Some
people still assume that animals are mindless beasts, but the unexpected animal
friendships we've gathered here will demonstrate that they, too, are capable of
feeling love and compassion.
All of
these photos are heartbreakingly adorable, but there's more to it than that.
What prompted these creatures to form friendships? Lions, dogs, and elephants,
for example, are recognized for building deep social bonds or even networks in
the wild. Understandably, they would seek social bonds outside of their species
in the absence of their pride or packs. Other more isolated animals especially
if their parents are gone, may create parent-child relationships with creatures
with whom they spend time or who helped rear them.
Regardless
of the reason, extraordinary friendships like this demonstrate that animals are
far more emotionally complicated than many humans imagine. These friendships
might not be so exceptional after all! Meet Bella the Black Labrador and
Bubbles the African Elephant.
Image
credits: Barry Bland
Bubbles
the elephant and Bella the black lab have become great friends despite their
vast differences in size. Bubbles were rescued from ivory poachers in Africa
and brought to a safari reserve in the United States while Bella was left there
by a parking contractor. It's fun to see the two interact, especially when
Bella uses Bubbles as a diving board!
Image
credits: PA
Bea the
Giraffe and Wilma the Ostrich: During their time at Busch Gardens in the United
States, Bea and Wilma became fast friends. They don't have to spend time
together because they share a 65-acre cage; they choose to do so.
Image
credits: Torgeir Berge
Tinni the
Dog and Sniffer the Wild Fox: Since meeting in the Norwegian woodlands, Tinni
the dog and Sniffer the wild fox have been great friends. Tinni's owner,
Torgeir Berge, does his best to keep up with and photograph the couple as they
play in the woods. Tinni lives in the Norwegian forests with his owner,
photographer Torgeir Berge.
They met
a wild fox named Sniffer while out walking in the woods one day. They became
unexpected animal pals despite thousands of years of breeding and the social
situations that separated them. Berge now follows the cute pair through the
woods as they romp and play. Fortunately for the rest of us, he brings his
camera with him to document the antics of these furry companions. The way the
two cute animals interact reminds us those wild animals which many of us dread
or despise, are sometimes far more akin to the domesticated animals we adore
than we realize.
Image
credits: Solent News and Photos
Torque
the dog and Shrek the Owl: When Torque was only 6 months old, he adopted Shrek
the owl chick. Shrek was taken away from his mother because his handlers were
scared she would eat him if she was stressed. He's doing fantastic now, and the
two of them have become inseparable friends.
Image
credits: SWNS
Dennis
the Duckling and Fred the Labrador: Things were looking bleak for Dennis the
duckling after his mother was injured by a fox. Dennis was found and rescued by
Fred the Labrador and his owner Jeremy. Since then, Dennis and Fred have
remained friends. Fred must have a huge heart since this isn't the first time
he's stepped in to aid an orphan — he once adopted a baby deer.
Image
credits: Anita Maric
Mabel the
Chicken and the Pups: Mabel the Chicken was rescued from the pot due to a foot
injury and when she was relocated into her owners' home, she discovered a new
delight — puppies! The year-old hen has taken to roosting on the puppies and
keeping them warm for some reason even though their mother prefers the yard. So
there you have it.
Image
credits: Barcroft USA
Milo the
Dog and Bonedigger the Lion: When it was discovered that Bonedigger the lion
cub was suffering from a metabolic bone disease that rendered him crippled,
Milo the little dachshund took him under his wing. The 500-pound lion is still
best friends with the 11-pound dachshund and his two companions, Bullet and
Angel, five years later.
Image
credits: imgur.com
Fishermen
on the edge of Lake Van in Turkey observed this odd duo of cat and fox playing.
Aside from the fact that they're quite cute and playful, not much is known
about them.
Image
credits: Barcroft Media
Shere
Khan, Baloo, and Leo: The story of the tiger Shere Khan, the bear Baloo, and
the lion Leo is extremely heartwarming. They were all rescued together from a
drug dealer who had severely abused them. Baloo even required surgery to remove
a harness that had grown into his skin and created abnormalities, although the
owner had neglected to adjust it. The three buddies have become inseparable as
a result of their shared experiences. They are being cared for at Noah's Ark
Animal Sanctuary in the United States.
Image
credits: spiegel.de
Manni the
Wild Boar Piglet and Candy the Dog: The Dahlhaus family spotted Manni the wild
boar piglet starving in a pasture in southwest Germany and brought him home.
Candy, their Jack Russell terrier, and struck it off right away when he was
introduced to her. Manni is doing well since we last heard from him, and he
will either stay with his family or relocate to a wildlife park.
Image
credits: Busch Gardens Tampa
Kasi the
Cheetah and Mtani the Labrador were raised together in the United States at
Bush Gardens. Their odd friendship was a joy to observe when they were little.
Kasi began to wander away from Mtani as he approached adolescence, becoming
more interested in the female cheetahs in the neighboring enclosure. Kasi now
spends more time with other cheetahs, but the two remain close friends and
frequently visit schools and other locations together.
Image
credits: Tanja Askani
Rabbit
and Deer: This unique deer and rabbit combo were discovered by animal
photographer Tanja Askani and appear to be straight out of Disney's classic
Bambi.
Suryia
the Orangutan and Roscoe the Blue Tick Hound share a rare and endangered
species reserve in the United States. While orangutans are critically
endangered, dogs are not. Roscoe, on the other hand, has been living with her
since he accompanied Suryia and her handlers’ home. He didn't seem to have any
other options, so he stayed with Suryia, and the two have remained close
friends ever since.
Image
credits: Isobel Springett
Kate the
Great Dane and Pippin the Deer: Kate the compassionate Great Dane adopted
Pippin the newborn deer. They were best friends as children but as Pippin grew
older, she ventured out into the woods to start her own deer family. She does,
however, continue to pay visits to Kate, and her owner.
Image
credits: Bary Bland
Anjana
the Chimpanzee with Tiger Babies: After their mother's habitat was flooded
during a hurricane, these two white tiger cubs were removed from her.
Fortunately, Anjana the chimp and its caretaker, China York, were adopted by a
U.S. wildlife sanctuary. We're confident they're in good hands because Anjana
has assisted China in the care of a variety of orphaned animals.
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