Uganda: Hippo swallows 2-year-old kid before spitting him out alive
A rogue hippopotamus reportedly swallowed a child alive in Uganda in an absolutely bizarre incident. What is more shocking is that the two-year-old was then spat back out by the hippo after an onlooker started pelting stones at the animal, the police said. Capital FM Uganda reported that the toddler was playing near his home on a lake shore in Katwe Kabatoro town.
Here's what happened
Cops identified the kid as Iga Paul and stated that the hippo grabbed him by the head on Sunday and managed to swallow half of his body. However, thanks to the lifesaving effort of the bystander, the animal vomited the toddler out alive. The kid also suffered injuries on his arms and was later rushed to a hospital nearby for treatment, the cops added.
Here's what the Uganda Police said on the attack
The Uganda Police, in an official release, said: "The victim was immediately rushed for treatment to a nearby clinic for injuries on the hand and later transferred to Bwera Hospital for further treatment." "He recovered fully and was discharged after receiving a vaccine for rabies. He was, thereafter, handed over to the parents by police," it added on the incident.
Know about the savior bystander
Furthermore, the brave and quick-thinking bystander has been identified as Chrispas Bagonza. "(Bagonza) stoned the hippo and scared it, causing it to release the victim from its mouth," Ugandan Police was quoted as saying by The Telegraph. "It took the bravery of one Chrispas Bagonza, who was nearby, to save the victim," the cops further added.
Earlier animal attack incident in Uganda
Previously this year, an elephant stomped a tourist to death in Uganda during a game at a park. Bashir Hangi, the Uganda wildlife authority spokesman, confirmed that the attack occurred at the Murchison Falls national park. "They stopped along the way and the deceased went out of the car; an elephant charged at him, killed him on the spot," he told The Guardian.
500 deaths every year due to hippo attacks
As per reports in AZ Animals, approximately 500 humans die every year in Africa due to hippo attacks. The total is staggering when one considers that it outnumbers almost every other animal on our planet. The outlet also added that hippos are one of the deadliest species of land animals in the world.
