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.
In early December, rangers found Daisy alone and struggling in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Daisy was just a few hours old and incredibly weak, so her rescuers transported her by helicopter to the sanctuary’s intensive care unit.
Daisy needed round-the-clock care and feeding, along with other treatments to boost her immune system and help her maintain her body temperature.
Daisy, however, was not the only newborn animal at the hospital.
“Modjadji was taken to the sanctuary’s ICU at the end of November after being found immobile and hardly breathing on the reserve following severe rains and storms,” Louwhen Bowker, Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary’s media liaison, told The Dodo. “Modjadji was considered to be a week old at the time.”
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.”
Daisy and Modjadji will one day be allowed to roam freely and interact with other rhinos and zebras. But, for the time being, all they need is each other to demonstrate that the family you pick is the family that truly matters.
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