Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. A South African farmer was reportedly mauled to death on Sunday by his pet hippo, which he had previously referred to as "like a son to me." Marius Els, who lived in the Free State province of South Africa was found dead in a river, having been bitten repeatedly by the animal. Marius Els with his pet hippo Humphrey at his farm in Free State, South Africa. (Getty Images) Els, 40, had adopted the hippo, whom he had named "Humphrey," when it was found as a calf. Earlier this year footage of Els riding the more than 2,000-pound beast went viral.