Marius Els was a South African farmer who became famous for his unusual and controversial decision to adopt a wild hippopotamus in 2011. He found the hippo as a baby, abandoned by its mother on the banks of a river near his farm, and decided to take it in and raise it himself.

Els named the hippo "Humphrey" and became very attached to him. He would often swim and play with the hippo in the river and even allowed him to come into his house at times. However, there were concerns raised about the safety of keeping such a large and potentially dangerous animal as a pet, as well as the impact on the hippo's natural behavior and instincts.

Tragically, Marius Els died in 2011 in a hippopotamus attack, which some have speculated was caused by Humphrey. After Els' death, Humphrey was relocated to a wildlife sanctuary, where he was able to live out the rest of his life in a more natural environment.

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