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 shore 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 away 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 followed its mother. 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.
I came across this great email today about a piglet named Pink who was adopted by a Dachshund and her litter of puppies. This one reminds of yesterdays article about Cashew and Libby the seeing eye cat. Once again an animal that knows what needs to be done and takes this little piglet and treats him as if he was won of her own.
Heres the story straight from my email:
This new mom is also fostering this piglet for another mom who couldnt take care of him. He had his eyes closed, but now they are open. He is just a little bigger than her other pups. She loves this little guy more than the other puppies and she is nursing him back to health. He is the cleanest puppy ever because she licks him all the time.
This is Pink short for Pig and Tink (Tink is the mother Dachshund).
Pink and the puppies nursing.
He nurses all the time.
Sleeping with his siblings.
He is sooo cute!
Tink is very protective over Pink.
She keeps him close to her.
The family sleeping zzzz.
Its amazing to see animals of completely different species take care of one and other. We dont see it everyday, but a couple come to my mind including yesterdays story about Cashew and Libby the seeing eye cat and Ive also read about a 100 year old tortoise acting as mom to a hippo. These stories remind me of what were doing with Guide Dogs and how special it is for us to help create such a wonderful bond between dogs and humans.
(sorry for the post invasion, Mandy! just thought I'd help you out with the pics - D)
I'm so in love with that hippo story. Since I went to Africa I've been completely obsessed with hippos, they are the cutest animals ever and they make the funnies noises, like old men laughing. Thanks for sharing!
__________________
I'm thinking balls are to men what purses are to women. It's just a little bag, but we feel naked in public without it.
Carrie Bradshaw
Speaking of hippos, did anyone else watch that documentary about Jessica the Hippo? She has lived with a man and woman since she was a baby. The best story ever! She slept on the front porch every night after her owners gave her a nightly massage then covered her completely up (except for her nostrils) with a blanket. The dogs even curled up with her at night. I loved that documentary so much.
The one where the dog has her head on top of Pink protecting it just breaks my heart!
Still, I'd have a heart attack if Traci adopted a pig (although I am still undecided if it would be from the cuteness or the shock). She probably wouldn't know what to do with it, anyway. I envision her walking around sniffing it and running way from it, or maybe just carrying it around in her mouth and not knowing how to deal with it
-- Edited by ttara123 at 13:57, 2008-03-02
__________________
Fashion is art you live your life in. - Devil Wears Prada | formerly ttara123