Man dives into hippo pond at Brazilian zoo, sparks chaos
A man jumped into a pond with hippos in a zoo in Curitiba, Brazil. Fortunately, the animals did not react aggressively to the "intruder" who entered their territory.
9:17 AM EST, November 24, 2024
This incident occurred at a zoo in Curitiba, located in the state of Paraná, and could have ended tragically. However, the hippos remained calm and showed no aggression.
Videos of the event, shared by tourists, depict the hippos curiously observing the man as he swims nearby.
Wanted to "play" with the monkeys
In the videos, a man wearing a soccer jersey with the number 10 is seen swimming in the pond and shouting something toward the hippos. After some time, he runs toward other animals.
According to Brazilian Radio Band, before jumping the fence, the man told tourists that he intended to "play" with the monkeys.
In the video shared online, the man approaches one of the monkeys, attempting to make contact. The animal jumps around and moves closer to the "intruder."
"There was an interaction between the man and the animals, but he didn't touch any of them," summarized Radio Band.
Zoo guards successfully removed the man from the animal area "safe and sound." The police then escorted him to a local hospital for psychiatric evaluation.
