Some Unlikely Friends!

In December of 2004, wildlife officials in Malindi, Kenya were alerted that a herd of hippopotamuses were stranded off the coast; dangerously close to the ocean (if hippos get swept out into salt water, they can die of dehydration rather easily. By the time they arrived, only one member of the group remained; a one year old male that the officials dubbed “Owen”. Upon his rescue, Owen was transported to Haller Park, a sanctuary in Mombasa, and placed in an enclosure with a 100 year old male tortoise named Mzee (Swahili for “old man”). Confusing Mzee’s shape and coloration for that of his mother, Owen quickly rushed to his side, only to be hissed at by the weary old creature. However, Owen was persistent, and followed Mzee around for days. One day, to the surprise of the handlers at the park, they noticed that Owen and Mzee had struck up quite the friendship! Owen looked to Mzee as his mother; cuddling him, eating with him, sleeping next to him; and Mzee had fully excepted the role. Mzee continued to raise Owen as his own for around 2 years, until Owen was old enough to be sent to live with other Hippos. Love is a strange thing folks, you never know who, or what’s going to bond together.