Hippo roaming loose for months in southern Mexico

MEXICO CITY � 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 experts are looking for the best way to trap and move the 3-year-old, 1,320-pound mammal. It also said hippos can be aggressive, posing a potential danger to the public and native species.

The hippo first was 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.�

Pertinent address:

Las Chopas, Mexico