Father In a Half Shell

After the December 26, 2004 tsunami, this Kenyan baby hippo lost its mother, washing upriver, traumatized. Instead of retracing its steps home, it found a surrogate mother in this old male turtle. The two now swim and eat together happily with the hippo tagging along its “mother”. Go to Animal Planet for the full story. The Sea Turtle One of the oldest and most revered creatures on Earth, some species of the sea turtle has existed for over 100 million years. Millions of them swam in our oceans once. What happened? About a hundred years ago, the turtle trade began. People started hunting them for their meat, eggs, skin and shell. With human population growth, coastal development has overtaken nesting and feeding grounds. Birds, raccoons, crabs, and ants also take their share of the eggs. It’s a wonder that sea turtles still exist. To prevent its extinction, some countries have drawn protection laws making it illegal to harm or hunt them. Steps are being made by conservation groups to ensure that the environment is safer for these animals. Please visit The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for more information on how you can help.