Meet Ellie, he is a baby elephant that had a pretty tough start to life, he was rejected by his family numerous times and cast away from his heard, he was born with an umbilical hernia and was suffering a near fatal infection as a result of this with a severe milk intolerance to top everything off! It is no wonder that this little guy was suffering from depression and lack of life, despite constant effort from the team at the Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage, Ellie was totally down and had no will to live his life. At the Thula Thula Orphanage, they specialised in raising baby Rhinos that had lost their parents as a result of illegal poaching, but Ellie was a totally different and special case.
The psychological damage Ellie suffered from such severe early trauma through rejection from his own family and illness caused Ellie to be at the brink of giving up all together… but that’s where his life changing buddy comes in! The say a dog is a man’s best bud but in this case, a dog has to be an elephant’s! The staff at the Thula Thula orphanage introduced Ellie to Duma, an ex-service pup who was about to embark on his most heroic service yet. This was the last shot tactic that paid off immediately, Ellie loved Duma and found a reason to be excited and most importantly had someone to play with and regard as family.
You would never normally pair a dog and an elephant as best friends, but these two have become absolutely inseparable to each other. Ellie’s life changed from a deep depression and having no reason to carry on, to being fun and being able to enjoy being a baby with his best friend, Duma in tow!
It only took a few weeks for them to become extremely close and Ellie now looks after Duma life family, even becoming protective. With a 99% chance this little nelly wouldn’t live and the huge about of trauma he suffered from an early age, this little guy has proven everyone wrong and with a little help from his BFF has a new happy and fun life!
