News
August 23, 2025
Man held captive inside hippo's throat as it tears through flesh - then miracle happens
Paul Templer was working as a safari guide in Zimbabwe when he was attacked by an enormous 15ft hippopotamus and prepared to die - before an unexpected miracle happened
**Safari Guide Survives Horrific Hippo Attack After Being Swallowed Alive**
A Zimbabwean safari guide has lived to tell a tale of unimaginable horror and miraculous survival after being attacked and partially swallowed by a hippopotamus. Paul Templer, while leading a canoe safari on the Zambezi River, found himself in a life-or-death struggle with the massive animal.
Templer, an experienced guide, was thrown into the water when a bull hippo, estimated to be a staggering 15 feet long, charged their canoes. In the chaotic aftermath, as he attempted to help a fellow guide who had also been capsized, Templer was suddenly engulfed in darkness.
He soon realized the horrific truth: he was trapped inside the hippo's throat. The animal had him pinned down, its immense jaws clamped around his torso and head. Templer could feel the crushing pressure and the rasping sensation of the hippo's teeth tearing through his flesh. He described the experience as smelling of rotten eggs.
Panic threatened to overwhelm him, but Templer fought to remain calm, understanding that his survival depended on it. He was submerged in the hippo's throat for what felt like an eternity, enduring excruciating pain and the terrifying knowledge that he was slowly being suffocated. He braced himself for death.
Then, inexplicably, the hippo spat him out. Disoriented and severely injured, Templer was pulled to safety by his colleagues. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors worked tirelessly to repair the extensive damage inflicted by the hippo's attack.
Templer suffered numerous puncture wounds, lacerations, and a severely damaged arm. He required extensive reconstructive surgery and a long period of rehabilitation.
The reason for the hippo's sudden change of heart remains a mystery. Some speculate that the animal may have been startled or realized that Templer was not a threat. Others attribute it to sheer luck. Whatever the explanation, Paul Templer's survival is considered nothing short of a miracle. His story serves as a chilling reminder of the power and unpredictability of nature, and the resilience of the human spirit.
A Zimbabwean safari guide has lived to tell a tale of unimaginable horror and miraculous survival after being attacked and partially swallowed by a hippopotamus. Paul Templer, while leading a canoe safari on the Zambezi River, found himself in a life-or-death struggle with the massive animal.
Templer, an experienced guide, was thrown into the water when a bull hippo, estimated to be a staggering 15 feet long, charged their canoes. In the chaotic aftermath, as he attempted to help a fellow guide who had also been capsized, Templer was suddenly engulfed in darkness.
He soon realized the horrific truth: he was trapped inside the hippo's throat. The animal had him pinned down, its immense jaws clamped around his torso and head. Templer could feel the crushing pressure and the rasping sensation of the hippo's teeth tearing through his flesh. He described the experience as smelling of rotten eggs.
Panic threatened to overwhelm him, but Templer fought to remain calm, understanding that his survival depended on it. He was submerged in the hippo's throat for what felt like an eternity, enduring excruciating pain and the terrifying knowledge that he was slowly being suffocated. He braced himself for death.
Then, inexplicably, the hippo spat him out. Disoriented and severely injured, Templer was pulled to safety by his colleagues. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors worked tirelessly to repair the extensive damage inflicted by the hippo's attack.
Templer suffered numerous puncture wounds, lacerations, and a severely damaged arm. He required extensive reconstructive surgery and a long period of rehabilitation.
The reason for the hippo's sudden change of heart remains a mystery. Some speculate that the animal may have been startled or realized that Templer was not a threat. Others attribute it to sheer luck. Whatever the explanation, Paul Templer's survival is considered nothing short of a miracle. His story serves as a chilling reminder of the power and unpredictability of nature, and the resilience of the human spirit.
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World