Hippo swallows 2-year-old boy in Uganda, then spits him out
A 2-year-old boy in Uganda was rushed to hospital after he was swallowed by a rogue hippopotamus and spat back out.
According to reports by a Ugandan radio station, the toddler was playing by himself near his home on the shores of a lake in the town of Katwe Kabatoro on Sunday when the hippo grabbed the boy with its jaws.
The hippo spat the boy out when a bystander, identified as Chrispas Bagonza, started throwing rocks at the animal.
“[Bagonza] stoned the hippo and scared it, causing it to release the victim from its mouth,” Ugandan Police said.
“It took the bravery of one Chrispas Bagonza, who was nearby, to save the victim,” the police report said.
While the little boy was rushed to hospital for treatment, the hippo returned to the lake.
Hippopotamuses are estimated to kill at least 500 people a year in Africa, chomping down on their victims with tusks that can grow up to a foot long.