Arabic version: إنقاذ فرس النهر اليتيم بامبي وتربيته يدويًا في كينيا
A baby hippo, named Bumpy, is being hand-reared at a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya after being found orphaned at a lake. According to BBC News, the calf was discovered nudging its deceased mother over the weekend and is believed to be “just days old.”
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rescued Bumpy and transferred the calf to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for specialized care. The mother hippo is thought to have died from natural causes, though KWS noted the possibility of her demise being linked to a “territorial fight… protecting her calf, as infanticide is common in hippo society.”
Rescuing Bumpy posed significant logistical challenges, as the calf was clinging to its deceased mother. KWS made a difficult decision to use the body as an anchor to safely reach the calf. After the rescue, Bumpy spent his first night at a nursery in Nairobi, where he was fed milk and swaddled in a blanket for comfort.
Bumpy was later flown to the Sheldrick’s Kaluku sanctuary near Tsavo East National Park. The sanctuary has been sharing updates about Bumpy, noting that he spends much of his day submerged in water, accompanied by a keeper. The sanctuary describes him as a “very snuggly creature” who is happiest when nestled on or against someone.
At Kaluku, Bumpy joins another young hippo who is nearly a year old, though they are kept in separate areas for now. Both hippos are expected to be released into the wild when they are older. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, founded in 1977, is renowned for its care of orphaned elephants and rhinos, working to rescue and reintegrate them into their natural habitats.
