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“Army Major Killed by Pet Hippopotamus: The Story of Marius Els and Humphrey”

40-year-old Marius Els – an army major – fell at the mercy of his 1.2-ton hippopotamus, Humphrey, after long efforts to tame it. Elsa’s remains were found in a river where a hippopotamus had been rescued from a flood a few years earlier. At the age of five months, it had already grown too big for its rescuers, so it was transferred to Elsa’s farm, where the deceased trained it to swim with people, reported The Guardian.

Earlier in the year, Els was photographed riding Humphrey as a horse. Ells is said to have said at the time that Humphrey was like a son to him and that there was a relationship between them that many do not understand.

“They think you can only have relationships with dogs, cats or domesticated animals. But I have a relationship with the most dangerous animal in Africa,” Els said at the time.

True, Elsa’s wife Louise said that the hippopotamus had been naughty several times. For example, South African media reported earlier this year that a 52-year-old man and his grandson spent two hours in a tree after being chased by Humphrey. Elsa only managed to lure her hippo away with an apple.

Humphrey is also blamed for killing Elsa’s business partner’s calves. In addition, the animal has broken out of its enclosure several times to terrorize members of the local golf club.

Els also kept a giraffe and a rhinoceros under his wing and said that his animals recognize his voice and come home when he calls them. He called Humphrey a sweet and gentle giant.

With their huge teeth, hippos kill more people every year than lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffalo combined. They can weigh up to three tons and move at a speed of almost 50 kilometers per hour.

2023-05-15 21:00:00
#Humphrey #pet #hippopotamus #killed #owner #South #Africa

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