Sheep adopts baby elephant

Another unusual and out of the ordinary animal relationship.

The unlikely bond between Themba the elephant and Albert the sheep has taken nature reserve wardens by surprise. The six-month-old elephant was orphaned after his mother died in a fall down a cliff.

Vets at South Africa's Sanbona wildlife reserve monitored the young elephant for a week, hoping he would be adopted and suckled by another elephant cow. But that did not happen and staff from an animal hospital were forced to take him in so he did not starve to death.

Here at the Shamwari Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, in the Eastern Cape, he was introduced to Albert.

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