Hippo Part Sales 'Thriving' In US; Wildlife Advocates Seek Protection For The Mammals

Wildlife protection groups are demanding authorities to add hippos to the U.S. endangered species list, as they found a "thriving" market for hippo products in the country.

The groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on Thursday, urging the agency to protect hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) noted in a news release. They noted that the common hippopotamus is "in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range."

Hippo populations are considered "vulnerable," and the main threats to the mammals are human encroachment into hippo habitats and widespread poaching for their ivory and other parts.

"The Service has a duty to protect the iconic common hippopotamus by listing the species under the Endangered Species Act, which would meaningfully contribute to common hippopotamus conservation by strictly regulating the import, export, and interstate commerce in common hippopotamus parts and products," the groups noted in the petition.

According to the CBD, the U.S. has imported more hippo products "than any other country" in the last decade. This includes the animals' teeth, leather products, pieces of their skin, trophies and carvings.

Undercover investigations by the nonprofits Humane Society International and the Human Society of the United States found a "thriving" market for hippo products in the U.S. between 2018 to 2021.

A video shared by the organizations showed products such as hippo skull tables and hippo leather belts and boots being sold in various parts of the country.

"We cannot continue to allow thousands of hippos to be killed for their teeth or skin, for a ridiculous trinket or a pair of boots," said Kitty Block, the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. "This iconic species must be granted urgent protection under the Endangered Species Act to end this cruel cycle. We will not sit back and watch hippos vanish."

But apart from being the top importer of hippo products, the U.S. is also a "world leader in conservation," the petition noted. So, it has the "unique position to take leadership in hippo conservation."

If hippos are listed under the ESA, it could protect the species in "several ways" by restricting the imports of such products into the country, raising "public and international" awareness about the plight of the creatures and allowing the country to provide assistance in conservation programs for the species.

"Hippos are irreplaceable ecologically, playing key roles in both aquatic and grassland systems. We're losing keystone species like hippos in part because of human exploitation," Tanya Sanerib, the international legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in the news release. "In the middle of an extinction crisis, we can't ignore the huge volumes of wildlife captured, killed and traded globally to supply U.S. demand, including for hippos and their parts."