At the beginning of May 2026, the Kenya Wildlife Service Vet and Capture team had received reports of an orphaned hippo in the area of Naivasha. When rescuers arrived, there he was – a pint sized hippo, only a few days old calf, lying beside his mother’s lifeless body.
The calf had been calling out for his mother while nudging her with his nose. He did not understand she would never wake up again. Needless to say, the site was heartbreaking.
The mother had been deceased at least a day or so, and experts believe she may have died of natural causes, or she could have been protecting her calf against predators. Living in the wild is always a challenge, but the baby was defenseless and had no chance of survival unless he was taken to a wildlife sanctuary where he could be raised, nurtured and eventually released in an area of hippos.
Bumpy spent his first night at the Nairobi Nursery, where he was fed a warm bottle of milk and swaddled in a cherry red blanket. Keeper Simon put his mattress on the ground, and the tiny hippo nestled by his side. Cuddled in Simon’s arms, Bumpy slept soundly.
The calf was transported to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in the backseat of a helicopter and kept warm and secure with a comforting blanket. Amazingly, he took it quite well and had an instant connection and bonding with Keeper Joseph. Oh, those little hippo grunts grabbed hearts.
Kaluku is where Bumpy will be raised. The Athi River is home to several resident pods, and when he is old enough, hopefully Bumpy will join their ranks.
But for now, he has a lovely pool to paddle in. True to hippo form, spends a lot of the day submerged — but never alone. A rather waterlogged Keeper is by his side throughout the day, in the water or on the ground.
Bumpy, like most babies, loves to nap, and as long as a Keeper is there to cuddle him, he snores up a storm.
Bumpy is not the only hippo at Kaluku; he joins one-year-old Musumbi. The boys have their own individual areas, but are aware of each other’s presence. Neither seem to be interested, and their first priorities are their affectionate and attentive Keepers.
Check out his video:
CREDIT: FAIR USE No infringement intended, for transformational educational commentary.
Credit & Courtesy of//:@sheldrickwildlifetr
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