Baloo the bear, Leo the lion, and Shere Khan the tiger have formed an unusually strong bond and are the only bear, lion, and tiger in the world to share an enclosure.
Given that they would be mortal enemies if they met in the wild, it’s incredible to see their unique and genuine friendship in these intimate photos.
The little family was rescued 13 years ago during a police drugs raid in Atlanta, Georgia, when they were only two months old.
The drug lords kept them as status symbols as pets.
The children were delivered to the Noah’s Ark Animal Rescue Centre in Locust Grove, Georgia, and the decision was made to keep them together due to their developing bond.
‘We could have separated them, but because they came as a kind of family, the zoo decided to keep them together,’ said Diane Smith, Noah’s Ark’s assistant director. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only place where you’ll find this combination of animals.’
They have only ever been separated when Baloo required surgery to remove a harness that had been wrapped around one of his paws.
It had become infected, and as Leo and Shere Khan waited for their friend to return, they became extremely agitated.
Shere Khan, Baloo, and Leo have been living with the zoo’s founders for over a decade and now live in a high-tech habitat where the public can witness firsthand their touching friendship.
‘At first, we didn’t have the money to move them,’ Diane explained.
‘Their habitat has been improved, and they have been relocated away from the children’s zoo areas, where the public could not get a good look.
‘It is possible to see Baloo, a 1000lb bear, Shere Khan, a 350lb tiger, and Leo, a 350lb tiger, messing around like brothers.
‘They are completely unaware that they would not be friends in any other situation.’
The three friendly giants appear to have no understanding of their animal differences while being handled by the zoo’s owners and founders, Charles and Jama Hedgecoth.
‘Baloo and Shere Khan are extremely close,’ Diane says.
‘That’s because they get up early, and Leo, being a lion, prefers to spend the majority of the day sleeping.
‘It’s wonderful and magical to see a giant American Black Bear wrap his arm around a Bengal and then see the tiger nuzzle up to the bear like a domestic cat.
‘When Leo wakes up, the three of them play around for the rest of the day before sitting down to eat.’
Surprisingly, for three apex predators capable of killing with a single bite or swipe of their paw, they are very relaxed around one another.
‘They eat, sleep, and play together,’ Jama explained.
‘Because they treat each other as siblings, they will lie on top of each other for warmth and affection.
‘Right now, they’re adjusting to their new surroundings.
‘Shere Khan is hesitant about the move, but Baloo, the bear, is very good at leading him on and making him feel safe and comfortable.’
‘Noah’s Ark is their home, and they could not possibly be separated from each other,’ Charles said, explaining why the three ‘brothers’ have always seemed to share a unique bond.
‘You just have to keep in mind who you’re dealing with when you’re with them.
‘It’s when you forget that these are wild animals that you get into trouble.’
The trio’s new habitat cost around £15,000 and had to be carefully built to accommodate its occupants.
‘The clubhouse had to be very sturdy for the guys, because they all sleep in it together,’ Jama explained.
‘We had to include a creek because the tiger and the bear both like to be in water,’ she added.
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