Unusual Animal BFFs

You’ve heard of Valentine’s Day, but what about PALentine’s Day? It’s the day to honour your friends and celebrate what makes your friendship special! And there are some pretty special friendships out there—just take a look at the animal kingdom! In this post, we explore some unusual animal BFFs.

Wolves and Ravens

Can you think of a more epic friendship than one between a wolf and a raven? This unlikely duo often shares meals together. The raven keeps watch while the wolf eats, then it gets to swoop in and enjoy the leftovers. Their friendship is more than just about food. They also love to play together! Wolves and ravens have been seen chasing each other and even playing tug-of-war.

Cape Buffalos and Oxpeckers

Photo Credit: Derek Keats

A big cape buffalo can be pretty scary for a small bird, but not the oxpecker! This brave bird often hitches a ride on a cape buffalo’s back, but they aren’t there for fun. They have a serious job to do: cleaning off all the annoying ticks and bugs that bite the cape buffalo. It doesn’t hurt that they make a tasty snack!

Coyotes and Badgers

Badgers aren’t known for having the best social skills—they are solitary creatures, after all. So it warms our hearts to see them hunt with coyotes. The badger digs after the prey when it’s underground, and the coyote chases it when it’s above! Together they make a great team.

Tarantulas and Humming Frogs

Photo Credit: Emanuele Biggi

Tarantulas may give some creatures the creeps but to these frogs, they are bodyguards. These spiders, who could easily eat the small frog, instead protect them from predators. Not only that, but they also let the frogs eat their leftovers. The frog pays the tarantula back by eating ants that would harm their eggs.

The friendship between each animal pair is what we call a symbiotic relationship. That’s when animals of completely different species find a way to live together and help each other survive. They truly have each other’s backs.

Which animal friendship is your favourite? Tell us in the comments!

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