Owen, a baby hippo orphaned by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, formed an unlikely bond with Mzee, a 130-year-old Aldabra giant tortoise at a Kenyan wildlife sanctuary. The pair became inseparable, sleeping, eating, and playing together for years.
The Hippo and Tortoise Who Became Best Friends
When the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami struck on December 26, 2004, it left destruction across multiple continents. Among the survivors was a baby hippopotamus, stranded and alone on a coral reef near Malindi, Kenya. Villagers worked for hours to rescue the 600-pound calf, eventually using fishing nets and boats to bring him to safety.
They named him Owen, after one of his rescuers.
An Unlikely Adoption
Owen was taken to Haller Park, an ecological park in Mombasa. Still traumatized and searching for his mother, the young hippo did something no one expected—he immediately bonded with Mzee, a 130-year-old Aldabra giant tortoise whose gray, round shape perhaps reminded Owen of an adult hippo.
At first, Mzee wanted nothing to do with the clingy youngster. The ancient tortoise hissed and tried to crawl away. But Owen was persistent, following Mzee everywhere. Within days, something remarkable happened: Mzee accepted him.
A Bond That Defied Nature
The pair became genuinely inseparable. They would:
- Sleep curled up together at night
- Swim and wade in the pond side by side
- Eat together, with Owen sometimes feeding Mzee by mouth
- Develop their own unique communication sounds
Scientists were stunned. Hippos and tortoises have no natural reason to interact, let alone form such an intense attachment. Yet here was a 130-year-old reptile essentially adopting and nurturing a baby mammal.
World Famous Friends
News of Owen and Mzee spread globally. Their story was featured in documentaries, newspapers, and inspired multiple children's books. Scientists studied their bond, trying to understand how two such different species could form what appeared to be a genuine emotional connection.
Dr. Paula Kahumbu, who helped care for the animals, noted that Owen seemed to view Mzee as a mother figure. He would rest his head on Mzee's shell, nuzzle against him, and become distressed when separated.
Growing Up and Moving On
As Owen matured, his growing size and increasingly boisterous hippo behavior became too much for his elderly companion. Adult hippos are territorial and potentially dangerous—even to a tortoise with a protective shell. For Mzee's safety, the pair were eventually separated, and Owen was introduced to a female hippo named Cleo.
Owen lived out his days at Haller Park until his death in November 2023 at age 19. Mzee, remarkably, may still be alive—Aldabra tortoises can live well past 150 years.
Their story remains one of the most touching examples of interspecies friendship ever documented, proving that the need for connection and comfort transcends the boundaries nature supposedly sets.