Horrifying moment an enraged hippo attacks its zoo keeper in China

This is the horrifying moment an enraged hippo started charging at its zoo keeper after he tried to break up its fight with another territorial bull in their enclosure. Heart-stopping footage shows the man – who had entered the enclosure to feed the animal – scrambling out of the pen in a desperate bid to avoid a fatal attack at the Changsha Ecological Zoo in China’s Hunan province.

Amid the rush to run for his life, the zoo keeper slips over on the wet concrete surface entrance with the hippo ready to launch what could have been a devastating assault. 

With the furious hippo baring its huge teeth in a threatening display, the man uses his arms and feet to prevent the hungry animal from closing in on him.

The hippo momentarily left its keeper alone as it continued to feed on greens but as the man stood back up, it charged at him again just as he was leaving the enclosure. This time, he was able to run to safety. It’s understood the zoo keeper had entered the enclosure to feed the animal before two hippos began attacking each other.

Footage shows the territorial bulls going at each other before the zoo keeper flies out of the pen. The zoo keeper had tried to break up the fight by distracting one of the hippos – but was sent running when they turned their fury on him.

Astonishingly, the zookeeper escaped unharmed following the horror clash on Sunday, September 24. Officials at the Changsha Forestry Bureau are now investigating the incident.

A spokesman said: ‘Staff at the zoo have been instructed on when it is safe to enter the enclosure of all animals. They must take extra care and avoid situations where males are in combat or when females are in heat.’ Hippopotamus attacks on humans are rare, but they can be deadly. Hippos are highly territorial animals, and they will attack if they feel threatened.

They are also very large and powerful, and their bites can be fatal. Last month, an environmental crime investigation boss died after being attacked by a hippo while camping with his wife in a national park.

Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page here and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.