Humphrey the hippo had been raised 'like a son' by farmer Marius Els since he was five months old. The devoted animal-lover, from South Africa, was so devoted to his unusual pet he even built him a huge lake on his farm so he could swim in his natural habitat.
Humphrey was rescued from a flood when he was just a baby. But when he became too big for the people who had taken him in, Maurice stepped in and gave him a home.
For years, Humphrey was a much-loved member of the family. He seemed to love life on the 400-acre farm in the Free State Province.
Maurice taught him to swim with humans, a past-time he appeared to relish. He would feed Humphrey and even helped him brush his teeth.