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Unlikely Friends

In Kenya, Africa innumerable pods of hippos roam along the Sabaki River. Massive rains come every December and flood the nearby rivers. On December 26, 2004 high waves from the ocean washed a small one-year old hippo out to sea. Villagers in the area tried to pull the baby hippo on to their fishing boats to save him from drowning. A man named Owen Sobien finally tackled the hippo and go him to a safe area. The villagers thought that since Owen Sobien saved the hippo Owen was a good name for him. After the hippo had settled down they needed to find a good home. The villagers didn't know where Owen's pod was so they could not return him to his family. The villagers called Haller Park, an animal sanctuary in Mombasa. Dr. Paula Kahumbu, who is the manager welcomed Owen and gave him a place to live in Haller Park. The area chosen for Owen was a very large enclosure, which was already home to a variety of animals including vervet monkeys, bushbucks and a 130 year-old Aldabra tortoise named Mzee. Mzee preferred to be alone, and no one expected what would happen next. When the staff at Haller Park put Owen in his enclosure Mzee didn't like all of the attention that Owen was getting so he walked away. Then Owen started to follow him. That night they were found sleeping next to each other. With Mzee's help Owen began to eat and drink. Some people think that Owen sees Mzee as a father or mother. Some think Owen sees Mzee as another hippo. Some think that they are just good friends.

This article was based off of Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu's book, Owen and Mzee