One day after a devastating tsunami sent surging waves along the coast of Kenya on Dec. 26, 2004, villagers found a baby hippopotamus in the sea, stranded on a sandy coral reef without his mother.

Hundreds of villagers worked together to save the hippo, who they knew would become sick if he stayed in the salty seawater too long.

Two feet tall and 600 pounds, the baby hippopotamus was secured in nets and named "Owen" after a rescuer. He was hoisted into the back of a pickup truck and taken to Haller Park, an animal sanctuary about 50 miles away in the city of Mombasa.



Once at Haller Park, Owen was placed in an enclosure with a 130-year-old tortoise called Mzee -- the oldest resident in the park. That night, Owen snuggled up against Mzee. As the days passed, the unlikely pair became friends; soon they were inseparable. They slept together, and Mzee showed Owen what to eat. They learned to trust one another.

Their story of friendship gained international attention. People were surprised that a mammal, such as Owen, and a reptile, such as Mzee, could form such a strong bond.

See the full story on ldschurchnews.com.

---

This story is provided by the LDS Church News, an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is produced weekly by the Deseret News.