For hundreds of years, a dog has been known to be a man’s best friend.
However, this relationship may be in jeopardy due to the link between this pet and an orphaned baby elephant.
The African calf named Ellie was rejected by his herd and later adopted by the Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage in South Africa, where his budding friendship with the resident dog Duma helps him recover.
Ellie, pictured, was taken to Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage in South Africa after being a.ban.doned by his herd
Through his friendship with resident pet Duma, pictured, the elephant is now making a recovery
The dog has become so protective of Ellie that staff say they struggle to separate the pair
Their playful antics were captured in a video uploaded to YouTube that has revealed even more tragedies behind Ellie’s young life.
Speaking to Earth Touch News, Karen Trendler, an expert in rehabilitation and crisis response, said that elephant interactions with the Duma were the key to its development.
She said: “The really interesting thing was that the elephant’s calf was particularly weak and particularly s.ick. I didn’t show much interest in doing anything; I was lethargic and distracted.
“We introduced Duma to the elephant in the sand pile and he immediately cheered him up.
“It had a big impact on Ellie, as she suddenly became a little interested in life again. In the past few weeks, they have expanded this relationship.
“They have a dog and an elephant who behave completely differently and play more and more. It is difficult for us to keep the Duma away; it is becoming more and more protective!
Ellie, pictured with Duma, had an abscess on his belly that 99 percent would not survive
Staff say Ellie did not show any interest in life and was ‘particularly lethargic’ before meeting Duma
“Ellie was a.ban.doned by her flock for unknown reasons and the center made several attempts to bring them together without success.
Ms. Trendler said that when Ellie was found, she had an abscess in the navel area, which meant that it was effectively open.
She said: “He was very infected and it was directly related to his blood supply. In 99 percent of cases, an umbilical abscess of this type is fatal.
“Despite the odds, this little elephant is still with us.”
Ms. Trendler said feeding Ellie was also a big problem because she was intolerant of milk, even special milk imported from Zimbabwe and Kenya.
The orphanage staff have found a solution but feeding Ellie rice combined with proteins, minerals, and coconut works.
The next step is to find Ellie in another herd, with orphanage staff hoping to integrate her into an existing herd or start a new one with a group of a.ban.doned elephants.