“Pictures of Baby Rhinos and Baby Zebras Who Are Best Friends.”
“A place in South Africa that cares for rhinos is sharing sweet pictures that show a close friendship between a young rhino and a young zebra. Both of them were discovered alone and in need of help in the wild.”
“The Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary in South Africa discovered a baby zebra in Kruger National Park, which is one of Africa’s biggest wildlife reserves.”
“Modjadji was taken to the sanctuary’s intensive care unit (ICU) at the end of November. She was found very still and hardly breathing on the reserve after heavy rains and storms. At the time, Modjadji was believed to be only a week old.”
“A few days later, in early December 2021, park rangers found a baby rhino all by itself, struggling to survive. This baby rhino still had its umbilical cord attached, and it was estimated to be less than a day old when it was found and quickly taken to the sanctuary’s intensive care unit.”
“We don’t know for sure why Daisy was left alone, but she was found during a very sad time. Many rhinos were killed by poachers in South Africa in just a few days. The poachers take the mothers’ horns, which are valuable in places like China. When this happens, the baby rhinos are often left without their mothers.”
“Both animals made it through with continuous care and treatment. The zebra was named Modjadji, and the rhino was named Daisy.”
“Hello, everyone! I’m Daisy, and today I’m one week old! I don’t remember much about the past week because I’ve been sleeping a lot. My new family tells me they’ve been taking care of me every hour, day and night. It’s true; they’re always there when I wake up feeling a bit scared. I really love my milk, but because I’m still very small, my tummy can only hold a little bit. I used to have a bottle every hour, but now it’s every two hours. I didn’t get colostrum from my mom, so I was quite weak and could get sick easily. Earlier this week, the older orphans helped me by giving me plasma, which has made me stronger. I’m getting stronger every day, and my belly button is starting to heal and close up. My human family is making sure it stays clean while it heals. They say I’ll soon have other rhino friends to play with, and I’m really excited about that! Many babies have arrived at Care for Wild this week, and we’ll introduce you to all of them later this afternoon.”
“A Lovely Friendship Begins.”
“In the following weeks and months, the two little ones found solace in each other’s company and quickly became close friends.”
“Modjadji is a wonderful friend to Daisy, and she’s very affectionate toward her,” the sanctuary shared with Newsweek. “They snuggle together at night, which makes Daisy feel safe and secure. Modjadji is a constant companion who can be with Daisy all day and night, reducing the need for too much human interaction with her.”
“Christmas was quite busy for the team because Daisy faced some challenges over the holiday weekend. Caregivers were with her around the clock in the ICU. She’s very delicate right now, so every day she’s with us is like a miracle. We’re happy to share that there’s improvement, and she still has her strong will to eat everything in sight! These are all positive signs. Please keep this little 18-day-old baby in your thoughts and prayers.”
“The two friends hugging.”
“Daisy is now one month old! Thank you for your continuous prayers, messages, love, and support for this young rhino.”
“Daisy is truly thriving. Daily weigh-ins help the caregivers keep a close eye on her growth and development. Modjadji often supervises this process, and she has even started inspecting the milk preparations for her friends!”
“Nothing escapes these two!” the sanctuary posted on January 28th. “While they were playing outside the ICU, Modjadji decided to give Daisy a tour of where the milk is prepared. These two friends are becoming quite playful and mischievous.”
“Modjadji is incredibly sweet and gentle, and she adores cuddling. She’s always affectionate with little Daisy, but today, she approached caregiver Will and simply leaned in for a hug.”
“The bond between these two little ones is truly unique,” the sanctuary shared on March 30th. “Daisy depends on Modjadji for comfort and companionship. Modjadji is incredibly loving and looks out for her friend.”
“Even though Daisy will eventually join other orphaned rhinos and Modjadji will rejoin a herd of zebras, their special friendship will forever remain an important part of their journey to recovery.”
“Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary has a reputation for uniting unexpected animal friendships. As noted by Laughing Squid, they’ve previously played a role in nurturing a bond between a rescued baby black rhino and a rescued goat.”
“Daisy will continue to receive milk until she’s about 17 months old, and she’ll enter the rewilding program when she’s around 3 years old. The sanctuary’s goal is to release her back into the wild one day, in line with their vision of supporting the conservation of healthy Black and White Rhino populations in protected areas through community participation and sustainable solutions.”