Hippo attacks man in his compound, bites off his shoulder

The hippo attacked David Njoroge around 7pm, just as he was about to eat his supper.

According to Njoroge, he had just returned home from his daily hustle – and was about to enjoy his supper – when he heard incessant noise; of people shouting and calling for help.

“I stepped out of my house when I heard the neighbours screaming, and that’s when I came face to face with the beast,” Njoroge told Wananchi Reporting.

"I had thought that a thief had probably been cornered stealing farm produce from nearby farms. I had no idea it was a hippo running around,” added Njoroge.

The hippo ploughed through a bewildered Njoroge, biting off a sizable amount of flesh from his right shoulder.

“I fell to the ground, and played dead,” notes Njoroge who was rescued by the neighbours. 

He was rushed to Maragua Level 4 hospital where he has been admitted.

“The patient is stable and is expected to undergo a major surgery,” noted Dr. Irene Nyambura.

The locals have asked the Kenya wildlife Services (KWS) to come to their aid, and help mitigate human wildlife conflict in the area.

An adult hippo weighs up to 1,500 kg, and is capable of running 30 km/h over short distances despite it's short legs and stocky build.