The Baby Hippo and The Tortoise

During the Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 2004, a baby hippopotamus was orphaned in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya. During a long day trying to rescue the 600 pounds baby hippo, the 1,000 villagers finally saved him by using shark nets; they named him Owen, the same name of the villager who finally tackled the baby hippo during the rescue. Owen was taken to Haller Park, a wildlife sanctuary in Mombasa, Kenya; he was released into a large wooded penned-in area which included a pond and a co-inhabitant, a 700 pound, 130-year-old tortoise named Mzee. Owen immediately felt bonded to Mzee, but the tortoise resisted his approach; Mzee has never shown any affection for other tortoises, monkeys or the antelope in that enclosure, so why would she feel different towards Owen? Surprisingly, over time, Owen gained Mzee’s heart; she finally accepted the young hippo, and Owen started to mimic Mzee, who taught him what to eat and where to sleep. Scientists are surprised not only about the bond of the two animals, but about their unique vocal communication they developed to understand each other. Owen and Mzee are inseparable, and can’t live without each other!