NorthIowaToday.com

Founded in 2010

News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region

Dining on hippo and pondering the environment

MCT FORUM, By Melanie Gouby – The Institute for War & Peace Reporting –

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo — A strong smell slowly fills the air as the dishes are brought into the living room. It is an intriguing, if not a particularly pleasant, aroma.

“It’s a surprise, something I got especially for you,” my hostess says.

I silently pray that it’s something I will be able to eat.

I discover the odor is coming from a dish containing what looks like big chunks of beef floating in creamy white sauce.

I can’t say I am particularly excited about digging in, but I cut a small piece of the lean, light-brown flesh and take a bite.

The taste is delicious — incredibly delicate and unlike anything I have ever tasted. It’s melt-in-your-mouth tender.

“What is it?” I ask.

“It’s hippo, of course,” replies my host. “Isn’t it really good?” My fork stops mid-air.

“Hippo, as in, you mean, hippopotamus? The big beast that lives in water?” I ask.

“Yes, the big beast that lives in the water! This one came from Lake Edward,” she responds.

North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, sits on the edge of the Great Lakes region of Africa, which includes Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika.

Lake Edward, the smallest of the lakes, is part of Virunga National Park, the second oldest national park in the world.

Although best known as the habitat of mountain gorillas, the eastern region of the Congo possessed a rich and diverse ecosystem. Lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalos could be seen regularly.

In the 1990s, Lake Edward was home to the world’s largest population of hippos, numbering around 27,000. But like many other species, hippos were killed off by war and poachers. Today, the hippo population is down to about 300.

And one of them was on my plate.

But I would be lying if I said I felt guilty about eating the meal that had been prepared for me.

I’ve always been concerned about the environment. And my time in the Congo has only reinforced my belief that climate change and the decimation of endangered species are among the defining issues of my generation.

But I have also learned that caring about the environment is a luxury that not everyone here can afford.

For example, poaching is still a common practice among members of the Congolese national army, who kill and butcher wild animals and send the high-value “bush meat” back to their wives in Goma for sale. Low army pay means it’s often the only way they can support their families.

When you have nothing to feed your children, you’re not likely to shed a tear over the fate of a baby gorilla or hippo.

Seen in that context, there was nothing shocking about the dish my hostess had served. She was doing me a great honor, and it would have been extremely rude of me to make a fuss over it.

Maybe someday, the nearby national park will be able to generate enough economic activity to support local residents. When that happens, hippo meat might finally be off the menu.

But that day still seems a long way off.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Even more news:

Watercooler
Copyright 2024 – Internet Marketing Pros. of Iowa, Inc.
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x