A 2-year-old boy was attacked and partially eaten by a hippo in Uganda, East Africa, while playing in his home, Katwe police said.
The minor, identified as Iga Paul, was playing one afternoon on December 4 in the town of Rwenjubu, about 800 meters from Lake Edward, in the Kasese district, in the west of the country, when a hippopotamus grabbed him by the head. and swallowed half of his body.
It is the first time that a hippo attack on a child has been recorded in this lake, according to the police
A nearby man named Chrispas Bagonza saw the attack, threw stones at the animal, startling it and causing it to drop the child from its mouth.
“It took the bravery of this male Chrispas Bagonza, who was nearby, to save the victim after he threw stones at the hippo and startled it, causing it to drop the victim from its mouth,” police said.
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When he fell from the jaws of the animal, he was taken to a nearby clinic where he was treated for injuries to one hand and taken to another hospital where he received further treatment.
After being vaccinated against rabies, the minor fully recovered and, after being discharged, returned happily to his parents.
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The hippo then returned to the lake in a fright, according to police.
Authorities reminded people who live near sanctuaries and wild animal homes that wild animals are very dangerous and view humans as a threat, so any interaction can cause them to act strangely or aggressively.
Hippos are the third-largest living land mammal, according to Live Science, growing to over 10 feet long and five feet tall and weighing anywhere from 3,000 to nearly 10,000 pounds.
According to the National Library of Medicine, they are aggressive and dangerous, and their size makes them a threat to other animals.
However, hippos are primarily herbivores.