Orphaned baby rhino and zebra have made headlines after forging a very special bond following their rescue.
Daisy is a 7-month-old rhino who became best friends with Modjadji the zebra after the pair were found abandoned in the wild.
Following their rescue, both animals were taken in by Care For Wild, an animal sanctuary located in Barberton Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga, South Africa.
There, the two youths quickly bonded and forged a one-of-a-kind friendship.
As the staff explained, little Daisy, who was in a terrible condition when she arrived at the sanctuary, was saved thanks to Modjadji’s constant cuddles and devotion.
“This little orphan zebra has been a life saver, always there for her rhino friend,” the workers, who are documenting the unique friendship on Instagram, wrote in one post.
“Modjadji is still a baby herself. Just over eight weeks old, she is also drinking milk every three hours around the clock.”
Explaining the zebra’s tough life story, they added: “Found alone and barely alive after heavy rains and storms, Modjadji was brought to ICU.
“Extremely compromised and with a severe anemia, she received a blood transfusion from another zebra which saved her life. Now a lot stronger, Modjadji watches over our littlest rhino orphan and we love her so much!”
The staff also revealed that Daisy was found just weeks after Modjadji during a routine check at Kruger National Park back in December.
At the time of her discovery, Daisy was just hours old and suffered from a “nasty umbilical infection” that rendered her extremely vulnerable and weak.
Once in the sanctuary, the rhino received a plasma transfusion and remained in the ICU for several months.
“On this date 7 months ago, the tiniest of rhinos calves landed at Care For Wild’s helipad. She took her first steps in the ICU. The months that followed would be some of the toughest and most challenging we have yet experienced,” the sanctuary explained in a recent post.
“Daisy took us and the vets on a learning curve like never before. Despite being sample sized, she climbed into the hearts of thousands all over the world with her dinosaur ears, droopy lips and resilience to survive.”
The staff went on to say that when old and strong enough, Daisy will start her rewilding program to be released back into her natural habitat.
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