You never know where a helpful nudge might come from. Or in this case, two helpful nudges.
A pair of hippos helped a struggling duckling out of a pond at Diergaarde Blijdorp zoo in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on Saturday. The footage was captured by Breshna Senchi.
“I had just taken my son and daughter to the zoo. At first we were worried that the bird was about to be eaten, but the hippos really wanted to help,” said Senchi.
Senchi’s fears were absolutely reasonable. Although hippos may look cuddly, they are in fact among the most dangerous and aggressive of all mammals. But it seems even the innately grumpy can have a heart.
The footage reveals a lone hippo attempting to help the panicked duckling. Then, unable to succeed, he submerges himself in the water and returns with a friend. Together they form a sort of barrier and successfully buoy the little guy out of the pond.
Image via z2amiller/Flickr
