Owen the Hippo - Update

Remember that horrible tsunami in December 2004? Most of us saw in horror the devastation in Asia. Few of us knew that it also reached Africa.

This baby hippo was rescrued from the sea. I'll keep this story short as most of the world had seen this, but would like to give you an update.




Owen was brought to Haller wild life park and quickly attached himself to a giant tortoise, Mzee.





I found two updates from eyewitnesses: Heartache.

Four and a half years later, Owen and Mzee were moved to a new spot in the park with a female hippo named Cleo. Cleo is 13 year old hippo who has been without hippo companionship for 10 years.

"Owen had gotten too big and had attacked Mzee. Mzee had to be removed and taken to the vet hospital so they were not sure they could continue to keep them together. Owen also did not really enjoy Cleo's company."

"Cleo started bullying one of the other tortoises in the enclosure. When they pulled him out he had bruises and marks all over from the rough treatment so as a precaution they took Mzee out of the enclosure and put him back in his old enclosure with Toto a female Aldabran tortoise. The public had been writing the man who took care of them asking when he would be returned and he responded saying that they will not be reunited as Owen is doing well with Cleo and finally acting as a hippopotamus should and even if they were to reunite the two they have both grown accustomed to being seperated and they are not sure they would even have the same reaction to one another."

btw, Hippos are one of the most dangerous and unpredicatable animals. Except Jessica, of course.