The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism is busy drilling more boreholes to pump water into the Munambeza Pond near Lake Lyambezi in the Zambezi Region to save trapped hippopotamuses.

Ministerial spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda this week said approximately 130 hippos were trapped in mud pools due to low water levels.

"With regard to mortalities, we have recorded 5 hippos from Munambeza. The most likely cause is starvation, as there is no grazing for these hippos, and a borehole was drilled on Tuesday to pump water into the pond," he said.

According to Muyunda, this is the second borehole drilled this year; the first was at Lugala, also in the Zambezi Region, where the water supply has improved conditions for the 135 hippos that had been trapped since June.

Following the completion of the borehole at Munambeza, the team will move on to a third location called Sinde, which is also in the same area, Muyunda said.

"The situation is caused by the drought that we find ourselves in as a country, leading to water ponds drying out and hippos being stranded in some of these ponds," he said.

According to Muyunda these ponds are not only for sustaining the hippos but also for other wild animals as well as the livestock from the neighboring communities.

"So this intervention that we are making is going to serve several purposes," he added.

Muyunda meanwhile cautioned about the potential rise in human-wildlife conflict as the current situation will lead to competition for water resources.

Muyunda said the ministry is committed to wildlife conservation and is focused on saving lives rather than resorting to lethal measures.