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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 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 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.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
This is a real story that shows that our differences don't matter much when we need the comfort of another. We could all learn a lesson from these two creatures of God, Look beyond the differences and find a way to walk the path together.
Past Time BearsDontcha love it? 
Too cute
Hugs
Vicki
Lemmon BearsSo cute!!! 
Charlotte Des Roches DesignsOhhhh I love it!!!!
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsOh, that is precious!!
Patsy Lake BearsWonderful story thanks for sharing ........
Matilda Huggington-beare:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: Life is beautiful :hug: :hug:
DoodlebearsThat is a heart warming story and so precious. Doesn't it just show how animals can get along under strain and stress. What a shame different races of people don't try the same, maybe we could have a kinder world under our feet.
I will save the pictures to my computer as they have given me such a warm fuzzy feeling today, so nice after some of the sad things around lately. Thanks Tami!
Hugs Jane. 
Real Deal BearsAAAwwww, that was so sweet and true too,
good on you for sharing that with us 
Baird'sBears That sweet little hippo face says it all--thanks for making my day, Tami!
Country BearsAwwwww!! 
AHHHHH WHAT A SAD STORY, WITH A VERY HAPPY ENDING....
Kassie Bears TM/Creations of MysticismHi Tami - that is so beautiful! What a wonder-us example of love.
hugs kassie
Kiprie BearsHow cute. :hug:
Posts: 3,540
I've even seen Owen's book for sale in Barnes & Noble. If you get the chance to thumb through it...the photos are amazing, and the story is indeed heartwarming.
LuxembearsOh, I love this story, Tami. I am printing it out for my daughter whose favorite animal is a hippo.
WienPRECIOUS! There´s so much we can learn from animals!
Thank you Tamih for sharing this! :hug:
Gaby
JeannieB BearsLove it! I have been using the third picture down as my computer background. Thank you for posting the other pictures.
JeannieB
