Friendships between animals of different species are more common than you think. They also are often quite adorable. Seeing two animals develop bonds with one another reinforces the idea that friendship is universal and can be formed without a common language. Watching such relationships develop in the wild always warms our hearts.
The friendships pictured below all involve buddies from different species. Unfortunately, animals, even those of the same species, don’t always get along. These animals do, however. In fact, some of them are likely even BFFs.
Petey The Pelican & His Dog Friend
The dog in this photo was a stray adopted by the photographer after frequently seeing them hanging out near the boat docks. Evidently, the dog had developed a bond with a pelican friend named Petey. The photographer regularly brings the dog back to the docks so the two friends can visit.
Raccoon Hugs His Dog Friend
Raccoons and dogs are not typically friends. It’s tough to say exactly what these two friends bonded over. Perhaps it was their mutual love of eating just about anything or getting into the trash. Regardless of what brought them together, it’s clear these two are quite comfortable being around one another. They must be good friends!
Cheetah & Dog Grow Up Together
Cheetahs often have social problems growing up. To help with this, many zoos pair cheetah cubs with a puppy to be their friend. The results are beneficial for the cheetah and adorable for the humans who later look at photos of the pair. The friends pictured here have grown up together and share an unbreakable bond.
Friends Stick Together In Tough Times
The mark of a true friend is that they will stick with you during tough times. Sure, the cat above benefited from getting a little bit of shade from their friend’s cone but they were also keeping their pal company during a difficult time!
Goat and Sheep Friends
Sometimes all you need is a good friend to be happy. Don’t these two look happy? Both the sheep and goat look so content just to be in each other’s presence. That’s what true friendship feels like!
The Fox and the Hound In Real Life
When a woman named Pauline rescued a two-week-old fox, she probably didn’t think it would cause a real-life version of Disney’s The Fox and the Hound- but that’s what happened. The fox is named Marley and developed quite a relationship with Ernie, Pauline’s bulldog.
Gray Wolf and Brown Bear
These two friends caught the attention of wildlife photographers out of Finland. Nobody is too sure when they became friends but the speculation is they bonded when they were both alone, young, and learning how to survive in the wild.
Goat Only Wants To Hang Out With Dogs
Many of us probably know people (or are people) who prefer the company of dogs over other humans. This trend has been shown to cross-species. A user on Reddit posted the above photo noting that their aunt’s goat thinks they are a dog, will not spend time with other goats, and only wants to hang out with dogs.
Horse & Dog Friends
The dog in this photo can’t stop jumping up to hug their horse friend. One has to wonder if these two bonded over their matching fur colors of brown and white. They definitely are a photogenic pair!
Dog and Cat Adventure Buddies!
A good friend is often someone you can go on adventures with. One has to wonder just how many journeys these two have kept each other company on.
Dog and Duck Friends
These two good friends would likely enjoy a fun time splashing around in a pool together. It seems they are just as happy to hang out in each other’s company, however.
A Beautiful Day For Friendship
Do you ever just hang out in a park with your friend and not say a word to one another? This strikes us as how these two buddies enjoy spending time with one another. They certainly seem comfortable enough around one another to just lounge the day away.
Turtle and Cat Bonding
One has to wonder if the heat lamp is what drew the cat into the aquarium. Their soft fur then provided a nice place for the turtle to rest. Their friendship might be based on mutual benefit but they seem to enjoy each other’s company as well.
Cows Love Their Doggo Friend
The cows in the above photo seem to really love their doggo friend. Perhaps they think he is a very small cow. Maybe the dog thinks they are really big dogs. Regardless, they all seem to enjoy each other’s company quite a bit!
Rescued Calf Has A New Friend By Their Side
The calf in this photo is named John Lewis Thunderheart. He was suffering from pneumonia after being born on a slaughterhouse floor. They were taken in by the Gentle Barn sanctuary and a new friend stayed by their side as they recovered.
Kitten and Owl Become Nap Time Friends
Owls are nocturnal but cats can sleep pretty much whenever and wherever they want. These two fast-friends have found that not only do they both enjoy terrifying mice, but they both also enjoy a good nap. These two buddies can serve as blanket and pillow for each other as they grow older too.
Dogs and Cats Can Be The Best Of Friends
Despite what cartoons will have us believe, dogs and cats can be the best of friends. These two certainly seem like they love spending time with one another. Cats don’t just give those head boops to anyone, the doggo here must have earned it by being a loving friend.
Baby Elephant and Ostrich Buddies!
This photo was posted by Sheldrick Wildlife, an organization that helps rehabilitate orphaned baby elephants in Kenya. Perhaps these two friends bonded over one having a long neck and the other a long nose or maybe they just enjoy relaxing with each other.
A Husky and Horse Develop A Friendship in the Snow
If you’re into winter sports and your friends aren’t, it can be pretty frustrating. These two friends do not have that problem, however. They look relaxed and happy to be out in the snow with one another. They are certainly a photogenic couple of pals!
Norwegian Dog and Wild Fox Strike Up A Friendship
The dog and wild fox friendship pictured above is between Tinni (the dog) and Sniffer (the fox). The photographer lives with the dog in Norway and enjoys going for walks in the woods. Along their travels, they met Sniffer, who became fast friends with Tinni. Now, the photographer brings his camera out for walks and snaps shots of the two friends playing in the woods.
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