Hippos captured on camera by Denese Lups
A Orkney man was killed by a hippo at a lodge on the banks of the Vaal River just outside Klerksdorp in the North West Province late last night. The man, thought to be the owner of the lodge, had purportedly domesticated the animal which lived in the river near the establishment.
He made the news earlier this year when he rescued a bewildered man and his grandson. See the story below.
A fifty-two year-old man and his seven-year-old grandson survived a brush with a bull hippo in the Vaal River near Orkney in the North West Province yesterday at a lodge. The two clambered to safety and spent two hours in a tree before they were rescued. Netcare911 Paramedics initially received a report that two people had been trapped on the river while canoeing. Netcare911 Paramedics navigated their way to the riverside where they found that the man and his grandson had been canoeing when they were chased by the bull hippo. The two then sought refuge in a tree on the opposite side of the river. The two attempted to scare that hippo away by screaming and clapping their hands but were unsuccessful. The animal stayed near the tree, surfacing sporadically to nudge their canoe.
Netcare911 Paramedics then moved to the other side of the river in an attempt to get close to the stranded man and boy. They were unable to affect a rescue as riverside brush was too thick and access was impossible. Shortly thereafter the owner of the lodge arrived and insisted the hippo only sought food. The man entered the water and lured the hippo, named Humphrey, away from the tree with an apple. The traumatised man and boy were assessed by medics but did not require hospital treatment.
Netcare911 Paramedics responded to the scene to find that the man had been bitten several times by the animal and had also been immersed in the river for an unknown period.
He was declared dead at the scene.