Sheepdog and rhino best friends
DAVID and Esme snuggle and follow each other around, and he’s her fierce protector.
He’s an Anatolian shepherd dog and she’s a rhino calf.
The duo have become inseparable since a dehydrated Esme was brought to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) in Limpopo recently to be nursed back to health.
Lente Roode‚ founder of the centre‚ said the dog and baby rhino‚ estimated to be a month old‚ had developed “quite a bond” since she arrived a few weeks ago.
“Thankfully‚ this time it was not a case of poaching; however‚ she needed to be rescued immediately from a situation that could have potentially turned dire without human intervention.
“A game farm contacted the HESC after they noticed that the calf was losing weight [while] suckling from her mother.”
After she arrived at the centre David was introduced to her, to keep her company and protect her. Anatolian Shepherd dogs have been used by Turkish shepherds for thousands of years as the first line of defence against predators.
“They are independent thinkers who need little direction to do their job,” said Roode. “We are doing whatever we can to ensure the safety of our rhino.” David and Esme had formed a close bond and spent “every waking moment together”. “Esme follows David around whenever they are let out of the boma. We are happy to see Esme doing well‚ and we are glad we could help [her].” — DDC