Posted on 12/16/2022 7:58 PM / Updated on 12/16/2022 7:59 PM
(Credit: Tambako the Jaguar)
A twoyearold boy has been partially swallowed by a hippopotamus in East Africa’s Uganda. According to local police information, Yiga Paul was rescued by a local resident who saw the scene and acted quickly to help the boy, who was spat out by the animal.
The child lives in the KatweKabatoro community in the Kasese district of the southwest of the country, in an area close to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park teems with wild animals such as lions, elephants, hyenas and hippos. Yiga Paul was playing nearby when he was surprised by the animal, which had migrated from Lake Katwe, where it lives with about 6,000 other hippos.
The hippopotamus grabbed the child’s head, kept part of the boy’s body in its mouth and returned to the lake with the loot, but local residents were able to prevent the tragedy. According to Kasese police spokesman Fred Enanga, the boy Paul Yiga was rescued by Chrispas Bagonza, who stopped by and noticed the baby was in trouble.
Bagonza, along with other natives, sounded the alarm when they threw stones at the animal, which became frightened and spat the boy out. “It took the courage of Chrispas Bagonza, who was nearby, to save the victim by stoning and scaring the hippopotamus, causing it to release the victim,” local police said.
The boy was then taken to Bwera Hospital, where he was vaccinated against rabies and underwent other treatments. He regained consciousness later that day and was discharged.
Thousands of people are killed by hippos every year
According to the BBC, an estimated 500 people die each year in Africa as a result of hippo attacks. Although they appear slow, these animals weigh around 2.5 tons and can reach an average speed of 48 km/h, making them violent when it comes to defending their territory.
In Africa, hippos kill more people than lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo and rhinos combined. It is considered the deadliest animal on the African continent. For example, after the incident involving twoyearold Yiga Paul, the Kasese police spokesman warned parents who are near animal sanctuaries such as lakes and wildlife centers to take care of stray animals such as crocodiles and hippos, which can attack both children and adults .
Despite the deaths, it should be remembered that the hippopotamus, unlike lions and other carnivores, does not eat meat, it is a herbivore.