Former Miss South Africa attacked by hippo
Date: 30-Dec-03
Country: SOUTH AFRICA
Media reports said Diana Tilden-Davis, Miss South Africa 1991 and a runner up in the 1991 Miss World contest, was attacked while canoeing in the Okavango Swamps of neighbouring Botswana and was airlifted to Johannesburg's Milpark hospital.
"We are treating her and she's in a stable condition," an official at the hospital told Reuters, but declined to give further details.
Earlier this month, another South African woman was killed by a hippo while she and her husband were on their honeymoon in Botswana.
Hippos, which can weigh up to two tonnes and have a frightening set of teeth, are among the most dangerous animals in Africa.
They are highly territorial and may attack if a person finds themselves in the unenviable position of standing between the water and a hippo feeding on land.
Hippos will also charge boats in the water if they feel their territory has been invaded.
