Cape Town hippo relocated after 17-hour operation to Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve

Plett nature reserve is new home for Cape Flats hippo

The four-year-old is being held in a separate area with a dam where he is closely monitored to allow him to acclimatise before integration with the resident hippo pod.

Cape Town hippo relocated after 17-hour operation to Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve

A hippo from the City has been successfully relocated

A hippo from the City has been successfully relocated. Officials from the Biodiversity Management branch announced that the four-year-old hippo bull safely arrived at the Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve, its new home, on 23 July.   “I was told that our team planned this translocation over many months, inclusive of finalising the legal agreements, permits, appropriate transport and specialist equipment,” said Alderman Andrews.   A hippo from the Cit…

17-Hour Mission: Cape Town Relocates Troubled Hippo in Daring Wildlife Operation

In a feat of precision, patience, and planning, the City of Cape Town’s Biodiversity Management branch successfully relocated a four-year-old hippo bull from the False Bay Nature Reserve to the Plettenberg Bay Game Reserve. The 17-hour journey, which concluded at 08:30 on Tuesday, 23 July 2025, marked a significant milestone in urban wildlife management. Why Move a Hippo? The young hippo’s relocation was necessitated by rising tensions with domi…