{"id":484053,"date":"2026-06-05T06:23:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T06:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/484053\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T06:23:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T06:23:14","slug":"hippo-couldnt-sleep-without-mom-so-his-rescuer-moved-his-bed-to-the-floor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/484053\/","title":{"rendered":"Hippo Couldn’t Sleep Without Mom \u2014 So His Rescuer Moved His Bed To The Floor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet Bumpy: a gentle young hippo whose story begins in a tragic place.<\/p>\n

\"babySheldrick Wildlife Trust<\/p>\n

Last month, on May 1, rescuers with the Kenya Wildlife Service Vet and Capture<\/a> team learned about an orphaned hippo struggling to survive at Oloiden Resort in Naivasha, Kenya. When rescuers arrived, they found \u201cpint-sized<\/a>\u201d Bumpy snuggled against his deceased mom.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe clearly didn’t understand the situation,\u201d Sheldrick Wildlife Trust<\/a> wrote in a post about Bumpy<\/a>. \u201cHe was calling out to his mother and nudging her with his blunt little nose, desperately hoping for a response.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rescuers aren\u2019t sure how Bumpy\u2019s mother passed away, but they suspect she died of natural causes. Whatever the case, her little calf was now all alone, unable to take care of himself.<\/p>\n

Kenya Wildlife Service team members safely secured Bumpy and took him to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust nursery in Nairobi for further care.<\/p>\n

At the nursery, Bumpy enjoyed a bottle of milk and relaxed in a blanket. Bumpy\u2019s keeper, Simon, could tell the little hippo missed the comfort of his mother, so he did everything possible to make him feel cozy. He slid a mattress into Bumpy\u2019s enclosure and waited for Bumpy to do the rest.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter his terrible ordeal, [Bumpy] finally felt at peace and slept soundly in the crook of Simon’s arm,\u201d Sheldrick Wildlife Trust wrote. \u201cHe was clearly desperate for comfort and connection and remained glued to his keepers from that moment onwards.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next morning, Bumpy was transported by helicopter to the trust\u2019s Kaluku nursery, where he could continue his recovery.<\/p>\n

\"babySheldrick Wildlife Trust<\/p>\n

Today, Bumpy remains at Kaluku, where he enjoys paddling in his pool, sleeping in the shade on his mattress and looking out over the beautiful Athi River.<\/p>\n

For now, Bumpy still relies on his human rescuers for comfort, but team members are hopeful that he will soon find a new family among other hippos in the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Athi River is home to several resident [hippo] pods, and when he is old enough, we hope that Bumpy will join their ranks,\u201d Sheldrick Wildlife Trust wrote.<\/p>\n

Safe with those who have his best interests at heart, Bumpy doesn\u2019t have to worry about feeling alone ever again.<\/p>\n

To help other animals like Bumpy, you can donate to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust<\/a>. You can keep up with Sheldrick Wildlife Trust on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.\"Goose<\/a>Goose Couple Mourns Their Unhatched Eggs \u2014 Until They Meet Two Adorable Orphans\u201c[It\u2019s a] Disney ending\u201d \ud83d\udc95<\/a>