Badak Besar Dipelihara Warga di Belakang Rumah

Sebuah keluarga di Zimbabwe mengasuh anak badak yang sudah yatim piatu di rumahnya. Badak itu bahkan lebih dekat dengan keluarga itu.

Binatang seberat dua ton ini telah membentuk ikatan yang luar biasa dengan Anne Whittall, ketika ia membawa ke rumahnya ketika badak ini masih bayi. Badak bernama Jimmy ini menjadi yatim piatu ketika ibunya ditembak oleh pemburu di Afrika Selatan 2007 silam.


 

Nuzzling up: Rhinoceroses may be known for their strength but here 'Jimmy' shows his softer side as he snuggles into the knee of adopted mother Anne Whittall

Fotografer David Hulme, menemukan bayi badak itu berada dekat ibunya yang telah mati. Badak malang ini dibiarkan mengurus dirinya sendiri selama beberapa hari.

David kemudian membawa Jimmy ke keluarga Whittall untuk dirawat di kebun safari di Zimbabwe. Namun, Anne dan Suaminya, Roger, segera menawarkan diri untuk mengurus badak hitam ini menjadi salah satu keluarganya.


Lima tahun kemudian, Jimmy, diberi kebebasan oleh Roger untuk datang dan pergi sesuka hatinya masuk kedalam rumah mereka. Jimmy sering datang menemui Anne, karena dia menganggap wanita 71 tahun itu adalah ibunya sendiri.


 

Family affair: Anne and husband Roger immediately volunteered to take care of the black rhino who quickly became one of the family

Unusual: This is the rare site of a rhinoceros receiving milk from the hand of a worker at the guesthouse, next to a goat and a couple of curious dogs

Breakfast time! Jimmy pokes his head through the kitchen window at Humani guesthouse in Zimbabwae which is run by husband and wife team Roger and Anne Whittall

Reflected love: The two tonne beast takes a stroll with Anne across the flat wild plains of Zimbabwe

"Tidak ada keraguan bahwa Jimmy melihat Anne sebagai ibunya. Hal ini tidak mengherankan karena Anne sering memberikan susu botol untuk Jimmy, lima sampai enam kali sehari ketika masih bayi,” ujar David, seperti dikutip Daily Mail, Kamis (6/12/2012).

"Dia suka datang ke ruang tunggu dan bersosialisasi dengan keluarga lainnya, ketika ia merasa diabaikan, dia jadi marah. Dia juga memiliki beberapa teman, yaitu anjing peliharaan, dua ekor sapi, dan kerbau,” ujar pria berusia 40 tahun ini.(faj)

Affectionate: The docile rhino, was orphaned when his mother was cruelly shot by poachers in South Africa in 2007

Puckering up: Anne shows her remarkable bond with Jimmy by seemingly sharing a kiss with him through a window of her country guesthouse

Feeding time: Anne and husband Roger volunteered to take care of the black rhino after photographer David Hulme discovered him hiding beneath a bush just yards from his mother's dead body

Staring match: Jimmy cools off in a water hole as one of the family's dogs looks on inquisitively

Animal instinct: Jimmy, named after Roger's late father, is now free to come and go as he pleases but still visits 71-year-old Anne

Taking it easy: Anne sometimes takes Jimmy for walks, but she says the huge animal generally dawdles a few paces behind

Sharing a moment: Rhino are extremely short-sighted and pounding down the road after Anne, Jimmy seldom picks her out until he is really close

Cleaning up: Jimmy makes the most of the fresh water service available at Anne's home, as birds happily go about their business in the picturesque surroundings

 

sumber :http://international.okezone.com/read/2012/12/06/214/728156/badak-besar-dipelihara-warga-di-belakang-rumah