ABC News | Angels Bark

This was in the news back in 2013, but the story just made it into my email inbox today. It’s a fabulous story of relationship and love between species that aren’t typically thought to make ideal bunk mates: A Black Bear, an African Lion and an Bengal Tiger are not only living peacefully together at a wild animal rescue center in Georgia (Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, GA, USA), they are so devoted to one another that they can’t “bear” to be separated (Sorry, just had to do that one). 🙂

Here is the ABC News clip (click on the image below to be taken to the video, which will open in a new window) and the written story as posted on April 10, 2013. Below are some pictures that were included in the email I received.

Accompanying the emailed photos was the following story:

“They came from a background of abuse and fear. Now they’ve bonded and are truly inseparable. This is Leo the African Lion, Baloo the Black Bear, and Shere Khan the Bengal Tiger.

Chillin’ time

Unlikely Trio

“Our House”

The threesome were rescued as babies from the basement of an Atlanta drug dealer’s home when it was raided by authorities. They were starving, traumatized, and had bacterial infections.

Since then, they were brought to Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary where they’ve lived in the same habitat for 13 years.

The only time the three were separated was when Baloo was sent to surgery. While at the drug dealer’s home, Baloo had been mistreated so profoundly that the harness that was put on him had grown into his skin! The two cats were distraught and cried for the bear’s return while he was at the vet’s. Since then, no one has separated the group.

They had clearly bonded during their earliest memories, and never wanted to be apart. They live together as if they were brothers of the same species. They play together, nuzzle one another, and are extremely affectionate.

The threesome are the only lion, tiger, and bear living together in the world. They’re exceptional. Humans could really learn from the bond that these three have. No one told them they couldn’t love one another, so they did just that. And now, even all these years later, they continue to do so.”