16 Unlikely Animal Friendships That Will Make You Melt

We’ve all heard the famous exclamation from The Wizard of Oz, “Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!” But who knew they could actually be friends in real life? Fiction has become reality with the lasting friendship between Leo the lion, Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear. The trio’s union began with their tragic abuse under the care of their previous owner (a drug lord) but concluded with a happy fairy tale ending at the Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary in the U.S.

This is just one of many stories showing animals that have transcended the species barrier, proving to even the worst of cynics that love can be the strongest instinct.

 

Wilma the ostrich and Bea the giraffe (Busch Gardens, USA)

 

 

 

Anjana the chimp and white tiger cubs, Mitra and Shiva (at The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species in South Carolina, USA)

 

 

 

A macaque and a dove (animal protection center in coastal China)

 

 

 

Leo the lion, Shere Khan the tiger, and Baloo the bear (Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary)

 

 

 

A polar bear and a sled dog

 

 

 

Bubbles the African elephant and Bella the black labrador (Myrtle Beach Safari, South Carolina, USA)

 

 

 

Koko the gorilla and a kitten (San Francisco, California, USA)

 

 

 

A puppy and a hen

 

 

 

A dog and a koala

 

 

 

A macaque and a kitten (Bali)

 

 

 

A kitten and a chick

 

 

 

A baby African elephant and Albert the sheep (Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, South Africa)

 

 

 

Sobe the iguana and Johann the cat

 

 

 

Flopsy the cat and Gary the capybara (Texas, USA)

 

 

 

A sheep and a goat

 

 

 

Fum the cat and Gebra the barn owl (Tarragona, Spain)

 

 

 

WE SAID THIS: Check out “8 Surprising Animals You Didn’t Know Live in Egypt”!