SHANGRALA'S
THE
HIPPO
AND
TORTOISE 2!
A year after they first met, Owen, the baby hippo that survived last December's Tsunami, and Mzee, a 130-year-old tortoise are still best pals. They live together at the Haller Park preserve in Mombasa, Kenya.
Last year when Owen first arrived, the tortoise resisted his companionship, but the persistent Owen kept following him around the park, into the pool and trying to sleep next to him. Mzee relented after several days. As the bond grew, the tortoise even returned signs of affection. They are now inseparable. Conservation workers soon plan to introduce Owen to a 13-year-old female hippo named Cleo, hoping to see the two develop a strong relationship. The female hippo has lived without companionship from her species for more than a decade. The delicate process will begin with getting the two animals to meet and get used to each other's smell before they move them into a larger enclosure together with the tortoise. |