Claim: A man in South Africa who rescued a baby hippo and raised it died after the animal mauled him several years later. Rating: About this rating TrueFor more than a decade, social media users have shared the story of a man in South Africa who reportedly adopted a baby hippopotamus that later killed him. According to that post, "In 2005, a South African man, Marius Els, adopted a baby hippo after rescuing it from a river. While authorities disproved the assertion that the hippo ate Els, the overarching claim is true: A man in South Africa adopted a baby hippo and raised it before the animal killed him several years later. However, local news in South Africa reported that Humphrey mauled Els to death on Nov. 12, 2011.

Source: The Guardian May 24, 2024 13:08 UTC