The parents of 2 year old boy are counting their blessings after he survived one of the most horrific near death situations ever seen. Hippopotamus attacks are very rare, but when they happen death is almost certain. For a small baby that can’t defend themselves in anyway death is even more likely, but miraculously this special child lived to see another day after becoming the potential meal of a hungry hippo.
Details on How a 2 Year Old Baby Survived Being Swallowed by Hippo
According to reports police were called to the residence of home in Katwe Kabatoro Town Council, which is a small city in Uganda. Near the boy’s home is Lake Edward, which is reportedly known to be the natural habitat of hippopotamuses in that area. Police allegedly believe that after emerging from the Lake, the hippo ate the 2 year old baby alive while he was outside playing in the front yard of his home. Luckily it was the quick thinking of bystanders that saved the baby’s life.
According to reports a man in the neighborhood began throwing rocks at the animal, which caused the hippopotamus to throw up the 2 year old child. Miraculously the baby didn’t suffer any serious injuries, and was returned back to his parents after being vaccinated for rabies, and treated for minor wounds. The baby’s small size may have played a part in how he survived being swallowed by the hippo head first.
How Strong is a Hippo’s bite?
To put in perspective how lucky that 2 year old child is the bite force of Hippo needs to be discussed. According to NCBI, the bite force of a Hippo has an average measurement of 12,600 kPa, which is almost 8,000 times stronger than the bite force of a Lion, which averages around 4,500 kPa. Hippos also have very sharp teeth that can cut a human in half with a single bite.
Not surprisingly this would be the first known case of a baby surviving being eaten alive by a hippo.