Hippo swallows 2-year-old boy and then spits him back out alive

A two-year-old boy has miraculously survived after being swallowed - and then spat out - by a hippopotamus in Uganda.

As reported by The Telegraph, a toddler named Paul Iga was playing near his home when he was clenched in the mouth of the animal around 800 yards away from the edge of Lake Edward, Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The giant animal had seized the toddler by the head in its huge jaws and gulped half of his body until a local man noticed and started throwing stones at the animal.

The startled hippopotamus seemed taken aback by the bystander's attack and retreated from the infant - before crawling back to the water.

Although the animals are herbivores - meaning they eat only plants - they can engage in omnivorous behavior and be highly aggressive when they feel threatened.

According to the outlet, Ugandan authorities said of the incident: "It took the bravery of one Chrispas Bagonza, who was nearby, to save the victim after he stoned the hippo and scared it, causing it to release the victim from its mouth."

After the traumatic incident, Paul was taken to a nearby medical clinic for treatment for injuries sustained in the vicious attack.

The little boy was then moved to a hospital in Bwera - which is close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo - and was vaccinated for rabies as a precaution before being discharged and taken back to his parents.

A hippopotamus in Lake Edward, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. Credit: Nature Picture Library / Alamy

Law enforcement in the country is now urging civilians to be alert after the toddler's fortunate escape from death at the jaws of the hippo.

"Although the hippo was scared back into the lake, all residents near animal sanctuaries and habitats should know that wild animals are very dangerous," they said.

"Instinctively, wild animals see humans as a threat and any interaction can cause them to act strangely or aggressively," the police added.

Hippos can become extremely confrontational if they feel like someone is endangering their personal space and the lake or river that they occupy.

In Africa, the wild animals are estimated to kill at least 500 people a year by biting down on their victims with their powerful jaws, per The Telegraph.

The harshness in their bite is apparently three times greater than a lion's bite, and in addition to this, they can also run at speeds of up to 20mph despite their massive size.

Featured image credit: Ruth Hofshi / Alamy