![]() ![]() Mzee quickly came to terms with his new friend and even returned signs of affection. Mzee, our 130 year old tortoise, just happened to be nearby and he was very surprised by Owen's odd behavior cowering behind him as a baby hippo does to its mother. As we left for Mombasa, the crowd unanimously agreed to name him 'Owen' in honor of the volunteer who tackled him to the ground.Įxhausted, confused and extremely frightened, Owen immediately ran to the safety of a giant tortoise when we released him in Haller Park. Tangled in fishing ropes, angry and tired, the hippo did not seem to appreciate our rescue at all. Lafarge Eco Systems agreed to provide a home for the baby hippo and I rushed to Malindi to collect him. It took a brave rugby tackle to finally capture him, and the cheering of the crowd could be heard over a kilometer away. It took ropes, boats, nets and cars -though the hippo was tired he was still fast and slippery. Hundreds of people came to watch the efforts to rescue the hippo. It was the baby and he was stranded on the reef. ![]() The next day only one hippo could be seen. When the Tsunami hit Malindi, the sea turned angry, the sky clouded over and for a moment the hippos disappeared and were forgotten as all efforts went to rescuing the stranded fishermen. The residents of the town tried in vain to urge the family back up the estuary. ![]() Just before Christmas the unseasonably heavy rains near Malindi town washed a family of hippopotamuses down the Sabaki River and out to sea. Although we escaped the waves, a one year old hippopotamus 80 kilometers away was not as lucky. They were all crying having just seen on television the haunting images of the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami. We ran from the beach back to my house where my sister and her children were waiting for us. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |