Just Another Turtle Story?

The Tortoise and the Hippo...

"Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves."

Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed, and the turtle story that follows is a perfect example of that truth. It may not be a turtle story that took place on Anna Maria Island, but if you love turtles the way we love turtles then you are going to love the story about the Tortoise and the Hippo!

It's been reported out of NAIROBI by the AFP, that a baby hippopotamus surviving 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.

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. Fortunately, Owen was rescued by wildlife rangers and taken to the Lafarge Park animal facility in Mombassa.

"It is incredible. A less than one year old hippo has adopted a century old male tortoise and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a the hippo's mother," according to ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park.

"After it was swept away 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 followed its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother. '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"

"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. Look beyond the differences and find a way to walk the path together."

"Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others, cannot keep it from themselves."