Orphaned elephant calf that bonded with 'mother sheep' dies


An orphaned elephant calf in South Africa bonded with an unexpected mother at a conservation center.

Amazi, who had been battling dehydration for weeks, was in better spirits with Lammie, the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre's "mother sheep."

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Video of the pair enjoying each other's company gained hundreds of thousands of views.

Amazi was found by mine workers Johan Bezuidenhout and Quenton du Plessis trapped in a well, according to Elephants Alive, a rescue organization in Mica, Limpopo, in South Africa.

Elephants Alive attempted to introduce the calf to the closest two elephant herds, but he was rejected.

The organization took him to a veterinary specialist, who treated him for dehydration and exhaustion, but Amazi's health had been up and down since then.

The bond Amazi had with Lammie was not enough to keep him alive.

After an up-and-down battle keeping the elephant hydrated and well, the center announced that Amazi died Wednesday.

"The young elephant was just not strong enough to pull through, and had deteriorated to such an extent that his little body could not support him," the center said in a statement. "We will share further news in due course, but wanted to thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Your support has been invaluable.

"Our team is understandably devastated, as they came to love this little guy full-heartedly."