There’s nothing to make you smile like friendships that bridge any animal kingdom differences. It’s not always easy making new friends. Thankfully for Gertjie, a baby rhino for whom this was proving difficult, his sidekick Lammie stepped in to fill the role.
Gertjie’s story before Lammie is heartbreaking. He was orphaned as just a baby after his mother was killed by poachers — monsters who left this tiny animal alone to die had good people not intervened. Animal responders at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre in South Africa were dispatched to the scene and found Gertjie standing by his mother’s side. The rehabilitation therapists at HESC are working to ensure that Gertjie grows and develops normally and that he’s prepared to thrive back in the wild when he’s ready.
Gertjie’s first animal friend was a lamb named Driesie who’d also been taken in by the shelter. When Driesie passed away of natural causes, Gertjie was once again heartbroken and alone.
“We were beginning to give up hope that we would ever find a companion for Gertjie,” says the HESC blog. “However, on August 4, 2014, a 3-week-old Pedi lamb named Lammie arrived at The Centre. Initially we were nervous about getting too excited in case things didn’t work out; but unlike Driesie, Lammie hadn’t yet bonded with humans. This meant it would be easier to bond her with our little rhino.” Lammie even taught Gertjie how to hop!
And bond, they did. Below, watch Gertjie and Lammie play happily as the best of friends. It proves that friendship — animal or human — knows no limits. Please SHARE their incredible story if you agree!
