The Unlikeliest of Friends
Under the right circumstances, even animals that are prone to attack each other can form close bonds. Continue on to see some extraordinary animal friendships between animals of different species.
Anjana the chimpanzee helped raise two white tiger cubs who were orphaned during a hurricane in South Carolina. The cubs, Mitra and Shiva, grew to love Anjana despite their predatory nature.
Photography: Barry Bland
Bea the giraffe and Wilma the ostrich don’t seem like they’d make very good friends. For starters, Bea towers over little Wilma. However, the two spend much of their time together in Florida’s Busch Gardens, despite having nearly 65-acres to roam.
Photography: Blaze Press
Kasi the cheetah and Mtani the labrador bonded when they both were a few weeks old. Busch Gardens staff, knowing that cheetahs bond with siblings, paired the two together shortly after Kasi was rescued.
Photography: Busch Gardens
Suryia the orangutan resides in an endangered species reserve in South Carolina. When Roscoe the blue tick hound followed Suryia and his handlers home, it seemed the pup had nowhere else to go, so naturally, the animal reserve kept him. Suryia and Roscoe formed an adorable friendship and frequently go for swims together.
Photography: suryiaroscoe.com
This pawsitively perfect friendship is between Fred the Labrador and Dennis the duckling (along with his siblings). After Dennis’ mother was killed by a fox, Fred and his owner, Jeremy, took in the flock.
Photography: Instagram @mountfitchetcastle
Bubbles the African Elephant and Bella the black Labrador bonded after Bubbles was rescued from animal poachers in Africa and brought to a safari reserve in the U.S. The pair laze around together and enjoy swimming, with Bella frequently using Bubbles as a diving board.
Photography: Barry Bland
These two take hikes, go on adventures and get cozy together. Poldi, a tiny owl, and Ingo, a Malinois dog, live in Germany.
Photography: Instagram @tanja_brandt
