Hippo kills Australian tourist in Kenya

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 3/1/05 | Antony Gitonga - AP

[NormsRevenge]

NAIVASHA, Kenya (AP) - A hippopotamus flipped and trampled an Australian tourist to death at a popular resort in central Kenya, police said Tuesday.

Vicky Elizabeth Bartlett, 50, was with a group of 12 tourists at Lake Naivasha on Monday night when the hippo attacked, said Simon Kiragu, the regional police chief.

"The hippo attacked the woman, flipping her into the air before tossing her on the ground and trampling her," he said.

Bartlett was rushed to a hospital but died while undergoing treatment. No one else was injured in the attack.

Wilflife experts say hippos can pose extreme danger to humans. The animals come on shore at night to graze and will attack anything that comes between them and the water, where they feel safe.

The attack took place at Fisherman's Camp, a popular lakeside campground, where signs warn tourists to beware of hippos after dark.

John Mwangi, the group's tour guide, said the woman had seen a hippo the night before and was going to look for one again without telling him. The group was on its way to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

[usgator]

hungry, hungry hippos

LOL!!! Used to play this game with my daughter, thanks for the trip down memory lane!

[kinghorse]

Her last words were "Where are the !#@$# Kangaroos?"

[usgator]

Save one.

Forgot about mankind

[null and void]

Right species. He's hardly unique. *sigh*

You get a gold star today...

[OkieDoke]

loved playing it with my daughter too! Now she's a teenager and I'm just hippo-s***. sigh

[Dashing Dasher]

And they are so cute!

[null and void]

Yup. We're our own worst enemies.

[Dashing Dasher]

[martin_fierro]

Yeah, those hippos are friggin' MEAN.

One of those nature programs showed how hippos live in the same lakes as these huge crocs/alligators -- and the baby hippos swim around untouched because the crocs know better.

[null and void]

No. Jackass-D.

[usgator]

Hilary?

[Calpernia]

Krill?

;)

[TexasCowboy]

"However, in Africa, and in the rest of the world, more people are killed by SNAKES (20,000+) every year than by any other critter."

The reason is that snakes are all over Africa. Hippos are gathered in a few areas.

The mambas and the bushmasters are greatly respected in all of Africa among the natives in the bush, but they know the territorial range of these snakes. They stay out of their area.

In Kenya and Tanzania the hippos area is anywhere there's a river, and they'll kill without warning.

[smonk]

vacation in kenya? what, hell was booked up?

[null and void]

It's not quite her time. (And that time will be cut short)

[usgator]

huge crocs/alligators

Pretty sure it's only crocodiles .... to my knowledge alligators only live in the US and China.

[cyborg]

You mean a jackass is the deadliest animal in all of Africa? :O)

[Dashing Dasher]

Hillary dressed for halloween?

[null and void]

Who crys for the krill?

(This is a memory lane thread!)

[usgator]

what, hell was booked up?

good one