A family of hippos have returned to the water at Mpongo Private Game Reserve near East London after welcome rain fell over the area, bringing some relief to the region’s long and devastating drought.

The hippos – a mother and her calf - had been kept in a boma after the dam in which they lived had dried up but are now back on the reserve along with other wildlife including the Big 4 of elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino as well as giraffe, monkeys, zebra, brown hyena and numerous grassland species of antelope.

“There certainly was a rush to get into the water,” says Reserve manager Cedric Gregson. “The hippos waited a long time for this to happen!”

The Eastern Cape is well known for its hippo tales and Mpongo is close to where the world’s most famous wandering hippo, Huberta, ended her days after walking down the coast from KZN in 1928-1931.

 A further eight hippo will be released into Mpongo by mid-year.

A complete eco-system

Set on rolling hills and deep valley bushveld along the historic Umpongo River, the malaria-free 3200 ha Mpongo Game Reserve is the closest wildlife experience to South Africa’s coastal city of East London (only 35km away) which presents the opportunity for travelers to enjoy a beach and bush experience in close proximity.

Along with a restaurant and three luxury lodges, Mpongo also provides conference facilities making for a tranquil environment for meetings and bush conferences.

In association with the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Mpongo also recently re-introduced the endangered Red-Billed Ox-Pecker, a bird species regionally extinct in this part of the Eastern Cape since the early 1900s, while a family of four brown hyena – last seen in these parts in the 60s - were re-introduced last year.

“We are attempting to create as complete an eco-system as possible at Mpongo and species such as the ox-pecker and brown hyena play a vital role in keeping the system healthy,” adds Cedric.

Mpongo Private Game Reserve is owned & managed by the Premier Hotel & Resorts group who have a collection of hotels in the Western Cape, KZN, Gauteng and Eastern Cape (including the new East London International Convention Centre), offering affordably luxurious accommodation along with state-of-the-art convention facilities.www.premierhotels.co.za