<blockquote><b><span style='color:#770077;'>CRUSHED TO DEATH</span>: Worlds worst hippo attacks as natures deadliest animal crushes bones, rip off legs and swallows people whole</b><br><br>THE hippo doesnt immediately spring to mind when imagining deadly killers but its placid exterior hides a fearsome temper.<br><br>Forget about lions and tigers, it's the pot belied African river dweller thats nature's deadliest land animal.<br><br>Male hippos weigh in at around 2.5 tons or more and are fiercely protective of their territory, taking on crocodiles that cross their paths.<br><br><b>Their powerful jaws can easily snap a croc or a canoe in half and they are armed with razor sharp teeth.<br><br>Every year they kill around 500 people in Africa - more than lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes and rhinos put together.<br><br>'HELPLESS SCREAMS'</b><br><br>Kenya's Lake Naivasha is home to 2,000 of the deadly giants and a terrifying attack was captured by photographer Frederico Genovese.<br><br>Mathew Wanjiuku was ambushed by one of the giant creatures and held captive for 10 minutes while the animal continued to bite him.<br><br>Stamping its feet and swinging its head vigorously, the hippo appeared to be trying to trample its victim, said Frederico.<br><br>There was a chorus of helpless screams coming from the waters edge.<br><br>The hippo can then be seen chomping on his arm, shoulder, and torso, leaving him on the floor losing blood and with seemingly no chance of escape.<br><br>Onlookers banged on a metal sheet to scare the huge mammal and eventually it moved off, leaving Mathew covered in blood.<br><br><b>SWALLOWED WHOLE</b><br><br>Paul Templer knows exactly what its like to get up close and personal with hippo.<br><br>A cranky hippopotamus left the tour guide with 39 major bite wounds and only one arm after the terrifying assault in his native Zimbabwe in 1996.<br><br>His near-fatal attack occurred near Victoria Falls and started when the animal knocked one of his pals out of his canoe.<br><br><b>I managed to move my fingers around and was able to feel the bristles on the hippos snout. So then I knew where I wasI was head first up to my waist in a hippos throat.</b><br><br>When the hippo eventually spat Paul out, he quickly swallowed the safari guide againbut this time from the feet first.<br><br>But as he swam towards his friends he saw monster hippo charging towards him with its jaws wide open and dragged him to the bottom of the river.<br><br>Paul was eventually rescued by one of his friends who he says showed incredible bravery to paddle over and grab him.<br><br><b>LEGS CRUSHED</b><br><br>Fisherman Enock Romano's legs were amputated under the knees suffering deep wounds when he was crushed by a hippo.<br><br>He was fishing with a friend on the beach of Lake Naivasha when the hippo attacked them.<br><br><b>Nurse Susan Kamau, said the two were brought to the hospital in serious condition and Enocks legs of one of the victims were completely crushed.</b><br><br>"It was impossible to treat them, she told The Standard.<br><br><b>DEADLY PET</b><br><br>Marius Els considered his pet hippo like a son to me and would often ride on the back of the animal, who he had adopted.<br><br>But the 40-year-old was found dead in a river after being repeatedly bitten by the huge hippo.<br><br><b>POUNCED ON WHILE SWIMMING</b><br><br>Jacob Kandjimi was swimming in a river when a hippo attacked, leaving him with deep wounds in his legs.<br><br>The six-year-old was in the Okavango River with his elder brother when the attack happened and he was rushed to hospital.<br><br>Luckily he survived the attack, which happened in Namibia in 2020, but was reportedly left traumatised by his ordeal.<br><br><b>FASTER THEN HUMANS</b><br><br>Despite their un-athletic exterior, the beasts can run faster than humans with fatal encounters common.<br><br><b>Hippos can reach speeds of 30mph and can easily outrun a human.<br><br>That's around 3mph faster than Usain Bolt, the fastest humanm who hit 27mph when he broke the 100 metres world record.</b><br><br>One gamekeeper in Uganda was forced to run for his life after disturbing a hungry beast having its favourite meal of grass.<br><br>Pictures show the terrified man fleeing down the road at Murchison Falls National Park.<br></blockquote><br><a rel=ugc href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15754636/worlds-worst-hippo-attacks-deadliest/amp/">https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15754636/worlds-worst-hippo-attacks-deadliest/amp/</a>
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