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WELCOME TO THE WECHIAU COMMUNITY
HIPPO SANCTUARY WEB PAGE @ ARU
STUDIOS
The Wechiau Community
Hippo Sanctuary is located
in the Upper West Region
of Ghana. The Sanctuary is
a community effort that continues
to shine brightly as a success
story for conservation that
protects one of only two hippo
ponds that live in the Volta River,
Ghana. The people of the Wechiau
traditional area established
the community operated sanctuary
in 1999. The writer, Norman’s
introduction to the Wechiau
Community Hippo Sanctuary
came through the Calgary Zoo,
partners in the award winning
project. After visiting Wechiau, I
saw first-hand how the effort to
protect the hippos have not only
created a better environment for
the habitat but also has improved
the communities that reside within
the sanctuary. There is something
magical about Wechiau, to
visit the communities that make
the sanctuary a better place for all
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in the Black Volta River. The
Calgary Zoo partnered with the
communities of the Wechiau
region to establish the Wechiau
Community Hippo Sanctuary.
The symbiotic relationship between
the people and the hippos
continues to evolve to this
day. To protect the hippos and
their habitat, the people of this
region of Upper West Ghana
made great sacrifices. Many of
the villages within the sanctuary
moved away from the river
to create a feeding/buffer zone
for the Hippos, this was a huge
undertaking. How can moving
away from water and managof
its inhabitants is special. “Norman
Nemeth. Norman’s travels
have taken him on two occasions
to Wechiau, once in 2007 and then
2009. The Wechiau Community
Hippo Sanctuary is running a
40km stretch of the Black Volta
River bordering Burkino Faso in
North West Ghana. Norman has
visited Wechiau twice, once in
2007 and again in 2009.
HISTORY OF THE
WECHIAU COMMUNITY
HIPPO SANCTUARY
“The history of the Wechiau
Community Hippo Sanctuary
and how it has evolved is an incredible
story. This summary of
Wechiau is a collection of tit bits
and articles that I have gathered
to share my passion for all things
Wechiau.”- Norman Nemeth.
The people of the Wechiau, according
to local legend, began
a special bond with the hippos
long ago. The following quote is
from Legend of Wechiau Guide
Book-People of the Wechiau
Community Hippo Sanctuary {
WCHS}, chapter two. “During the
slave trade our people were running
away to avoid being captured.
They reached the Black
Volta River and didn’t know how
to cross. Then they saw the hippos.
The hippos let the people
go onto their backs and carried
them across the river to safety.
When the enemy came they
saw only water and rocks. They
tried to cross on the rocks,
but, the rocks were in fact hippos!
Once a good number of
the enemy were standing on
top of the hippos, the animals
moved and the enemy fell into
the river and perished. As a result,
the hippo has become a
sacred animal.”-Gurungu-Naa,
Naa Bandanaa Chielinah II. It is
the ancestors of both the people
of Wechiau and the hippos
that have created a bond that
requires mutual efforts in protecting
one another. The Black
Volta River is home to only two
surviving ponds of hippos found
ing the environment benefit the
people? The communities that
reside within the Wechiau Community
Hippo Sanctuary have
benefited in investors such as
the Calgary Zoo Conservation
Outreach, NCRC, and there are
supporters as far away as Canada
and England. Eco-tourism is
very well executed in Wechiau,
with managing the environment
the people of the Wechiau Community
Hippo Sanctuary has
become a shining example of
conservation. Since the birth of
the sanctuary 17 bore holes for
water, 540 solar light systems
for people’s homes, two Primary
schools and a clinic are realities.
Protecting the hippos has led to
many developments that provide
the benefits that both the
environment and people of the
sanctuary enjoy. In 2008 the
Wechiau Community Hippo
Sanctuary received two awards
from the United Nations Equator
Prize. The awards recognize
the best examples of reducing
poverty through bio diversity.
“To visit Wechiau and see firsthand
how a community has
created industry while protecting
the environment is amazing.
To be part of the communities
that support the development of
the Wechiau Community Hippo
Sanctuary is special. I will always
be Dreaming of Wechiau.”-
Norman Nemeth.