On December 4th, a toddler named Iga Paul ventured out into his family compound in the Katwe-Kabatooro district of Uganda. Without the immediate presence of a parent to impede his progress, Iga was confronted by a large hippo that emerged from Lake Edward and wandered inland. Typically, Hippos are herbivores that only attack humans that pose a threat, but in this instance, the hippo made an exception and swallowed about half of the boy’s body. Luckily for Iga, an eye-witness was close enough to the action to intervene by pelting the Hippopotamus with rocks, forcing the giant land mammal to regurgitate Iga on the spot.
“It took the bravery of 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,” wrote a representative for the Uganda Police Force.
Iga survived the traumatic experience after being rushed to the hospital and treated for rabies. The two-year-old suffered injuries to his head and hands.
Shortly after the incident, the hippo returned to Lake Edward. This was the first time on record that a Hippo left the lake to attack a child.