CNN – Paul Templer, a native of Zimbabwe, was 28 years old and conducting photographic safaris in his homeland. He had returned to Africa’s bush country after spending time in the British army and had fallen back in love with the wildlife and the great outdoors. Templer spoke highly of the rigorous guide certification program in Zimbabwe and took pride in showing tourists the majestic wildlife, including hippos.
However, Templer’s idyllic life took a turn on March 9, 1996. A friend who was supposed to lead a canoe safari down the Zambezi River became ill with malaria, so Templer agreed to take his place. Templer was familiar with the area and loved that part of the river. The expedition included six safari clients, three apprentice guides, and Templer himself. They had three canoes, with clients in the first two seats and a guide in the back. One apprentice guide was in a safety kayak. They encountered a pod of hippos, which is not uncommon on the Zambezi River, but things took a turn. Templer’s canoe pulled into a channel while waiting for the others, but the third canoe had fallen behind and was off course.
Suddenly, there was a loud thud. Templer saw the back of the canoe fly into the air, and the guide in the back was catapulted out of the canoe. Templer realized that he needed to act quickly to save his friend from being washed towards a mama hippo and her calf. He called for another guide to attend to the clients in the attacked canoe and turned his own canoe around to save his friend. As he paddled closer, he noticed a wave coming towards him. He slapped the water with his paddle to scare away the hippo or crocodile, but as he reached out to grab his friend, the water erupted between them.
Templer soon realized that he was trapped up to his waist in the hippo’s throat. Hippos are known for their enormous mouths and powerful jaws, and they can grow up to 16.5 feet long and 4.5 tons in weight. Templer was wedged uncomfortably in the hippo’s throat but was eventually spat out. He surfaced and found his friend, but as he tried to save him, he was once again swallowed by the hippo. This time, his legs were trapped, but his hands were free. Templer attempted to retrieve his gun but was unable to due to the thrashing. The aggressive male hippo spat him out a second time, but there was no sign of his friend.
The encounter with the hippo was a terrifying experience for Templer. Hippos are known to be very territorial and can be aggressive towards any animal encroaching on their territory. While there is no reliable data on the number of hippo attacks or fatalities, one study suggests that the probability of being killed by a hippopotamus attack is higher than that of a grizzly bear, shark, or crocodile attack. Templer was fortunate to have survived the brutal encounter with the hippo.