Terrifying moment angry hippo charges at and attacks safari truck carrying American tourists in Botswana

This is the terrifying moment an angry hippo attacked a safari truck carrying American tourists in Botswana.

Bill and Linda Klipp, who visited the country in September from Key West, Florida, experienced the alarming encounter during a month-long photo safari in the country’s Okavango Delta.

At first, photographers thought the hippo might be staging a false attack, but the beast continued to confront the vehicle and bit down on the passenger side front door, preventing the truck from moving.

After three forceful clamps on the hippo’s jaws, the driver managed to reverse the vehicle and drive away.

Neither the couple, both professional nature photographers, nor the driver were injured in the incident.

At first, the photographers thought the hippo was making a false attack

However, the beast continued to confront the vehicle, whose engine had been turned off

‘It was shortly after lunch during an all-day game drive in Botswana’s Okavango Delta when we stopped at a small natural waterhole to photograph a lone hippo doing what hippos do: lazing in the water, sniffing , staring at us, twitching his ears, rolling over, going up and down with the occasional yawn and short jerks through the water,” Bill Klipp wrote on his YouTube channel.

After watching the creature for a short time from the safari vehicle, it began to rise from the water and appeared to come into conflict with the intruders in its territory.

“He came rapidly towards us through the water and within seconds he was out of the water and running towards our car,” Bill explained.

‘When photographing wildlife, the vehicle is usually turned off to avoid engine vibration.

‘As the Hippo approached, our guide started the car, revved the engine and tried to reverse.

‘It was too late; “He stood up with his mouth wide open and then clamped down on the passenger side front door, keeping the car from moving and us from escaping,” Bill recalled.

As the hippo bit down on the car’s passenger door, its upper canines began to splinter the wooden frame of the door, while its lower incisors and fangs tore a gash in the door.

The impact bent and dented the door, fender, windshield frame and mirror, rendering the door and windshield unusable.

As the hippo bit down on the passenger door of the car, its upper canines began to splinter the wooden frame of the door

After three large clamps of the hippo’s jaws, the drive managed to reverse the vehicle and drive away

Linda Klipp documents the damage to the safari vehicle after the surprise attack

Despite the damage to the car, neither the couple nor the driver were injured in the incident

After eventually managing to escape, the pair reviewed their footage and believed that the hippo may have been blind in one eye and may have thought it was another hippo trying to attack him, as he may have experienced in the past .

“You always hear about how powerful a hippo can be, but you really have no idea until a 7,000 to 10,000 pound animal crashes into your car and attacks your car,” Bill wrote.

“I always told Linda that when the shit hits the fan, just keep shooting. What an exciting event to experience and we are grateful to be there to share.

Adding: ‘We’re excited to be on Safari and can’t wait to see what happens next.’