26 January 2024
By: Joy January
Sheep are helping to raise rhino and elephant orphans at an animal orphanage near Hoedspruit. Two sheep, Lammie and Spotty, treat the elephant calf Phabeni as their own.
Lammie and Spotty are Thaba Manzi Pedi sheep. Lammie was born in 2014 and Spotty in 2023. Their breed is kept at the Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (Herd) orphanage to nurture baby elephant orphans.
According to Tamlin Wightman, the orphanage media manager, the breed is known for its exceptional maternal skills. “This breed is often very protective of their lambs. Pedi sheep are very resilient and hardy animals that thrive in various conditions and environments,” she says.
Lammie has been an “animal mom” to numerous orphaned rhinos and a few elephants. “This unique sheep has quickly become a worldwide phenomenon as people fell in love with the incredible bond between her and her first adopted child, Gertjie, an orphaned rhino at Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre who constantly stayed by the little animal’s side,” says Wightman.
The sheep was soon introduced to her first orphaned elephant calf, Shawu, and Wightman says that initially she didn’t know what to make of the small animal with a long trunk. But she quickly showed her maternal instincts by adopting Shawu as one of her own.
In 2020, Lammie and Nungu, a Dorper sheep, cared for another orphaned elephant calf, Khanyisa. Nungu died at the end of last year and Spotty arrived. “Spotty is a young and spirited little orphan ram who always assists Lammie in caring for Phabeni,” says Wightman.
Spotty is happy in the company of Lammie and appears to be the perfect companion for the older sheep. “Spotty is happy to follow Lammie around in the garden or the bush and often has to run faster to keep up. He has settled well at Herd and shares the nursery with Phabeni and Lammie in the evenings. He grazes in the garden during the day and helps keep our premises well-maintained.”
Phabeni’s future
Phabeni is undergoing a gradual introduction to the Jabulani Safari elephant herd in the Kapama private game reserve which spends its days in the Big Five reserve and its nights in the safety of an enclosure.
“Depending on his progress and weight gain while at the elephant orphanage, we will decide if he is ready to fully integrate into the herd,” says Wightman. And Lammie and Spotty must also be available to help care for any new orphaned elephants.
“The sheep stand as his family before he can take over the herd, and our human caretakers also help,” says Wightman. “They help the orphaned elephants feel more at home and contribute to their well-being, which is very important as elephants are sensitive, and the orphaned calves are especially fragile because they have lost their families.”
Spotty and Lammie are kept away from the larger elephants, some of which did not grow up around sheep. “The sheep accompany the elephant orphans on walks in the wilderness with our human caretakers providing guidance and protection, but it is important to keep the sheep away from predators that could catch them. The orphanage is surrounded by electric fences to keep leopards and other unwanted visitors out,” says Wightman.
More about the Herd rehabilitation team
The Herd orphanage is intentionally built near the Jabulani herd’s enclosure so each baby elephant can be analysed and integrated according to its emotional needs.
The rehabilitation team, Human Herd, consists of experienced elephant caretakers who support each baby elephant on its journey to recovery.
Herd relies on public funding to cover operational costs. For more information, visit https://herd.org.za/.
