Rescuers Save Days-Old Hippo Calf Clinging to Dead Mother in Kenyan Lake

Rescuers saved a baby hippo that had been nudging its dead mother at a lake in Kenya over the weekend. The calf, now named Bumpy, is being hand-reared at a wildlife sanctuary after the rescue.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the charity caring for it, said Bumpy was just days old when it became orphaned. The Kenya Wildlife Service rescued the calf from the water and handed it over for specialized care. KWS said the mother may have died from natural causes.

Sheldrick said the mother possibly died in a territorial fight while protecting her calf, as infanticide is common in hippo society. Rescuing the calf proved a logistical challenge, with the animal clinging to its dead mother. KWS made a painful decision to use the decomposing body as the only anchor to safely reach the calf.

Sheldrick noted the mother had been dead for more than a day, based on the decomposition. After the rescue, Bumpy spent its first night at a nursery in Nairobi, fed milk and swaddled in a blanket.

The charity said Bumpy was clearly desperate for comfort and connection and has stayed glued to its keepers. The calf was later flown by helicopter to Sheldrick's Kaluku sanctuary near Tsavo East National Park, to remain until ready for wild release.

The sanctuary has shared updates on Bumpy at a pool near the Athi River. "[Bumpy] 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," Sheldrick said.

"He is a very snuggly creature and is happiest when nestled on or against someone," the sanctuary added. Bumpy joins another young hippo nearly a year old at Kaluku, though they are kept in different areas.

Both are expected to be released when grown to join wild hippos. Wildlife experts say a hippo calf nurses for up to a year or more but stays closely attached to its mother for several years until around sexual maturity.