Unlikely Friendships : 47 Remarkable Stories From the Animal Kingdom (10 page)

{S
OUTH
A
FRICA
, 2006}

Humphrey the hippo arrived at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve at about six months of age. The reserve is best known for the animals listed in its name, especially the endangered rhinos that have been successfully bred there in the last decade. But other species are also welcome on the grounds—as was the case with Humphrey.

According to Lorinda Hern, whose father Ed owns the South African facility, the hippo had been completely hand-reared. He'd lived inside a house with his human “family” and lounged around in their backyard pool until he grew too huge for domestic life. At that point the family tried to keep him outside, but Humphrey, spoiled by his days as a house pet, would have none
of it. He broke down doors to get back inside.

Perhaps his fervor shouldn't have been surprising. A hippo isn't the kind of animal to sit quietly and take whatever comes—unless it is relaxed and wallowing in a cool river. Mostly, hippos aggressively guard their territory. And though they may seem slow and lumbering, they can run over 20 miles an hour. In Africa, many consider the hippopotamus to be the most dangerous of all wild creatures, as they are said to kill more humans than any other large animal—including crocodiles and lions.

Fortunately, in the case of the human-friendly Humphrey, there was never any fear of an intentional attack. It was just the unintentional “collateral damage” of keeping a 4-ton hippo in a house that finally pushed his owners over the edge, which is how Humphrey ended up on the reserve.

Once he was there, the staff decided to introduce Humphrey to a “friend” right away to keep him from getting lonely and possibly acting out his frustrations again.

Enter one Cameroon mountain goat (also called a pygmy goat). The two seemed unconcerned by differences in size and species, and each found a friend in the
other. The goat proved to be a somewhat unfortunate role model, however. Cameroon mountain goats are endlessly curious, excellent escape artists, and notorious climbers quite capable of scaling a fence or even getting onto the roof of a building to see what's there. And the hippo, already prone to poor behavior, seemed content to copy his bovid friend's antics. He'd happily climb the fences of his pen—as much as a hippopotamus can be said to “climb” anything—and he'd surprise terrified tourists into giving up the contents of their picnic baskets.

Despite the mischief, the friendship did provide much-needed company for the lone hippo. And here comes the even more unexpected finish: Just before Humphrey was transferred to a private reserve elsewhere, he was discovered to be … a she!

{N
EW YORK
, U.S.A., 2008}

Many peculiar things can be seen wandering the streets of New York City, but iguanas aren't typically among them. Yet one day, at Seventy-First Street and Thirteenth Avenue in Brooklyn, an iguana ambled past a man who, after a double take, decided the animal just didn't belong. He snatched it up with plans to give it a home, but his wife was less than thrilled. “You're not bringing that
thing
in here,” she declared. So he called a friend with a giant soft spot for animals.

Rina Deych is a registered nurse and often does volunteer work on animal welfare issues. Her apartment already a zoo, she took the foot-long iguana without question and quickly researched what he needed. She bought an enclosure, humidifier, heaters, and
special bulbs that mimic sunlight. “I was pleased that at least he was vegetarian,” says Rina, a vegan with a fridge well stocked with leafy greens, yellow veggies, and fruits. “Of course, I would have welcomed him, regardless.” She named him Sobe.

The reptile thrived under her care, soon stretching to four and a half feet, nose to tail tip. Meanwhile, another needy critter found his way to Rina's door. “The kitten was near death when I found him,” she says. “It's as if he knew, or the mother cat who dropped him there knew, that this was a sanctuary for animals.” Even though the tiny feline had pneumonia, eye infections, and nasty infestations of fleas and worms, Rina felt she could save him and refused her vet's offer to euthanize him.