A South African animal orphanage says a baby giraffe that was befriended by a dog after it was abandoned in the wild has died.
The Rhino Orphanage in a Facebook post Friday said Jazz the giraffe collapsed after hemorrhaging in the brain. The orphanage said the giraffe had been unstable on its feet in recent days.
“Our team is heartbroken,” the orphanage said. It added that resident watchdog Hunter was by the giraffe’s side when it died. The dog then sat in front of the empty room for a while.
FILE - In this Friday Nov 22, 2019 file photo, Janie Van Heerden feeds Jazz, a nine-day-old giraffe at the Rhino orphanage in the Limpopo province of South Africa. Jazz, who was brought in after being abandoned by her mother at birth, died of brain hemorrhaging and hyphema it was announced Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. (AP PhotoJerome Delay)
The giraffe arrived at the orphanage a few weeks ago, just days after birth. A farmer found him in the wild, weak and dehydrated, and called the center for help.
Caretaker Janie Van Heerden said the two animals had bonded immediately.