Tourist Killed by Hippo While Taking a Photo in Kenya
A hippopotamus attacked and killed a Taiwanese tourist who was attempting to take a picture over the weekend, according to Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
.@kwskenya is sad to announce the death of a #Chinese tourist who was attacked by a #hippo while taking pictures on the shores of Lake Naivasha yesterday evening. His colleague survived with minor bruises and was treated at #Naivasha District Hospital. We are tracking the hippo
— KWS (@kwskenya) August 12, 2018
Chang Ming Chuang was tracking the hippo at Lake Naivasha, about 55 miles outside of Nairobi, when he was bitten and killed. A second companion was also bitten but survived.
The two were rushed to the hospital immediately following the incident, the BBC reported, and Chuang was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital due to profuse bleeding.
"Our officers tracked and shot the animal after the incident," KWS warden Nelson Cheruiyot told the BBC.
According to the head of a local boat owners’ association, hippos have been wandering further from their lakes this summer due to higher-than-normal water levels. They have sought out pasture at nearby hotels and farms.
Hippos kill about 500 people in Africa every year. This year alone, six people have been killed by hippos in the area surrounding Naivasha.
Despite sustaining themselves on a plant-based diet, hippos can be very aggressive. The animals are capable of cracking a canoe in half with the force of their jaws and can run at the same speed as a human when under distress.
