Dog befriends orphan baby giraffe in South Africa and now they are inseparable

According to the orphanage, the landowner of the Morongwane Game Heritage found him in the wild, weak and dehydrated, and called the center for help. Resident watchdog Hunter quickly began to care for the newcomer and "fell head over heals".

By: Trends Desk

New Delhi | Updated: December 11, 2019 06:05 PM IST

3 min read

Hunter, a young Belgian Malinois, keeps an eye on Jazz, a nine-day-old giraffe, at the Rhino orphanage in the Limpopo province of South Africa. (Source: AP)

When an abandoned giraffe was rescued and brought at The Rhino Orphanage recently, it found a special carer and a friend in an anti-poaching dog. Now, their unusual friendship and adorable photos and videos are melting hearts online.

The baby giraffe, named Jazz by the local orphanage in South Africa, was abandoned at birth and was rescued and brought for medical assistance when it was only two-days-old.

According to the orphanage, the owner of the Morongwane Game Heritage found him in the wild — weak and dehydrated — and called the centre for help. The watchdog of the orphanage, Hunter, quickly began to care for the newcomer and took a liking for the giraffe.

Watch the video here:

The baby giraffe, who was found in a comatose state, was given IV fluids and necessary antibiotics to help it regain its strength. While the baby giraffe was recuperating, the Belgian Malinois refused to leave the newborn alone till his new friend got better.

The little giraffe, who also had a problem in its eye, slowly bounced back to normal health following a diet of milk and leaves.

To get it acclimatised to the wild, caretakers kept some “branches in the room to keep baby busy”. However, when introduced to some Acacia leaves for the first time, little Jazz wasn’t quite thrilled.

Caregivers are hoping to release the baby giraffe back into the wild soon after it heals properly.

Check out some other photos of the giraffe here:

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Jazz, who was brought in after being abandoned by her mother at birth, is being taken care of and fed at the orphanage some three hours North of Johannesburg and has been befriended by Hunter and its sibling Duke. (Source:AP)