Hippopotamus rushed out of the water to grab a helicopter

The hippopotamus nearly grabbed the helicopter with its massive jaws, causing the pilot to panic while flying over Lake South Africa.

Pilot Kobus Crous was called by a conservation organization to help find the malignant hippopotamus that was chased from the herd. When Kobus searched the large lake at the private Aquila sanctuary two hours drive from Cape Town, the hippopotamus suddenly rose about 30 centimeters from the helicopter and opened its mouth to bury the plane into the water, Mogaz News on 7 / 6 reported.

The fierce hippo attacks the helicopter flying above the water.(Photo: Albert Jansen van Roosendaal).

In the photo taken by photographer Albert Jansen van Roosendaal, the hippopotamus stalks the lake water splashing. Its massive jaws were wide open, revealing ivory teeth."We searched for it and didn't know it was right below. If it caught us, there would be only one winner," Kobus said. Despite being dumbfounded, Kobus promptly responded by driving the plane away, then drove the hippopotamus to the shore for anesthesia specialists.

Aquila private sanctuary on the Touws River covers an area of ​​10,000 hectares and is home to five of Africa's largest wildlife, lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and wild buffalo. The reserve staff called Kobus after the hippopotamus attacked a newborn baby. They promptly saved the young but the male hippo became so aggressive that it needed to be transferred elsewhere.

"The hippo rose from the water and attacked the helicopter in the air. It was a completely unexpected situation and I caught this great picture in time," Roosendaal said.

"Because of the offspring's behavior and the temperament of a male hippo, we need support from the capture team to find the location and move it. The hippopotamus has many cuts and wounds due to several wars. It was fierce, used to tease and injure other male hippos, and before it killed two young animals, anesthesia was not easy because you didn't want the hippopotamus tuberculosis Hurry into the water and drown, but we arrested him safely and transferred it to a new place by truck , " said Ben Viljoen, Aquila reserve spokesman.

The male hippopotamus weighs about 1.5 tons while the maximum hippo weight is 2 tons. This is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa and is estimated to kill 500 people each year. They are very common in the Western Cape but destroyed in the region in the 19th century.