Shocking footage has emerged of a fishing boat purportedly being attacked by a hippo, prompting one of the men on board to pull out a gun and start shooting into the water.

The video, filmed on the Mnyera River in southwest Tanzania last year, shows the moment the boat nearly tips up when the large animal collides with it.

One of the men then fires his pistol "into the river on the opposite side to where he attacked, just to create some noise in the hope he would not attack again."

I was fishing for Tiger Fish with a friend on the Mnyera River, South West Tanzania, when the boat was hit by a hippo. I had seen them there the day before, but they were a lot further down, so hence the surprise of the attack. I did fire two rounds with a 9mm into the river on the opposite side to where he attacked, just to create some noise in the hope he would not attack again.