Police: Two-Year-Old Saved After Hippo Swallows Him in Uganda

A hippopotamus attacked a two-year-old boy and swallowed the top half his body while he was playing outside his home in Uganda on December 4.

Officials identified the boy as Iga Paul, who lives in the Katwe-Kabatoro district, ABC 7 reported Friday.

The family’s home is “about 800 meters from Lake Edward,” Uganda Police Force said in a press release Monday.

“This is the first such kind of incident where a hippo strayed out of the Lake Edward and attacked a young child,” the agency said.

The press release continued:

It took the bravery of a one Chrispas Bagonza, who was nearby, to save the victim after he stoned the hippo and scared it, causing it to release the victim from its mouth. 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.

According to the African Wildlife Foundation’s website, hippos are “the third-largest living land mammal, after elephants and white rhinos.”

During nighttime hours, hippos leave their water pools to graze for several hours, consuming approximately 88 pounds of food.

Following the incident, the Uganda Police Force warned residents to understand that wild animals pose a serious danger.

“Instinctually, wild animals see humans as a threat and any interaction can cause them to act strangely or aggressively,” the agency said, reminding people living in the area to remain vigilant and to alert rangers whenever an animal is spotted in their neighborhoods.