Hippos in the coastal settlement of Mandinaring went on the rampage on the women horticultural gardens over the last few days, causing havoc in the process.

Local residents who spoke to the Daily Observer lamented that the hippo rampage would seriously affect the outcome of their harvest.

The alkalo of the village, Alhagie Fa-Ceesay said a delegation of local farmers recently came to his residence to report the matter. He said the is incident is the second of its kind in the village's history.

He assured that necessary action would be taken in consultation with officials of the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management to arrest the situation.

One of the farmers who also spoke to the Daily Observer, Saikou Manjang, said the hippos destroyed a lot of sweet potatoes and other vegetables at the garden. He urged the authorities to intervene to prevent wild animals from invading farms.

Alhagie Nyang and Mamanding Jarjue, both of them farmers,also lamented the destruction caused by the wild animals, adding that even the nurseries were not spared.