Swallowed By Hippo At Zambezi River: Man Shares His Experience (VIDEO)

A man lives through being swallowed by a hippo.

The hippopotamus is one of Africa’s deadliest killers, second only to the mosquito. They have caused far more fatalities than even lions.

After years of less than pleasant encounters, the hippo that taunted Zambezi river tour guide Paul Templer, 27, for years finally tried to kill him.

The first wave of the attack happened when the 2-ton bull rose from beneath the water, lifting one of the expedition’s kayaks half out of the water. Templer’s assistant Evans was flung from the boat.

Templer paddled furiously towards Evans and reached to grab his hand when he was suddenly engulfed by darkness.

He was soon overcome by an intense smell of rotten eggs. His legs were surrounded by water and his arms were pinned. When he managed to free one hand and feel around, he realized he was trapped up to his waist in the hippo’s mouth.

After struggling and being repeatedly pulled back under the water, Templer was spat out onto the surface and taken to safety by another of his guides.

Doctors patched up nearly 40 of his puncture wounds but were unable to save his left arm.

Templer’s near-death story appeared in The Guardian’s “Experience” series on Friday.

VIDEO