Paul Templer: 'I was eaten by a hippo.'

49-year-old Paul Templer, an experienced safari guide, was attacked by a “monster” hippo who swallowed him head first in a terrifying assault in his native Zimbabwe, near Victoria Falls. This happened in March 1996. The hippo left him with 39 'major' bite wounds which resulted in Paul having his left arm amputated. Templer, a wildlife expert, was attacked by the rogue hippo while guiding a small group of tourists down the Zambezi River. Prior to becoming a safari guide, Templer had served with distinction in the British army. Today, he is a business consultant, public speaker, philanthropist, adventurer and CEO. He created the Templer Foundation to support and empower families navigating disability.

The assault started when the hippo knocked one of Templer's pals out of his canoe. Paul Templer recounted the story of his near-fatal hippo attack to The Sun Online as follows: 

“As I paddle towards him, the hippo was coming towards me under the water and the ripples on top looked like a submarine torpedo cutting through the water.

“So I turned towards him and tried to grab him, and it was like something out of a movie because our fingers almost touched and then everything just went dark.

“It happened so quick, I had no idea what the hell was going on.

“From my waist up I wasn’t dry but I wasn’t wet either like my legs were.

“I couldn’t move – I was like wedged in this tight place. I knew it was in a hippo or a croc either way it wasn’t good.

“I managed to move my fingers around and was able to feel the bristles on the hippo’s snout.

“So then I knew where I was – I was head first up to my waist in a hippo’s throat.

“I think I was triggering just about every one of the hippo’s gag reflexes.

“But he’s also got teeth sticking through me which are keeping me stuck where I am.”

Paul told The Sun the hippo's putrid breath smelt of "rotting eggs" and his throat and mouth were "warm and slimy". The hippo eventually spat Paul out, but quickly swallowed him again, this time from the feet first. Paul was unable to reach for his handgun during the relentless attack. He was thrashed around in the water relentlessly, while he tried to keep himself from drowning, then the hippo spat him out for a second time. Paul swam towards his friends but saw "monster hippo" charging towards him with its jaws wide open.

The narration continues as follows:

“He scored a direct hit. And now my legs are out one side of its mouth and my arms, my head and shoulders are hanging out the other side.

“And then he just went berserk.

“I tried everything - scratching, punching but nothing I did worked.

“It was throwing me in the air and catching me.

“When he would drag me under water I would hold my breath. When he brought me back to the surface, I would take a deep breath.

“After a while I figured out if I held his tusks which were boring through me, my flesh wouldn’t tear so much.

“One of my clients said it was like watching a dog trying to rip part a rag doll.
“He grew frustrated because I wasn’t falling into a hundred different pieces.”

After the wild thrashing on the surface, the hippo took Paul to the bottom of the river. Paul continued: “It was so surreal because I could remember looking up at the surface and watching my blood mingling with the water.

“I don’t remember how long I was down there but I can tell you that time moves pretty slow when you’re inside a hippo’s mouth.

“And then the hippo became frustrated and spat me out again.”

Paul was rescued by a friend of his who showed "incredible bravery" by paddling over to grab him. His friend tragically passed away, after being knocked from his canoe - by the beast - and drowning. It took Paul eight agonizing hours to get to a hospital without painkillers. His pain was so intense that he considered suicide. He said: “I had bites in my neck and spine and one of my arms was smashed into a million pieces. “Without a shadow of a doubt I wanted to die. I didn’t know a human body could endure that much pain. “If my gun hadn’t dropped out of my holster during the attack – I would have killed myself for sure.”

His left arm was amputated by doctors at the Victoria Falls Hospital.