This is so adorable

[MamaG]

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 forc ed 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 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.



There were pictures with this article, but I couldn't post them.

[SecretSamadhi]

Originally Posted by MamaG

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 forc ed 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 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.



There were pictures with this article, but I couldn't post them.

Awwwww!!!!!! Poor baby hippo separated from its Mommy!

I'm glad it has a new friend though.

can you PM me the link , please MamaG!?

[Misteria]

awwwwwwwww any pics?

[Ras Bizarre High]

This thread is making me hungry....mmmm, hippo-'n-turtle casserole.

[oki]

[oki]

[boedicca]

This is one of the sweetest most adorable things I have ever seen.

The universe works in strange and wondrous ways.

[Ema]

awwww how cute!!!!

[R.Tricky]

This has got to be the cutest thing i have ever seen. Thank you Mama G. That totally made my day.

[FallenAngel]

Awwwwwww that is so sweet

[fat mike]

MamaG is adorable,she didn't want Samson to have the buffalo burger because "buffalos are so cute"..."Well you wouldn't want to eat your pet rabbit,would you?"
Maternal instinct run amuck...I guess men are so mean and agresive we wouldn't survive without something extreme to mellow us...

[Samson]

Originally Posted by Ras Bizarre High

This thread is making me hungry....mmmm, hippo-'n-turtle casserole.

Yes, I understand that freshly-ground baby hippo also makes an excellent burger.

[eeper69]

MamaG is going to spank both of you!

[fat mike]

And we're both looking forward to i...Sam get off my computer!
[j/k that was me]

[eeper69]

Indeed~ I knew you two would be looking forward to it

[fat mike]

She gets this confounded "Indeed" thing from her boy,dad blame it!

[MamaG]

Shame on you F M, acting up like that when I leave for a bit. Poor little buffalo, getting eaten by Samson. That is all

[X3nos]

awwwwwwwwww that's the cutest ever

-michele

[fat mike]

Originally Posted by MamaG

Shame on you F M, acting up like that when I leave for a bit. Poor little buffalo, getting eaten by Samson. That is all

You're the ginchiest,GG!!!

[MamaG]

I do believe that's the first time i've ever been called that.