‘Humphrey’s like a son to me’

November 14 2011 at 09:07am
By Staff Reporter

A farmer has been killed by his pet hippopotamus. Marius Els, 41, was attacked by Humphrey on Saturday night.

The farmer’s mutilated body was discovered submerged in a river running through his North West farm.

Earlier this year, Els was pictured riding happily on his pet bull hippo’s back.

“Humphrey’s like a son to me, he’s just like a human,” the Daily Telegraph reported.

“There’s a relationship between me and Humphrey, and that’s what some people don’t understand.

“They think you can only have a relationship with dogs, cats and domestic animals. But I have a relationship with the most dangerous animal in Africa.”

Els kept 20 different species of exotic animals, including giraffes and rhinos, on his farm near Klerksdorp. But he developed a special fondness for Humphrey, who he bought aged just five months and for whom he had built a special lake.

Humphrey was aged six and weighed more than a ton when he attacked Els.

Hippos are, by nature, very aggressive – especially when young calves are present.

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

They can weigh up to three tons and can travel at considerable speeds.

Earlier this year, a lonely Humphrey made news after he had been found craving companionship after his best friend, a goat, had died. So when the hippo saw a man and boy fishing on the Vaal River, he decided he would go and say hello.

But when the grandfather and his seven-year-old grandson spotted the 1.2-ton hippo heading towards them, they abandoned their canoe and scrambled up a tree.

Soon the police, firefighters and paramedics had gathered on the banks of the Vaal, not far from the North West town of Orkney. Attempts to rescue the two were made from the other side of the bank, but the water rescue was unsuccessful because the thick vegetation made landing difficult.

In the end, Humphrey was lured away with an apple.

The farmer often played with the five-year-old hippo, swam with him and rode on his back. He wanted to find him a mate so that he could settle down.

But Humphrey, who was a hit on YouTube, viciously turned on his owner. - The Star