Baby Hippo takes Tortoise for new mom!

Beerleader · 12-13-2005, 01:10 PM

This is such a sweet story it melts my heart, I figured I'd share. The fourth pic is by far my fav! What a doll

NAIROBI (AFP) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise, in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back to s**** when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

"It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park, told AFP.

"After it was swept and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added. "The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it follows its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added.

"The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained.

Chazwick · 12-13-2005, 01:45 PM

That is so beautiful!!!

I'm so sad the hippos mother died though ....

Beerleader · 12-13-2005, 01:57 PM

I know its heart wrenching. And reading the story of how he got swept away is so sad too. That poor lil guy! He's the cutest lil thing, and man watching him follow that tortoise is so sweet but so sad. He just wants love that poor baby! I wonder what the tortoise will do when the hippo's really big?

Lexus · 12-13-2005, 05:38 PM

The animal kingdom is so amazing

fishfreaks · 12-13-2005, 09:46 PM

Aww, that is so adorable

Meeocky · 12-13-2005, 10:33 PM

heh that's cute

Beerleader · 12-13-2005, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexus

The animal kingdom is so amazing

I know this kind of examples show they are so capable of being so "human" almost. I mean we adopt children, and it seems so do they.

Beerleader · 12-13-2005, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishfreaks

Aww, that is so adorable

Oh I know isn't it? lol makes me wanna go give em some hugs and squeezes hehe

**Fishfirst** · 12-14-2005, 10:24 AM

funny you all say that considering a hippo is the last thing I'd want to hug and squeeze

they are, after all, the most dangerous animal in africa.

**Cichlid Man** · 12-14-2005, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beerleader

Oh I know isn't it? lol makes me wanna go give em some hugs and squeezes hehe

So you wanna squeeze one huh? Sure, just come say hello my Grandma, I'm sure she'll be happy to give you a big hug.

Lydia · 12-15-2005, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cichlid Man

So you wanna squeeze one huh? Sure, just come say hello my Grandma, I'm sure she'll be happy to give you a big hug.

Lmao!

Beerleader · 12-15-2005, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cichlid Man

So you wanna squeeze one huh? Sure, just come say hello my Grandma, I'm sure she'll be happy to give you a big hug.

LOL good one

**Baby_Baby** · 12-16-2005, 05:29 PM

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

micstarz · 12-20-2005, 05:00 AM

an alternative to squeezing a hippo is to squeeze the tortoise: at least he wont attack you

12-13-2005, 01:10 PM	#1
Beerleader Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Lexington, Kentucky Age: 35 Posts: 382	Baby Hippo takes Tortoise for new mom! This is such a sweet story it melts my heart, I figured I'd share. The fourth pic is by far my fav! What a doll NAIROBI (AFP) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise, in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said. The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back to s** when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him. "It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park, told AFP. "After it was swept and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added. "The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it follows its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added. "The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained. __________________ P.S., I'm a GIRL!!!** ~Ashley~

12-13-2005, 01:45 PM	#2
Chazwick <3 Break it... Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Inside Your Skull <3 Age: 17 Posts: 404	That is so beautiful!!! I'm so sad the hippos mother died though .... __________________ In my dreams I’m dying all the time, As I wake it’s kaleidoscopic mind, I never meant to hurt you, I never meant to lie, So this is goodbye, This is goodbye, Tell the truth you never wanted me, Tell me, In my dreams I’m jealous all the time, As I wake I’m going out of my mind, Going out of my mind... ♥

12-13-2005, 01:57 PM	#3
Beerleader Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Lexington, Kentucky Age: 35 Posts: 382	I know its heart wrenching. And reading the story of how he got swept away is so sad too. That poor lil guy! He's the cutest lil thing, and man watching him follow that tortoise is so sweet but so sad. He just wants love that poor baby! I wonder what the tortoise will do when the hippo's really big? __________________ **P.S., I'm a GIRL!!!** ~Ashley~

12-13-2005, 05:38 PM	#4
Lexus Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 22 Posts: 2,405	The animal kingdom is so amazing __________________ 55 Gallon 2 Blood Parrots 2 Angelfish 1 Fantail Goldfish 46 Gallon 1 Albino Bristlenose 2 Angelfish 4 African Dwarf Frogs 4 Black Skirt Tetras 5 Zebra Danios 8 Tiger Barbs 9 Neon Tetras 13 Assorted Corys 29 Gallon 8 Daffodil Cichlids & fry 1 Electric Blue Crayfish 10 Gallon 2 Snails

12-13-2005, 09:46 PM	#5
fishfreaks M&F Couple Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: PA Age: 21 Posts: 4,276	Aww, that is so adorable __________________ VOTE FOR FISH FORUMS

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12-13-2005, 10:33 PM	#6
Meeocky Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Louisiana Age: 26 Posts: 113	heh that's cute

12-14-2005, 10:24 AM	#9
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,655 Blog Entries: 5	funny you all say that considering a hippo is the last thing I'd want to hug and squeeze they are, after all, the most dangerous animal in africa. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

12-16-2005, 05:29 PM	#13
Baby_Baby Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Tulsa Posts: 3,808 Blog Entries: 1	awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww __________________ "By avoiding the very thing you despise the most, by trying to be "different" by striving to be so "unique", you've become the sole and center of all that you held so high on the pedestal of disgusting mortality deemed society."

12-20-2005, 05:00 AM	#14
micstarz Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hong Kong Age: 14 Posts: 658	an alternative to squeezing a hippo is to squeeze the tortoise: at least he wont attack you __________________

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