Unlikely friendship formed in the face of adversity
An orphaned four-week-old rhino and a seemingly abandoned zebra foal have formed an unusual yet strong friendship following their recoveries at Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary.
Staff at the sanctuary posted a poignant moment on its Facebook page of the two unlikely friends cuddling up to each other in one of the sanctuary’s bomas.
The caption read, “Friendship comes in all different shapes, sizes and situations. And sometimes, the strongest of friendships form during the hardest of times. Human or animal, everyone needs a friend to tell them, ‘You’re not alone, we’ll get through this together.'”
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The estimated month-old rhino calf was brought into Care for Wild on December 1 after being rescued from an undisclosed location by veterinarian Dr Ben Muller and helicopter pilot Gerry McDonald.
Meanwhile, the young zebra foal was estimated to be just under one week old and was found barely alive before being rushed to the sanctuary for treatment in late November.
According to Care for Wild’s Facebook page, the rhino calf was admitted to Care for Wild’s ICU following his arrival, and was monitored closely for the next 24 hours as the team worked relentlessly to stabilise the calf and encourage him to take milk from a bottle.
“While the news of another rhino lost to poaching is devastating, we are so grateful to all the rhino warriors involved in saving the life of this precious little baby,” said the Facebook post.
Meanwhile, the zebra foal, that had been found motionless and barely breathing after heavy rain and storms, is now doing much better.
Care for Wild posted on Facebook that “the tiny baby was in a very bad condition”.
It said veterinary examinations and blood tests revealed septicaemia and severe anaemia, and despite treatment and care, she remained very weak and could not stand unaided.
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“Thanks to the support of Animal Survival International, veterinarian Dr Hayden Cuthill and Louis van Wyk of wildlifevets.com were able to administer a blood transfusion with blood collected from a healthy adult zebra,” said the Facebook post.
With both the rhino calf and the zebra foal now on the road to recovery, Care for Wild said the pair were both progressing well in ICU.
“It’s so important to remember that these are very early days in their rehabilitation journey, and they will require round-the-clock care and feeding for some time.
“It takes an immense amount of dedication, hard work, passion and commitment to raise these little ones, but most of all, it takes an open and willing heart strong enough to carry these babies through their darkest times.
“For our team of caregivers, motivation and strength is ignited by the knowledge that one day, these small orphans will be rehabilitated, rewilded and released. They are the future of the species and they represent hope for us all.”
To make donations to the sanctuary and aid in the healing of these animals, visit the Facebook page, Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary, or the website, www.careforwild.co.za.
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