A dog in South Africa has struck up an unlikely friendship with an abandoned baby giraffe that was rescued and taken to the local orphanage where he works as a guard dog.

Jazz the nine-day-old giraffe arrived at The Rhino Orphanage in Limpopo Province, South Africa, after a farmer discovered him struggling weak and dehydrated in the wild without a mother, and called the centre for help.

Resident watchdog Hunter, a young Belgian Malinois, quickly began to care for the newcomer, befriending his long-necked doppelganger.

Janie Van Heerden,  a caretaker at the orphanage three hours North of Johannesburg, said that the animals bonded immediately, with Hunter snuggling into the giraffe’s body as if it was another dog.

She said the baby giraffe is now doing much better after being given an IV to replace lost fluids as well as guzzling down the milk and even attempting to munch some leaves. 

Sadly for Hunter his cuddle buddy Jazz, perhaps more comfortable than the Rhinos at the orphanage, may not be with him to stay as keepers intend to reintroduce him into his natural habitat when he’s strong enough.

Speaking today Ms Heerden added: ‘Possibly soon [the giraffe] will be able to go home [to the wild]’.

The exact location of the The Rhino Orphanage can not be given due to poachers.

Hunter snuggles into Jazz, the nine-day-old giraffe, as if she is another dog. Both Hunter and his brother have become fond of the giraffe

Hearts may be broken when the two are separated as keepers intend to return the giraffe to its rightful place

Janie Van Heerden feeds Jazz, a nine-day-old giraffe at the Rhino orphanage in the Limpopo province of South Africa, Friday Nov. 22 2019

Rescued animals must not become too familiar with humans or they can be difficult to introduce back into the wild, but the same is not said about dogs befriending them