May
23

Are you ready for another heartwarming visit to the Department of Unexpected Interspecies Friendship? In Black Mountains, Wales there lives a Shetland pony mare who, despite already having a foal of her own, took an orphan lamb into her care. She nursed both babies and kept an eye on them while they cuddled together and slept. Yeah, that’s pretty awesome. Horserider and equine vet Georgina Hirst, 29, did a double take when she spotted the pair feeding while out riding on Hay Bluff. “I was out riding one day and I spotted a baby lamb feeding,” she said. “The first time I saw it I couldn’t quite believe it - I thought I might be imagining it. But then I saw it again and again over the space of about a week. “It seemed the Shetland mare had adopted the orphaned lamb and was letting it feed from her. Shetlands are not normally so amenable. The lamb was obviously hungry and it’s quite amazing that it learnt to suckle from the mare. It might have just copied the foal.” The vet, from Hay on the Wye, Powys, added: “Trying to get mares to adopt foals can be very challenging so it’s incredible the mare was so receptive of the lamb. She would even stand guard while the foal and the lamb slept cuddled together.” When it became apparent that both lamb and foal weren’t receiving adequate nourishment (the mare simply couldn’t produce enough milk for two), Ms Hirst stepped in. Thanks to an identity mark on the lamb, she was able to track down the farmer who retrieved the lamb. Now the lamb is bottle fed and the foal gets all the milk it needs from its big-hearted mum.  Here’s hoping those two young friends will meet again some day to frolic and reminisce about those early days spent together with mom. [via Neatorama]

Are you ready for another heartwarming visit to the Department of Unexpected Interspecies Friendship? In Black Mountains, Wales there lives a Shetland pony mare who, despite already having a foal of her own, took an orphan lamb into her care. She nursed both babies and kept an eye on them while they cuddled together and slept. Yeah, that’s pretty awesome.

Horserider and equine vet Georgina Hirst, 29, did a double take when she spotted the pair feeding while out riding on Hay Bluff. “I was out riding one day and I spotted a baby lamb feeding,” she said. “The first time I saw it I couldn’t quite believe it - I thought I might be imagining it. But then I saw it again and again over the space of about a week.

“It seemed the Shetland mare had adopted the orphaned lamb and was letting it feed from her. Shetlands are not normally so amenable. The lamb was obviously hungry and it’s quite amazing that it learnt to suckle from the mare. It might have just copied the foal.”

The vet, from Hay on the Wye, Powys, added: “Trying to get mares to adopt foals can be very challenging so it’s incredible the mare was so receptive of the lamb. She would even stand guard while the foal and the lamb slept cuddled together.”

When it became apparent that both lamb and foal weren’t receiving adequate nourishment (the mare simply couldn’t produce enough milk for two), Ms Hirst stepped in. Thanks to an identity mark on the lamb, she was able to track down the farmer who retrieved the lamb. Now the lamb is bottle fed and the foal gets all the milk it needs from its big-hearted mum. 

Here’s hoping those two young friends will meet again some day to frolic and reminisce about those early days spent together with mom.

[via Neatorama]

May
18

It’s time for another awesome visit to the Department of Unexpected Interspecies Friendship. Back in April 2011 a Canada goose decided to nest in an urn at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, NY. Canada geese are monogamous animals who usually mate for life, but somehow this goose had lost her gander. Fortunately she wasn’t without protection.

A young male whitetail deer appeared and took up the role of guardian. Canada goose eggs incubate for an average of 24-28 days and the young buck remained close by the entire time. Whenever anyone tried to approach the goose, the deer rose to stand between them and the nesting bird. He also chased off an aggressive group of crows, who are known to predate on baby birds, the day before the eggs began to hatch. It wasn’t until the goslings hatched that the deer gradually began to wander from his self-appointed post.

Photos by Doug Benz and Craig Cygan respectively.

[via The New York Times Lens Blog and the Mother Nature Network]

May
09

It feels like it’s been too long since we last visited the Department of Unexpected Interspecies Friendship. Thank goodness ZooBorns posted about this awesomely cute and fuzzy pair of baby bird friends at the Kirkleatham Owl Center in Redcar, North East England.

Meet Larch, a Long-eared owlet, and Chop-suey, a White-crested Runner duckling. They’re both only three weeks old and currently inseparable.

Initially there were a dozen duck eggs in the Center’s incubator, but only one hatched, producing little Chop-suey. Although the chick was content with human company, he was not happy being left alone. Larch the Owl had been by himself there so staff put the two together and they instantly snuggled up and fell asleep!

They won’t be able stay together for much longer due to their differing needs as they develop,” said a spokesperson at the Center, “but while they are still very small we are more than happy for them to enjoy their time together.”

If those four photos didn’t immediately incapacitate you with their cuteness, click here to watch a short video of Larch and Chop-suey cuddling up together.

[via ZooBorns]

Apr
12

“Where do you want to go today, my feline friend?”

Meet Rudi Saldia and his cat MJ. This awesome pair of pals enjoys nothing more than cycling around Philadelphia together with MJ happily riding on Rudi’s shoulders. Rudi films their bike rides with his HD HERO2 GoPro camera and, we’d be remiss not to mention, sports a rather dashing mustache.

Last year Rudi posted a video of himself and MJ entitled My Cat Can Ride A Bike Better Than You Can. Click here to watch even more videos of Rudi and MJ.

[via Laughing Squid]

Feb
20

If you’re looking for something uplifting and indescribably delightful then you need look no further. Photographer Michael S. Den Beste takes beautiful photos and then elevates them to joyful awesomeness by using photoshop to insert Bill Watterson’s beloved cartoon characters Calvin and Hobbes into the scenes.

We always wished we could play with Calvin and Hobbes. These wonderful images make us feel like we’ve just taken a big step towards making that wish come true and we can’t stop smiling. Visit Michael S. Den Beste’s website to view more.  

[via Comics Alliance]

Jan
02

Pedro T. Predator and his friend Abi (aka deviantARTist Rex-equinox) cosplay in awesome Predator and Xenomorph costumes. In their world these two creatures aren’t enemies, they’re friends. The sort of friends who accompany and support each other during a visit to a tattoo and body piercing parlour.

Check out Pedro T. Predator’s deviantART gallery to view more great photos like these.

[via io9]

Source io9.com

Dec
03

From the Department of Unexpected Interspecies Friendship come these awesome photos of a Van Cat and a fox in Turkey who appear to have become best friends. Living in eastern Turkey on the shores of Lake Van (a saltwater lake and the largest lake in Turkey), these two furry chums are often seen playing together.

“According to local fishermen, the pair were first seen together when they shared some fish left over from the fisherman. They soon began to play together and it has now been over a year since they began this unusual friendship.”

[via Design You Trust]

Source designyoutrust.com

Oct
21

Brace yourself for some awesome cuteness as we take another uplifting visit to the Department of Unexpected Interspecies Friendship. Baby the French bulldog has adopted 6 adorable wild boar piglets (boarlets?) who were found abandoned, “half-frozen and starving,” in a forest outside Berlin, Germany. As surrogate mum, Baby watches over her little charges (along with her bulldog assistant Ronja), cuddles and plays with them, and even provides valuable assistance to their tiny digestive systems. The piglets will remain in the care of the sanctuary and their canine mum for three months before being released into a nature reserve.

Baby resides at the Lehnitz Animal Sanctuary outside Berlin and apparently has maternal feelings for just about any animal. She has previously played surrogate parent to abandoned bunnies, kittens, and a raccoon. 

If, after watching this video, you crave even more French bulldog & orphan piglet cuteness, head over to Dailymail.co.uk to see some photos of the happy little family.

[via Neatorama and Dailymail.co.uk]

Source neatorama.com

Oct
19

Oct
13

It’s time for another delightful visit to the Department of Unexpected Interspecies Friendship. Meet Lizzie the lamb, Portia the piglet, and Boots the goat. These three pals are snuggled up together at Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary near Kilmore, Victoria, Australia. It’s hard to believe, but each of these cuties was found abandoned and alone. In fact, Lizzie the lamb was just hours old when she was rescued from the side of a busy road. Thankfully all three are now thriving (and clearly enjoying each other’s warmth and company) at Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary. Photo by Robert Leeson [via Telegraph.co.uk]

It’s time for another delightful visit to the Department of Unexpected Interspecies Friendship. Meet Lizzie the lamb, Portia the piglet, and Boots the goat. These three pals are snuggled up together at Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary near Kilmore, Victoria, Australia.

It’s hard to believe, but each of these cuties was found abandoned and alone. In fact, Lizzie the lamb was just hours old when she was rescued from the side of a busy road. Thankfully all three are now thriving (and clearly enjoying each other’s warmth and company) at Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary.

Photo by Robert Leeson

[via Telegraph.co.uk]

Source telegraph.co.uk