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Farmer is gouged to death by pet hippo Humphrey who was 'like a son to him'
Daily Mail ^ | 14th November 2011 | Dan Newling

Posted on 11/14/2011 7:56:34 AM PST by george76

A South African farmer has been killed by the pet hippopotamus he raised from the age of five months, and which he once described as being 'like a son' to him.

Humphrey the Hippo gouged owner Marius Els, 41, to death by repeatedly biting him in a vicious attack on Saturday night.

The farmer's mutilated body was discovered submerged in a river running through his 400-acre farm in rural South Africa.

...

Hippos are considered to one of the world's most dangerous animals. They are, by nature, very aggressive -...

They commonly attack humans with no apparent provocation, usually using their enormous canine teeth to gouge their victims.

They can weigh up to three tonnes and can travel at speeds of up to 30mph.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: africa; ar; darwin; darwinaward; hippo; hippopotamus; napl; southafrica
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1 posted on 11/14/2011 7:56:35 AM PST by george76
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To: Monkey Face; Darksheare; NicknamedBob

Hippo rampage!


2 posted on 11/14/2011 8:01:23 AM PST by Tax-chick ("Without common referents, we are all merely inarticulate refugees from Babel."~Nicknamedbob)
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To: george76

When will human beings understand that wild animals are WILD. They are unpredictable. They don’t love you back. They want to eat you.


3 posted on 11/14/2011 8:01:29 AM PST by LibertarianLiz
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To: george76; windcliff
Note to self: Add Hippo to the list of pets NOT to own.

Previous list includes Rattlesnakes, Lions, tigers and Bears oh my.

4 posted on 11/14/2011 8:01:42 AM PST by I Drive Too Fast
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To: george76

I guess Humphrey didn’t like his ‘father’.


5 posted on 11/14/2011 8:01:44 AM PST by Hodar ( Who needs laws; when this FEELS so right?)
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To: george76

Humphrey was probably just a Hungry Hungry Hippo.


6 posted on 11/14/2011 8:01:48 AM PST by Rokurota
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To: george76

Apparently he got the hippopotamus for Christmas on year.


7 posted on 11/14/2011 8:02:54 AM PST by PetroniusMaximus
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To: george76

Marius was always on Humphreys back!


8 posted on 11/14/2011 8:06:45 AM PST by albie
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To: george76

Here’s Jessica the Hippo, also in South Africa, that lives in the house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWgB1hyOHWc


9 posted on 11/14/2011 8:08:14 AM PST by beaversmom
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To: I Drive Too Fast

Don’t forget about chimps. They’ll rip your face off if given the chance.


10 posted on 11/14/2011 8:08:21 AM PST by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: PetroniusMaximus
Dammit! I'll have that song stuck in my head all day long. The neighbors will shake their heads as I go about my business humming it.

/johnny

11 posted on 11/14/2011 8:09:03 AM PST by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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To: george76

Sort of reminds me of the doe I saw a few months ago. She had left her 2 fawns sitting beneath a tree while she browsed. When finished, she was calling the fawns as she walked up the hill to get to them. One fawn responded and got up to meet her, but the other stayed put. She proceeded to walk to the one that didn’t respond, and she got to it, she proceeded to bite it on the butt. It responded to that!


12 posted on 11/14/2011 8:11:17 AM PST by LRS ("This is silly! It can't be! It can't be!!" "Oh yes it is! I said you wouldn't know the joint.")
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To: george76

Oh, the Huge Manatee.....wait, what?


13 posted on 11/14/2011 8:11:50 AM PST by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: george76

Live by the hippo; die by the hippo.


14 posted on 11/14/2011 8:11:57 AM PST by Eternal_Bear
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To: george76
A man has to know his limitations, some just aren't cut out for professional sports.

15 posted on 11/14/2011 8:12:24 AM PST by Kartographer (".. we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.")
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To: LibertarianLiz
Memo to farmer:

Hippos are not human beings. They are wild animals.

The recipe for disaster:


16 posted on 11/14/2011 8:12:39 AM PST by Jeff Winston
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To: george76

And now he’s Hippo poop. Gotta love the food chain. Best to try to stay on top of it.


17 posted on 11/14/2011 8:14:16 AM PST by dfwgator (I stand with Herman Cain.)
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To: Jeff Winston

In Africa, hippos are responsible for more human deaths than any other animal.


18 posted on 11/14/2011 8:14:43 AM PST by Hoodat (Because they do not change, Therefore they do not fear God. -Psalm 55:19-)
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To: LibertarianLiz

Old fact: each year more people in Africa are killed by hippos than by lions & leopards combined.

Hippos only appear to be clumsy and slow.


19 posted on 11/14/2011 8:18:10 AM PST by elcid1970 ("Deport all Muslims. Nuke Mecca now. Death to Islam means freedom for all mankind.")
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To: george76

When we went on Safari in Africa everywhere we went we were told more human deaths come from hippos than any other species. Yep, more than lions, leopards and hyenas.


20 posted on 11/14/2011 8:19:23 AM PST by Clint N. Suhks (You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich: Abraham Lincoln)
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