Hippos recently destroyed over 40 plots of rice fields in Janjangbureh 'Moriba rice fields' in the Central River Region.
The hippos reportedly grazed and trampled on the rice fields, causing incalculable loss to crops.
The Point visited the scene to see the level of the damage caused to the fields.
Speaking to one Tida Dansira, one of the affected farmers, she said all her five plots were destroyed, and that the destruction started at the nursery stage.
Nurseries of rice plants were destroyed, and this happened when the plants were at the maturing stage.
Ms. Dansira lamented the destruction of her plots, noting that her family depends on the field for survival, and for income to meet other domestic needs.
She called on the relevant authorities to help address the hippo menace, which caused a lot of destruction in the area.
Another desperate-looking victim, Mabel Jawo, added that she had been farming in the area for more than 25 years now, but had never before experienced such serious rampage by hippos.
Mrs. Aja Camara, also reported that six of her plots were rampaged by hippos, and said there is fear among farmers about going to their fields. She said the land in the area is fertile, and there is abundant water for rice cultivation.
"We will not have the courage to go back to that farmland, if something is not done about these wild beasts," she said. According to her, the number of hippos in the area is increasing, and that if nothing is done about the problem, no farmer would get a good harvest in that area.
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