They say that dogs are a man’s best friend
and for the most part, that’s absolutely true. They’re smart, loyal, caring and keep those
pesky mailmen at bay. But they’re not the only animals that have
won the hearts of their owners, in fact, the world is full of weird, wonderful and delightfully
unusual friendships between man and beast. Ready to meet these unlikely pairings? Let’s get it on! KIARA AND ADOLFO
After a ban on exotic circus animals was implemented in Mexico in 2014, a mysterious man known
as Adolfo Karam began his lifelong crusade of rescuing and rehabilitating big cats. So committed to the cause, Adolfo opened his
very own wildlife sanctuary to house and care for the rescued animals. One such animal was Kiara, who was named after
the lioness in The Lion King, and was just a small cub when she was rescued. Adolfo raised Kiara like she was his own daughter,
before sadly parting ways when she went to a larger facility to grow up. Years would pass, and it seems that despite
the pair being separated for so long, Kiara would never forget the kindness Adolfo showed
her as a cub. On his return, sanctuary officials were concerned
she might treat her foster dad like any other meat tossed into the enclosure. But as Kiara saw her human dad, she ran over
and crash-talked her human with slobbery kisses and big-pawed cuddles. It just goes to show that the bond between
lion and man is strong, and that once a member of the pride – always a member of the pride. PET CAIMAN
Never smile at a crocodile… In what is perhaps the most out-there case
of buyer’s remorse, Japanese native Nobumitsu Murabayashi bought a cute baby Caiman in a
street market 34 years ago. The only thing is, he never anticipated that
it would grow to almost 7 feet in length and over 100 pounds in weight. At full size, Nobumitsu actually had to get
permission from the local government to keep the pet that he admits he loves more than
his wife! When it came to naming the giant beast, he
went for the obvious and least imaginative choice, Caiman. Nobumitsu loves nothing more than to brush
his bizarre pet’s teeth and take him for long walks along the streets of Kure City
– on a leash of course, because he’s responsible like that. This gentle giant may look scary, but Caiman
is actually just like a dog – only much bigger, and with a whole lot more teeth. SAMBATHS PYTHON
Ask any scientist, and they’ll tell you that reptiles lack the brain size and emotion
to recognise and bond with their human owners. Well tell that to 12-year-old Cambodian Sambath. For the past 11 years, he’s had no need
for a dog or a cat to keep him company – no, his best friend is a 16-foot-long python named
Chamroeun. When Sambath’s mother was pregnant, she
had a dream that a snake would protect her unborn child. Low and behold, she found Chamroeun coiled
up in a tiny pile the size of a thumb under her newborn son’s bed. She tried to release it in bushes alongside
a nearby river, but 2 weeks later the snake came back to the same spot. She took it as a sign that the slithering
serpent was a magical spirit, and decided it could stay. Now Sambath sleeps nestled in the 12-inch-thick
coils of his python pal, after kissing Chamroeun goodnight – of course. BRUTUS THE BEAR
When you think of the largest land carnivore on Earth, what comes to mind? Brutality, savagery, and you running for your
life. What doesn’t immediately spring to mind
is bear bromance. Casey Anderson rescued Brutus the bear from
an overcrowded wildlife park when he was just 5 months old. They were going to euthanize the poor cub
as they didn’t have the room for another huge Grizzly. But a sad story has turned into a lifelong
friendship, as the pair have been inseparable ever since. Usually when you get married, you ask your
brother, cousin, or best buddy to be your best man but not Casey. The Montana Grizzly Encounter Sanctuary resident
was on his best behaviour, and gave his blessing for his favourite human to tie the knot with
his special lady. Despite their bond, Casey still treats Brutus
with the respect a 1-ton grizzly bear deserves – after all, sometimes Brutus doesn’t
know his own strength. MOYO THE ELEPHANT
An elephant never forgets… how much she loves her humans! After finding Moyo the African Elephant abandoned
by her herd, half drowned, and surrounded by a pack of hungry hyenas, wildlife ranger
Roxy Danckwerts took her back to the ‘Wild Is Life’ sanctuary and became her new foster
mother. Moyo loves her mom, following her around like
a bad smell – well, everywhere that she fits into anyways. Now 14 months old, she’s getting a little
too big for the house and takes up most of the room on the couch. Just like a teething puppy might chew a shoe
or a TV remote control, nothing is safe from Moyo’s inquisitive trunk. House plants, coffee cups, napkins, and even
food in the kitchen is all fair game. Roxy secretly wishes that Moyo was toilet
trained, as there are frequent… accidents. AGEE THE POLAR BEAR
Ok, so polar bears are no joke. They’re solitary hunters and masters of
the frozen tundra and ice floes of the far north. You’d have to be insane to get up close
and personal with one – Mark Dumas is one such insane person. He runs Beyond Just Bears in Canada, and is
the only person in the world to have smooched a polar bear and survived to tell the tale. Mark found Agee when she was just 8 weeks
old, raising her like his own child. Sure, she gave him a few nibbles as a cub,
but then again, so does a puppy. Now the two are inseparable, and love nothing
better than to take a swim together in the pool, or go star in film and TV series together. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase
bear hug. JESSICA THE HIPPO
The humble hippo is responsible for more people meeting a watery doom in Africa than the 20-foot
crocodiles that also call the rivers home. But they’re not all bad – just ask Tonie
and Shirley Joubert, who absolutely adore their pet Jessica. The pair took her into their care after finding
her in distress next to her dying mother on the border of the Kruger game park. They’re actually park rangers, and after
nursing her back to health and releasing her back into the wild, they were surprised to
find that she kept trying to make her way back home. So they gave in, and now the half ton hippo
sleeps in the family home and is a local celebrity, having starred in over 90 films and documentaries. HIROYUKI ARAKAWA AND YORIKO
Some bonds between man and beast transcend that of a mere family pet. We’ve all had some pretty questionable looking
significant others in the past, but nothing tops 79-year-old Japanese diver Hiroyuki Arakawa
and his life-long companion Yoriko the Giant Sheepshead Wrasse. One afternoon way back in 1992, he came across
this giant fish while diving in the submerged Shinto Shrine in Tateyama Bay. It was love at first sight. Yoriko was injured, extremely malnourished
and starving to death as a result of her wounds. Hiroyuki returned everyday with 5 crabs to
make sure she recovered – a gesture for which she is eternally grateful. He still goes back as often as he can, and
for almost 30 years, Yoriko recognises her nautical sweetheart – rushing up to meet
him and presenting her bulbous forehead for a kiss. Their relationship is a rarity in the world
of fish, and although there’s evidence that certain long-lived species have a better-than-goldfish
memory, scientists are still baffled by Hiroyuki and Yoriko’s love affair. Here’s to another 30 years of marital bliss! MARIA THE GOOSE
Hallmark could make a movie about this one – “A Man and His Goose: An Unlikely Friendship.” Retired salesman Dominic Ehrler loves nothing
better than to spend his now abundant free time down at his local pond at Echo Park. It was there that he met his soulmate – a
grey Toulouse goose he affectionately named Maria. As he was walking around the lake one day,
Maria decided to follow him. At first he was unsure why, as he made it
a point of not feeding the local fauna. But this was a case of love at first site,
and day after day Maria waits for Dominic to take his morning stroll and accompanies
him like a smitten lover. When it’s time to go home, she flies behind
Dominic as he rides his scooter, so now he has to tuck Maria in and make sure she’s
asleep before leaving the park each day – for her own safety! FAGIN THE CROW
You may not know this, but crows are insanely intelligent. They’re one of the few non- primate animals
with facial recognition, and are able to differentiate and remember human faces. Avid wildlife lover Vikkie Kenward, noticed
Fagin the baby crow who had fallen out of his nest and become injured. She was unable to return him to his parents,
so she took him home to care for his injuries – fully intending to release Fagin back
into the wild once he grew older. Well it seemed like he had other ideas. He fell in love with his human nursemaid,
and instead of venturing forth back into the world to seek out his own kind, decided that
a steady diet of mealworms and crickets was too good to pass up. He’s become part of the family, and rarely
leaves Vikkie’s side. He’s free to come and go as he pleases,
and after a day spent exploring the English countryside, returns home. Fagin doesn’t realise he’s a crow, and
we’re not certain if Vikkie walks the family dog, or Fagin does.
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Humans will pet any and all things they find even the smidge of being cute; fur? Pet that, scales? Pet that as well, skin? Hell cuddle up with that!, feathers? Bet your ass that gets some pets!, shell? Shelly boi is getting some pets too!, a rock? B those get pats more than college Chads get girls!
A: Why is that one ton beast following you?
H: That’s my pet bear Teddy