A 2-year-old boy in Uganda was swallowed by a hippo and then spewed out after a bystander pummelling the animal with stones. The incident occurred as the child was playing near his home on the shore of Lake Edward.
When a local guy witnessed what had happened and began pelting stones at the hippo, the hippo seized and proceeded to swallow down the child. The startled animal regurgitated and proceeded to move away toward the lake.
“This is the first such kind of incident where a hippo strayed out of Lake Edward and attacked a young child,” Ugandan Police said in a statement, The Telegraph reported. According to the report, the police stated that the hippo “grabbed… the boy from the head and swallowed half of his body”.
“It took the bravery of one Chrispas Bagonza, who was nearby, to save the victim after he stoned the hippo and scared it, causing it to release the victim from its mouth”, the Telegraph quoted the police.
The child was transported to a neighboring clinic and received rapid care. He was afterward taken to a hospital in the adjacent town of Bwera. He was given a rabies shot as a precaution and then released.
Although hippopotamuses are herbivores, they may become extremely aggressive when threatened. Hippos can be extremely violent when someone stands between them and the lake or river in which they live.
The bite of a hippo is three times stronger than that of a lion
Hippo’s bite force measures 12 600 kPa. By comparison, a lion’s bite force is only 4500 kPa. Despite their size, they can run for brief bursts at roughly 20mph. With his ferocious jaw force, unique mouth size, and sharp teeth can easily bisect a human body in a single bite
Following the boy’s fortuitous escape, the authorities issued a warning to those living nearby. Although the youngster escaped, the police cautioned that individuals who live near sanctuaries and habitats should be aware that wild animals might be deadly.
According to the Telegraph, wild animals perceive humans as a threat and any interaction can cause them to act abnormally or aggressively.