JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A hippo named Solly trapped for three days in a swimming pool at a South African game lodge died on Friday in a failed rescue attempt broadcast on nationwide TV.
Solly, thought to be about five years old, slipped into the pool after being shunned by its pod in Limpopo province, about 160 kms (100 miles) north of Johannesburg. Its legs were not long enough to climb out of the pool.
The rescue team tried to drain the pool, sedate Solly and lift him out with a crane but he died in the operation. Authorities have yet to determine the cause of death.