In 2004, a young hippo was separated from his mother by a tsunami. Frightened and alone, the hippo that would come to be known as Owen bonded with a 130-year old tortoise named Mzee. Although Mzee and Owen are no longer in the same enclosure, separated in hopes that Owen (maturing into a young adult) will find his new neighbor, Penelope, most fetching, the media attention that this friendship fostered continues to ripple in the awareness of animal advocates worldwide.
Together, they have become global ambassadors for the care and conservation of wildlife and their habitats, and the unlikely bonds that can form between creatures that seemingly should never fit together. It is a lesson that can not only be applied to the furred and feathered of our world, but to ourselves as well, and the buddy-system of Owen and Mzee is engaging and relateable to people, especially children, who are themselves learning to apply these concepts as they grow.
Books, documentaries, videos, artwork and other educational materials have developed as a result of the partnership, and the Web site link listed above provides access to these materials, games, and information about other animals in the wild. There is also a foundation in their names (owenandmzee.org) which focuses on providing educational grants and activities especially for children, inspiring a new generation of conservationists with the simple concept of working together.
(Re-located from Livejournal. Will move Day 1 post when LJ is operational again, so no fears you missed anything!)
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