An adorable friendship has blossomed between an abandoned baby elephant named Ellie and a friendly dog named Duma, showing that sometimes, a dog’s best friend isn’t human.
Ellie, an African elephant calf, was abandoned by his herd and later taken in by the Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage in South Africa. He faced numerous health challenges and was initially weak and lethargic.
Watch the video at the end.
However, his connection with Duma, a resident dog, has become a crucial part of his recovery, with their heartwarming moments captured in a viral video.
Karen Trendler, an expert in wildlife rehabilitation and crisis response, explained to Earth Touch News that Ellie was physically weak and showed little interest in his surroundings.
But once Duma was introduced, Ellie’s spirits lifted almost instantly. “It had a massive impact on Ellie in that he suddenly had a bit of interest in life again,” Trendler shared. Since then, Ellie and Duma have formed a close bond, often playing together, with Duma showing growing protectiveness over his elephant friend.
Efforts to reunite Ellie with his herd were unsuccessful, leaving the orphanage to care for him. Ellie also faced a severe infection from an abscess near his navel, a condition that is often fatal.
Against the odds, Ellie survived, though feeding him remained challenging due to his intolerance to milk—even specially imported milk from Zimbabwe and Kenya.
The orphanage developed a unique diet for Ellie to meet his nutritional needs, including rice mixed with protein, minerals, and coconut, which has worked well so far. The team’s next goal is to find Ellie a permanent herd.
They hope to integrate him into an existing group of elephants or potentially establish a new herd with other orphaned elephants.
Ellie’s journey, bolstered by the support of his loyal friend Duma, continues to inspire, highlighting the resilience of animals and the unique friendships that can emerge in the animal kingdom.
