An army major from Free State province of South Africa met a horrifying end after he was mauled to death by his pet hippo who he took in as a baby and treated ‘like a son’.
he man’s ravaged body ended up submerged in the same river where the animal had been rescued from a flood years earlier.
Marius Els, 40, an army major, was bitten to death by the 1.2 tonne hippo he named Humphrey. He had brought Humphrey to his 400 acre farm where the animal learned to swim with humans. A clip of Els riding the 2,000-pound beast like a horse went viral after many people were shocked he was able to accomplish such a feat.
The Guardian reported there had been several signs the animal would never be able to be domesticated — including an incident where a 52-year-old man and his seven-year-old grandson had to climb a tree to get away from the hippo when they canoed through the section of river on Els’ farm where Humphrey lived.
Els reportedly tempted the hippo away with an apple while the pair were rescued by paramedics.
Els’s wife, Louise — a pharmacist — also expressed misgivings, as the hippo had caused trouble before. It had chased golfers on a nearby course and killed several calves belonging to Els’ business partner.
But Els’ himself was always upbeat about his unusual relationship with the animal. He said: “Humphrey’s like a son to me, he’s just like a human. 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.”
Hippos are formidable creatures and are armed with giant canine teeth — they are said to kill more people every year than lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo and rhinos combined.
After elephants and rhinoceroses, the hippopotamus is the next largest land mammal — weighing in at up to three tonnes. Despite their great size, hippos can move at speeds of up to 30mph.
The South African farmer previously said that “his pet” responded to his calls, enjoyed playing with him, and that he would even brush the hippo’s teeth. Els, who also kept giraffe and rhino on his farm — claimed the sound of his voice would lure Humphrey back home.
The army officer regarded the hippo as “loveable” and a “gentle giant”.
“It’s a little bit dangerous, but I trust him with my heart that he will not harm anybody,” Els said — according to The Daily Mirror.
“I can swim with him. I go in the water. He allows me to get on his back, and I ride him like a horse. He swims with me. He’s like a son to me.”
But unfortunately for the animal lover, the situation did not end well for him after Humphrey turned on him — resulting in the man being killed by the hippo.
An ambulance spokesman told the Daily Mirror that paramedics found Els immersed in a river and “had been bitten several times by the animal.” It was unclear how long he had been lying in the water.