On 2 May 2026, the Kenya Wildlife Service Vet and Capture team was called to Oloiden Resort in Naivasha after reports of an orphaned infant hippo. They found the calf nestled beside his mother’s body, nudging her and calling for a response. Based on decomposition, she had been dead for over a day, likely after a territorial fight.
Rescue and transport to Nairobi
The SWT/KWS Rift Valley Mobile Vet Unit transported him to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s Nairobi Nursery. Named Bumpy, he was fed a warm bottle of milk and swaddled in a red blanket. Keeper Simon laid his mattress on the ground, and the tiny hippo slept nestled against him.
Open for fostering
Bumpy has remained glued to his keepers since. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has opened him for fostering through their orphan adoption programme.
Source: Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
