UNUSUAL ANIMAL FRIENDSHIPS

Friends will be friends...

These are just some of the very unusual friendship between animals and just shows that friendship is not confined to any specie or race.

Tarra and Bella






The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee –Tarra the elephant had been best friends with a dog named Bella, a mutt who wandered onto the sanctuary grounds and into the heart of the gentle giant. Tarra clearly loved her little dog and Bella obviously bonded right back.

Unfortunately in November of 2011, sanctuary workers found Bella's body. By all indications she'd been attacked by coyotes. Whether Tarra witnessed it, tried to intervene or was too late - no one knows. All they do know is that where they found Bella is not where she was attacked. Read the full article here and here.

Suryia and Roscoe

One was an outgoing orangutan, the other an underfed stray dog, but since the moment they met, Suryia and Roscoe have been inseparable. These two met when Roscoe, a Bluetick Coonhound, followed Bhagavan Antle, the founder of The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S) in Myrtle Beach, S.C him, through one of the parks gates. As soon as Suryia the orangutan saw Roscoe, he ran over to him and started playing. After a few unsuccessful phone calls to find an owner, Antle decided to let Roscoe stay. Now, the pair has a ball frolicking around the park (via abc news).

For more pictures see the SkyNews gallery.

Owen and Mzee

In December 2004, a frightened young hippo, separated from his family by a devastating tsunami, bonded with an Aldabra tortoise named Mzee. The 130 year-old tortoise accepted Owen as his own, and an inseparable bond was forged (via OwenandMzee). Read more here.

Themba and Albert

Eight-month-old orphan elephant Themba, whose name means 'hope' in Xhosa, who has struck up a friendship with a sheep called Albert at the Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa.

Read more here.

Bea and Wilma... I'll stick my neck out for you anytime!



Something magical has brought Bea the giraffe and Wilma the ostrich together at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida. According to zookeepers, the two young creatures just can’t seem to get enough of each other. Bea, 3, and Wilma, 10, live on the 65-acre Serengeti Plain, an exhibit filled with giraffes, zebras, rhinos, African elephants and birds. Though most animals tend to hang out with their own species, Bea and Wilma – who were both born and raised on the theme park grounds – have reached out to each other (via JustOneMorePet).

Watch the video clip here.

Snowy and Gladys

Tiny chick Gladys was rescued by its owners and brought into the house. Snowy the cat took over the job of looking after the traumatised chicken and now the pair are inseparable (via the Telegraph).

Brock and Bumble Bee

Orphaned cubs Brock the otter and Bumble Bee the badger have formed an unlikely friendship at the Secret World Wildlife Centre in Somerset (via VirginMedia).

Falstaff and Chino

This is the story of a fish named Falstaff and Chino, the dog who loved him. The two met three years ago, when Chino’s owners, Dan and Mary Heath, traded Portland for Medford and a house with a backyard pond.

Falstaff, a 15-inch orange-and-black koi, lived in the pond. Chino, a 9-year-old golden retriever, did not. But every day, Chino would pad out to the pond and peer into the water, waiting for Falstaff to appear. Falstaff would swim to the surface, offering what seemed like a finny greeting. Together, the inter-species pals forged a strong bond. Read more here.

Aochan and Gohan




When the snake keeper at the Tokyo Kingdom Zoo put a hamster in a rat snake's cage, he didn't expect the two animals to be become friends. But the odd couple are roommates, living together in a heated glass box. Read more here.

Finchen and Rabbit

In May 2005, a lactating doe was severely injured in a car crash and died shortly afterwards. Walkers found the orphaned fawn a few hours later and brought it in for bottle-feeding to make sure it survived.

The fawn was given the name Finchen and lived in a garden at the edge of the small village. Finchen was growing and developing very well, but was probably lonely without other deer around.

One day, a wild rabbit showed up and stayed near the fawn. At first, the two were only observed together at dusk or at night. They always grazed in the same corner of the garden, but kept a certain distance from one another

After a few days, the distance between the two animals became increasingly smaller and soon the two also were seen together in the daytime. After another week, Finchen and her wild rabbit were inseparable (via preposterousornot).

Billy and Lilly




A paternal dog has adopted an abandoned baby goat as his surrogate child. Billy the boxer has become the constant companion of the 12-day old kid called Lilly. He sleeps with the goat, licks her clean, and protects her from any dangers at Pennywell Farm wildlife centre at Buckfastleigh, near Totnes, Devon (via).

Cashew and Lilly



Cashew, the 14-year-old lab is blind and deaf. Her best friend is 7-year-old Libby, her seeing-eye cat. Libby steers Cashew away from obstacles and leads her to food. Every night she sleeps next to her. The only time they are apart is when Cashew goes for a walk. Without this cat, Cashew would be lost and very, very lonely (via).

Baloo, Shere Khan and Leo




All three were rescued as two month old cubs during police drug raids in Atlanta, Georgia. They were meant to spend their lives as status symbols for drug barons, but instead got a new chance in an animal rescue center in Locust Grove, Georgia, where they decided to keep them together.

BLT, as zoo keepers call the strange group, are now 8-year-olds living in a spacious custom made habitat as siblings. Baloo and Shere Khan are early risers that like to lounge in a creek, whilst Leo sleeps most of the day – and visitors are able to witness how this unusual family functions. Read the full article here.

CALIFORNIA BOAT HOUSES

"Although technically a block away from the beach and not right on it, these boat houses in Encinitas, California certainly embody the beach culture. Plus, the story behind how they got there is pretty interesting in itself. Entrepreneur and businessman Miles Minor Kellogg was ahead of his time in the 1910s and 1920s, building structures from recycled and reclaimed materials. After building a small silent movie theatre from the discarded top story of a hotel, Kellogg set his sights on building a home from reclaimed material. Since he’d always had an interest in boats, they became the focus of his project. He and his son, Miles Justin Kellogg, worked on the houses together until they were completed in the late 1920s. Both houses are 15 feet tall and 20 feet long with a total space of 2,190 square feet. Each home has ship-like features such as plaster hulls with 19 portholes, two decks, large flat-roofed pilothouses (these are the bedrooms), a galley, dining and living rooms and a bathroom below deck. Recently, the Encinitas Preservation Society purchased the property; they are currently renting them out as apartments in order to raise funds to turn one into a museum" (Gizfactory)

A GREAT DAY FOR FISHING!

O Deer!

I've heard of salmon jumping into boats but... Four deer were pulled from the icy waters of Stephens Passage, Alaska by a group of locals on Tom Satre's 62-foot charter vessel. Four juvenile Sitka black-tailed deer swam directly toward the boat.

Once the deer reached the boat, the four began to circle the boat, looking directly at the humans on board. Clearly, the bucks were distressed. With help, the typically skittish and absolutely wild animals came willingly onto the boat. Once onboard, they collapsed with exhaustion, shivering.

Here the rescued bucks rest on the back of Tom Satre's boat, the Alaska Quest. All four deer were transported to Taku Harbour . Once the group reached the dock, the first buck that had been pulled from the water hopped onto the dock, looked back, then leapt into the harbour, swam to shore, and disappeared into the forest. After a bit of prodding and assistance from the humans, two others followed suit, but one deer needed more help.






Tom, Anna and Tim Satre help the last of the "button" bucks to its feet. They did not know how long the deer had been in the icy waters or if there had been others who did not survive. The good Samaritans (humans) describe their experience as "one of those defining moments in life." I'm sure it was for the deer as well!