2-year-old boy survives after swallowed by hungry hippo, police say
Police in Africa said the hippo grabbed the 2-year-old, but luckily a good Samaritan nearby saved the child after he stoned the hippo.
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KAMPALA, Uganda – A toddler is lucky to be alive after a hungry hippo nearly swallowed the boy while playing outside his home in a Ugandan town.
Police in Katwe–Kabatoro in Kasese said the hippo grabbed the 2-year-old, identified as Iga Paul, by the head and swallowed half of his body.
Luckily, a good Samaritan nearby saved the child after he stoned the hippo and scared it, causing it to release the boy from its mouth. The hippo was then scared back into the lake.
The territorial police in Katwe–Kabatoro, in Kasese, said a hippo grabbed a 2-year-old from the head and swallowed half of his body.
(RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP / Getty Images)
It happened around 3 p.m. local time on. Dec. 4 in Katwe-Kabatooro Town Council within Queen Elizabeth National Park, less than a half-mile from Lake Edward. It was the first such kind where a hippo strayed out of the lake and attacked a young child, police said.
The boy miraculously only suffered injuries on the hand and was later rushed to a nearby hospital for evaluation. He was later discharged after receiving a vaccine for rabies.
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Police in the area warned residents that those living near animal sanctuaries and habitats should know that wild animals are dangerous.
"Instinctually, wild animals see humans as a threat, and any interaction can cause them to act strangely or aggressively," police said.