Orphaned Baby Aardvark Scores A Vet & Several Dogs As Surrogate Moms

Gertie is one lucky little aardvark. When she was separated from her mother, a good Samaritan found her and surrendered her into the care of ZURI Orphanage in Tsumeb, Namibia.

Veterinarian, Dr. Erika de Jager – the orphanage’s founder – was delighted at the prospect of bottle-raising the little baby. Aardvarks are quite elusive in the wild and the vet was eager to have one to look after.

 

Gertie was weak and dehydrated with sores all over her feet when she first arrived at the wildlife rehab…

But under Dr. de Jager’s care she began to flourish.

 

Once feeling better, Gertie turned out to be quite a handful – albeit an adorable and incredibly lovable one!

 

She has a voracious appetite for her kitten-milk formula and, being nocturnal, she demands plenty of beauty sleep during the day – which means she’s up all night looking to play!

 

She sleeps on a variety of snuggly dog beds propped full of pillows most days…

 

But if it’s too hot, she’ll also curl up in the bathtub for a snooze.

 

Aside from meal times, Gertie’s favorite parts of the day are her frequent romps around the orphanage property with Dr. de Jager’s dogs, Spokie and Zarah.

 

“Gertie will follow Zarah and just walk with all the dogs,” de Jager told The Dodo. “They will often lick her and she will follow them.”

Another one of her pals named Dexter is teaching Gertie how to dig – a vital skill she will need when she grows up and starts hunting for delicious termites back in the wild.

 

Being just 4 months old, Gertie still requires constant supervision and frequent feedings, so she accompanies Dr. de Jager on her rounds as a local veterinarian. One of her frequent stops is a nearby horse farm where two more of Gertie’s best friends reside – Jack Russell Terriers, Krummel and Zettie.

 

For Krummel, it was love at first sniff, but Zettie wasn’t quite sure what to make of the strange pink-gray creature with the long snout and goat-like snorts.

 

Once she realized that the odd little aardvark was just a playful baby like herself, Zettie quickly joined in on Gertie and Krummel’s shenanigans.

 

Eventually Gertie will be big and strong enough to be released back into the wild, but Dr. de Jager says she still has several months before she will be ready. She has yet to even transition onto solid food.

 

It may seem sad to think about Gertie leaving behind her beloved canine pals, but adult aardvarks are actually solitary animals who rarely interact socially. Reintroducing her back into her natural habitat is what’s best for Gertie in the long run.

 

For now, though, Facebook followers of ZURI Orphanage can look forward to delightful photo and video updates of Gertie and her canine pals enjoying their time together!

H/T to The Dodo