A hippopotamus that has been roaming loose in a swampy area of southern Mexico has been caught and transported to a zoo.
A hippopotamus which locals have named Tyson swims in a pond 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's office for environmental protection said Tuesday that experts had lured the 1,320-pound (600 kilogram) animal into a cage after issuing a call "asking for the help of the community, to allow specialists to do their job and capture and transfer Tyson."
A man takes a selfie with a hippopotamus that locals have named Tyson, at a pond 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)
Residents of Las Choapas in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz had nicknamed the hippo Tyson after it appeared nearby.
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)
Nobody knows where it came from, but hippos are not native to the country. Townspeople apparently resisted efforts to trap the animal, which authorities said could pose a danger to the public and native species.