herbgart’s incite site

They make  an unlikely trio, but Baloo the bear, Leo the  lion and Shere Khan the tiger
have forged an  unusually strong bond.

Considering that  they would be mortal enemies if they ever were  to meet in the wild,
it is stunning to see  their unique and genuine friendship in these  intimate pictures.

Rescued eight years  ago during a police drugs raid in Atlanta ,  Georgia , the three friends
were only cubs at  the time at barely two months  old. 

 

 

They had been  kept as status symbol pets by the drug  barons.

Delivered to the Noah's Ark  Animal Rescue Centre in Locust Grove , Georgia ,  the decision was made
to keep the youngsters  together, because of their budding  rapport.

 'We could have separated  them, but since they came as a kind of family,  the zoo decided
to keep them together,' said  Diane Smith, assistant director of Noah's  Ark.    

 'To  our knowledge, this is the only place where  you'll find this combination of animals  together.'

 Living with the zoo's  founders for the past eight years, Shere Khan,  Baloo and Leo have now moved
to a  purpose-built habitat where the US public can  now witness first hand their touching  relationships.

 
'We  didn't have the money to move them at first,'  said Diane.

'Now their habitat is sorted  and they have been moved away from the  children's zoo areas
where the public  couldn't really get a good look.

'It is  possible to see Baloo, who is a 1000lb bear,  Shere Khan, a 350lb tiger and Leo, who is also  350lbs,
messing around like  brothers.

'They are totally oblivious to  the fact that in any other circumstance they  would not be  friends.'  

Handled by Charles  and Jama Hedgecoth, the zoo's owners and  founders,
the three friendly giants appear to  have no comprehension of their animal  differences.

'Baloo and Shere Khan are  very close,' says Diane.

'That is  because they rise early, and as Leo is a lion,  he likes to spend most of the day  sleeping.

'It is wonderful and magical to  see a giant American Black Bear put his arm  around a Bengal
and then to see the tiger  nuzzle up to the bear like a domestic  cat.

'When Leo wakes up the three of them  mess around for most of the day before they  settle down to some  food.'  

 
Surprisingly for  three apex predators with the power to kill with  a single bite or swipe of their paw,
they are  very relaxed around each other.

'They  eat, sleep and play together,' said  Jama.

'As they treat each other as  siblings they will lie on top of each other for  heat and simply for affection.

'At the  moment they are getting used to their new  habitat.

'Shere Khan is being quite  reticent about the move, but Baloo, the bear, is  very good at leading him on
and making him  feel comfortable and  safe.'  

Explaining that the  three 'brothers' have always seemed to share a  unique bond,
Charles said: 'Noah's Ark is  their home and they could not possibly be  separated from each other.

'You just have  to remember who you're dealing with when you are  with them, though.

'It's when you forget  that these fellows are wild animals that you get  yourself in trouble.'  

The  trio's new habitat had to be constructed  carefully, in order to accommodate its  occupants.

Jama said: 'The clubhouse had  to be very sturdy for the guys, because they all  sleep in it together,'  

She  added: 'We had to include a creek, because the  tiger and the bear both like to be in  water.'