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Paul Iga: 2-year-old boy miraculously survives after hungry hippo swallows and spits him out alive

The Uganda police said in a statement, 'This is the first such kind of incident where a hippo strayed out of Lake Edward and attacked a young child'

UGANDA, EAST AFRICA: A Hippo shockingly swallowed and spat out a two-year-old boy playing near his home by a lake. The hungry animal was holding Paul Iga in the mouth just a few hundred yards from the shore of Lake Edward in Uganda, as per The Telegraph.

Luckily, Chrispas Bagonza, a terrified local, who witnessed the entire ordeal started hurling stones at the hippo in an effort to stop it. After devouring half of the infant, the hippo allegedly appeared startled and threw up the child alive before making way back to the water. 

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Paul miraculously escaped the attack even though he was hurt and taken to a clinic for treatment. According to reports, the little child was transported to a hospital in Bwera but was later discharged after receiving a rabies shot. The Ugandan Police said in a statement, "This is the first such kind of incident where a hippo strayed out of Lake Edward and attacked a young child." They added, "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," as per Daily Mail.

In two separate events in May 2020, two people were killed by hippos in Lake Naivasha, increasing the total number of hippo-related fatalities in that year to 14. The deaths have been linked to the encroachment of the hippo habitat by workers laid off from hotels and flower fields as a result of Covid-19. The unemployed workers have turned to fish-catching work to make a life, as reported by The Star.

Two guys were attacked in Tarambeta in the first incident by a lone hippo. One of them died, but the other was seriously hurt. John Mwaura, a local of Tarambeta, reported that the death was a 37-year-old former employee of a flower farm. A teen who was nearby fishing was the sole survivor. "The hippo first attacked the worker killing him on the spot while the teenager escaped with injuries," he stated. The second fatality occurred close to DCK. A 25-year-old male was one of the two other victims of the incident. The other person survived with injuries to his hand and leg.

Hippos are among the most hazardous creatures in Africa, according to National Geographic, because of their terrible strength. Each year, between 500 and 3,000 individuals are estimated to die in hippo attacks. Hippos are vegetarians, but according to National Geographic, they can become aggressive if they feel danger. These giant herbivores are renowned for their large teeth, aggressive attitude, and the myth that they sweat blood. After elephants and white rhinos, hippos are the third-largest land mammals in the world. Males can weigh up to 9,920 pounds and grow to lengths of 10.8 to 16.5 feet, while females can weigh up to 3,000 pounds. Their 20-inch long, razor-sharp canines are utilized for combat while their long, molars are employed for eating. Their incredible jaw strength allows them to expand 180 degrees, and their bite is almost three times as powerful as a lion's. Human bodies can allegedly be split in half by a hippo's single bite.