Stray hippo dies after being darted in Mbombela

A stray hippo that was darted after it was spotted walking around a main road in Mbombela has died, according to local media reports.

The Lowvelder reported that the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency's Dr Ferreira du Plessis said that hippos have a "complex physiology which causes their breathing to be easily affected by anaesthesia."

The hippo was spotted grazing on the side of the road and in a three-hour operation, which included the closure of the road, officials darted the hippo, which was going to be taken to a nearby nature reserve.

The doctor told the publication that several darts had to be used and rescue personnel were confident that the operation had been a success.