A hippo attacks a young boy, and then spits him out

A hippopotamus recently attacked a boy in Uganda — and the boy survived, after a bystander took action, police say. Here, a hippo is seen in the Victoria Nile near Murchison Falls in northwest Uganda. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images)

First things first: the two-year-old boy who was attacked by a hippopotamus in Uganda was saved and had a full recovery, police say. But they also say the hippo had the boy in its jaws — with the child's head and upper body in the animal's mouth — before a brave bystander rescued the boy.

The attack took place around 3 p.m. on Dec. 4, when the boy was playing at his home near a lake in the Kasese district in western Uganda. The area includes several large national parks and game reserves, along with a series of lakes and safari lodges.