Sometimes relationships and friendships can come from the most unlikely of places. Such as humans and their pets like a cat or dog. Obviously, it’s not the same type of relationship as say between humans but these relationships are still valuable. Our pets give us comfort when other people often can’t and an impartial ear to listen when we need it most.
That can be the way when you have a unique situation like an animal that has been orphaned or lost its family. As babies, they need connection and bonding with others of their tribe to become social members of their society. If nothing else for comfort, warmth, and love, which is something we all need.
Queue a very unlikely pair that met at The Rhino Orphanage in South Africa.
A baby Rhino, to be named Marang meaning “ray of sunshine” was only 10 days old when he arrived at the shelter. The rescue workers found him laying next to his mother covered in her blood after she was killed by poachers.
Marang was too little and young to be placed with the other orphaned Rhinos, so he spent a lot of time by himself. Knowing it is important for young animals to create bonds outside of just human beings the workers at the orphanage were worried little Marang wouldn’t get the socialization he needed.
This is when something strange and wonderful happened.
Workers were overjoyed when a little lamb named Elsa seemed to take an interest in Marang and would meander into his room to see him. Elsa being an orphan herself, left behind mistakenly when her family was transported from the farm she was born on, seemed to understand the plight of Marang. And while he was recovering Elsa would go into his room more and more to lay with him and keep him company.
Elsa had also been through a trying period, arriving at the shelter at just 5 days old. She suffered from extreme bloat that made eating and getting proper nourishment a challenge. But no one would give up on her and after many tricks and trials, they finally were able to get her eating at a normal rate and gain not only weight but strength.
This little lamb showed the same gumption as Marang which may be another reason they became such close friends.
Once Marang was strong enough he began to venture outside of his room into the fresh air and sunshine. Elsa, of course, followed him and the pair would spend the day basking on a blanket in the sun together. It wouldn’t be long before Marang was able to start exploring the grounds of the property and who was right behind him? You guessed it, his new BFF Elsa.
These two have become inseparable and have proven you really can find friends in the most unlikely of places.
They continue to spend their days together wandering the property and soaking up the sunshine. The orphanage believes they would sleep together as well except Elsa has a habit of scaring poor Marang with her random bleats in the night. But you never know, perhaps he’ll get used to it someday.
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