Owen and Mzee
Owen and Mzee are a hippopotamus and an Aldabra giant tortoise, respectively, that became the subject of media attention after forming an unusual bond of friendship. They live in Haller Park, Bamburi, Kenya.[1]
Owen was separated from his herd as a juvenile following the December 2004 tsunami and was brought to the . Having no other hippos to interact with, Owen immediately attempted to bond with Mzee (Swahili for old man),[2] whose large domed shell and brown color resembled an adult hippo. Mzee was reluctant about Owen at first but grew to like him and got used to Owen around him.[citation needed]
Once it was determined that Owen had grown too large to safely interact with Mzee, a separate enclosure was built for Owen and a new (female) hippo named Cleo, with whom he bonded quickly. With Owen now twice Mzee's size and well on his way to being socialized to other hippos, the famous friends went their separate ways and Mzee was returned to his original enclosure.[citation needed]
The pair were featured in Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship, a 2006 book by Isabella and Craig Hatkoff, as well as the 2007 sequel Owen and Mzee: The Language of Friendship. Jeanette Winter also created a picture book about Owen titled "Mama: A True Story".[citation needed]
References[]
- ^ Odd couple make friends in Kenya, BBC, 1 January 2005, retrieved 10 June 2008
- ^ "Elder - Swahili translation - bab.la English-Swahili dictionary".
External links[]
- Owen and Mzee's Official Web Site
- Lafarge Eco Systems
- Baby Hippo Orphan Finds a Friend. 4 March 2006.
- There is a 30-minute free documentary available here [1].
- Individual hippopotamuses
- Individual tortoises
- Friendship
- Environment of Kenya
- 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
- Individual animals in Kenya
- Kenya stubs
- Turtle stubs
- Even-toed ungulate stubs