Hippo roaming loose for months in southern Mexico

A local offers a hippopotamus which locals have named Tyson, a branch to snack on, in Las Chopas, Veracruz state, Mexico, Friday, March 9, 2018. Nobody knows where the animal came from, but hippos are not native to the country and authorities say they’re worried about the hippopotamus, that is roaming loose in a swampy area of southern Mexico. (AP Photo/Armando Serrano)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Authorities say they’re worried about a hippopotamus that is roaming loose in a swampy area of southern Mexico.

Nobody knows where the animal came from, but hippos are not native to the country. The hippo appears to have been living in a pair of ponds near Las Chopas, in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz.

Mexico’s office for environmental protection said Thursday that experts are looking for the best way to trap and move the three-year-old, 1,320-pound (600 kilogram) mammal. It also said hippos can be aggressive, posing a potential danger to the public and native species.

The hippo was first spotted by local media near a garbage dump in January. Residents of the town have come to love the animal so much they have nicknamed it “Tyson.” /muf