Here are National Geographic Unlikely Animal Friends video and photos. The program airs on NGC on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 8 pm ET.

The title says it all, but what is remarkable is just how unlikely the friends really are. The program examines several unusual pairing, including Internet celebrity Christian the Lion and his trainers John and Ace whose YouTube videos have gone viral.

Other pairings; an elephant and a dog become best friends. A giant tortoise becomes the surrogate parents of a baby hippo. A lioness mothers a baby oryx. As these real life pairings demonstrate, animals do form bonds with other species even those on whom they would normally prey. The results, endearing as they are also reveal that animals must gain something valuable from such seemingly improbable and impossible bonds.

Photo: Suryia the orangutan hugging Roscoe the hound dog. (Photo credit: Stevi Calandra)

An overview is here: National Geographic Unlikely Animal Friends

Videos are below.

Top Photo: Tarra the elephant and Bella the dog. (Photo credit: The Elephant Sanctuary)

Photos and video courtesy of National Geographic Channel





Video “Unlikely Animal Friends: Christian the Lion” – John and Ace raised Christian, the lion, since he was a cub. Will he recognize his old friends after being released into the wild?. Video Link

Video “Unlikely Animal Friends: The Orangutan and the Hound” – When Surya, the orangutan, meets a hound dog by the river, the two carry on like long lost friends. Link: National Geographic Unlikely Animal Friends

Video “Unlikely Animal Friends: The Cat and the Crow” – A stray kitten and a wild crow form a very unusual friendship. Video Link

Video “Unlikely Animal Friends: The Elephant and the Dog” – When a small dog regards himself as the protector of an enormous elephant, the two become inseparable. Video Link

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National Geographic Unlikely Animal Friends (Video, Photos)