10 Most UNUSUAL Pets People Actually Own
Category
đł
AnimalsTranscript
00:00 Many of us are proud cat and dog owners, or at least know someone who houses some kind
00:04 of mainstream pet.
00:06 But some people have ventured far beyond normality and welcomed some of the most unexpected creatures
00:12 into their families.
00:13 We're talking about pet lions, family bears, penguin friends, household giraffes, and even
00:20 a hippopotamus.
00:21 It's unthinkable that one could domesticate or build a loving relationship to some of
00:26 these majestic, and yes, even dangerously deadly animals.
00:31 But these guys would assure you, the friendships are totally worth the extra effort, and sometimes
00:37 even a scratch or two.
00:39 Today, we'll be looking at some strange people who have made some of the most unique animals
00:44 into their best friends.
00:47 Number 10.
00:48 Jessica the Hippo.
00:52 There are many accounts of hippos attacking and even killing people who have invaded their
00:58 space or disrupted their routines.
01:00 But despite being one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, this is definitely not
01:05 the case with Jessica the Hippo.
01:07 Shirley and her husband Tony took her in as a newborn when she was washed away from her
01:13 mother during the floods back in 2000.
01:17 Jessica is a loving hippo who enjoys interacting with humans and displays mind-boggling behavior.
01:22 She's a very sociable hippo, and she's a very sociable hippo.
01:23 But she's also a very sociable hippo.
01:24 She's a very sociable hippo, and she's a very sociable hippo.
01:25 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:26 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:27 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:28 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:29 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:30 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:31 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:32 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:33 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:34 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:35 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:36 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:37 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:38 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:39 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:40 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:41 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:42 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:43 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:44 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:45 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:46 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:47 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:48 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:49 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:50 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:51 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:52 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:53 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:54 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:55 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:56 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:57 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:58 She's a very sociable hippo.
01:59 She's a very sociable hippo.
02:00 Polar bears are the fiercest and largest land carnivores in the world.
02:07 But this man snuggles up to his bear friend first thing in the day, before their morning swim.
02:13 Mark Dumas is a 60-year-old professional animal trainer.
02:17 And the only person in the world to survive swimming with a polar bear.
02:22 Every morning, Dumas enjoys a nice leisurely swim with his 800-pound polar bear, Agee.
02:29 Dumas takes his swim and even wrestles with the gigantic female polar bear like she's just a tiny puppy.
02:37 You can tell just by watching Dumas and Agee that they truly trust each other, despite their major natural differences.
02:46 Number 8. Dindim the penguin.
02:51 Meet Dindim, the penguin who returns to his human soulmate every year.
02:58 Dindim is a South American Magellanic penguin.
03:02 Who was found discovered in oil and starving on a beach in Rio de Janeiro by 71-year-old fisherman, Guau Pereira.
03:11 After taking him in and caring for the little fella, a pretty unique friendship was born.
03:17 Since they met in 2011, Dindim, who normally breeds 3,000 to 5,000 miles away on the coasts of Argentina and Chile,
03:26 leaves his habitat and swims all the way back to Brazil every single year to spend 8 months living with a retired fisherman in his house on the island.
03:36 Dindim allows no one else to touch him except for his faithful companion, Yao, and even pecks them if they try.
03:43 He lays on the fisherman's lap, lets him give him showers, feed him fish, and even allows him to pick him up.
03:53 Number 7. Pasqualina the wild boar.
03:56 Pasqualina is a two-year-old boar who loves to cuddle, even though she now weighs 100 pounds.
04:04 This female wild boar lives with the Italian couple, Raffaele and Doriana, who treat her as if she were one of their own children.
04:13 They found a baby pig abandoned in the woods, almost dying from hunger.
04:19 They did their best to save the little piglet and didn't expect at all that she'd grow up to behave more and more like a real dog.
04:25 Pasqualina loves to play ball with Raffaele and cuddle while muzzling him with her snout.
04:31 The couple own a farm with several other cows, donkeys, and chickens, but Pasqualina has by far the most unusual relationship to her parents.
04:42 Number 6. Household giraffes.
04:48 The Rothschild giraffe is an endangered species and the last animal you'd think of as a household pet.
04:54 But in 1979, there were only about 130 of these giraffes left.
05:00 So, Jacques-Leslie Maville and his American wife Betty decided to take in a few of them by letting them roam freely just outside their mansion in Kenya.
05:10 Next thing you know, they started a wildlife fund and later opened the Giraffe Manor.
05:17 A hotel where guests and giraffes can freely interact with one another both inside and outside the building.
05:23 Today, 300 of these beautiful giraffes peacefully live on their 18,000-acre soy ranch.
05:30 Number 5. Kevin and his lions.
05:36 South African sanctuary owner Kevin Richardson has turned these dangerous apex predators into the sweetest animals.
05:46 Also known as the Lion Whisperer, cuddling with these wildcats is one of Kevin's favorite daily activities.
05:52 Kevin has always had a fascination with lions, and because he's been raising them from birth, they soon learn to respect him and let him into the pride.
06:01 Kevin sleeps, eats, and lives among these lions.
06:06 And reassures people that they are loving animals.
06:12 That being said, he's been scratched and bitten by these wild animals a few times throughout his career.
06:17 But these loving relationships are well worth the risks, he says.
06:23 Number 4. Brutus, the grizzly bear.
06:29 Nicknamed the "Animal Magnet" as a kid, Casey Anderson grew up in Montana, surrounded by wilderness and animals.
06:40 After college, he became an animal keeper and trained with all kinds of dangerous animals, until baby Brutus came into his life.
06:47 Brutus was born in an overpopulated wildlife park and quickly became Casey's new best friend.
06:54 The now 700-pound adult male grizzly bear regularly cuddles and playfully wrestles with Casey.
07:04 These gigantic North American predators have a bad rep amongst campers and hikers for their terrifying nature.
07:10 But this friendly grizzly is living proof that you shouldn't judge a bear by its claws.
07:16 Number 3. The Hyena Men.
07:22 Meanwhile in Nigeria, a group of hyenas have been taken in by locals and become the neighborhood pets.
07:31 A series of pictures show men casually walking their hyenas on leashes leaked onto the internet and caused quite the controversy.
07:38 Their relationships to these animals aren't always harmonious and many question the ethics of it all.
07:45 However, this close society of men have managed to tame and domesticate these hyenas and treat them like household pets.
07:58 It turns out the hyena men are performers who have been passing down their tradition for generations.
08:03 It's not illegal, as they actually do have permits from the Nigerian government.
08:09 And unbelievably so, you can actually buy hyena leashes and toys on Amazon.
08:14 Number 2. Big Bird the Pelican.
08:19 We've seen quite our fair share of unlikely friendships today.
08:27 But a man rescuing a pelican and taking him under his own wing is quite something extraordinary.
08:32 After being separated from his flock during a storm in Tanzania, the pelican was taken in by safari camp manager Jeffrey Condon, who cheesily named him Big Bird.
08:44 Jeffrey has been taking Big Bird out on his canoe each morning, teaching him everything he knows.
08:50 He's taught the bird how to swim, dive and even how to catch fish.
08:56 It's truly quite the role reversal.
08:59 And what better way for Big Bird to repay his new best friend with plenty of cuddles.
09:06 Before we reveal number 1, be sure to check out other amazing videos on our channel and give us a like if you enjoyed this video so far.
09:15 Tell us in comments which one of these you like the most and why.
09:23 Number 1. Pocho the Crocodile.
09:26 Pocho was an American crocodile who became world famous for his relationship with Chito Shedden, a local fisherman in Costa Rica.
09:36 Shedden had found the crocodile dying on the banks of the Vrazatevan River and took him in Wilts nursing him back to health.
09:45 The crocodile refused to return to the wild and chose to stay with Chito instead.
09:52 So he named him Pocho and the two became the best of friends.
09:56 Their relationship was so unbelievable, they even started performing together and became world famous.
10:03 Their incredible display of trust and love is one to make us reconsider the impression we have of these scary looking water lizards.
10:12 .
10:16 .
10:17 .
10:18 .
10:19 .
10:20 .
10:21 .
10:22 .
10:24 .
10:25 .
10:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]