A woman, in a white T-shirt, is on the ground after the hippo charged into her.
Image: Video screengrab/Facebook/
Holidaymakers in St Lucia faced a terrifying encounter on Tuesday night when a hippo charged at them, despite warnings in the town to keep their distance.
A video, which appeared on the Facebook page "St Lucia News", said there were "warning posted all over town. People still take stupid risks when approaching the hippos".
Another Facebook page "Unofficial: Into the Wild", added: "Visitors are told by lodge, guesthouse owners, and businesses to stay far back from the hippos. But some people just don't listen. They are very lucky they weren't seriously hurt or killed. They have now made a hippo potentially more aggressive to humans by their foolish behavior. Stay back people."
According to a report, the holidaymakers involved were allegedly ordered out of St Lucia, and accommodation establishments advised them not to take future bookings from them.
"They were given an hour to vacate town or face law enforcement proceedings," reported the Zululand Observer.
A man, who recorded the video, his child and other spectators watch as three people approach the hippo.
Talking to the child, the man says: "This is what you call idiots, you see..."
The child responds: "They are not listening."
The dad's voice gets louder as he warns: "That thing there is going to charge."
The next moment, the hippo charges toward the three people. It appears to make contact with one of them, a man, before a second person, a woman, in an attempt to flee, is pushed to the ground.
"Ya he is charging you. Ya, he charged you. You stupids," adds the child's father.
The child says: "You see. You see."
The dad adds: "That thing will charge you, people. You are being stupid now. What are you people doing?"
As the hippo leaves, a man limps up an incline, while the woman is assisted.
They did not appear to sustain serious injuries.
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