A ranger who spent eight years protecting animals from poachers has been crushed to death by a hippopotamus in South Africa.

According to Metro, Sphamandla Mthembu, 31, was with three fellow rangers at the Mkhuze Game Reserve on Sunday, where they were protecting a herd of elephants and rhinos.

They were tracking a set of footprints after receiving a tip-off that poachers had entered the park after dark and had split up into two groups to circle them.

However, his movement accidentally surprised a three-ton hippo that was returning to the river. The hippo charged at him, forcing Mr.

Mthembu to fire at the animal in an attempt to save himself.  But it was too late, as the hippo had already gripped him in its jaws.

Meanwhile, other rangers reached the spot, alerted by the gunfire, to help their injured colleague.

They fired their rifles until the hippo was dead. However, the ranger died from the crush and bite wounds while waiting for medical aid.

A game reserve worker told a local journalist, It was all very sudden, and the hippo came from nowhere and charged, trampled and bit the ranger who had opened fire on it. The others were firing as well but by the time it was dead so was the ranger.

They said there was so much blood and they did not know how he was still alive when they reached him.

CEO of Ezemvelo Kwazulu-Natal Wildlife Park, Mr Shie Mkhize said, My heart broke when I heard of the incident, and finding the words to speak to his family was so difficult.

It was made even more difficult when I was told Mr Mthembu had recently lost a young child and his family were trying to come to terms with that when this unfortunate incident happened.

Our thoughts are also with his fellow rangers who need space to be able to process what they witnessed.

South African Police have opened an inquest into the attack that happened an hour after dawn at 5.30 am on Sunday.

According to the BBC, the hippopotamus is the world’s deadliest large land mammal, killing an estimated 500 people per year in Africa.

Hippos are aggressive creatures, and they have very sharp teeth. Their front teeth are over a foot long, and their canines grow up to 18 inches long.