When we imagine rescue animals, we tend to think of stray or surrendered cats and dogs that someone has sadly mistreated at some point in their lives.
However, it’s important to remember that this can happen to any animal , including ones that don’t even seem like they belong on the same continent as us.
But while it may not be common to see lions, tigers and bears living together, circumstances can not only make this a reality but also lead them to forge incredibly wholesome bonds.
And as one beautiful story from a sanctuary in South Africa illustrates, these animals can surprise even their carers with how close they can get.
On December 9, the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary admitted a baby Rhino named Daisy who was just 12 hours old at the time.
According to People , she still had her umbilical cord attached and was too weak to stand.
As a representative from the sanctuary wrote in a Facebook post , “This tiny, miniature rhino instantly climbed into our hearts. With her oversized feet, droopy lips, and hairy ears, she looked prehistoric, and yet she was so unbelievably vulnerable.”
She needed to be fed around the clock, but there was more to her problems than that.
Because Daisy had to go without her mother’s milk, she was left vulnerable to illnesses due to missing out on the colostrum that would have otherwise supported her immune system.
This means she’s spent a lot of time in the sanctuary’s ICU, where she’s undergone a regimen of plasma transfusions and antibiotics.
While her health has improved in the weeks since, the path ahead of her is still uncertain enough that staff are calling each day with her a miracle.
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But it seems like that’s not the only miracle the sanctuary has seen since Daisy’s arrival.
Shortly after she first showed up, a zebra foal named Modjadji who was also brought to the ICU after surviving extreme storms started befriending her.
And it’s still a common sight to see Modjadji nuzzle and cuddle with the baby rhino today.
For the duo’s carers, this bond they’ve formed could be a powerful factor in Daisy’s fight to survive.
As a representative from the sanctuary put it, “She has befriended little Daisy and is really offering her a lot of comfort. She is incredibly gentle with her, and the two seem to be good friends already.”
h/t: People
