Baby elephant adopted by a sheep

Themba the abandoned baby elephant has someone to give him that warm, fuzzy feeling at long last – Albert the sheep. The six-month-old was introduced to Albert, two, after he was orphaned with little hope of survival.

Despite a few teething problems, the two are now best friends, and spend hours playing and cuddling.

'When we first put Themba and Albert together, all hell broke loose. Themba chased him around his watering hole,' said Lyndal Davies, who is filming the unlikely couple.



But the next day things changed, she revealed, adding: 'The two were exploring together, with Themba's trunk resting on Albert's back. Since then, they have been inseparable.'

Themba was rejected by other elephants after his mother fell down a cliff and died. 'We faced a very difficult decision,' Ms Davies said. 'Let nature take its course and let him die a slow, cruel death or intervene and give him a second chance.'

'Albert copies everything Themba does. The other day, they demolished a termite mound together,' added Australian Ms Davies. 'The really sweet thing was that after they ­exhausted themselves they fell asleep on top of it, side by side.'

With more photos.