Gazeta Lodz - Honeymooner Disembowelled by Hippo in Botswana Saved by Wife's Intervention

A man who was critically injured by a mother hippopotamus in the Okavango Delta of Botswana has described how his wife’s immediate intervention saved his life during their honeymoon. The attack occurred just ten days after the couple exchanged vows in Portugal, transforming what was intended to be a romantic getaway into a traumatic medical emergency.

The incident took place on an evening excursion where the group had set out in traditional canoes with the primary goal of observing plant life rather than wildlife. Prior to departure, guides had issued specific warnings about a mother hippo and her two calves located nearby, instructing tourists to maintain a safe distance.

During the journey, the author spotted the large animal in the distance and used a zoom lens to photograph her open mouth and teeth, with the calves visible behind her. However, their canoe drifted away from the main group. The situation escalated rapidly when the boat began rocking due to splashing and grunting sounds behind them. Turning around, the man saw the same hippo charging with its mouth open.

The guide’s reaction was described as sheer terror. The hippo struck the canoe with force comparable to a vehicle collision, knocking the man underwater and pinning him to the swamp bed. He reported feeling the animal crush his chest and back before her jaws clamped down on his leg.

Anna, his wife, witnessed him trapped in the hippo’s mouth and initially believed he was dead. Rather than fleeing, she charged through the shallow water toward the animal. She described making a primal scream and punching the hippo near its face. The impact caused the animal to release him.

Upon surfacing, the man experienced severe pain in his back and discovered that his intestines were protruding from a wound. He instructed Anna to help him, wrapping one arm around himself to contain his internal organs while supporting himself with the other arm around her shoulders. They waded through the water until they reached another canoe.

The other tourists were horrified by the scene. The man lay on a pile of life jackets while Anna improvised medical aid. She removed his belt to create a tourniquet for his leg and used her headscarf on his arm. When he instructed her to push his intestines back inside, she refused, choosing instead to hold them in her hands.

The group had been informed that a helicopter would arrive within 30 minutes. However, as the sun set, they were told that darkness would prevent the flight that night. The man expressed anger and fear at the prospect of dying shortly after his marriage.

He was eventually carried back to camp on a stretcher, enduring excruciating pain from every bump in the terrain. He received basic first aid while waiting for evacuation. In a critical turn of events, someone retrieved Anna’s phone from the water. Despite being submerged, the device functioned.

Just before 8 p.m., Anna called the man’s mother. The man took the phone to deliver the message: "Mom, I got attacked by a hippo. I’m lying in a tent with my guts out. I’m going to die. I need to be evacuated." This call triggered immediate action from his family and the US embassy, which alerted a hospital in South Africa.

Evacuation did not occur until the following morning. When a helicopter finally arrived, a doctor entered the tent and noted that the patient was not wearing pants. The man replied that modesty was no longer a priority given that his guts were hanging out of his back. Anna covered him with a sheet for dignity.

He was transported to Netcare Milpark Hospital in South Africa, where he underwent emergency surgery. Medical reports detailed the extent of his injuries: a hole in his back, deep wounds to his thigh and arm, fractured ribs and vertebrae, damage to several internal organs, and crushed intestines.

He spent 19 days in the hospital before being flown home. While he continues to recover physically, he has found mental therapy through pottery. Anna also underwent physical therapy, as punching the hippo caused rib injuries for her as well. Both received counseling following the event.

Neither the man nor his wife blames the hippo, noting that the animal was simply protecting its territory and young. The couple retains the photograph of the hippo taken before the attack as an unusual souvenir. The incident highlights the unpredictable dangers present in wildlife habitats, even when precautions are taken.

W.Mroz--GL