A white South African man was on Thursday charged in court with attempted murder charges after shooting and injuring a black woman claiming he mistook her for a hippopotamus.

According to a police report, 77-year-old Paul Hendrik van Zyl was arrested on Tuesday following the incident where he fired severally at the woman who was fishing together with her partner in a river located in Lephalale town, northern Limpopo province.

The accused, a farm owner, injured 38-year-old Ramokone Linah who sustained wounds on her arm. According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the woman’s partner managed to hide.

“The arrested suspect alleged that he was shooting at the animals (hippopotamus),” police spokesman Mamphaswa Seabi said as quoted by the Nation.

In the ruling, Hendrik was freed on 1,000 rands (about Ksh 7,164) bail and the case was postponed for further investigations to May 18.

A South African activist group, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has since protested the move by the court to grant bail over racism claims.