Orphaned Baby Hippo Bonds With Caretakers After His Mother's Tragic Death

Meet Bumpy, an orphaned baby hippo with a heartbreaking backstory.

Bumpy the hippo was introduced to the world by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT), the organization that rescued him on May 2 in Naivasha, Kenya, after he "tragically lost his mother." In a post shared on the Trust's website, they reveal that the Kenya Wildlife Service Vet and Capture team found Bumpy "nestled beside his mother's lifeless body."

"He clearly didn't understand the situation," they wrote in their statement. "He was calling out to his mother and nudging her with his blunt little nose, desperately hoping for a response."

While vets couldn't pinpoint how Bumpy's mother died, they believed that she could have possibly died after "a territorial fight," or possibly "protecting her calf, as infanticide is common in hippo society."

The vets took Bumpy to the Nairobi Nursery for further evaluation and care, and they revealed that he had bonded closely with his caretakers.

"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," the SWT revealed. "Keeper Simon put his mattress on the ground, and the tiny hippo nestled by his side. After his terrible ordeal, he finally felt at peace and slept soundly in the crook of Simon's arm. He was clearly desperate for comfort and connection and remained glued to his Keepers from that moment onwards."

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The sweet baby was later transferred to SWT's Kaluku facility near Tsavo East National Park, where other orphaned hippos are also raised. Bumpy will eventually join the other hippos when he's older, but for now, he "has a lovely pool to paddle in."

According to the San Diego Zoo, baby hippos typically stay close to their mothers for one to two years after birth. But since Bumpy lost his mother, he's become close to the caretakers who rescued him.

"Bumpy is already hooked on his Keepers," the SWT explained. "He follows them around like a shadow, grunting noisily with every step. He is a very chatty fellow and keeps up a steady stream of conversation. Being such a young baby, he rests plenty and sleeps most soundly when cuddled alongside a Keeper."

Related: Stubborn Baby Pygmy Hippo Won't Leave Ledge, and Keepers Are on Edge

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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 5:11 PM.