Because you don’t have enough to fear in the world already, here’s a new threat: hippos. Yup, those massive beasts with toilet bowl mouths apparently have it out for humans. The most recent instance of hippo-on-human violence took place Malawi’s Nsanje district, where a hippo attacked a boat carrying over 30 people across the Shire River. The boat overturned and a 1-year-old toddler died as a result. Many others are missing.
Hippo attacks boat
According to CNN, the attack went down early Monday. The boat was ferrying farm workers to the Malawian border with Mozambique. The hippo attacked, and the majority of the passengers, a whopping 23 in total, went missing. Authorities suspect they’re dead because the river is a favorite swimmin’ hole of other hippos and crocodiles.
“Well-wishers managed to rescue 13 people while 23 others went missing and the dead body of the toddler has been found,” Agnes Zalakoma, a police spokesperson, said in a statement.
While rescuers continue to search for passengers, at this point, it’s unlikely any will be found alive.
Hippos pose dangerous threat
Crossing the Shire River is a dangerous undertaking. Animal attacks are apparently common in the area.
“It is too dangerous because it (the river) is too shallow and in this river there are crocodiles that most of the time attack people and also hippopotamus that cause incidents like the one we’re dealing with,” Zalakoma said.
Hippos live primarily in east and southern Africa, as well as parts of sub-Saharan Africa. So if you’re ever in those regions and need to cross a river, maybe don’t. According to National Geographic, a hippo’s jaws are so mighty they can snap a canoe in half. Now just imagine what they could do to your pliable little body. *shudder*
It’s a wild, wild world out there, friends. Stay safe!
