Nature constantly amazes us with its variety. There have been numerous stories of unusual friendships such as a lion and elephant, a car and a mouse, or even a tiger cub with a pup. These close alliances remind us that we should embrace diversity as nature intended. We’ve grown used to seeing two animals from the same species spend time together, but it’s still a bit surprising when you see different species bond.
Take this tiger cub for example. After being rejected by his mother at the Farm Inn Wildlife center, Hunter found an adorable new friend in Chelsea, a puppy that is just three weeks older than the cub. Hunter was separated from his mom as she started showing aggressive behavior toward the cub. It all turned out great since the cub met Chelsea, a German Pointer that returned the love and affection.
German Pointers are known to be energetic, curious, and intelligent. They need to be constantly stimulated and their behavior fits perfect to that of a tiger. It’s a perfect match for both. As soon as they met, the two friends became inseparable.
Both are under the care of 22-year old Anthea Michaletos at the Wildlife Sanctuary in Pretoria, South Africa. She says that every morning when Hunter goes out for a walk, he goes to Chelsea’s cage and greets her. They have a friendly wrestle after it and play gently with each other. They love the time they spend together even when their worlds are very different. Whenever the two are separated, Hunter gets pretty sad.
BFFs for Life?
Credits to: greatstock.co.za / barcroftstudios.com
As the pictures show, the two have become unusual, yet inseparable buddies. The friendship will go on until Hunter is 6 months old. At that point, it must be taken away to protect Chelsea. While the two are pretty friendly, Hunter is still a wild animal who may hurt Chelsea as he grows.
Whenever he gets a bit rowdy, Chelsea is not uncomfortable. However, this will change when he gets bigger. Six months should be enough for the best buds to enjoy their friendship. Until then, we have plenty of videos to enjoy.
