Hippo swallows 2-year-old in Uganda, before spitting him out
text_fields
A two-year-old boy had a narrow escape after a stray hippopotamus nearly swallowed him in Uganda.
The toddler was playing on the shore of a lake near his home in Katwe Kabatoro town on December 4 when a hippo grabbed him.
Half of his body was already inside the animal's mouth when a man named Chrispas Bagonza threw stones at it, police said.
The animal obviously got distracted and 'vomited' the boy back up.
The police said that the animal grabbed the boy, identified as Iga Paul, by his head and swallowed half of his body.
The boy is getting treated at a hospital for the injuries on his hand.
"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," the Uganda Police reportedly said.
Police asked parents staying near animal sanctuaries like lakes and wildlife centres to look out for stray animals such as crocodiles and hippos that may attack them.
Although herbivores, hippos can be very aggressive if threatened, attacking boats and canoes, experts say.
One incident recently filmed showed an angry hippo attacking three lions who were attempting to cross a river in the Selinda Reserve spillway in Botswana.
About 500 deaths were reported in Africa from hippo attacks annually, according to AZ Animals.