Lion, Tiger & Bear, Oh My! Incompatible Species Co-Exist Out of the Wild
In the wild, you’d never expect to see a tiger, a lion and a bear congregating together (in fact, one of these creatures typically dwells in an entirely different ecosystem), but specific situations have proven that typically incompatible species can co-exist when they’re removed from their natural habitat and the hierarchy of the animal kingdom.
Noah’s Ark Animal Rescue Center in Georgia is home to Baloo, a 1000 pound American black bear; Shere Khan, a 350 pound Bengal tiger; and Leo a 250 pound lion. That may not sound unusual, but what makes this situation unique is that the three animals actually live together, rescue playfully and relax comfortably despite their apex predator status.
Staff at the rescue center believe that this is the only combination of these three animals living together in the wild or in captivity. The reason that they seem to get along and even have a friendship is because they were never in the wild; they never learned their place in the animal kingdom because they were seized as babies during a drug bust. Researchers had suggested that if rescued animals from the wild had been combined in captivity, the results would not be so positive.
The co-existence of a lion, tiger and black bear indicates that some animal characteristics are based less on instinct; they like people, can be greatly shaped by their environment in terms of their behavior.
Image via: Noah’s Ark
’seized as babies during a drug bust’… How frightening/sickening is that – low-life drug dealers with a menagerie of beautiful animals. Thank goodness they were saved.
But there’s a sadness to this story – these three friends will never know a natural life… perhaps we’re in the last few years of any large predators living the lives that either God or nature intended for them.
Christmas is on the way… good cheer to all men… but right now I’m not very proud of our species… too much greed… too little thought… all of us – collectively – guilty of profound damage to our world… changing things so they’ll never be quite as they were… as they should be… Copenhagen – what a farce – empty crooked vessels from every nation joining together to postpone; to procrastinate; to fail humanity; to fail our world.
In fact all three are from different ecosystems from each other. Lion from Africa, tiger from India and bear from N. America.
I’m sure you are familiar with this story of Owen (hippo) and Mzee (tortoise).
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4754996
I agree completely. Thank goodness they were rescued, and now they are in a much better place than they were previously. However, you’re right – they’ll never get to experience the “natural way of things” for their species. The fact that they’re together just shows how different they are. Though their adaptability is also kind of fascinating.
Rush – yes, absolutely! Even more incredible is the fact that all three are apex predators. Yes, the story of Own and Mzee, I believe has also been made into a children’s book. Truly shows all the dimentions of the animal kingdom