A two-year-old boy in southwest Uganda has survived a hippopotamus assault that occurred close to his home.
Iga Paul was having fun near the Lake Edward shoreline when the hippo attacked.
According to authorities, the hippo seized the child and “swallowed half of his body,” adding that a local guy used stones to fend the animal off.
The BBC was informed by Uganda’s wildlife authority that this claim is false and that the youngster was really attacked rather than swallowed.
The toddler was rushed to a local medical facility after the attack, which happened on December 4, where he received treatment for his wounds, according to authorities.
Later, he was sent to Bwera Hospital, where medical staff vaccinated him against rabies as a precaution.
According to the police, this was the first occasion a hippo had left the lake and assaulted someone. However, the animals, which can weigh up to 1.5 tonnes (1,500kg), are thought to be responsible for the deaths of 500 or so Africans each year.
And officers warned locals that the animals can “see humans as a threat” and said that “any interaction can cause them to act strangely or aggressively”.
Hippos are the third largest living land mammal and their teeth can reach up to 50.8cm (20 inches) in length. Despite their size, they can also reach speeds of up to 20 mph (32 km/h).
While the animals are herbivores, they can become highly aggressive when they feel threatened or their habitats are disturbed.