Marius Els raised Humphrey the hippo 'like a son' and even swam with him in a specially built lake on his farm in South Africa - but the unlikely relationship ended in tragedy View 3 Images Marius Els used to play with, swim and even ride Humphrey the hippo (Image: Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

Humphrey the hippo was brought up 'like a son' by South African farmer Marius Els, who had welcomed him into his home when he was merely five months old. The devoted animal enthusiast even built an enormous lake on his property for Humphrey to splash about in his natural environment. ‌

Humphrey had been rescued from flooding as an infant and when he became too big for his original carers, Marius stepped in to offer him sanctuary. For several years, Humphrey became a beloved me

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