Tsunami story: Baby hippo seeks solace in tortoise

[Bhaisahab]

NAIROBI, JANUARY 6: A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsumani 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 Mombasa, officials said today.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms, was swept down Sabaki river into the Indian ocean, then forced back to shore when tsumani struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before 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.

CONTINUED AT
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=62208

[Lautremont]

1. Tortoise: "I remember when the demmy-crats controlled the South..."

Looks like a pretty cuddly guy.

[democracyindanger]

2. I wonder how long the tortoise tried to get away

before finally giving up

[XanaDUer]

5. I laughed out loud at that one!

Thanks.

(Cute pic, though) ;)

[Child_Of_Isis]

43. So did I.

I'm still laughing. ;-)

[Pirate Smile]

3. Oh, too sweet!

[Hillary08]

54. That hippo looks so loveable!

You don't think of them a "cuddly", but that one is!

[legally blonde]

4. AAAAWWWWW

That is just too cute!

[Catchawave]

6. Thanks for sharing such a sweet story....

...we need more of these!

[DulceDecorum]

20. Kamuniak, the "blessed one,"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1746828.stm
http://www.magicalkenya.com/default.nsf/0/DC791F38A489DC4F43256BA700425A2D?opendocument&l=1
http://www.magicalkenya.com/default.nsf/0/E52CDDB87EFC395943256B90002AF3E7?opendocument&l=1
http://www.magicalkenya.com/default.nsf/0/A4FBEE7046ED7CAD43256C4F002BE2E4?opendocument&l=1
http://www.eleafrica.com/safari_articles/index.php?hotspots_id=4
http://www.jphpk.gov.my/English/Feb03%204.htm

Some says she is simply nuts.
Others say she just wants to be a mom.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

24. That's astounding!

:D

[ashmanonar]

60. and it brings to mind that indonesia wasn't the only place hit...

i don't even know the numbers, but a lot of countries on the indian rim got hit by that tsunami, and tho indonesia had the most destruction, we can't forget everybody else...

[MADem]

7. What a lovely and resilient beast!!!

He would make a fabulous mascot...he gets beat up, swept away, but comes back, and he's clever enough to take counsel with his wise old elder!

[MnFats]

29. That goofy Chumbawumba song can be his theme music...

...
"I get knocked down
but I get up again
I get knocked down
you're never gonna keep me down."

fabulous story

[intheflow]

40. A hippo instead of a donkey?

Hmmm.... personally, I'd rather have the tortoise as our mascot. Slow and steady wins the race, and so on. A hippo is too similar in body type to an elephant, and God knows there's already too much identification in our party with the elephant party.

(only slightly tongue in cheek)

[AuntiBush]

8. Thank you for...

such a heartwarming story, yet I see a lot of saddness in those lonely, baby hippo's eyes. At least the 100 yr old Tortoise knows by instictive nature to take care of those less fortunate. More then I can say about the way our country is going... our Dem leaders could learn a lot of nature and animals.

[Catchawave]

15. Awww AuntiBush, what a sweet comment....

I tell ya's, we need more "life lessons" from this tsunami disaster, cuz I don't know how many more sad stories I can take :grouphug:

[NYC]

9. I'm glad he found a friend.

Most articles don't even mention the animals that must have died in addition to so many people.

[DulceDecorum]

12. Actually,

a lot of articles seem to say that land animals got the heck out of Dodge before the thing hit.
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=647317

Whales and dolphins are reported to have tried the same trick.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/30/tech/main658336.shtml

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/28709/story.htm

[NYC]

16. You're right. I remember now.

Years ago, I read about animal behavior in China prior to earthquakes. It was a long article in the Science section of The New York Times. It was very interesting.

It seems to have worked for many of these animals.

[psychopomp]

39. That first story is just amazing

Animals are poorly understood. Simply amazing.

[Fridays Child]

10. A great children's story... "Owen, the Nearsighted Baby Hippo."

[aquart]

21. This is a Disney musical.

[Vektor]

11. OMG how sweet...

All teary eyed now. I am SUCH a sucker for animals...any kind.

[Bhaisahab]

33. but u know hippos get fucking ferocious when they're adults

one time in NGC they had shown hippos fighting. the males, they're crazier than shit on a plate of pudding.
and they attack humans too.

but yeah, the little one there is cute.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

42. The article goes on to say...

Something revealing about the nature of the animal. If somebody approaches the tortoise, then the hippo becomes aggressive. Guess he's the tortoise's baby body guard. :)

However, he is a cutie, and it's one happy ending of sorts out of all the that hell.

[Vektor]

51. Yeah, a lot of critters can...

I wouldn't mess with any large, wild animal....but that pic is adorable.

[enough]

13. Great story,

where did the picture come from? I don't see a photo at your link. Such a beautiful photo, I'd like to download it, or see more of this pair. Thanks.

[NYC]

17. Check the BBC or Google.

I have a copy of it, but I see that BPilgrim has created an avatar of it. Thanks, BPilgrim!

[bpilgrim]

14. who needs an AVATAR?

peace

[Catchawave]

19. I'd love it.....but I'm techno challenged...how to

Please :loveya:

[bpilgrim]

22. easy

first down load the picture to your computer by right-clicking on the image and choosing the save image option.

then import it into DU...


1. at the top of your DU screen click on your "options" button

2. then in the right hand column click-on "Edit your profile"

3. then in the center column under "Avatar Image" click on "upload"

4. a small window will pop-up asking for your picture

5. click the "browse" button to locate the picture on your computer

6. select the gif option for the picture

7. then click-on the "Upload File!" button

8. once uploaded, you will copy the text of the second bullet item (red !) in bold then close the pop-up window

9. paste the text you copied into the "Avatar Image" field, in the "Edit your profile" window.

10. scroll down to the bottom of the page to save your changes by clicking on the "Update" button

that's it, phew ;->

hope that helps :hi:

peace

[Catchawave]

26. Thank you so much....

:hi:

[bpilgrim]

27. no worries

EACH 1 TEACH 1

old african proverb

peace

[Heddi]

55. Hooray! I made it my avatar

It gives me tears in my eyes to just think how pleasant the world would be if humans could be so.....tortise-like.

[bpilgrim]

58. looks good on you =)

i will never forget that story... i tried to make it my avatar, but my old one refuses to leave me for some reason ;->

:hi:

peace

[Tace]

18. This Is A Story That Will Be Unfolding In My Mind For The Rest Of My Life

I'm left pondering...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

23. ~sniffle~

That's just so sweet! :loveya:

I think the tortoise is trying to teach us something.

[YolandaMartinez]

25. This charming story had me in tears!!

How charming and darling that the little rhino loves the turtle. I like hearing that there is great joy in the sunamy countries despite the reckage.

[NYC]

28. Similar family:

This picture is from the New York Public Library. I have no idea how they got together, but once again, it was the infant's doing.



Orphaned warthoglet with Oryx in Africa.

[Lorien]

31. Awwww..

that's a really sweet photo. Thanks for posting, NYC. :hi:

[Piperay]

52. That's so sweet too

THANKS for posting it! :hi: :thumbsup:

[truthpusher]

30. There's a lesson in there somewhere. n/t

[Fleshdancer]

32. that was my first thought too. n/t

[Piperay]

34. Aw that is so sweet and so uplifting

I wish that people could get along half that well.

[xchrom]

35. glorious!

[sportndandy]

36. thanks

[radwriter0555]

37. I could make a mention of Hippo tortoise love and its ramifications on our

society....

Inter-species love is outlawed, right?

[malaise]

38. Beautiful story

You made my day.

[DrWeird]

41. Stories like that make me believe in reincarnation.

I bet they knew each other in a past life.

[Lorien]

44. Another interspecies love affair:

I took these the other night; sorry about the awful piture quality, but you get the idea-
Oberon paws at the window:


And eventually his beloved appears:


I saw a program once that showed a crow taking care of an orphaned kitten day after day, until the cat finally found a human family to stay with. The crow came back every spring. He and the cat would wrestle and play together, and the crow would feed insects to the cat, and sit next to the cat when it was sleeping. Pretty amazing.

[AG78]

45. Hippee the Hippo

Just two more pinko commie liberals.

How could you not love that picture?

[Cocoa]

46. what's next, box turtles?

alert Sen. Cornyn about this perverted story.

[Megahurtz]

47. I think it's cute!

:)

[ernstbass]

48. This post made my day!

[SemperEadem]

49. cute, but very dangerous

Hippos are extremely dangerous and aggressive animals.

[MisterP]

56. is it bad I thought about Barbara Bush?

[6th Borough]

61. THE most dangerous animal in Africa, save mosquitoes.

Little known fact...hippos kill more humans then any other non-insect animal in Africa. That includes all reptilians, lions, etc...only malaria, spread by mosquitoes, is more deadly.

Still a cute pic :D

[henslee]

50. Man that is totally photoshopped! (just kidding)

[Catchawave]

53. This story was on Keith Olbermann tonight!

Be sure to catch the midnight repeat ! They had film of these guys noodling around together. Sooooo cute

[yorkiemommie1]

57. thank you! n/t

[Nevernose]

59. Clearly, these homosexual box tortoises need to be stopped

And I have the congressional record to back me up...

[steely]

66. Next, it'll be dogs and cats living together.

it's all out anarchy (he he)

it IS cute, tho' - and I'm happy for the both of them.

[fortyfeetunder]

62. "Love knows no boundaries"

I feel guilty about getting touched by this story when there are so many young 'uns who've lost their parents. But it does demonstrate that for many animals do have love and caring. For us humans love also knows no boundaries, only if we let them exist.

[neuvocat]

63. Why feel guilty?

After seeing all the bad that's happened, why not enjoy at least one little bit of good that's come of It? That's just silly.

[evolvenow]

64. So poignant. What a fright for a baby. So sad, Glad they have each other.

[whatelseisnew]

65. not to rain on the parade, but...

The tortoise is named Mzee, which is Swahili for old man.

Ms Kimoti said that if the 300kg hippo continued to thrive then in the next few weeks then they would allow the public to see the unlikely pair together before they are separated.

The sanctuary, which is on the site of a former cement factory, then plans to get the help of the Kenya Wildlife Service to place Owen with Cleo, a lonely female hippo in a separate enclosure.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4152447.stm

[Catchawave]

67. I'm glad they plan to separate them....

..baby hippo will get much too large and dangerous for the tortoise!