A BRAVE safari guide has revealed how he was left with 38 horrifying wounds after he was swallowed by a hippo. Paul Templer nearly bled to death after the beast savagely attacked him in front of horrified tourists. He was leading a small safari tour of six people down the Zambezi river in his native Zimbabwe when the deadly attack unfolded.
![[Paul Templer out on a river following the brutal hippo attack]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image_c3eabd.webp?strip=all&w=741)
The usually calm expedition descended into chaos after Paul noticed what looked like a "submarine torpedo" crashing through the water. Moments later, a fellow guide started to struggle in the water after a hippo smashed into his canoe and dragged him underwater to his tragic death.
![[The attack left Paul with life changing injuries with one of his arms being amputated]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/image_1d65d7.webp?strip=all&w=316)
Valiant Paul jumped into the river to try and wrestle the man away from the giant beast - but soon found himself trapped in its deadly jaws. Reminiscing on the harrowing encounter, Paul told The Sun: "During the attack I felt a combination of absolutely terrified and needing to be in control.
![[The brave safari guide has revealed the assault left doctors fearing he may not have survived]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/750fc913-b8c4-44cd-9061-08572612020d.jpg?strip=all&w=420)
"I do remember the absurdity of the situation. "I can remember the first time I realised what was going I was literally up to my waist down the hippo's throat. "Everything just went dark. It happened so quickly I didn't see a thing but the next thing I know my arms are pinned to my sides and I can't move.
![[Paul was left feeling devastated following the attack as his lifelong dreams had been ripped away from him]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/1996-zimbabwe-zambezi-river-near-403203187.jpg?strip=all&w=418)
"There's this pressure and I feel like something's trying to break me in half as its pushing down on my lower back. "I remember just being completely overwhelmed and not able to move and that moment when I felt the bristles on the hippo snout.". Paul revealed that once he realised he was being attacked by a hippo, a strange feeling of relief came over him.
![[Paul has spent the past few decades getting his life back on track since the attack]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/71oJ4fR3CYL._SY466__444dad.jpg?strip=all&w=311)
