Lindaland
  Heathcliffe's Corner
  Tortoise and hippo are best friends after tsunami

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq

UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Tortoise and hippo are best friends after tsunami
NeoKitty
Knowflake

Posts: 595
From: Heaven
Registered: Dec 2004

posted January 23, 2005 07:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NeoKitty     Edit/Delete Message
A BABY hippopotamus, swept into the Indian Ocean by the tsunami, is finally coming out

of his shell thanks to the love of a 120-year-old tortoise.

Owen, a 300kg, one-year-old hippo, was swept down the Sabaki River,
into the ocean and then back to shore when the giant waves struck the Kenyan
coast.

The dehydrated hippo was found by wildlife rangers and taken to the
Haller Park animal facility in the port city of Mombasa.

Pining for his lost mother, Owen quickly befriended a giant male
Aldabran tortoise named Mzee - Swahili for "old man".

"When we released Owen into the enclosure, he lumbered to the tortoise
which has a dark grey colour similar to grown up hippos," Sabine Baer,
rehabilitation and ecosystems manager at the park, told Reuters on
Thursday.

Haller Park ecologist Paula Kahumbu said the pair were now inseparable.

"After it was swept and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatised. 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 was left at a very tender age. Hippos are social animals
that like to stay with their mothers for four years."

She said the hippo's chances of survival in another herd were very
slim, predicting that a dominant male would have killed him.

Officials are hopeful Owen will befriend a female hippo called Cleo,
also a resident at the park.

--australian mx



------------------
"And dreams, don't ever forget, are the first step in manifesting wishes into reality"-- Linda Goodman's Star Signs

IP: Logged

26taurus
Moderator

Posts: 8104
From: the stars
Registered: Jun 2004

posted January 23, 2005 07:53 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for 26taurus     Edit/Delete Message
OMG, my heart! That was such a touching and amazing story. The poor thing. I'm so glad he found that turtle and they bonded. Really, really sweet.

I LOVE that last picture. So cute. Poor baby. What a wise, loving turtle.

IP: Logged

NeoKitty
Knowflake

Posts: 595
From: Heaven
Registered: Dec 2004

posted January 23, 2005 08:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NeoKitty     Edit/Delete Message
I know, it yanked at my heart-strings too.

Thank-you mr.tortoise for taking in the lost hippo!!

------------------
"And dreams, don't ever forget, are the first step in manifesting wishes into reality"-- Linda Goodman's Star Signs

IP: Logged

Randall
Webmaster

Posts: 21553
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted January 24, 2005 12:31 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Randall     Edit/Delete Message
Awwwwww...

------------------
"Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark

IP: Logged

LibraSparkle
Moderator

Posts: 4627
From: Vancouver USA
Registered: May 2004

posted January 24, 2005 12:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for LibraSparkle     Edit/Delete Message
aaaaawwwwwwwwww

They are so adorable!

IP: Logged

Nephthys
Moderator

Posts: 1774
From: California
Registered: Oct 2001

posted January 24, 2005 02:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Nephthys     Edit/Delete Message
That is the cutest story I ever heard of!!!! I love the photos of them!!! This is just too, too cute!!!!!

IP: Logged

Randall
Webmaster

Posts: 21553
From: Columbus, GA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted May 30, 2005 12:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Randall     Edit/Delete Message
*bump*

------------------
"There is no use trying," said Alice; "one can't believe impossible things." "I dare say you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Lewis Carroll

IP: Logged

26taurus
Moderator

Posts: 8104
From: the stars
Registered: Jun 2004

posted June 09, 2005 03:09 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for 26taurus     Edit/Delete Message
I loved this story.

IP: Logged

Tranquil Poet
Knowflake

Posts: 610
From: In hell.........well sometimes....NYC
Registered: Apr 2005

posted June 11, 2005 01:15 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tranquil Poet     Edit/Delete Message
Sexy B*tches

------------------

Gemini sun, Cancer rising, Taurus moon

IP: Logged

All times are Eastern Standard Time

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | Linda-Goodman.com

Copyright © 2005

Powered by Infopop www.infopop.com © 2000
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46a