A baby hippo in Kenya is getting a second chance after rescuers found him clinging to his dead mother at a lake over the weekend.
The Kenya Wildlife Service discovered the calf, now named Bumpy, and officials said they believe the adult hippo may have died of natural causes, the BBC reported. Some rescuers said it is also possible she was killed in a territorial fight while protecting her calf, “as infanticide is common in hippo society,” according to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
Bumpy, who is only days old, is now being hand-reared by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
After the rescue, he spent his first night in Nairobi, where he was fed milk and wrapped in a blanket, before he was airlifted to Sheldrick’s Kaluku sanctuary near Tsavo East National Park, according to the BBC.
The trust said Bumpy is receiving close care as he adjusts to life without his mother.
“[Bumpy] spends a lot of the day submerged, but never alone. A rather waterlogged keeper is by his side throughout the day, in the water or on the ground,” the sanctuary said.
“He is a very snuggly creature and is happiest when nestled on or against someone.”
Caring for him will take time. Wildlife experts say young hippos can nurse for more than a year in the wild and stay strongly bonded to their mothers for several more years.
Bumpy will remain at Sheldrick’s Kaluku sanctuary until he is ready to be released back into the wild.
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is known for caring for orphaned elephants and rhinos, with a focus on rescuing and reintegrating them into the wild rather than keeping them in captivity.
“He is a very snuggly creature and is happiest when nestled on or against someone.”
Read more from The Cool Down.
