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Feisty hippo (Illustration)
Photo: Dalit Shacham

Ramat Gan: 12 year-old bitten by hippo

Boy gets out of car to take pictures with animal, bitten three times in the hip

A 12-year-old boy was lightly injured Sunday after he was bitten in the hip by a hippo at the Ramat Gan Safari.

 

The boy, who was visiting the Safari with his parents, got out of the car to take pictures with the mammal, which immediately attacked him. He was evacuated to the Sheba Medical Center for treatment.

 

Magen David Adom paramedic Michal Simhon, who arrived at the zoo to treat the kid, told Ynet: "The boy was bitten three times in the hip… he was fully conscious and screamed he was hurting." The boy was administered morphine and taken to the hospital.

 

The Safari's spokeswoman, Sagit Horowitz, told Ynet, "We hadn't had such an incident at the Safari in 30 years. It is forbidden to leave the vehicle on the Safari's grounds, and there are signs in all languages indicating this."

 

She added that "the African hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive animals when its territory is being invaded. Even our caretakers enter the area with a car and don’t leave it until the situation seems safe."

 

Horowitz stressed that as long as visitors remain in their car, no harm should come to them.

 

Yael Branovsky contributed to the report

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.14.07, 12:05
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