Meet Bumpy, the orphaned hippo who is hand-reared by caretakers after he is found nudging his dead mother at the edge of a lake
A newborn hippo, aptly named Bumpy, is being cared for by keepers at a Kenyan sanctuary after it was discovered pushing its head against its deceased mother.
The calf was barely a week old and was said to be ‘desperate for comfort’ at the edge of Lake Oloiden in Naivasha.
According to charity workers, the hippo’s mother died while ‘protecting him in a territorial fight’, leaving the baby in the wild.
Bumpy was fished out of the water and taken into the care of the Kenya Wildlife Trust, who brought him to Nairobi. There it was transferred to the Sheldrick Trust.
Angela Sheldrick, head of the charity, told The Times: ‘The calf was desperate for comfort and connection and remained confined to its carers from then on.’
Bumpy spent his first night at a daycare center in the Kenyan capital curled up against a dedicated caregiver named Simon on a mattress on the floor.
He was later flown by helicopter to the Kaluku Reserve near Tsavo East National Park, where he is being cared for by caretakers until he is strong enough to be released back into the wild.
Adorable footage shows the needy calf on top of its caretaker during the helicopter journey to southern Kenya.
A newborn hippo aptly named Bumpy is being cared for by keepers at a Kenyan sanctuary
The calf was discovered pushing its head against its dead mother in a Kenyan lake, after allegedly dying while protecting the calf during a territorial fight (Bumpy is pictured after being fished out of the water)
He spent his first night in a daycare center in Nairobi, cuddled with a dedicated caregiver named Simon
Bumpy was later flown by helicopter to the Kaluku Shrine and spent the journey on top of a guard
Described as ‘full-on’, the hippopotamus ‘follows its keepers around like a shadow’ in the sanctuary
It is hoped that the baby hippo will grow strong enough to be released back into the wild
“Kaluku is an excellent place to raise an orphan hippopotamus,” Ms Sheldrick added. “The nearby Athi River is home to several resident pods.
“When he’s old enough, we hope Bumpy will join them.”
Described as “full-on,” Bumpy “follows his keepers like a shadow” at the sanctuary, where baby elephants and rhinos are often orphaned.
It has its own shallow pool in which it is usually accompanied by a ‘rather boggy’ human companion. Eventually, when Bumpy is a little older, he will be free to bathe in nearby rivers.
The baby joined a 12-month-old hippo named Musumbi at the sanctuary, but the duo are being kept apart for the time being.
It is hoped that when the hippos reach adulthood, they can be released into the Tsavo wilderness to live as part of a group.
The Sheldrick Trust works across Kenya to “protect 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 the Nairobi-based Orphans’ Project.