Friends are the one thing you can rely on when you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to just listen to you rant. People have friends, so why can’t animals. Dogs have always been known as man’s best friend, so why can’t animals have best friends of their own. Whether it is among their own species, or across a different spectrum of species, animals need a best friend too.
1. Tigress and Piglets
In Bangkok, there is a tiger named Saimai. She nurses piglets that are dressed in tiger striped coats. These piglets have a mother, but the zoo puts them with the tigers. The tiger cubs get to have a sow as a mother. The tiger treats the piglets like they are hers. She has no problem raising these rambunctious little animals.
2. Macaque and Rabbit
BoonLau is a long tail macaque. He lives in a temple while being cared for by the monks. He stays in a cage. He is crippled, because of an attack by dogs. He was able to drag himself to the temple and the monks called a veterinarian to help him out. He only has one arm. The monks felt that the macaque needed a friend, so they got him a rabbit. Toby, the rabbit and BoonLau are the best of friends and they are never seen a part.
3. Baby Hippo and Tortoise
A one year old hippo was rescued after a tsunami struck in Kenya. The wildlife rescuers named him Owen and placed him in a sanctuary. The part of the sanctuary he was placed in only had one other animal living in it and that was a hundred year old giant tortoise named Mzee. Owen ran to him immediately and Mzee turned and hissed at the young hippo. But, Owen was persistent and kept within close proximity of Mzee at all times. He followed him all around the sanctuary and even went swimming with him. Finally, Mzee gave in and the two have been inseparable ever since.
4. Giraffe and an Ostrich
Bea, a giraffe at the Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, has decided she wants to be friends with Wilma, an ostrich. There are plenty of their own species roaming around the gardens, but these two have chosen to seek each other out. Both species are curious types of animals and they will seek each other out to explore. Bea is three years old and her type of species likes to explore new things with their tongues and Wilma is ten years old, but doesn’t seem to mind all the closeness that Bes seems to want.
5. Orangutan and a Blue Tick Hound
Roscoe, the blue tick hound, had followed the staff of The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina home. Suryia, the orangutan, was the first animal to spot the dog and went over to make friends with him. They immediately started playing with each other, which was odd to the staff, because they have seen that dogs are generally afraid of the primate species. They tried to see if Roscoe belonged to anyone in the area, but they were not successful, so they kept him. Suryia and Roscoe spend a few hours a day together and like to swim and Suryia will take the dog for a walk.
6. Baby Elephant and a Sheep
A baby elephant named Themba was orphaned after his mother fell off a cliff. He was closely monitored and the keepers were hoping that he would be adopted by another mother. But, after a week, he was still left alone. They took him to the Shamwari Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, where he was introduced to Albert, a sheep. Themba charged up to Albert and scared him. Albert hid in a cave for twelve hours, but the persistent of Themba finally won over Albert and he emerged. They became fast friends after that and have not been seen apart ever since.
7. Serval Kitten and Rhodesian Ridgebacks
This Serval kitten, named Shakira, was born to a mother that couldn’t produce enough milk. The owner took her in at fourteen days old, thanks to a call from a friend. She was bottle fed until she was strong enough to be introduced to her new family. Katjinga, a Rhodeshian Ridgeback had just given birth to a litter of puppies, when Shakira was brought to her. She excepted the kitten like she was one of her own and now Shakira plays, eats and sleeps with the puppies like she is one of them.
8. Chimpanzee and Big Cats
There is a sweet little chimp, named Anjana, who likes to play with big cats. She has helped the caregivers at The Greatly Endangered and Rare Species sanctuary to raise big cats. She acts as their mother. She will bottle feed the big cat kittens and even lie with them when it is nap time. The caregivers at the sanctuary say that she has been a big help in the raising of the big cats. She shows them as much loves as their own mother would have, had she been able too. She will follow around the caregivers and mimic what they do, which is exactly how she learned to care for the big cats.
9. A Basset Hound and an Owl
These two animals met at a refugee for lost animals. When they met, they became fast friends. They have been inseparable ever since. These two will even curl up on the couch or armchair together to watch TV. Wol & Beryl have such a good friendship that they are never apart.
10. A Cat and Chicks
Nirma, a cat, has adopted seven chicks. The chick’s mother died and she decided to care for them along side her four kittens. The chick’s mother has been gone for a month and they all live in a cardboard box. Putting aside the differences of the species, this mixed family seems to be happy sleeping and playing together.
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