10 Animal Friendships That Will Melt Your Heart

Here are 10 extraordinary animal friendships.

Having a buddy to count on in good times and bad is a wonderful thing, and that holds true in the animal community as well.
Here are 10 extraordinary animal friendships.
Number 10. Kala and Kiera. The two shelter dogs gained national attention after a photo of them hugging made the rounds on social media. The pair clung onto one another in the hours before they were to be euthanized. A pet rescue worked with an area Humane Society to save them, and what was almost the dogs’ last day ended up the first of many more to come. 
Number 9. Kasi and Mtani. While a cheetah being best pals with a Labrador sounds like fiction, such a thing really happened. The two were introduced at Busch Gardens, Tampa when they were just 3 months old, and though they didn’t hit it off immediately, they became constant companions. 
Number 8. Tarra and Bella. The elephant and dog besties were almost inseparable in the years they were together at a Tennessee wildlife sanctuary. In fact, when the dog of the duo got injured and couldn’t frolic around the outdoors, her buddy Tarra stood outside where Bella was being kept, just waiting for her to get better.
Number 7. Ruuxa and Raina. Another unlikely cat and dog combo, this cheetah cub and Rhodesian ridgeback puppy made one another’s acquaintance when they were just weeks old. The San Diego Zoo believes to two will be pals for life. 
Number 6. Hoppy and Tiptree. The orphaned deer was taken in by a family in Quebec, and adapted quite well to being a domestic animal. While Hoppy got along with everyone, he shared a special bond with Tiptree the cat. Not long after meeting, the two began to play, cuddle, and even groom one another. 
Number 5. Mona and Max. The lion cub siblings were adopted after airstrikes caused damaged to their previous home, a zoo in Gaza. Their new life in a refugee camp located on the Gaza strip wasn’t the best situation for them, and a rescue group came to move the pair elsewhere. As the duo was being taken away, they held on tightly to one another. 
Number 4. Goof and Amy. The sloths spent roughly 20 years together at the Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro, Massachusetts. In that time they had three children together and formed an incredible bond between one another. After Amy was euthanized due to liver disease, Goof’s health failed quickly. He was laid to rest about a week later. 
Number 3. Edward Scissorhands And His Teddy Bear. Shortly after being born, the baby sloth’s mother was unable to produce the milk he needed. A keeper at the London Zoo hand-reared the little one with the help of a teddy bear, which more closely mimicked the full feeding experience the parent would have provided. 
Number 2. Chutti and Moo Moo Kitty. Both the baby rhino and the Ankole calf were born to fist-time mothers who just weren’t up to caring for them. Workers at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park came up with the brilliant idea of introducing the two, anticipating the meeting would be the beginning of beautiful friendship. 
Number 1. Tillie and Phoebe. The doggy duo left the safe confines of their house and went on an adventure, but the good times didn’t last long. Phoebe, a basset hound, fell into a cistern. Tillie stayed by her side, leaving only occasionally to try to get the attention of a man living nearby. Though it took a week, the plan worked and the two were picked up and taken home.
Which animal friendship do you find most heartwarming?