A Life-Changing Encounter

Paul Templer, a 28-year-old safari guide, was living his best life in Zimbabwe. He had spent years honing his skills and falling in love with the African bush country. Conducting tours for photographic safaris, he reveled in showing tourists the majestic wildlife, including the territorial and water-loving hippos.

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It was a Saturday, March 9, 1996, when Templer’s life took a drastic turn. A friend who was supposed to lead a canoe safari down the Zambezi River had fallen ill with malaria, and Templer agreed to take his place. The expedition consisted of 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, while an apprentice guide was in a one-person safety kayak.

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The Fateful Encounter

As they navigated the Zambezi River, they came across a pod of about a dozen hippos. Initially, they were at a safe distance, but as they got closer, Templer realized they were in trouble. The third canoe had fallen back from the group and was off the planned course. Suddenly, there was a big thud, and the canoe catapulted up into the air, ejecting the guide in the back, Evans, into the water.

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Templer quickly turned his canoe around to rescue Evans, but as he paddled towards him, he saw a bow wave coming towards him. It was either a hippo or a large crocodile, and Templer knew he had to act fast. He slapped the water with his paddle, creating a loud noise that seemed to turn the animal away.

The Unbelievable Ordeal

Templer was getting closer to Evans, but they were also getting closer to the female and calf. He leaned over, and their fingers almost touched, but then the water between them erupted. Templer found himself wedged up to his waist in the hippo’s throat, with incredible pressure on his lower back. He tried to move around but couldn’t.

The hippo, an older and aggressive male, spat Templer out, and he burst to the surface, sucking in a lungful of fresh air. He came face to face with Evans, who was in serious trouble, and Templer started swimming back for him. However, the hippo hit Templer from below, and he found himself trapped up to his waist in the hippo’s throat once again.

Templer tried to go for his gun, but the hippo thrashed him around, and he couldn’t grab it. The hippo spat him out a second time, and when Templer came to the surface, he looked around, but there was no sign of Evans. Templer assumed Evans had been rescued, and he tried to escape himself.

He was making good progress when he looked under his arm and saw the hippo charging towards him with its mouth wide open. This time, Templer was sideways in the hippo’s mouth, with his legs dangling out one side and his shoulders and head on the other.

Surviving the Savage

Templer’s ordeal was a testament to the power and danger of hippos in the wild. These massive creatures can grow up to 16.5 feet long, 5.2 feet tall, and weigh up to 4.5 tons. They have enormous mouths that can open up to 150 degrees, and their bite is almost three times stronger than that of a lion.

Hippos are responsible for many human deaths each year, with some sources estimating that they kill around 500 people annually. However, the exact figure is still uncertain due to the remote locations of some attacks and deaths.

Templer’s experience was a rare and harrowing encounter with a hippo, but it also highlighted the importance of respecting these creatures and their territory. By learning more about hippos and their behavior, we can better understand how to survive and outsmart them in the wild.