00:00 Today we're bringing you 10 unusual animal friendships that will melt your heart.
00:04 Welcome to another episode of Forever Green.
00:07 And if you don't believe a lion, a tiger, and a bear could share a heartwarming friendship,
00:12 then number 3 will be especially surprising.
00:14 Unfortunately many of us still think of animals as inferior beasts who stick to their kind
00:21 and rarely mix.
00:22 But today's friendships will give you evidence that even some of the most diverse animal
00:26 species are capable of feeling love and compassion for each other, just like we are.
00:31 The animal kingdom never ceases to amaze and inspire.
00:34 So enjoy these incredible pals who put their differences aside to spread the love.
00:40 Number 10, Milo and Bone Digger.
00:43 Male lions are known to be pack leaders and ferocious meat eaters.
00:47 But this 500-pound beast is friends with three of the tiniest dogs.
00:52 Milo, one of the three dachshunds, took Bone Digger the lion under his wing when he was
00:57 just a cub.
00:58 It was discovered that the lion was suffering from a metabolic bone disease that left him
01:02 disabled.
01:03 After it was discovered that Bone Digger was suffering from a metabolic bone disease that
01:06 left him disabled, Milo, one of the three dachshunds, took the lion cub under his wing
01:11 and cared for him.
01:14 Five years later, the apex predator is still the best of buddies with the 11-pound dachshund
01:19 and his two compatriots, Bullet and Angel.
01:24 Number 9, Suria and Roscoe.
01:27 Suria and Roscoe live together at a rare and endangered species reserve in the US.
01:32 But while orangutans are endangered, that is certainly not the case with dogs.
01:37 So how did Roscoe end up there?
01:40 Well, one day Roscoe the stray dog followed Suria as her handlers were taking the orangutan
01:45 back home to their sanctuary in the US.
01:48 It didn't look like he had any other home to go to, so they took in the not-so-extinct,
01:52 but oh-so-lovable dog.
01:55 Dogs and orangutans rarely meet, and when they do, they are naturally shy around each
01:59 other.
02:00 But not these guys.
02:01 The orangutan and the blue-tick hound have remained best buddies since they first met.
02:05 Whoever said dogs were only man's best friend got that one wrong.
02:11 Number 8, Bee and Wilma.
02:14 Something magical has brought Bee the giraffe and Wilma the ostrich together at Bush Gardens
02:18 in Tampa Bay, Florida.
02:21 According to zookeepers, the two young creatures just can't seem to get enough of each other.
02:26 Bee the three-year-old giraffe and Wilma the ten-year-old ostrich live in a 65-acre enclosure
02:32 filled with giraffes, zebras, rhinos, elephants and birds.
02:36 And although most animals tend to hang out with their own kind, Bee and Wilma have reached
02:40 out to each other.
02:41 Perhaps they've bonded over their long necks.
02:44 Who knows?
02:45 Whatever it is, the two share smooches, sunsets and best of all, friendship.
02:51 Their enclosure is so large, they wouldn't need to hang out at all, but they choose to
02:55 meet almost every day to spend some quality time together.
03:00 Number 7, Cassie and Tawny.
03:02 In March 2011, Bush Gardens in Florida received a three-week-old male cheetah, which required
03:07 around-the-clock care as a furry newborn.
03:11 Male cheetahs form strong brotherly bonds with their siblings at birth, known as coalitions.
03:15 But Cassie was an orphan, so the animal park had to find a replacement companion for the
03:19 lonely cheetah cub.
03:22 They paired him up with a six-week-old female Labrador retriever from a local shelter, who
03:27 was bouncy, smart, playful and patient.
03:30 In other words, made the perfect friend for a young cheetah.
03:35 Their young friendship was heartwarming to watch, but as he grew older, Cassie began
03:39 drifting away from Tawny and became more interested in the female cheetahs in the next pen.
03:45 And while he now spends more time with other cheetahs, the two are still best friends and
03:49 often visit schools together.
03:54 Number 6, Anjana and the Tiger Cubs.
03:57 These two white tiger cubs were separated from their mother after her enclosure was
04:01 flooded during a hurricane.
04:03 They have since been transferred to a U.S. animal reserve, where they found an unlikely
04:07 surrogate mother and chimpanzee, Anjana, who has taken on the role of caring for the cubs.
04:15 The two-year-old chimp helped the sanctuary keeper, Chana York, care for the 21-day-old
04:19 cubs and raise them into full-grown adult cats.
04:23 Many who were skeptical about a chimpanzee raising two tigers were quickly reassured
04:27 when they discovered that Anjana had actually helped Chana raise many different orphaned
04:31 animals at the reserve.
04:33 She had just recently finished raising four lions and they were inseparable.
04:39 So the cubs were bound to be in good hands.
04:41 Anjana and her white tiger cubs have become almost inseparable from their new motherly
04:45 figures.
04:53 Number 5, Tork and Shrek.
04:55 You'd think a dog would hunt a bird, chase it down and gnaw on it with its sharp teeth.
05:01 And while that may be true of some dogs, it is certainly not the case with Tork the Greyhound
05:05 and Shrek the Owl, who have formed a rather bizarre friendship at an animal center.
05:12 Keepers feared Shrek's mother would eat her due to distress, so they brought the three-day-old
05:16 baby owl into their home, where she was quickly adopted by their six-month-old dog, Tork.
05:22 Tork seems to have taken in Shrek as his daughter and is now very protective of his little feathered
05:26 friend who follows her around at home, keeps an eye on her and they even watch TV together.
05:32 They've been a hoot ever since.
05:36 Number 4, Bubbles and Bella.
05:38 Despite their extreme difference in size, Bubbles the African Elephant and Bella the
05:42 Black Labrador have become great friends.
05:50 Bubbles the 9,000-pound African Elephant was adopted by Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina
05:55 in 1983.
05:57 Later in 2007, a contractor hired to build Bubbles her swimming pool abandoned his puppy
06:02 Labrador Bella at the reserve.
06:08 The keepers decided to keep Bella, and so a beautiful friendship was born between the
06:12 Labrador and the elephant.
06:15 Sometimes, Bubbles and Bella go for walks together, but they have the most fun when
06:20 they go for long swims, especially when Bella uses Bubbles as a diving board.
06:27 Number 3, Shere Khan, Baloo and Leo.
06:30 What could a tiger, a lion and a bear all have in common?
06:34 Friendship of course.
06:35 The tale of Shere Khan the tiger, Baloo the bear and Leo the lion is truly touching.
06:40 The unconventional trio was rescued from a drug dealer who had been abusing them extensively.
06:47 Baloo even needed surgery to remove a harness that had grown into his skin and caused deformities
06:52 because the owner had never bothered to adjust it.
06:56 The three have been through thick and thin, and their suffering together make their bond
07:00 that much stronger.
07:01 The friends are now under the care of the Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary in the US, and
07:05 continue to be as inseparable as ever.
07:10 Number 2, Kate and Pippin.
07:12 Pippin, a helpless baby deer was abandoned by her mother on the property of Isabelle
07:16 Springett.
07:17 Isabelle's great Dane Kate adopted Pippin immediately, and they have been best friends
07:21 forever ever since.
07:26 The story of Kate's and Pippin's loving relationship is charmingly chronicled in a book featuring
07:31 the beautiful photography of Isabelle Springett.
07:38 The deer and the dog spent entire days together while growing up, but Pippin has since matured
07:43 and moved out into the forest to raise a deer family of her own.
07:49 But she still visits her good old friends Kate and Isabelle on a regular basis.
07:56 Number 1, Manny and Candy.
07:58 Manny, the wild boar piglet was found starving in a field in southwest Germany, and brought
08:03 home by the Dahlhaus family.
08:09 After this rescue, he met a Jack Russell named Candy, the family dog.
08:13 It was love at first squeal, and the two immediately hit it off.
08:20 In an attempt to communicate with Candy, Manny was even said to have learned how to bark,
08:24 sort of.
08:25 Although Dahlhaus is a hobby hunter, animal lovers need not fear, because Manny is not
08:30 destined for the dinner table.
08:32 Last we heard, Manny recovered and will either stay with his family or move to a wildlife
08:36 park.
08:39 And that's it for today's video.
08:41 Which of these everlasting animal friendships touched you the most?
08:44 Let us know in the comments below.
08:46 And if you liked this video, you're going to love our video given on the screen.
08:50 Don't forget to subscribe for more awesome animal stories like this one, and see you
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09:09 (chimes)
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