Man Attacked By A Hippo While On An African Safari
A man was attacked by a hippo while on an African safari! They say they’re one of the more dangerous animals out there, now we see why!
While out on an African safari you probably never think about getting attacked by a hippo–but it can happen! You might be more scared about the lions or a big cat, but don’t forget about the hippos. They’re big, they’re fast, and they’re strong. Safe to say you don’t want this to happen to you.
Was A Man Attacked By A Hippo While On Safari?
Going on a safari can be a life-changing experience. It can open your eyes to an entirely new world and things you’ve never seen before and really can’t see here in North America. However, it’s not all fun and games. You have to remember that these are wild animals you’re looking at and you are in their habitat…and you might not always be welcomed.
According to TMZ, 63-year-old British man Roland Cherry was canoeing in Zambia as part of his 5-week African safari when he says he was attacked by a hippo that charged his boat and latched its teeth around him. Ouch! They look like they’d have some crazy strong jaw strength. Thankfully, his wife, Shirly, was able to swim away to safety but Roland dislocated his shoulder when the hippo hit the boat and he was unable to get away. Roland says the hippo dragged him down to the bottom of the river before inexplicably letting him go, per TMZ. Sounds like he got randomly lucky. He was able to make it back to the shore to get his injuries looked at. He had a bad bite to the thigh and an injury to the abdomen.
Honestly, he’s lucky to be alive after having that happen! TMZ reports that one of the surgeons who operated on him said he’d never met anyone who survived a hippo attack and they’re incredibly common in the area. In fact, according to TMZ, the hippopotamus is the world’s deadliest large land mammal! I knew I’ve heard stories about them being dangerous and not as friendly as you’d expect but this really puts it into perspective. He’s now expected to make a full recovery and he’ll have this story and some scars to share for the rest of his life.
You can see some photos of his injuries and the team who helped him out provided by TMZ here.