Daisy and Modjadji would never have met in the wild.
The baby rhino and juvenile zebra at the Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary, on the other hand, have become unexpected friends and are helping each other recuperate.
Daisy was found alone and suffering in Kruger National Park, South Africa, in early December. Daisy was just a few hours old and quite frail, so her rescuers flew her to the sanctuary’s urgent care center by helicopter.
Daisy required 24-hour care and feeding, as well as various medications to assist her immune system and regulate her body temperature.
But Daisy wasn’t the only baby animal at the hospital.
“Modjadji was admitted to the sanctuary’s ICU at the end of November after being found motionless and barely breathing on the reserve after heavy rains and storms,” Louwhen Bowker, media contact at Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary, told The Dodo. “Modjadji was thought to be just a week old.”
The two young orphans forged an unbreakable bond and became each other’s adopted family.
“As they became bigger and braver, their curiosity overtook them, and they began interacting with one another,” Bowker explained. “Rhinos are very gregarious creatures who demand constant company. Daisy enjoys Modjadji’s companionship and finds him quite loving.”
Modjadji and Daisy are more like sisters after a month together. Modjadji isn’t far behind Daisy, wherever she is.
“They snuggle together at night,” Bowker observed, “which provides Daisy comfort and security.” “[Modjadji] is a companion who can be with her at all times, which helps Daisy avoid too much human interaction.”
One day, Daisy and Modjadji will be able to run free and meet other rhinos and zebras. But, for now, all they need is each other, proving that the family you choose is the family that really matters.
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