Jazz the nine-day-old abandoned giraffe arrived at The Rhino Orphanage after a farmer discovered him struggling in wild. Resident watchdog Hunter, a young Belgian Malinois, quickly began to care for the baby, befriending him. Keepers will reintroduce Jazz into the wild when he's ready, but for now he remains Hunter's cuddle buddy

A dog in South Africa has befriended a baby giraffe who was abandoned by his mother, warming hearts on social media. Jazz the baby giraffe was found "very dehydrated and weak" after being abandoned by his mother when he was just 2 to 3 days old. He was brought to The Rhino Orphanage, a centre in South Africa's Limpopo province that takes care of orphaned animals.

It was at The Rhino Orphanage that Hunter, the centre's anti-poaching and security dog, fell "head over heels" for Jazz the baby giraffe. The story of their unusual friendship is now viral on the Internet. "He stays in the room all day with Jazz and the carers and doesn't allow his brother Duke close," The Rhino Orphanage wrote in a Facebook post shared one week ago, posting adorable pictures of the giraffe and the dog together. "So concerned was Hunter about Jazz when he was in a coma that he did not want to eat."

They added that the baby giraffe is now doing better and Hunter has regained his appetite.On Friday, The Rhino Orphanage also shared a heartwarming video of Hunter and Jazz playing together. "The bond and understanding between Jazz the giraffe and Hunter our AP Belgian Malinois is astonishing," they wrote.

"Hunter and Jazz are so cute together, they love each other," wrote one person. "I could sit and watch this all day, what an amazing bond between these two animals," said another.