South African farmer killed by pet hippopotamus

A South African farmer has been killed by his pet. Marius Els, 41, was attacked by Humphrey on Saturday night. The farmer’s mutilated body was discovered submerged in a river running through his 400 acre in rural South Africa. Earlier this year Mr Els was pictured happily riding on his pet bull hippo’s back.



“Humphrey’s like a son to me, he’s just like a human,’ he said at the time. There’s a relationship between me and Humphrey and that’s what some people don’t understand. They think you can only have a relationship with dogs, cats and domestic animals.

“But I have a relationship with the most dangerous animal in Africa.” Mr Els kept 20 different species of exotic animals including giraffe and rhino on his farm near Klerksdorp in South Africa’s north west. But he developed a special fondness for Humphrey, whom he bought aged just five months and for whom even built a special lake.

Humphrey and Mr Els during happier times.

YouTube link.

Humphrey was aged six and weighed more than a metric ton when he attacked Mr Els. Hippos are considered to one of the world’s most dangerous animals. They are, by nature, very aggressive – especially when young calves are present. They commonly attack humans with no apparent provocation, usually using their enormous canine teeth to gouge their victims.