The World’s Most Unexpected Animal Friendships! Love Nature
Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00 Lions and tigers, widely known to be the two top cats of the feline family.
00:05 In the wild, what you're seeing here is as unlikely a sight as you'll ever see.
00:10 But at this sanctuary in Georgia, this odd pairing actually came naturally.
00:15 This is Liberty, an African lioness who arrived here when she was just a year old.
00:21 Liberty was saved from a private facility where visitors paid a post for photos with her.
00:26 Spared from life as a picture prop, her days were about to become far less labor intensive.
00:32 But without a family, this gorgeous girl was in need of some company.
00:36 She really did need a forever home where she would be safe and not exploited.
00:42 But we didn't have any other lions for her to live with.
00:45 And so we were faced with a problem because lions are very social animals.
00:50 And they have to have that pride, that family to live with.
00:55 Typically, a pride of lions features about 13 members.
00:59 Social interaction is a huge part of their development and well-being.
01:03 Liberty didn't care much for toys or show interest in really anything.
01:08 To thrive in captivity, she was clearly in the market for a best friend.
01:13 No one could have predicted that the neighbor next door might be the perfect fit.
01:17 Tiger Lily and Liberty lived in separate enclosures right next to each other.
01:22 So they could see each other, smell each other, kind of get used to each other.
01:26 Whoever said curiosity killed the cat never saw a social experiment quite like this.
01:32 They would play through the fence.
01:34 They would rub up against the fence and try and snuggle with each other and touch each other.
01:41 Now make no mistake, pairing two apex predators of different species is not considered good practice.
01:47 But the staff here have seen it unfold beautifully once before.
01:51 Fifteen years ago, the sanctuary took in an oddball band of young friends.
01:56 Leo the lion, Baloo the bear, and Cher Khan the tiger.
02:01 Confiscated from a drug dealer who was keeping them illegally as cubs in his house,
02:05 the team here decided not to break up their gang.
02:08 And as their story trickled out into the interwebs, the trio became an internet sensation.
02:13 They didn't see any differences with each other.
02:16 They learned the other species' language.
02:19 And it was really incredible to witness.
02:22 Baloo's the only one left standing today.
02:25 But he acts as a constant reminder that when it comes to finding friendship, anything is possible.
02:31 Tiger lily!
02:32 So Allison and her team made the move to give Liberty and Tiger Lily a shot at a proper life together.
02:38 Here you go!
02:39 We were all a little bit nervous just because anything can happen with animals.
02:44 It was great. There were no issues.
02:48 Both Tiger Lily and Liberty seemed so happy that there was no longer a fence in between them.
02:54 It's not all a cakewalk. Liberty can be a bit grubby when it comes to feeding time.
02:59 [Lion growling]
03:04 Lions have to compete to feast on their group's kills.
03:07 But tigers, on the other hand, are solitary hunters and eat at their leisure.
03:12 So the old girl has no problem letting her young BFF call dibs.
03:18 They have different interests, sure. And they're at different stages of their lives.
03:23 So it's not like they need to do everything together.
03:26 But as you can see, the gift of this otherworldly friendship means a lot to them.
03:32 I really think that they will get along just fine for the rest of their lives.
03:37 Bring it back on up here.
03:39 Having a companion changed Liberty's life immensely.
03:44 She would not be nearly as happy today.
03:47 She wouldn't be as healthy today.
03:51 You big goofball!
03:54 Tiger Lily is her pride.
03:57 It might be a pride of one, but that's her pride.
04:02 We've all heard man's best friend is a dog.
04:05 The same goes for Esme, the rhino.
04:09 Um, wait, how's that work?
04:12 Well, when Esme was only a month old, her mother, a first-time mom, was unable to produce milk.
04:19 She didn't quite understand what happened.
04:22 Why was I taken away from my mother?
04:24 And then we started bottle feeding her, giving her all the love and attention that we could muster up.
04:31 In the wild, baby rhinos rely heavily on their moms for comfort, safety, and to learn to graze.
04:37 If they're lonely and depressed, rescued babies have been known to refuse food.
04:42 Esme needed a friend, badly, but unrelated adult rhinos would not bond with her.
04:49 Enter Darwin.
04:52 From the first time that they met one another, they were loving towards one another.
04:59 It was a match made in heaven for them.
05:01 Come, Darwin.
05:03 Come, Esme.
05:04 Shh, shh, shh.
05:05 If she was feeling down, Darwin would go and lick her.
05:08 They were always together. They were inseparable.
05:11 Come, Darwin.
05:12 So they basically just grew up together.
05:15 A bond truly like no other.
05:18 They played together for almost a year, but nature caught up with them.
05:22 Esme grew a lot faster than Darwin did.
05:26 She stepped on his foot and he got a bit injured.
05:29 His back got a bit hurt.
05:31 We took care of him. He was completely fine again.
05:35 And then we had to take Darwin away from her.
05:38 Esme soon became depressed.
05:41 Alone again and in need of a new best friend, the center brought in Millie,
05:46 a young lamb with a herding instinct perfectly suited to hang with a growing rhino.
05:51 Esme was a bit scared.
05:53 She didn't really know what this thing is, and she's used to Darwin.
05:57 She's always been used to Darwin.
05:59 So it took us a few weeks to introduce them to one another.
06:02 And then Esme got used to her.
06:04 Hi, handsome woman.
06:06 A year and a half later, as Esme's health improved, their bond continued to grow.
06:13 But despite their size difference, Millie holds her own at lunchtime.
06:19 Millie has a very strong personality.
06:22 She's a very good companion.
06:24 She teaches her how to defend herself.
06:27 I mean, Millie tries to hit Esme with her head, you know,
06:30 and then basically that would teach Esme how to use her own horn
06:33 as a defense mechanism against other rhinos or predators.
06:37 But some threats are tough to defend against.
06:40 Esme's been bitten by a snake right between her toes.
06:44 Until her wounds heal, her movement has to be limited.
06:48 Looks like she's crying because she doesn't really want to be confined.
06:54 Hmm. The humans can't make her feel better.
06:58 But you know who might have an idea?
07:00 Her old pal, David.
07:02 I think this could be a very good distraction for her,
07:04 having her old friend come back and play with her
07:07 and give her that love and attention that he normally gave to her.
07:12 I think it would be very nice for both of them, actually.
07:16 It's been some time, but the best of friends pick up right where they leave off.
07:21 David, he just loves nibbling on the horn.
07:24 Probably just tastes very interesting to him.
07:26 He used to do that when she was little as well.
07:31 Esme is starting to realize that they are all-time friends.
07:36 Slowly but surely, Esme is starting to defrost, if you can say that, basically.
07:43 Happy and fast becoming healthy again,
07:45 Esme's sense of home resides in her friendships.
07:49 With these animals 24/7, you give them the love and affection to get rehabilitated.
07:56 It's rewarding because it pays off.
07:59 They walked out and the first instinct was just to run.
08:03 We free. She will go back into the wild and live a happy life there.
08:09 Until then, she's got her pals to lean on.
08:12 What are best friends for?
08:15 A hyena pup, a couple of lion cubs, and a meerkat.
08:19 Friends?
08:21 Okay, real talk.
08:23 Hyenas and lions aren't exactly known for getting along.
08:26 And under normal circumstances, a meerkat would merely be a snack for these guys.
08:32 No, this isn't a Disney film.
08:34 It's Lobe's Predator Park in South Africa.
08:37 True story.
08:38 These guys met when they were just babies.
08:41 Kala arrived as an orphan after her mom was caught in a farmer's trap.
08:46 Zafari and Suzie were rejected by their mother at birth.
08:50 And little Pakal here was found wandering alone without his family.
08:54 He was very cold. He was almost on the edge of dying.
08:59 And I pulled him through.
09:02 He might not be an apex predator like his pals, but you'd have to tell him that.
09:07 I think Pakal thinks he's in charge.
09:10 He's rough with them. He likes to play.
09:13 But if they get rough with each other like the lion cubs and the hyena, then he will come in between.
09:19 After a couple sad twists of fate, rather than hunt each other, these would-be foes would sooner share a plate.
09:26 At least when Pakal has his way.
09:28 When he's hungry, he will turn around and push his butt towards them.
09:33 So he's pushing them out of the way so he can eat first.
09:37 And they must be submissive.
09:40 Yeah, he's the dominant one.
09:44 Pakal's become somewhat of an intake coordinator for the sanctuary.
09:48 When Kala first arrived here alone, it was Pakal who made her feel at home.
09:53 Pakal! Pakal! Come, Pakal!
09:59 Pakal and Kala like to play with each other.
10:03 Pakal likes to jump on top of Kala's neck or he will clamp down on him and think he can hold him back.
10:10 And when activity time rolls around, you can really see the Napoleon complex come out.
10:15 To stimulate curiosity, the cubs and pup are given large ostrich eggs.
10:20 And Pakal, the much smaller chicken egg.
10:23 But of course, the little one wants what the bigger kids have.
10:27 And what Pakal wants, Pakal takes.
10:31 Ah, it won't last long.
10:33 The orphans are growing fast and soon their predatory instincts may kick in.
10:39 Pakal's managed to avoid injuries so far.
10:42 But Kala's starting to try out her strong jaws, which are designed to crush bones.
10:47 Once she's full grown, her bite will be five times stronger than ours.
10:52 So just imagine what it could do to a meerkat, even by accident.
10:56 Meanwhile, the twins will soon be 200 times bigger than Pakal.
11:00 Which means their wrestling days are numbered.
11:03 In a few weeks, the natural-born predators will be relocated to larger enclosures fit for larger carnivores.
11:10 Kala and the lions and Pakal, they all stay together now.
11:15 They are friends.
11:17 But when they're a bit bigger, size is going to be a big issue.
11:22 They need to go back with their own species, so that's difficult for them to be together forever.
11:30 Okay, so they're not destined for your typical run-of-the-mill Hollywood ending.
11:35 But come on, even Disney couldn't script a friendship quite like this.
11:40 [MUSIC]