harrowing encounter with one of the invading hippos.

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“One evening, I was on my canoe fishing before heading to the farm to keep watch. Suddenly, I noticed a hippo emerging from the river and heading straight for my farm. I tried all I could to scare it away, but it stood its ground and started advancing toward me. In the chaos, I jumped into the water and swam to safety. I narrowly escaped,” Haruna recounted.

He explained that the farmers begin their nightly vigilance as early as November, during the planting season, and continue until May, when they finally harvest their crops. Despite these efforts, the relentless hippos still find ways to wreak havoc.

“If we let our guard down even for one night, the hippos can destroy an entire farm in hours. It’s exhausting and demoralizing, but we have no other choice,” he said.

For farmers like Alhaji Yaro, who cultivates seven hectares of rice, the battle with hippos comes with significant financial strain.

“Each farming season, I invest between N2 million and N3 million. Beyond the cost of seeds, fertilizers and irrigation, I also hire guards to help protect the farm. I pay them between N15,000 and N20,000 each month,” Yaro explained.

Even with these measures, the hippos remain persistent and difficult to deter.

“If we don’t guard the farms, the hippos will destroy everything, leaving us with nothing to harvest. We are pleading with the government to come to our aid because this problem is beyond our capacity to handle alone,” he said.

Muhammad Kumen, another farmer, narrated how a fellow farmer lost an entire ten-hectare rice field to the rampaging animals just weeks before harvest.

“The hippos devoured the rice field, leaving absolutely nothing behind. The farmer was devastated because he had invested so much, and the loss was overwhelming,” Kumen said.

He described the hippos as fearless and incredibly destructive.

“When they come in large numbers, it’s impossible to stop them. Once they enter a farm, there’s little you can do except pray for minimal damage,” he lamented.

The farmers have resorted to collective efforts, taking turns to guard their farms day and night. Manu Power, a local farmer, shared how a recent incident highlighted the need for constant vigilance.

“One bag of unprocessed rice sells for about N50,000. Habu, a fellow farmer, lost crops worth N1.5 million after hippos rampaged through his farm. This incident was a wake-up call for many of us, and since then, we’ve been committed to constant vigilance,” Manu said.

However, this level of vigilance has taken a toll on their physical and emotional well-being.

“We can’t sleep or rest properly because we have to be at alert every single night until the crops are harvested. Only then can we breathe a sigh of relief,” Manu added.

The farmers unanimously appealed for government’s intervention, suggesting the deployment of security personnel or local vigilantes to help protect their farms.

“The hippos are too powerful and numerous for us to handle on our own. We need the government to either relocate them to another area or implement measures to prevent them from accessing our farms,” said Alhaji Yaro.

The farmers also called for research into long-term solutions, including barriers or deterrents to keep the hippos away from farmlands.

For the farmers of Difa, their battle with hippos is not just about protecting their crops, it is about securing their livelihoods and ensuring the survival of their families.

As they continue their nightly vigils by the riverbanks, they remain hopeful that the government and relevant authorities will provide the support they desperately need to end this relentless struggle.

Even though seen as a   revered animal in the community, Weekend Trust in January had reported that the hippopotamus was considered a significant symbol in the cultural heritage of the Yauri Emirate in Northern Nigeria. The story had  highlighted the significance of the hippopotamus to the Yauri people’s culture and heritage,

The report referred to the hippo as symbol of unity amongst community members.

A resident in the community, Zayyanu Sa’idu had said since he was a child, he had known the hippo to be a revered animal in the community, which is always displayed to guests for entertainment, especially during the annual Regatta festival. He also noted that the emirate has ordered that nobody attacks it. He said people in the community coexist with the hippopotamus although it sometimes destroys farmlands.

“You know we have farmers who cultivate crops by the river banks and the animal sometimes eat their crops, but there is provision for compensation by the emirate for anybody whose crop is destroyed by the hippo. People don’t kill or harm it. Mallam Umaru, another community member, corroborates Zayyanu, saying the hippo grazes on grass and comes out in the evening to eat grasses but sometimes ends up eating people’s crops.  He said.