Sometimes it’s the friendship you never expect that can end up saving your life. In the case of an orphaned elephant in South Africa, you’ll never guess what bond did wonders for its well being. You’ve heard of bonds between cheetahs and dogs, cats and rabbits, and lions and bears, but what about elephants and 2014 well, you’ll just have to read and see.
No one knows for sure (there are theories) why this baby elephant was abandoned by its herd in South Africa, but if it weren’t for a rescue team finding him, he never would have never had a chance at survival. Malnourished and sick, the team knew it was going to face an uphill battle to save his life.
Tragically, the herd rejected several attempts to take the baby back, leaving the team baffled about what to do next. They quickly realized their only course of action to save the elephant to was take care of it themselves, then try and release it back into its herd again.
The abandoned elephant was two years old when it came to the Thula Thula Private Game Reserve in Zululand, South Africa. The rehabilitation team at the reserve gave the elephant two names: Ubuntu and Ellie. Ellie quickly captured everyone’s heart, and everyone knew his time was running out.
During the assessment, the medical team found that Ellie was suffering from several life threatening conditions. The most severe was his infected umbilical hernia. In the wild, an elephant with this ailment dies 99 percent of the time. The reserve faced severe pressure but they weren’t ready to let Ellie become another statistic.
The dedicated care team at the private reservation assigned Ellie a 24-hour care team, ready to help at a moment’s notice in case anything went wrong. They were motivated and determined to save Ellie’s life, and kept a close eye on him as a result.
Nothing is more important to the health of baby than milk. Filled with nutrients and fat, it gives growing babies everything the need to become strong and healthy. Shortly after the medical team began to care for Ellie, the elephant became intolerant to milk, creating a big problem.
With Ellie eating and getting his energy back, the team felt the extreme pressure of the rehab process begin to ease. They had just found a solution to an impossible problem and felt prepared for anything else the world would throw at them.
According to one of Ellie’s caretakers, the elephant “was particularly weak and particularly ill.” Ellie was getting healthy, but his happiness was non-existent. He wasn’t showing interest in doing anything and was very lethargic. The rescue team knew something was wrong, and needed to come up with a solution fast.
Ellie had a particularly rough start to his life. Growing up in the animal kingdom isn’t easy, and being abandoned by his herd for being sick was devastating for him. Even though his health was improving, the rehab team could see his emotional state was declining.
The Thula Thula Private Game Reserve was home to many different kinds of animals. Some, like leopards and crocodiles, wouldn’t have been appropriate for Ellie to befriend, while others, like the zebra or buffalo, might accept the infant as one of their own.
With Ellie rejecting the reserve’s other wild residents, the team introduced her to Duma, an adult male German shepherd. Duma lived on the grounds and used to be a police dog. On the reserve, he was free to wander where he wanted and make friends with whoever he wanted.
As soon as Ellie met Duma and they became friends, his attitude change. Ellie was happier and interested in playing again. As one the rehab team described it, “we introduced Duma and the elephant in the sandpile, and it immediately cheered the elephant up.”
With Ellie now best friends with Duma, it looked like the long journey to his recovery and revival was coming to the end. The two animals were inseparable and Ellie’s fatigue and depression both appeared to be gone. As for his physical setbacks, they were almost gone, too!
Duma took his role as Ellie’s friend seriously. He took it so seriously that after weeks of playing together, he took on more of a paternal role in their friendship. Thula Thula employees said it became hard to keep Duma away from Ellie.
The rehab team couldn’t believe their eyes with Ellie’s recovery and friendship wth Duma, saying “against all odds, this little elephant is still with us.” For the first time since his arrival, Ellie was happy and playful. The team began to take videos of the best friends and posting them online.
The original plan with Ellie was to release him back into the herd when he recovered. After seeing the friendship he formed with Duma and how profoundly it had affected him, that future was suddenly put into question. Another option was to place Ellie with a herd living on the reserve.
The rehab team didn’t know what to do, but luckily they didn’t need to make a decision right away. Obviously they couldn’t keep Ellie forever, but they could take as much time as they needed to contemplate his best future. The happy bond with Duma ensured that.
Caretakers at Thula Thula thought the worst was behind them and were dreaming of the happy life ahead for Ellie. Then their worst fears snuck up on them. Ellie was struck ill, and the team that had spent months caring for him was absolutely blindsided.
When Ellie took ill for the second time, one of his caretakers from Thula Thula tweeted out, “We need to get IV colloids brought thru for a collapsed elephant calf.” The staff was under-supplied, and tweeting a plea for help was one of the only things they could do to get help.
After five months and what appeared to be a full recovery, Ellie the elephant tragically passed away five days after his infection returned. The Thula Thula reserve was heartbroken. They fought tooth and nail to nurse Ellie back to health, and just when it looked like they had a happy ending, it was taken away.
The rehab team was overcome with “deep sadness and so many tears” but found comfort knowing they showed Ellie happiness before his life ended. When he came to the reserve he was sick and depressed. Then, for a brief time, he was healthy and happy.
Ellie’s millions of fans weren’t the only ones who had to say goodbye to him. Duma, Ellie’s best friend and adopted father, needed to say goodbye as well. We don’t know how Duma took the news, but we can imagine he was pretty down.
Duma didn’t lie down and give up on his work, though. After all, Ellie wasn’t the only animal he helped take care of. He wasn’t the first and he wouldn’t be the last. Before long, Duma found another friend on the reserve.
Can you guess what kind of animal Duma helped next?