Baby hippo Bumpy rescued in Kenya finds new family at sanctuary

A baby hippo who was found alone beside his dead mother in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley has been given a second chance at life after being rescued and taken into the care of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.Bumpy was only a few days old when Kenya Wildlife Service’s veterinary and capture team received reports of an orphaned hippo in Naivasha on May 2, 2026. When rescuers arrived, they found the tiny calf beside his mother’s body.Rangers believed the mother had died the previous day, likely while trying to protect her young calf.Baby hippo found beside his motherAccording to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Bumpy remained beside his mother after her death, seemingly unable to understand what had happened.“After her death, her baby remained by her side, confused and with nowhere else to go,” the rescue organization said.