Helpful hippo takes up life-guarding duties

A hippo has started acting as a lifeguard on an African river.

The water-loving creature has taken it upon itself to rescue animals which get stuck as they cross a river in Kenya during the present migration season.

Visitors watching the wildebeest - also known as gnu - cross the Mara River were astonished to see the hippo, a natural predator, emerge from the river and rescue a young wildebeest calf which was separated from its mother by the strong current.

Abdul Karim, the head guide at Sanctuary Olonana in the Masai Mara, Kenya said: "To everyone's amazement the hippo came to the gnu's rescue and pushed it gently to the river bank."

Less than 10 minutes later the hippo then helped a zebra which was struggling to get across the river, with the hippo helping it keep its head above water and pushing it across to the opposite bank.

Abdul added: "It was an unforgettable incident. Maternal love can be so strong it can even surpass species boundaries."

Huge numbers of game move between Kenya and Tanzania's Serengeti National Park every year searching for fresh land to graze.