By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Perfect pair: The baboon has been caring for orphan Gakii after meeting at the orphanage in Nairobi


Clinging to the under-belly of a baboon, Gakii, a 3-month-old orphaned bush baby has plumped for an unlikely surrogate-mother.

In the grounds of the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, the duo cavort around in each other’s arms, drink milk out of the same bowl and poke mischievously at the camera.

Defying nature, the seven-month-old yellow baboon rescued in Maralal in northern Kenya has quickly adopted the bushbaby rescued in Nyeri in central Kenya after meeting at the orphanage.


Feeding time: The unusual pair enjoy eating together at the Kenyan animal sanctuary


The baboon gives Gakii protection and affection as if it was her own offspring.

‘This is not normal. It has not happened here and I guess it has not happened anywhere else,’ said Edward Kariuki, a warden at the animal home in the Kenyan capital.

Yellow baboons inhabit savannas and light forests in eastern Africa.


Play mates: The duo cavort around in each other's arms and drink milk together


Carry me: The baboon acts like a mother to the three-month-old bushbaby


While bushbabies, or galagos as they are also known, are small nocturnal primates native to continental Africa.

Kenya, however, has a history of unlikely cases of fostering among orphaned animals.

In 2004, a giant tortoise adopted and became an inseparable friend to a baby hippo washed out to sea off the coast of Kenya in the aftermath of the southeast Asia Tsunami. The pair became an Internet sensation.

Two years earlier, a full-grown lioness baffled experts in the east African country when she adopted a baby oryx - a kind of antelope normally deemed a tasty morsel by the predators


'This is not normal': Edward Kariuki, a warden at the animal home in the Kenyan capital, said this is unusual


Hide and seek: The pair hang out in the grass at the Kenyan animal sanctuary


Friends: The six-month-old female yellow baboon abandoned by its family in Maralal in northen Kenya, is taking care of the three-month-old bush baby, that was also abandoned by its family in central Kenya


source: dailymail