35 photos of unlikely animal friendships
Cats and dogs? Of course. Bears and turtles — why not? These aren't your everyday animal match-ups.
An elephant and a dog peer apprehensively from a freight car before debarking at the Harlem River freight yards in New York City, April 1, 1963. The animals were on the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus train arriving in New York for the opening of the Circus at Madison Square Garden on April 3. (AP Photo/Goldberg)
A one year old cat and a six month old St. Bernard dog relax after a play session, April 18, 1963. The two are great pals. The dog was brought into the family by a Frankfurt, Germany newsman when he was about the same size, as the cast. (AP Photo)
Stretching out for a gossip with Cissie, a cream pony, is Cecilia the Camel, a lady with the things on her mind. Both girls are residents of Whipsand in Bedfordshire, England, Sept. 6, 1963. (AP Photo)
Stretching out for a gossip with Cissie, a cream pony, is Cecilia the Camel, a lady with the things on her mind. Both girls are residents of Whipsand in Bedfordshire, England, Sept. 6, 1963. (AP Photo)
All the animals are pretty tame at the Percy Pangborn Ranch above Lake Wenatchee in the foothills of Washington State’s Cascade Mountains, Sept. 14, 1963. A golden mantled ground squirrel chomps away on a nut as it rides around on the neck of a fawn. (AP Photo)
Fangs flash in the sun and the dust flies as Jackie, a monkey, and lady, a dog, face each other in fierce combat in Natal, South Africa, Sept. 23, 1963 but the anger is mock and blood is never drawn. Owned by animal trainer Jamie Van Heerden, Jackie and Lay are just a pair of hams and great friends besides. Mr. Van Heerden has supplied the animals used in the films “Zulu” and “Rhino” which were shot in Natal. (AP Photo)
Mitzie the cat waits on her strange dinner guest a squirrel, left, as one of her family studies the situation in Coventry, Rhode Islands, May 13, 1966. Mrs. Richard Gadoury who owns Mitzie, found the squirrel nearly-dead and brought it into the house. When it came time for feeding of Mitzie’s kittens she added the squirrel who took to the situation like a member of the family. (AP Photo)
Jocko, a performing monkey at Coney Island cuddles a baby duck that wandered away from the duck pond at the Steeplechase Park animal exhibition at the New York City amusement park, May 26, 1966. (AP Photo)
Little Wimpy, a 6-month-old pileated, or black-capped, Gibbon, stretches a friendly and over the black Great Dane guard dog at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire, England, June 6, 1966. The difference in their size has not interfered with the warm companionship between Prince, the big dog, and the little monkey. Wimpy was born at the Zoo. (AP Photo/S)
Tiny, a female Chihuahua who lives in Savannah, Ga., June 15, 1966 has taken over the mothering of four kittens. Tiny, who has pups of her own, dutifully washes and otherwise cares for the Maltese brood. The mother cat, Pepper, reportedly takes it all calmly, as would anyone who ever has disturbed a Chihuahua. (AP Photo)
The tomcat, thinking discretion the better part of valor, has made friends with six young, orphaned opossums at Rome Ga., June 22, 1966. Some of the youngsters snarl at an unwelcome intruder, the pooch. The critters were adopted by Gary Poole, 11, of Lindale, a Rome suburb. (AP Photo)
Susie, a chimpanzee, runs around the lawns of Castle Combe with “Polanesia” the parrot. Both appear in the film “Doctor Dolittle” currently in production in this little village in Wiltshire Valley, England, July 21, 1966. (AP Photo)
Four of the five kittens adopted by Ginger crowd in for their dinner as the mother dog’s lone puppy sleepily rests on her head. The kittens were left on the doorstep of 12-year-old Linda Polley, of Miami, Florida, August 1, 1966 a couple of days ago and she gave them to Ginger to care for. Since Ginger only has the one puppy she easily cares for the mixed family. (AP Photo)
Rosalind, a week-old African monkey being raised by Boston’ Franklin Park Zoo, August 13, 1966 eases over to sleeping cocker, Susie, because it’s hungry. Dr. Susan Pressman, Head of the Zoo’s hospital, has been taking the monkey home when she found her pet cocker was motherly towards the animal. When full grown, Rosalind will be the size of Susie. (AP Photo)
A baby goat is nursed by a mother donkey and the baby donkey is comforted by its mother as it waits its turn to feet. The goat has become a regular visitor to the donkey corral at meal time at the Friendly Farm in Dublin, N.H., Oct. 7, 1966. (AP Photo)
Pixie, a two-year-old Chihuahua owned by Fred Johnson of Denison, Tex., carries a young cotton tail rabbit to her bed in Dallas, Texas, Oct. 13, 1966. Pixie “adopted” the bunny after another Johnson dog brought it home from a trip to the nearby fields. Pixie jealously guards the furry friends from the Johnsons and the other dog. (AP Photo)
The spaniel decided to take a friendly nip of the tabby’s ear, but the cat turned the tables and chomped on his buddy’s tail. It was all in fun for the Orlando, Florida playmates, March 21, 1967. (AP Photo)
While Daffy the duck and Elisa Baltes get chummy topside, Romeo the lamb concentrates on the bowl of popcorn on the lawn of the William Baltes home in Sandusky, Ohio, June 8, 1967. Daffy and Romeo are buddies, always together. And Daffy shares Romeo’s taste for popcorn. (AP Photo)
When one of her litter died and three others were adopted, a few vacancies arose in the feed line of Susie, a terrier so she welcomed a young raccoon as one of her brood. Susie is the pet of Harry Wells Jr. of 18 Pine Valley Rd. in Savannah, Ga., July 1, 1967, serving dinner to her mixed-up family. (AP Photo/HP)
When their mother abandoned them four weeks ago, these four kittens were adopted by a 3-year-old Pekinese dog in Frankfort, Ohio, Sept. 8, 1967. The dog, owned by the Leon Graham family, had never had pups of her own, but took to motherhood quite naturally. She nurses the kittens and when one strays off, she picks it up by the back of the neck and brings it back. (AP Photo)
An affectionate peck on the ear is always a good way to make friends, and that is just what this duckling is doing with a rather complacent collie at Dover, Del., Oct. 13, 1967. (AP Photo/Chuck McGowen)
Barren, a two-year-old St. Bernard, has a big St. Bernard-type kiss for his pint-size buddy, a pet guinea pig who shares quarters with the dog at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schuurman of Marshall, Minn., April 10, 1968. Even though the 210-pound dog outweighs his friend, the pig doesn’t appear to be frightened at all. However, the Schuurmans keep a close eye on the unusual pair. (AP Photo)
This baby raccoon joined the two-pup litter of Mary Beth Reider’s pet dog the day after the pups were born on May 12. The masked intruder has been adopted by the mother, who appears to be “coondoggled” rather than “boondoggled” by it all. The Reider’s live in Calvert, Md., near Elkton, May 31, 1968. (AP Photo)
An eight-year-old dog living near the small village of Rundyik in extreme north of Sweden, became the step-mom to a pair of hedgehogs, July 30, 1968. (AP Photo)
Juno, 7-year-old Great Dane owned by head keeper Carley at Twycross Zoo, Leicestershire England, Oct. 4, 1968, has been recruited to be “baby sitter to a leopard cub born at the zoo. The cub’s mother had twins and took to one and not the other so head keeper Carley hand reared the baby and now at eight weeks the cub is flourishing and plays around Juno most of the waking hours. Juno makes out to bite of the cubs head in play and the as yet unnamed cub jumps over her back. The pair are great friends but soon the leopard cub’ claws will come out and the kissing will stop, the cubs and Juno will have to go their separate ways. (AP Photo)
Tina, an 8-months-old leopard, right, strains at its leash and sniffs at 8-months-old Timmy, a pooch at Pacific Ocean Park Zoo in Santa Monica, California, Jan. 9, 1961. Tina, true to the style of leopards, Seldom becomes friendly with other animals. She’ll play with Timmy, owned by a trainer at the zoo, in brief spurts—then she lets out with a growl. That’s Timmy’s cue to take off by himself. (AP Photo/Don Brinn)
Mother love, Bassett hound style, takes on all comers. These two ducklings, leftover from Easters, at the home of Susan Norris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James D. Norris, are constant companions of her sleepy-eyed, long-eared hours named Henrietta in Miami, Florida, April 13, 1961. The ears are especially handy during cool weather. (AP Photo)
A cat and dog and hamster life is one of harmony, in the case of this trio in Sun Valley, California, May 1, 1961. The three belong to Frank Inn, who trains them for movies and television. They live together and like it. (AP Photo/Harold Filan)
Bunnifer who was just a ball of fur when found last fall has grown into a somewhat confused rabbit. But no more so than Tippie, the year-old German shepherd-type dog, who has the mixed up idea that Bunnifer is her pup in Louisville, Kentucky, Dec. 14, 1961. To further confuse the menage of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Beam the rabbit prefers sardines, cooked broccoli and an occasional sip of beer to his normal raw vegetable diet. Since no one has explained to the dog and rabbit their attitude is not normal they go on enjoying each others company. (AP Photo)
Normally it’s the bird that fears the cat, but this kitten looks mighty worried under the piercing gaze of a hawk in Lawrence, Kansas, June 11, 1962. Both are pets of the Robert Schwanzle family of Lawrence. The cat, named, Jose, is held by Susan Schwanzle. Her brother, Mike, found the young hawk a couple of months ago. So far it has shown no belligerent tendencies-despite the way it’s looking at Jose. (AP Photo)
Cat and rat may well be a disgrace to their species because of their love for one another, but their owners, the William Falk family of Salem, Oregon point to them as an example of good training, Sept. 5, 1961. They even eat and sleep together. (AP Photo)
Could be that Sparky, the bear cub, is saying: “Don’t worry pal, I’ll get you on your feet again!” to Torpy, the tortoise, at Jungleland, an animal zoo at Thousand Oaks, California, July 16, 1962 Torpy was turned upside down by an attendant for the benefit of photographers and Sparky obliged by his nose into the situation. (AP Photo)
Could be that Sparky, the bear cub, is saying: “Don’t worry pal, I’ll get you on your feet again!” to Torpy, the tortoise, at Jungleland, an animal zoo at Thousand Oaks, California, July 16, 1962 Torpy was turned upside down by an attendant for the benefit of photographers and Sparky obliged by his nose into the situation. (AP Photo)
The lamb and the lion shall lie down together, the Bible reveals, and a Hollywood studio made them do just that for George Stevens’ production of “The Greatest story Ever Told" Sept. 26, 1962. The biblical movie required the display of togetherness, and Cleo, a two-year-old trained lioness, restrained herself for this scene of pastoral bliss. She frightened off four other lambs before this one accepted the association. (AP Photo/Don Brinn)
Intruders, certainly, buy obviously not “Wimpy”, the six-months-old Pileated or Black-capped Gibbon, born at Twycross zoo, Leicestershire, May 28, 1966. He and Prince, the black great anee guard dog athe zoo, are the best of pals, despite the big difference in their size. (AP Photo)
Need a break? Scroll through these adorable photos of baby animals.