National

Man mauled by hippo in Victoria Falls recounts horror

Published

3 years ago

August 13, 2022

Staff Writer

BY BENJAMIN LYNCH

A man mauled by a territorial hippo described the encounter as a “bad day at the office”.

Paul Templer was working as a tour guide on the Zambezi river in 1996, he would lead tourists down the flowing water past scenery filled with elephants, crocodiles and giraffes.

Also in the nearby menagerie were hippos, known to be territorial and vicious when they have to be and “on a day that started like any other”, Paul had a brush with death after an altercation with the huge mammal and became trapped in its mouth.

The father of three had met this particular hippo before, recalling to the Guardian: “The hippo who tried to kill me wasn’t a stranger – he and I had met before a number of times.

“I’d been working this stretch of river for years, and the grouchy old two-ton bull had carried out the occasional half-hearted attack.

“I’d learned to avoid him. Hippos are territorial and I knew where he was most likely to be at any given time.”

The guide owned a business that took tourists down the river near the famous Victoria Falls and things appeared to be passing by as normal until he felt a whack and saw the boat of a fellow guide, Evans, being lifted out of the water.

Evans himself had been flung out of the boat but the two tourists remained inside.

Paddling over to save Evans, who was later found drowned, Paul’s world suddenly went dark.

He recounted: “I reached over to grab his outstretched hand but as our fingers were about to touch, I was engulfed in darkness.

“There was no transition at all, no sense of approaching danger. It was as if I had suddenly gone blind and deaf.”

Bull hippo’s can grow over four metres long and in the wild can weigh well over three tonnes.

“There was a terrible, sulphurous smell, like rotten eggs, and a tremendous pressure against my chest.

“My arms were trapped but I managed to free one hand and felt around – my palm passed through the wiry bristles of the hippo’s snout.

“It was only then that I realised I was underwater, trapped up to my waist in his mouth.” – The Mirror

Related Topics:Paul Templer Zambezi River

Up Next

Bulawayo to host major media summit

Don't Miss

Victoria Falls heritage status under threat, warns Unesco

Click to comment

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 week ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

1 month ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

3 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.