File:Man Chased By Hippo

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READ MORE ABOUT KILLER HIPPO ON MY BLOG AT http://billschannel.com/?p=188 (Photos of Hippo Chasing Man by Charles Hathom http://www.touche-a-tout.org

Last year when I was in Uganda, a man told me a story about a gamekeeper who out ran a hippopotamus. I didn't believe the story at first but then I looked it up and it turned out to be true

Turns out the guy was a gamekeeper at Murchison Falls National Park... He got a little too close to one of the park hippos. The hippos charged him and the guy had to run for it.

Lucky the gamekeeper was a very good runner and out ran the hippo... Most people wouldn't be able to do that... Hippos have been clocked at speeds of up to 24 Miles Per Hour

Hippos may look like oversized harmless cows to some people, but truth be told they are one of the most dangerous beasts in Africa and kill more humans that any other animal there...

They can weigh up to 9000 pounds and and have teeth that are as sharp as razor blades. These beasts are vegetarians and don't eat people. But they will crush you between their giant jaws. Hippos can cut a crocodile in half in a single bite.

This is what happened to Spencer Tyron, a African hunter who was attacked by a bull hippo. The animal's crushing bite was so powerful it not only sliced Tyron's head off but his shoulders as as well not a good way to go.

Hippos will attack on land... and without warning!

But these days, most attacks from Hippos come in the water when boats get too close to them. There are dozens of videos on Youtube showing this. In one video, we can even see a hippo biting off the cowling of an outboard motor.

In most cases, the driver is able to get away quickly enough, but sometimes the hippo gets the upper hand and tragedy quickly ensues...

This is what happened to a young honeymoon couple from South Africa.

Bruce Simpson and his wife Janice were on safari in Botswana's Okavango Delta. They were traveling in a canoe much like this one with a guide. The canoe came too close to a hippo and was attacked. The hippo tipped the canoe over. He then crushed young Janice between his jaws and bit through her heart and lung. She died instantly.

Even professionals find it difficult to work with Hippos. In 2010 a group of veterinarians were testing a new tranquilizer on Hippo in South Africa. The tranquilizer turned out to be too weak. The animal woke up and attacked one of the doctors. He would have been killed if it had not been for an armed game warden who shot and killed the animal.

Despite all this, some some people think you can befriend a hippo but most times they end up dead wrong... including Marius Els a farmer in South Africa. He raised a young hippo from the age of 5 months. But before it was five years old, it oil led Marius in a vicious attack

If you want to read more about Hippo's and how dangerous they are, stop by my blog at billschannel dot com by clicking on the link below.... thanks for watching....