Variety
 

Lessons to be learnt - from the Animal Kingdom:

Friends unusual

There are many valuable lessons we humans can learn from the Animal Kingdom especially today, where humane qualities seem to be fast disappearing .

It is a time when most of us do not spare a thought about the feelings of others and will go to any extreme to achieve our goals in life; trampling and elbowing out anyone and everyone who gets in our way.No matter what our needs are we will venture out to fulfil them.Most often we hear people say, "it is the law of the jungle", because we think animals are cruel and ferocious and would kill and harm other animals and humans just to satisfy their needs.

However, in reality it is not so, because even the most ferocious animal would act in a totally unexpected manner in the face of some tragic situation. Animals that are known to be arch rivals may form friendships or come to the aid of another animal in need, in a way it is hard for us humans to even imagine.

Recently some of you may have seen a heart-warming video aired on a local TV channel about a tiger which preyed on a monkey and killed it only to discover that a very tiny baby monkey was attached to the mother's stomach. One would expect the tiger, which obviously killed the monkey to appease its hunger, to go ahead and eat the monkey and even kill the little one. But the turn of events is indeed awesome. The tiger gives up its prey to approaching hyenas in order to protect the baby monkey. It then takes care of the little one,carrying it gently to a tree and ensuring it does not fall.It even seems to be holding the little one between its huge paws while it sleeps. This clearly shows that the law of the jungle is not what we make it to be....

There are also numerous stories of bonds of friendship that have been formed between animals of entirely different species in times of trouble or stress.Today we highlight two such friendships formed between strange animals just to make you aware that we too could come to the assistance of others and form bonds of friendship even though they come from totally different ethnic,religious or cultural backgrounds. If animals could put the need of another animal before their own, why can't we? Are animals more 'humane' than humans?

If you remember reading a story about a strong friendship between an orangutan and a hound you will know that there are no barriers for friendhip even in the Animal Kingdom.

They are indeed an unlikely duo,but after meeting at a reserve for endangered animals four years ago, Suryia the orangutan and Roscoe the Bluetick hound become inseparable.

They met when Roscoe followed staff from The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS) in Myrtle Beach as they walked home. He was immediately spotted by the orangutan, who ambled over to make friends.And now the pals have released a picture book capturing their unorthodox friendship.

The best friends were besieged by young fans as they held their own signing for the new release at a bookstore in Georgetown, South Carolina.Entitled Suryia And Roscoe, the book shows the pair enjoying each other's company at the South Carolina wildlife reserve where they met.In one photo, a stubborn Roscoe refuses to eat a banana offered by his friend. Another shows Suryia in a life jacket closely watching over Roscoe as he goes for a doggie-paddle.And, as if posing for holiday snaps, they are also captured taking walks through the gardens and posing in front of an elephant.

The friends have garnered worldwide media attention, appearing in the National Geographic magazine and on the Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres shows in the U.S.

According to Dr Bhagavan Antle, the reserve's founder, said: 'Roscoe looked really thin and a little lost so we fed him and took care of him.'He followed us through the gate and ran over and found Suryia. As soon as he saw Roscoe, Suryia ran over to him and they started playing.'Dogs are usually scared of primates, but they took to each other straight away. We made a few calls to see if he belonged to anyone and when no one came forward.

Then there is the wonderful story about Owen the baby hippopotamus and Mzee, the giant tortoise .During the 2004 tsunami, the baby hippo, named Owen, 350 pounds, and its hippo mother had been swept down the Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean.

Though hippos can swim they don't like floods and tend to die in them. Owen's mother had been killed, and Owen landed in the Indian Ocean. Then the tsunami waves swept him ashore. Owen had eventually landed on top of a giant male tortoise aged about 100, named Mzee.

Even though the tortoise is a male Owen decided that the tortoise was his new Mum. They soon began to eat, swim and sleep together.Owen followed the tortoise just like he followed his mother.He even growled at anyone who tried to approach Mzee. Hippos stay with their mother for four years, so after Owen's mother was swept away, the traumatised hippo was glad to have a surrogate mother even though it was a male tortoise, about a century old. And the tortoise seemed very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park told AFP recently.

However, as the hippo needs to bond with its own kind Mzee was removed from the enclosure in March 2007 and a female hippopotamus named Cleo was introduced to provide companionship for Owen. He seemed to be adapting to his new companion.

The incredible story of these two unusual friends was also made into a book.

There are more such interesting stories about the wonderful things animals do. So, read about them and learn a valuable lesson from their incredible acts .

Facts and pix : Internet