A newborn hippo, aptly named Bumpy, is being cared for by keepers at a Kenyan sanctuary after being discovered nudging his head against his dead mother. Barely a week old, Bumpy was found 'desperate for comfort' on the edge of Lake Oloiden in Naivasha.
The hippo's mother is thought to have died 'protecting him in a territorial fight', according to charity workers, leaving the baby stranded in the wild. Bumpy was fished out of the water and taken in by the Kenya Wildlife Trust, who drove him to Nairobi. There, he was handed over to the Sheldrick Trust.
Angela Sheldrick, head of the charity, told The Times: 'The calf was desperate for comfort and connection and remained glued to his keepers from that moment onwards.' Bumpy spent his first night in human care at a nursery in the Kenyan capital, curled up against a devoted keeper named Simon on a mattress set up on the floor.
He was later flown by helicopter to the Kaluku sanctuary near Tsavo East National Park, where he is being looked after by keepers until he is strong enough to be released back into the wild. The infant was said to have spent the journey cuddled up on top of a keeper on the back seat of the chopper.
Described as 'full-on', Bumpy 'follows his keepers around like a shadow' at the sanctuary, where baby elephants and rhinos are often orphaned. He has his own shallow pool in which he is usually joined by a 'rather waterlogged' human companion. Eventually, when Bumpy is a little older, he will be free to bathe in nearby rivers.
'Kaluku is an excellent place to raise an orphaned hippo,' Ms Sheldrick added. 'The nearby Athi River is home to several resident pods. When he is old enough, we hope that Bumpy will join their ranks.' The baby joined a 12-month-old hippo named Musumbi at the sanctuary, but the duo are being kept apart for now. It is hoped that when they have grown up, the hippos can be freed into Tsavo's wilderness to live as part of a group.
The Sheldrick Trust works across Kenya 'safeguarding the natural environment', according to its website. It was founded in 1977 by Dame Daphne Sheldrick, Angela's mother, and is best known for rescuing, raising, and rewilding elephants and rhinos at its Nairobi-based Orphans' Project.
