Dogs may be referred to as man’s best friend, but one particular pooch became besties with an unlikely pal and ultimately saved its life.
Hunter, a Belgian Malinois, was used to help scare away poachers from The Rhino Orphanage in the Limpopo Province. When he first laid eyes on Jazz, the baby giraffe was brought to the orphanage for lifesaving measures and an instant friendship was formed.
The baby giraffe was discovered by a South African farmer who stumbled across the crumpled and oddly-shaped baby discarded by its mom and herd. The giraffe was just a couple days old and severely dehydrated, unable to stand let alone walk.
He could barely lift his head, but managed to gaze up at the farmer with fearful eyes. Thankfully the farmer called a rescue organization, but the closest one specialized in rhinos.
Undeterred, volunteers rushed to the baby giraffe’s side to see if they could save him. For the first 18 hours he was at the orphanage, he slipped in and out of a coma.
They refused to give up on him and named him Jazz. Dr. Pierre Bester hooked Jazz up to an IV catheter and pumped him full of fluids and nutrients.
Then they sat back and waited…
From the moment Jazz arrived at the orphanage, Hunter wouldn’t leave his side. For hours Hunter remained there while orphanage staff frequently checked in on them.
Finally, Jazz showed signs of rousing. Hunter was thrilled that his new bestie opened his eyes and glanced at him. It was a beautiful moment when they laid eyes upon each other, which was caught on video.
“Just when we thought it couldn’t get any cuter, sweeter and more heartwarming, this happened.”
Hunter and Jazz spent time tenderly cleaning each other and snuggling. From that moment on, the two were inseparable.
Rescuers at the orphanage were worried, though. Jazz had a very difficult road ahead and his future was bleak.
When his own mother abandoned him because he was so sick, that wasn’t a good sign. Who knew if he would fully recover.
“He managed to stand up a few times with the help of our carers. Baby giraffes are notorious for being labor-intensive.”
Accustomed to raising and rehabilitating rhinos, rescuers had to adjust to caring for a different creature, one that was incredibly tall. They smothered him with love, attention and care in the hopes he would survive.
A week after he was saved, rescuers found Jazz standing up in his pen snacking on acacia leaves. Progress!
And no one was happier for Jazz than his good buddy Hunter.
“The bond and understanding between Jazz the giraffe and Hunter our Belgian Malinois is astonishing.”
Sadly, however, Jazz took a turn for the worse and collapsed after experiencing hemorrhaging in the brain. He had been a bit unstable on his feet in the few days leading up to his sudden decline in health.
“Our team is heartbroken.”
What’s even more sorrowful is that Hunter, who was with Jazz at the time of his passing, refused to leave him. When Jazz’s body was removed, Hunter then sat watch over the empty room they shared.
They may not have been together terribly long but Hunter’s loyalty and love for a giraffe named Jazz made his short time on this earth even sweeter.
Watch the video below and see how the two of them simply sat together, soaking in each other’s company despite being completely different creatures. It’s a beautiful life lesson we could all learn something from.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
