In what can only be described as a bizarre incident, a two-year-old Ugandan boy was swallowed by a hippo – and then it spewed him out alive.
The little boy was playing outside his home when the hippo attacked him unexpectedly. It is alleged that it grabbed the boy by his head and swallowed half of his body.
It took the bravery of one Chrispas Bagonza, who saw the bizarre incident and threw stones at the hippo, to convince the beast to release the boy.
Ugandan police say the incident took place in April but was only reported on 12 December, after a video of the incident surfaced.
“This is the first such kind of incident where a hippo strayed out of Lake Edward and attacked a young child,“ said a police spokesperson.
According to a report by the Daily Star, the boy was taken to a nearby clinic before being transferred to a hospital for treatment. Although it is still unclear what injuries the boy suffered, he was allegedly vaccinated for rabies.
National Geographic claims that the herbivorous animal attacks humans only if it perceives a threat.
In Africa, there are around 500 deaths at the hands – or mouths – of hippos yearly.
They add: “Males can become aggressive if they sense danger.
“Mothers may attack to protect their young. Although they can weigh up to four tons, they can run up to 20 miles per hour. Their jaws can open to 180 degrees and clamp down with a force 10 times that of human jaws, and their lower canines can grow to more than one and a half feet long.”
However, in the little boy’s case the hippo was completely unprovoked.
Compiled by Anita Dangazele
Pictured Above: The two-year-old boy after surviving the attack
Image source: Supplied
