A herd of hippopotamuses continue to destroy rice fields in the Central River Region, according to farmers in the area.

Farmers and rice cultivators in the region have intensified their calls for help to deal with the destructions caused by the hippos.

Speaking to our reporter, the chairman of Kuntaur Area Council, Saikou Jawara, said: “my people are afraid, the Hippos have destroy almost all their rice fields.”

He said the affected village is Niani Sukuta which, according to him, has become an island for the hippos.

However, he called for government help in addressing the hippos threat to the region.

“We are appealing to the government to come to our aid and prevent these animals from destroying our rice fields,” he appealed.

He said only the noise of the Hippos can pulled down the perimeter fence.

Mr Jawara also urged the Wildlife Department to allocate a grazing land for the hippopotamuses, adding that a perimeter fence cannot prevent the hippopotamuses from destroying rice fields in the region.

The hippopotamuses destroying rice fields had been a longstanding problem in the region and successive governments had promised to resolve the issue but to no avail.

Hippopotamuses are herbivores and eat mostly plant food to fuel their large frames. Grasses and fallen fruit make up the diets of hippos.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba