Carter's War Episode 3: Death In The Water

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:07]On every wild waterway that flows through the continent of Africa, there exists a species that's considered Africa's most deadly animal.

[00:00:25]When people and animals collide, things are never simple.

[00:00:33]In this wildlife human conflict, I'm often called in to seek out the truth, to find out what's really happening on the front line.

[00:00:48]My name is Ivan Carter, hunter, conservationist, and wildlife investigator.

[00:01:02]Hippopotamus, an animal who has the reputation of killing more humans than any other. It's estimated that almost 3,000 people are killed every year across the continent of Africa. I'm on a quest to find out, is this animal the most aggressive animal in Africa, or is this number of deaths merely a product of circumstances?

[00:01:22]My journey starts on the Zambzi River in Mosmbique in an area with a truly tribal way of life. People living side by side with wildlife relying on the river and the land for their existence. Not always as harmoniously as one would believe.

[00:01:38]>> I've spoken to many of the local fishermen. I've asked them to inform me of any hippo attacks and I've told him I'll come and help in any way that I can.

[00:01:47]An urgent call comes in.

[00:01:51]My first response is from a nearby village called Chunga.

[00:01:59]My friend and master tracker Libby remains calm and alert. A supposedly aggressive hippopotamus is still in the vicinity and they've urged me to come quickly.

[00:02:15]This could be very dangerous. I certainly need to be ready for anything.

[00:02:20]Even a huge animal like this can be tough to find at night.

[00:02:25]They tell me the hippo's been chasing them. One man assures me he's lucky to be alive.

[00:02:32]>> Yeah. And I going to go send this a light.

[00:02:37]Just listen here.

[00:02:39]Switch off your light. Switch off your light.

[00:02:59]You can hear the zipper jumping.

[00:03:03]He's walked through the village. He's in this bush.

[00:03:26]I hear something moving in the grass at the water's edge.

[00:03:53]I believe he's right in front of us. He could be a lot closer than we think.

[00:04:09]We spotted it.

[00:04:21]My name is Ivan Carter and I'm in Chunga Fishing Village on the Zambesi River in Mosmbique. The villagers here reported an aggressive hippo that has been chasing them and we've just located it.

[00:04:44]>> We spotted it.

[00:04:46]>> As we turn our lights on, it's chaos.

[00:04:57]So, this hippo has went into the water here.

[00:05:04]The hippo is gone. It fled upon seeing us. Not exactly aggressive behavior.

[00:05:11]I wonder if the hippo was actually chasing people or was it simply grazing on the water's edge among the hunts.

[00:05:19]The villagers were adamant that the hippo was aggressive. An animal that indeed statistics show is responsible for almost 3,000 human deaths each year.

[00:05:30]So why didn't this hippo charge me? Why did it simply retreat?

[00:05:37]I returned to Chunga in the day to see if I can understand why I was called in last night. The villages indeed in perfect hippo habitat. large reed beds and a series of channels, then huts right down to the water's edge.

[00:05:55]As I step out of my boat, the first thing that catches my eye is an overturned dugout canoe, a hole punched through its thick wooden hull, possibly from a hippo.

[00:06:08]I leave my boat and make my way through the village.

[00:06:18]The story has changed. He tells me the reason they called me last night was because they thought the hippo might attack.

[00:06:26]>> He shows me to a place and tells me they've spotted what they believe is the hippo from last night.

[00:06:33]>> That one which is glittering there.

[00:06:36]>> It used to lead through those two islands.

[00:06:41]>> We are now using that way. So I can hardly pass through that area just because of those brutal hippo.

[00:06:49]>> We're living on fishing but depending on fishing.

[00:06:52]>> So how can we work while that brutal hippo is disturbing us?

[00:06:56]>> So normally every day when you are fishing here you see hippos and it's no problem.

[00:07:01]>> We we only had one hippo. Not all those hippo are are brutal but one >> only one of them.

[00:07:09]Just recently, this guy was about to be hurt.

[00:07:16]>> This guy here that we talking to, just day before yesterday, he had his boat hit by a hippo here. Luckily, the hippo didn't tip him out of the boat. If he had gone into the water, he probably wouldn't have survived that. And he was alone.

[00:07:29]>> No, he was with the two young brothers.

[00:07:32]Oh, it does not surprise in here that somebody was hit by that heap. It's easy to find it and it's easy to kill it.

[00:07:42]What they saying is that just between these two little islands is where there's a group of hippo. As soon as you try and cross here by boat, this rogue bull will leave that herd and come straight towards the boat.

[00:07:54]>> The rest are good, but the one ch is bad. You should kill the bull on that.

[00:08:01]Kill that one.

[00:08:08]>> My name is Ivan Carter. I've been called in to investigate a possible dangerous hippo in the fishing village of Chunga in Mosmbique. The hippo eluded us. So, I returned the next morning to gather more information.

[00:08:21]>> These guys seem pretty secure in exactly where this hippo is. They're pretty secure in which hippo it is. They're not looking at a physical difference on the hippo. They're looking at a behavioral difference.

[00:08:31]And that's difficult. One's got to put oneself in a position >> where that hippo exhibits that dangerous behavior.

[00:08:38]>> I can't just go by his word. I have to be sure that this is the correct hippo that's causing the problems.

[00:08:44]>> We can try. That's why we are there. We are there to show you and you are there to help us.

[00:08:54]>> I can't go by his word alone. I need to better understand the factors playing into this conflict before deciding the best course of action in dealing with this animal. I'm told of another village nearby that has been dealing with similar conflicts with hippos. I need to piece together why so many people are being attacked.

[00:09:22]The village headman tells me there are two fishermen that have gone missing.

[00:09:26]They found their boat and they suspect a hippo was to blame, but they never found the bodies.

[00:09:33]He also directs me to a man who allegedly was with one of the fisherman when he disappeared.

[00:09:43]His friend and him were fishing with nets. A hippo hit the bottom of the boat and had it capsized. He thinks he saw the hippo, but it was hard to tell at the time. He was just struggling to the bank where he waited for several hours for help.

[00:09:59]>> And by the time he looked back, the boat had drifted away and he hasn't seen his friend since. He thinks that maybe he was swept downstream and is still alive somewhere. He says it's very difficult in their culture if there's no body to bury.

[00:10:16]So far, all the victims have been fishermen. They are definitely missing.

[00:10:20]Their houses standing empty. But what happened to them? Were they indeed killed by hippos?

[00:10:27]I'm at a loss.

[00:10:29]I'm not sure where to turn next. The village headman tells me of a funeral and suggests that I go there. This is no ordinary funeral, however. The man was killed by a hippo. And what's more, it's a funeral of a witch doctor.

[00:10:45]Witch doctors, or as the locals call them, sangas, are people that hold fast spiritual power over the community.

[00:10:55]A witch doctor's funeral is probably not the right place to ask questions, but hopefully we can find out more info about the hippo attacks.

[00:11:04]Traveling to this funeral will mean meeting with a gathering of fishermen and villagers, all who live and face hippos every day.

[00:11:13]The burial site is in land, a spot, I am told was predetermined by the witch doctor himself before he died.

[00:11:20]I finally come to a river after somebody's just been apparently killed by a hippo in this area. There's no way I'm waiting across this. I'm going to have to ask some of these locals down here if they know who's got a boat.

[00:11:38]>> The local boatman for a nominal fee agrees to ferry me across the river.

[00:11:46]I step into the wobbly leaky little craft and we start to cross.

[00:11:52]Dugout canoes, handmade craft that first came into existence about 8,000 years ago. Carved from the trunk of a large tree, they're unstable boats that require practice and exceptional balance to use efficiently.

[00:12:09]>> This is not particularly comfortable.

[00:12:12]Not because of how I'm sitting, but because of what's in the water here.

[00:12:17]As is true in many of Africa's waterways, there are other dangers that lurk in the depths. Crocodiles are common here, an animal well known to eat man. Hippos and crocodiles live in the same habitat. The same habitat that I'm crossing in this leaky little craft. And sure enough, as we begin to cross, a hippo surfaces.

[00:12:45]My name is Ivan Carter. I'm in Mosmbique trying to find out if hippos are truly as aggressive as their reputation suggests. I'm on my way to a funeral where I'm told a witch doctor, the latest hippo attack victim, is about to be buried.

[00:13:04]A hippo appears from the murky waters.

[00:13:10]>> The boatman begins to paddle noticeably quicker.

[00:13:14]>> What he's telling me is that every day that they cross over here, they worry about this hippo.

[00:13:19]>> Hippopotamus amphibious. They can weigh up to 3,500 lb and hold their breath for up to 20 minutes when under stress. This can lead to people inadvertently paddling over the top of them.

[00:13:32]I start to wonder about the actual cause of death. The story goes the victim was clearing reeds when a hippo knocked over his boat.

[00:13:43]But was it indeed the hippo that actually killed him? Or did it simply knock his boat over?

[00:13:58]Now, I've got to be very careful how I approach this. After all, it is somebody's funeral. But I really am trying to find out a little more about the pattern of what's been happening with this hippo and see if I can get any details. If this isn't the time and the place, it certainly might be the right people.

[00:14:17]By a man I know from before has heard I'm coming. The deceased witch doctor was a relative of his and in fact was killed by a hippo. Bounty agrees to take us into the ceremony.

[00:14:31]As is traditional, the morning women are sitting quietly separate from the men.

[00:14:38]So what Bouty has told me is that the local witch doctors are actually up on the top of the hill here. We're going to go and just meet them right now.

[00:14:50]>> Bounty tells me it's customary and very important to meet with the witch doctors, the spiritual leaders of the village before attending anything across Africa. There are hundreds of witch doctors in this region. They referred to as sangas.

[00:15:07]Usually the status refers to someone who is a spiritual leader. They are authority figures in these villages in most authentic tribal communities whose culture is linked to ancestral and spiritual worship. These people fear and rever witch doctors.

[00:15:25]As I walk up the hill, the villagers are preparing for the day's celebrations. A huge drum of food is cooking and the witch doctors look down from above.

[00:15:41]Bounty tells me and the crew that we need to remove our shoes. If I'm to learn more here, I need to follow these customs and rituals. This is to show our respect and acknowledge their importance.

[00:15:53]These witch doctors are very respected in the area. So strong as their hold on the local psyche. The community truly believes these people have power over the spirit world and over the future. A gathering of Sangomas like this is symbolic of an extremely important event.

[00:16:10]Okay.

[00:16:12]>> Bounty tells me I should not speak directly to them unless they address me.

[00:16:17]They confirmed that yes indeed their counterpart was killed by a hippo. He was knocked out of his boat and drowned.

[00:16:24]But that's not all. One of the Sunas has his own story to tell and willingly shows me the scars he bears. He was fishing in the back eddy of the river.

[00:16:35]>> The water was quiet and he had weighed it up to his waist. The hippo came straight for him. It knocked him down, bit his leg and he tried to defend himself, touched its jaws and put a spell on it, at which point it let him go.

[00:16:54]>> In his mind, that absolutely confirms his power as a witch doctor. the fact that, you know, he grabbed this thing by the by the head and managed to, as he says, put a spell on it and make it let go.

[00:17:06]>> As the leaders of this community, they have great influence on the people. If they are harboring negative attitudes towards hippos due to experiences like these, could this be affecting the way the people interact with the hippo population?

[00:17:54]Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:17:58]Yeah.

[00:18:05]Oh my god.

[00:18:36]After inquiring with the locals, I learned that although the hippo did indeed knock the man's boat over, he died from drowning in the water, not from further attacks from the hippo.

[00:18:52]I need to interact with some hippos, see if they really are as dangerous as their reputation suggests.

[00:18:58]Are they by nature as aggressive as people think or are they a product of their circumstances?

[00:19:04]I traveled to Limpopo in northern South Africa to the Sand Wild Trust. I've heard of a property where there are two fully habituated hippo bulls, but living a completely natural life. I won't find a better opportunity to interact with hippos this closely. But if anything goes wrong, this could be the last time that I step into the water.

[00:19:30]My name is Ivan Carter. I've been traveling the Zambzi River on a quest to determine if hippos deserve their reputation of being the most dangerous man killers in Africa. I'm now at San Wild in northern South Africa and up close and personal with some fully grown hippo bulls.

[00:19:48]These two hippo bulls had a tough start in life. They were part of a zoo and lived in a sea container in Europe for the first few years of their lives.

[00:19:57]Their plight came to the attention of San Wild, a wildlife rehabilitation organization headed up by Andre Kroba and Louise Juber, who relocated them to their ranch, where they're back to living in a natural environment.

[00:20:12]They are far more territorial in the water than on land and are potentially many times more dangerous. He could well see this as a challenge. This could be the last time I step into the water.

[00:20:26]A hippo's teeth are designed as weapons.

[00:20:28]Their front teeth, razor sharp, are purely for fighting. With a bite force of about 12,000 lb per square in, and the ability to open their jaws to almost 180°, they're a fearsome adversary in any confrontation.

[00:20:41]A fisherman would be walking into the water.

[00:20:46]He starts ignoring his surroundings a little bit.

[00:20:51]This is going to be interesting. A little tough for me to stay in the mindset of a fisherman when I'm walking up to an animal that I know has got the potential to bite a human being in half.

[00:21:04]You can see by the way his ears are, he's fully aware of the fact that I'm in the water right now. I'm just going to get around the front of him.

[00:21:13]A hippo is very fast in this element.

[00:21:15]way faster than I could ever be, leaving me no chance at all to get away if he decides that I'm a threat.

[00:21:20]>> My big guy.

[00:21:30]>> Oh my goodness. Check out this. Hey, big guy.

[00:21:35]I can't even believe this experience in Africa. This is the animal that's supposed to take more human lives than any single other big game animal. And here I am in his environment in the same environment that this species allegedly kills hundreds of people each year. And he's completely relaxed with me being here.

[00:22:00]Even in his own territory, the hippo did not see me as a threat.

[00:22:06]To entice them out of the water and to encourage them to approach us. I'm given a bucket of horse cubes.

[00:22:16]>> Just look at the size of these guys.

[00:22:19]>> Come on, dude. Come.

[00:22:22]>> Hello, boys. This is unbelievable. These are hippos that were actually rescued from a zoo. And it gives us a great opportunity to really get up close to these guys.

[00:22:33]They have the reputation across Africa of being the animals that take more human lives. than any other animal.

[00:22:42]But that's a reputation, as you can see, that's very circumstantial. I guess he's wanting me to put a handful in there.

[00:22:49]Tell you what, looking right into that mouthful of teeth. You Andre, that's quite something, eh?

[00:22:55]>> Yeah.

[00:22:56]>> Now, how long have you had these guys here?

[00:22:57]>> We had these guys for about 4 years now.

[00:23:00]>> Man, they are fantastic. And what are their names? They have names, right?

[00:23:04]>> This is Donga and this is Aldo.

[00:23:07]Look at the sharpness of these teeth.

[00:23:09]You can see why they can do so much damage.

[00:23:14]This is unbelievable. And you know, >> touch his nose.

[00:23:18]>> Touch his head.

[00:23:20]>> He's dying.

[00:23:20]>> You can just feel the grease on him, man. They've got such a fearsome reputation. And yet, having been brought up around people, you can see how gentle these guys are. These are two big hippo bulls. These guys aren't out there as animals that are looking at humans as a food source in any way trying to find people to harm.

[00:23:42]Their aggressiveness is a product of their circumstance, not a product of their nature.

[00:23:53]With so many hippo attacks reported each year, it leads me to believe that the human population is playing a larger part in inciting these incidents than many would believe.

[00:24:04]When you get around hippos that are this habituated to humans, you realize that they're not unpredictable.

[00:24:12]They're not bad naturatured. They're not killers.

[00:24:16]They're just a product of the of the situation that they find themselves in.

[00:24:22]If somebody threatens your life or your safety, you're going to fight back. I think that's what leads him to have this reputation.

[00:24:31]I think back to the human conflicts these animals face on the Zambesi River.

[00:24:35]Yes, indeed, maybe they're being pushed past their limit.

[00:24:41]While my experience with Aldo and Tonga have led me to believe hippos are not violent by nature, can this be proven with a wild hippo? I think it's time to find out.

[00:24:57]My name is Ivan Carter. I'm on a journey to try and find out if indeed hippos are as aggressive as their reputation suggests. I've interacted with some habituated animals. I'm starting to feel that they may not be the man killers they made out to be, but I'm still uncertain.

[00:25:13]At the same river we crossed on our way to the funeral, we decide to do our first canoe test with the hippo that seems to live here.

[00:25:22]Several of them have assured me that it's chased them in their own canoes.

[00:25:26]Habituated hippos are not the same. I need to find out the reaction of a wild hippo. If we indeed float a boat over him, will he attack? So, this hippo here, this is where he comes during the day. And we're going to try our very best to float this canoe right over that hippo and see actually what he does.

[00:25:45]We've got a grass-filled coverall, including a head. That's your fisherman.

[00:25:50]>> Yes. This is the fisherman who's going to be Sam the grass head or crash test dummy in this case.

[00:25:59]Let's just put a stick behind him here.

[00:26:07]Okay, so we've just got somebody going across the river with the end of the rope. I'm going to stay this end with another end of the rope. And once he's on that side, we'll start to walk this canoe down.

[00:26:18]And the reason for doing all of this is to see if these hippos truly just attack a boat with no provocation.

[00:26:28]One of the things about these hippos is that they can stay under for three or four minutes at a time. And that means that as you're paddling along, if you're not totally aware of what's going on in front of you, it's very easy to paddle over a hippo without realizing it. And then suddenly he pops up under your boat. There's our fateful poor old Sam going down on what may be his one and only boat trip.

[00:26:56]Just got my guys on the other bank. They are cruising along there with the other end of the rope.

[00:27:04]This is actually the perfect location for this experiment because we've got a narrow enough river.

[00:27:18]Man, this is some deep mud.

[00:27:22]We're ready over here with the dugout canoe in position, floating right towards the hippo and the guys are ready on the other side. There we go. Hippo starting to move.

[00:27:34]He appears to be reacting.

[00:27:38]>> The hippo disappears under the water. If you were Sam right now, you'd have no idea that potentially right below you is such incredible danger.

[00:27:51]Is he preparing to attack?

[00:27:55]Wonder where this guy is. We just got to wait for a few more minutes here and hopefully he'll come up and he'll see it and we'll get a good idea of what he's thinking. He's got to come up somewhere.

[00:28:07]We've tried testing the hippo's behavior with little provocation, but now we have to up the ante.

[00:28:12]>> Yeah, that's all.

[00:28:26]Something begins to surface, but from this distance, I can't tell if it's our hippo.

[00:28:38]It's a crocodile attracted by the boat.

[00:28:43]Our hippo resurfaces without incident and appears far less interested in Sam than the crocodile.

[00:28:49]This is further solidifying my thinking that unless pushed to their limit by something, hippos will not attack. But I have one more test I'd like to try.

[00:28:59]So, out here in these grassy flats, there's a lot of hippos, but there's also a fair number of fishermen. What we're going to do is we're going to go in, we're going to find a group of these hippos, paddle up to them myself, and what I want to do is test what a hippo's reaction is to the human element here.

[00:29:18]If one of these things comes up underneath me or decides to try and get the boat, there is no way I'm moving out of here very quickly. So, we just have to hope that that's not going to happen. With a bit of luck, we'll get to see what their reactions are.

[00:29:38]Here they are right here.

[00:29:40]Now, within 20 ft of the group, I pause to assess the situation.

[00:29:46]17, 15, 19, 20, 21. 22 of them over there. Over here, we've got at least seven or eight. These animals are totally in their element, and I'm totally out of mine.

[00:30:01]See if I can get a little further over here.

[00:30:07]I'm all on the edge of this little clearing in front of me.

[00:30:11]>> With a group this large, I'd never notice if a stray hippo slipped out of sight.

[00:30:16]and surrounded by grass as thick as this. A hippo could easily sneak up on me. As I approach, the hippos become noticeably more agitated, but they seem to be holding their ground.

[00:30:30]I dare not get closer.

[00:30:34]Wave my paddle and they show signs of agitation, but no aggression whatsoever.

[00:30:45]I have observed no violent behavior from these animals.

[00:30:50]>> Based on that little slightly nerve-wracking experiment, these things are not the aggressive man beasts that the statistics would have you believe.

[00:31:05]It's very obvious that a hippo has to be very provoked to actually attack a dugout canoe.

[00:31:22]the most murderous animal in Africa.

[00:31:26]Despite this reputation, my recent experiences with hippos has made me question their presumed violent nature.

[00:31:33]The people of Chunga called me in the night to deal with an aggressive hippo.

[00:31:37]But what I found was a timid creature.

[00:31:41]I've listened to an eyewitness who told me that while there was definitely an attack, he was not completely sure that it was indeed a hippo. I attended a witch doctor's funeral, a man allegedly killed by a hippopotamus, but further questioning revealed that he was actually knocked out of his canoe and drowned. I have approached two habituated hippos on land and in the water and found them to be dosile creatures.

[00:32:06]>> You realize that they're not unpredictable. They're not badnatured.

[00:32:10]To further my investigation, I floated an unmanned canoe over a wild hippo to see its reaction, but received none. All of these experiences leave me with a question.

[00:32:23]Are these animals really as aggressive as reports would suggest?

[00:32:30]I've received word from Chunga Village once again.

[00:32:36]They claim that the aggressive hippo has returned.

[00:32:40]They tell me that the hippo charged a group of fishermen in their canoe.

[00:32:44]They're adamant that it's the same hippo that they claimed had chased him in the darkness a few nights ago.

[00:32:53]I prepare myself for the worst.

[00:33:03]My name is Ivan Carter. Nothing I have seen since the village of Chunga has supported the common belief that hippos are the most dangerous animal in Africa.

[00:33:11]However, I'm now back in the same village once again.

[00:33:15]As I enter the village, a local mother approaches me in a very flustered state.

[00:33:20]>> That's when the people get attacked when a fisherman goes there to catch fish. It has happened almost three times the same incident. The other one was hit when they were catching fish. He died.

[00:33:32]>> The one which is chasing people. We'll look for that hippo.

[00:33:36]>> Let's hope so.

[00:33:41]>> I have to make sure this hippo is actually terrorizing someone. Well, this is going to be a pretty interesting experience heading into these waters here where we are in exactly the kind of craft these people have apparently been injured in. And so going to get a little bit interesting.

[00:34:00]>> If this hippo is indeed as aggressive as the villagers say, then I must be ready to do what's necessary. And that may mean removing the hippo from the system.

[00:34:10]Provided I can prove beyond a doubt that it's the right one. I'm prepared to do so. As we travel towards the dangerous animal, the village gathers on a hillside to watch.

[00:34:21]We get closer to the hippos and one of the fisherman says someone is attacked here on this very spot. A sobering reminder of what is at stake here. Very much into the danger zone. It's got to be very very aware of everything. I'm not just looking for a hippo. I'm also looking for movement in the grass here that will tell me that there is a hippo.

[00:34:44]Now we know the group where apparently this rogue lives is up on the right hand side. What we're going to do is curve down wind like this.

[00:34:56]If this animal is as aggressive as they say, I will have little choice in the matter.

[00:35:02]If truly this is a rogue, I should see this behavior.

[00:35:09]We downwind, which is exactly what we want. We're going to ease into the spot.

[00:35:14]We're going to get off the boat to see what happens.

[00:35:20]Okay, we've got our group of hippos right here.

[00:35:23]>> We see them and they haven't yet seen us.

[00:35:29]>> Pinterate pinate.

[00:35:35]They sense we're here.

[00:35:39]Using myself as bait is the only way I can simulate a real scenario.

[00:35:45]I'm going to go in far closer than would normally be safe. If the hippo does not charge, I'm determined not to shoot.

[00:35:54]I need to be at a distance that would be safe for most hippos, but not for this aggressive one. It's the only way to determine the animal that has been creating issues for the villagers.

[00:36:12]As the hippos disperse upon my approach, one chooses to remain.

[00:36:18]Could this be our hippo?

[00:36:26]Carter's War would like to thank the following people and organizations.

[00:36:30]Without their help, this program would not be possible.

[00:36:36]>> My name is Ivan Carter. I've been traveling the Zambesi River on a quest to determine if hippos deserve their reputation of being the most dangerous man killers in Africa. I've been called in to investigate a possible dangerous hippo in Chunga village.

[00:37:02]As the hippos disperse upon my approach, one chooses to remain. Could this be our hippo?

[00:37:13]He stares directly at me. This must be the animal in question. I'm winging into this water.

[00:37:20]Not very comfortable, to be honest. I have his full attention. Now for the moment of truth.

[00:37:32]He's disappeared into the water.

[00:37:38]With the hippo out of sight under the grass, this has gotten far more dangerous. He could be coming towards me. I quickly get out of the water to get to a higher vantage point.

[00:37:51]Can't see any grass moving, but I heard a big splash right here.

[00:37:57]And I'm seeing some bubbles rising.

[00:38:06]Aba.

[00:38:23]He returns to the surface.

[00:38:26]It is clear that this hippo is not the aggressive beast he was made out to be.

[00:38:30]I think behaviorally we've proved that none of these hippos are the one that we're looking for.

[00:38:38]I won't get any closer. And these hippos do not seem to care about my presence, even at this close distance.

[00:38:46]In spite of my waiting right up to them, they backed off. If the villagers are getting closer than this, then it can't be by mistake.

[00:38:55]I have no evidence that there's a rogue hippo here. I don't believe one exists.

[00:39:03]Again, people have claimed one thing, but I've witnessed something different.

[00:39:08]This is going to be difficult. I told him I would help.

[00:39:13]I'll stick to my word, but I'm not going to simply kill one for the sake of killing. They're not going to be pleased.

[00:39:24]They are hypocrites.

[00:39:26]>> Yeah.

[00:39:26]>> But not Why didn't you shoot one?

[00:39:29]>> Because we need to find the angry one.

[00:39:32]>> Then you hear the same story next time that people has been killed.

[00:39:36]>> You think we should just shoot anyone?

[00:39:39]>> Definitely. Of course. That's what you are supposed to do.

[00:39:42]>> And then what happens if they don't leave?

[00:39:44]>> No, definitely they will. Definitely >> because of blood.

[00:39:48]>> So what happens if I shoot the wrong one?

[00:39:50]>> No.

[00:39:51]>> Then that angry one will stay here.

[00:39:52]Listen, if you shoot one of them, then those will get scared. You have to be fair. You know, we are losing lives of people.

[00:40:02]>> I can understand how this lady is upset.

[00:40:04]However, I feel I gave the hippo every chance to attack.

[00:40:08]You know, there's a great responsibility on on me to make sure that I kill the right hippo, if at all. You know, she claims that if I were to shoot a hippo, the rest would go away. I know that's not true. And there's a great responsibility on my part, you know, to take the life of an animal, that's a giant deal. And to do that to an innocent animal just with some other excuse. That's not going to cut it.

[00:40:33]That's not what I'm here for. And if a hippo is going to die, it's got to be the right hippo. It's got to be a hippo that really is terrorizing this village.

[00:40:40]It's got to be a hippo that really has killed people. And it's got to be a hippo that's potentially going to kill more people. Otherwise, you're not solving any problem. All you're doing is you killing an animal to appease a village. And that's not what I'm here for.

[00:40:59]I don't doubt that aggressive hippos exist. The dangerous hippos exist, but they must actually be confirmed. As I look at the people, I feel they also have a responsibility.

[00:41:11]If they keep their distance, these kind of incidents will be few.

[00:41:16]As an investigator, it's important that one acts for all the right reasons.

[00:41:22]That one does not condemn a person or an animal before all the evidence has been gathered. Indeed, the evidence gathered here paints a different picture. It tells of an animal whose territory is completely ignored. People fish where it shelters in the day and build homes in the areas where it feeds at night. Who is the victim here? As is usual in any case where humans and wildlife collide, the wildlife suffers