Those who have been following us for a while will know that our road to find a companion animal for Gertjie has not gone as smoothly as we had hoped.

Skaap, our original companion, was a good mother, but being so old, she did not bond with Gertjie like we hoped. We were then very excited to receive a little lamb named Driesie.  Unfortunately, due to circumstances out of our control, Driesie passed away.

We were beginning to give up hope that we would ever find a companion for Gertjie. Then, on 4 August a Pedi lamb named Lammie arrived, about 3 weeks old. We were nervous to grow too attached in case things didn’t always work out, but we needn’t have worried. Unlike Driesie, Lammie wasn’t bonded to humans, which meant that it would be easier to bond her with our little rhino.

We carefully introduced the two to each other, and immediately, Lammie (who was still uneasy and a little bit frightened from her trip) decided that she would much rather hide behind Gertjie than us. That night, we left her in Gertjie’s bedroom, and stayed up to monitor them. All was good! Lammie was quickly following Gertjie everywhere that he went. Very importantly, Gertjie did not show any aggression towards the little lamb.

Lammie has been here for just over a month now, and has become a regular fixture at the Centre. Where there is Gertjie, there is Lammie, following close behind.

One thing that we love about Lammie is that while she is very attached to Gertjie, she will not hesitate to move away when Gertjie gets too boisterous for her. She has quickly learned to read his mood and act accordingly.

Companion animals are important for orphans like Gertjie as they keep them company and also minimize human interaction – which is why we are so pleased that Lammie is here!

Welcome to our family, Lammie!