A 2-year-old boy in Uganda was swallowed and then spat out by a rogue hippopotamus — after an onlooker started stoning the animal, police said.
The boy, whose name has not been released, was playing alone near his lakeside home in Katwe Kabatoro on Sunday when a hungry hippo grabbed him in its huge jaws. Capital FM Uganda reported.
Before the creature could devour him, quick-thinking Crispas Bagonza began pelting the animal with a rock — causing the boy to “vomit,” according to the outlet that first reported the incident.
The tot was reportedly taken to a hospital in the nearby town of Bwera, Congo, for treatment before the hippo fell back into the lake.
“[Bagonza] stoned the hippopotamus and scared it, as a result of which it released the victim from its mouth,” the Ugandan police later said. Great Britain Telegraph.
“It took the bravery of Crispas Bagonza, who was nearby, to save the victim.”
Hippos are estimated to kill at least 500 people a year in Africa, mauling their victims with teeth that can grow up to a foot long.
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