A hippo attacks a young boy, and then spits him out - NPR

A hippopotamus precocious attacked a lad successful Uganda — and the lad survived, aft a bystander took action, constabulary say. Here, a hippo is seen successful the Victoria Nile adjacent Murchison Falls successful northwest Uganda. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images

A hippopotamus precocious attacked a lad successful Uganda — and the lad survived, aft a bystander took action, constabulary say. Here, a hippo is seen successful the Victoria Nile adjacent Murchison Falls successful northwest Uganda.

Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images

First things first: the two-year-old lad who was attacked by a hippopotamus successful Uganda was saved and had a afloat recovery, constabulary say. But they besides accidental the hippo had the lad successful its jaws — with the child's caput and precocious assemblage successful the animal's rima — earlier a brave bystander rescued the boy.

The onslaught took spot astir 3 p.m. connected Dec. 4, erstwhile the lad was playing astatine his location adjacent a water successful the Kasese territory successful occidental Uganda. The country includes respective ample nationalist parks and crippled reserves, on with a bid of lakes and safari lodges.

The boy, Iga Paul, was saved aft a bystander, identified arsenic Chrispas Bagonza, "stoned the hippo and frightened it, causing it to merchandise the unfortunate from its mouth," Uganda's national constabulary unit said, citing a study from territorial police.

"This is the archetypal specified benignant of incident," the constabulary said, wherever a hippo near adjacent Lake Edward and attacked a child. The bureau says the boy's household lives immoderate 800 meters (about fractional a mile) from the lake.

The hippo fled the country aft dropping the lad — who was rapidly rushed to a section aesculapian session for injuries to his hand. He was past moved to a infirmary for further treatment.

"He recovered afloat and was discharged, aft receiving a vaccine for rabies," the constabulary said.

Ugandan authorities are reminding radical successful the country to beryllium mindful of chaotic animals, and to study immoderate incursions into their neighborhoods.

"Instinctually, chaotic animals spot humans arsenic a menace and immoderate enactment tin origin them to enactment strangely oregon aggressively," the constabulary said.

The lawsuit has attracted wide attention, mounting disconnected speculation implicit whether the hippo mightiness person been trying to swallow oregon devour the lad — and it's worthy noting that hippos are known to beryllium herbivores, eating monolithic amounts of grass. But arsenic the Uganda-based Exclusive African Safaris website notes, scientists person confirmed that the animals tin besides devour meat, peculiarly if different nutrient is scarce.

Hippos are besides known to onslaught different animals, and humans, if they consciousness threatened oregon disturbed. Numerous outlets, from National Geographic to the BBC, mention estimates that accidental hippos termination 500 radical each year, successful incidents ranging from the animals charging and capsizing boats to nonstop attacks.

"Their quality to teardrop isolated astir animals — including lions oregon crocodiles is wherefore the hippo is really the astir unsafe chaotic carnal successful the African savannah," the Exclusive African Safaris website says.