The moment a baby hippo is brutally attacked and drowned by bull ‘that defeated its father in fight for dominance’
- WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT
- Shocking footage shows a tiny baby hippo being grabbed by the teeth of an adult male and dragged under water
- The infant’s father is thought to have been chased off after losing a battle for dominance with the murderous bull
- The incident happened at the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia
This is the devastating moment a baby hippo is attacked and drowned by an adult male.
In a shocking attack, the four-thousand-pound bull sinks his teeth into the infant before holding it down beneath the water’s surface.
A video shows the male hippo swinging the baby around violently as the bloodied calf thrashes between its teeth.
Other hippos stand nearby as the child takes its final breath before sinking beneath the water.
It took the 14-foot-long bull, which was at least six years old, just two minutes to kill the tiny baby.
A video shows a male hippo swinging a baby around violently as the bloodied calf thrashes between its teeth before being drowned
In a shocking attack, the four-thousand-pound bull sinks his teeth into the infant before holding it down beneath the water’s surface
The young hippopotamus was one week old and weighed a mere 100 pounds.
The brutal attack is thought to be the result of a battle for dominance between two male hippos, in which the murderous bull had likely defeated and chased off the infant’s father.
In order to mate with as many females as possible, bulls may kill calves fathered by other males.
It took the 14-foot-long bull, which was at least six years old, just two minutes to kill the tiny baby
The young hippopotamus was one week old and weighed a mere 100 pounds
With the absent child no longer suckling, the mother will once again be ready to mate.
The assault was captured by safari guide and camp manager Peter Geraerdts at the South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, in 2018.
The Dutch-born 51-year-old lives in Mfuwe, Zambia.