Humans aren't that different from animals at the end of the day. Mammals can get just as sad and lonely as we do. But with some love and affection, they can be just as happy as we are when we're loved and cared for.
This is Baby, she's a rescue cow that had a rough life until she found an unexpected friend. It must take a bit of intuition to figure out what's wrong with an animal.
Here's Baby, A Blind Cow
After Baby was rescued as a calf, she was taken to Don't Forget Us Pet Us, an animal sanctuary in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
Baby didn't have a normal life because she was blind. She struggled compared to cows born with normal vision. She needed 24-hour care and couldn't stay at a normal farm. So Don't Forget Us Pet Us stepped in to help.
The Sanctuary Did More Than Enough
But Baby's luck wasn't all bad. She may have been born blind but she went to the best possible place to be cared for. Don't Forget Us Pet Us is owned by a passionate woman named Deb Devlin.
She wanted to care for Baby and she did more than enough for her. Deb loved all of the animals that come to her shelter. But one day, she noticed that something was different about Baby.
Baby Was Lonesome
Baby may have been lucky to be at the sanctuary but it didn't mean she wasn't lonely. She wanted the company of other cows and not being with a herd made her feel isolated.
There weren't any other cows in the sanctuary but Deb had an ingenious idea. Maybe Baby would make do with another animal as a friend? It wasn't uncommon for animals from different species to become friends.
Here's Lulu, A friendly Pig
Here's Lulu, she may not be a cow but she's a very friendly pig. Deb felt that Lulu might be interested in being Baby's friend.
Lulu had to come to the sanctuary after her mother broke her legs by accident when she was young. Both animals needed special care and had endured similar hardships. It was possible that they would get along together well.
Similar Journeys
Baby and Lulu shared a lot in common. They were both special needs animals that were rescued from slaughterhouses and seemed to have similar personalities.
Both Animals were very kind and sweet, but they seemed depressed from time to time. They loved food and enjoyed belly rubs. It seems like it was fate that these animals meet.
Their First Meeting
The two couldn't get enough of each other. One of the staff members at the sanctuary said, "I had tried to pair Baby up with other animals, and it just didn’t work.”
Deb's Theory Worked
Deb couldn't be sure that the two would get along but she was so happy when she saw how close the two had become.
“I didn’t think the pig would be aggressive to the cow, and the pig was plenty sturdy. If the cow accidentally bumped into her, [Lulu] would be OK.” Deb said.
They bonded Well
Lul started being a visual aid for Baby, She was her eyes and helped her get around. The two lived together for eight years and were very happy.
The two couldn't be separated for the longest period of time. They could communicate with each other even though they weren't the same species.
Staying Close
Most of the animals that stayed at the sanctuary would run off into the open pastures and explore the plot. But Lulu and Baby couldn't do this due to their disabilities. They stayed much closer to the house.
If they tried to venture far Baby would always get lost and Lulu could never keep up with her legs. They lived in a small world together, but they were happy with one another by their side. They were living comfortably.
Buddies At Heart
The two animals get around easily with Lulu's visions and Baby's legs. They give each other a newfound purpose and are living happily. They even get fed together every day.
Eventually though, tragedy struck and their friendship of eight-long years came to an abrupt end when it was time to go for one of them. It was a very sad day to say the least.
A Sad Day For These Two
Lulu was an older pig, and she had lived a long and pleasant life, even after getting a rough start to life in the slaughterhouse. She was so lucky that Deb found her and took her in, but her time on this earth had come to an end.
Lulu passed away peacefully with her friend by her side, but now that Lulu was gone, everyone at the sanctuary was worried about Baby.
Baby Mourned The Loss Of Her Friend
After Lulu died, Baby’s whole demeanor changed. She went back to being the lonely cow that she had been all those years ago. “After Lulu’s passing, Baby mooed for two days. She also walked in circles frantically, hitting the fencing”, Deb said. “I tried [to pair her with] a sheep, a goat, but nothing worked at all.”
Clearly, Lulu wasn’t a friend who could be easily replaced. Baby had to experience her grief at her own pace.
Attempts To Find A New Friend For Baby
Deb was starting to get worried about Baby’s mood and overall condition. She had heard stories about animals dying from grief, and she didn’t want that to happen to Baby.
Deb tried to pair Baby up with other animals, but she didn’t bond with any of them the way she bonded with Lulu. Deb was starting to lose hope, but then a new rescued animal arrived at Don’t Forget Us Pet Us…
A New Baby For Baby
The new rescue animal was a baby calf. As soon as Deb saw the little cow she was hopeful that this animal and Baby would hit it off. They even kind of looked alike. She was so happy that Baby would finally have another cow to play with.
Deb said, “The day the calf arrived, I had set up two small areas divided by an eight-foot gate. I was hoping to acclimate the two side by side first.”
A Slow Start To The Friendship
Deb didn’t want to take any chances with this introduction. Baby needed a friend, and Deb wanted to do everything she could to ensure this introduction went smoothly.
Deb said, “Baby could get used to her noises, movement, smell, sounds… She was so in tune to those things, not having her sight.” Slowly but surely, Baby and the calf walked towards each other. It looked like things were going well.
They Were Happy To See Each Other
“When the calf unloaded into her small pen, she was nervous and timid. She quickly saw Baby and she blasted that gate off its hinges.” Deb said. “It was still secured on one side by a chain so she jumped the four-foot width of the gate and ran to Baby’s side.”
These two had just met, and already they were acting like old friends. Deb was happy with the way things were going so far.
Baby Knew A Friend When She Smelt One
As soon as Baby sensed that the calf was galloping towards her, she seemed happier. Her ears perked up and then she took off running, just as though she were a calf herself.
The staff at Don’t Forget Us Pet Us hadn’t seen Baby that excited since Lulu died, and all the worries the had about these two creatures not getting along just melted away. This calf escaped a slaughterhouse just like Baby, so maybe they were bonding over a shared past.
Baby Pays It Forward
This calf could never replace Lulu, but she could give Baby the friendship and company she so desperately needed. This calf was new to the sanctuary and there was so much for her to learn.
Baby took it upon herself to show the calf the ropes. She showed her where the best place to graze was and guided her around the pen. She took everything that Lulu taught her and passed it on to the little cow.
Every Friendship Is Unique
“The bond was immediate, the love instant, and even though Baby has never had a baby… she takes care of, protects and nurtures this little calf… all the things Lulu did for her. It is so incredible!” Deb said happily.
These two have their own unique bond. It’s a bond that’s different from the one Baby had with Lulu, but it’s just as special. They make each other happy and they keep each other company.
A Happy Ending For Baby
These two rescued cows could live out the rest of their lives together at Don’t Forget Us Pet Us sanctuary. Baby’s friendship with Lulu was one of a kind and it will never be replaced, but this calf gave Baby a reason to keep living.
Lulu will live on forever in all of our hearts, and Deb and all of the staff are truly grateful for what Lulu gave to Baby.
This Orphaned Baby Elephant’s Unlikely Friendship Will Melt Your Heart
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.
Luckily, this was one uphill battle they were prepared to fight. Their original plan was to get the baby healthy enough to have another herd adopt it. No one expected the best medicine the elephant would receive would end up complicating those plans.
The Importance Of Growing Up In The Herd
The best thing possible for the abandoned elephant would have been to re-introduce it with a herd as quickly as possible. Living on a reserve, the rescuers knew what herd the little fella belonged to and tried their best to re-unite him with his family.
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 was to take care of it themselves, then try and release it back into its herd again.
The Rescue Team Named The Baby Elephant Ellie
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.
The first thing the team had to do at the reserve was to give Ellie a thorough health assessment. They needed to learn what was wrong with Ellie before they could treat him.
Ellie Was Given A One Percent Chance To Live
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.
Ellie’s team began to develop a care plan that would ensure he would live to run with his herd again one day. Still, at this point they knew rehabbing the elephant wasn’t going to be easy. They had grown attached to Ellie and feared for his future.
Ellie Was Given 24-Hour Care To Ensure His Survival
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.
As the reserve cared for Ellie, they discovered his health was worse than imagined. One issue even arose after they took him in. This problem was serious, and took all the creativity the team had to find a solution for.
Ellie Became Intolerant To Milk
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.
At first, the team hoped Ellie was just rejecting the milk they had on site. They ordered milk from various locations, including Zimbabwe and Kenya, hoping it would make a difference. It didn’t. No matter what kind of milk the team tried, Ellie rejected it.
Coconut Oil Saves The Day
Desperate for a solution, the team turned to coconut oil mixed with protein and minerals for Ellie to drink. Miraculously, and to everyone’s relief, the baby elephant took to his new formula and began growing stronger by the day.
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.
Even Elephants Get Depressed
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 may have been given a new life, but was alone and depressed. He was withdrawn and the companionship of humans wasn’t cheering him up. Ellie, it turned out, was more than just depressed, he was dealing with severe emotional trauma.
Ellie Couldn’t Come To Terms With Losing His Family
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 team knew they needed to introduce Ellie to new friends. Socializing is critically important to elephants in the animal kingdom, and up to this point in his life, Ellie’s only friends were human.