A monkey and a kitten. An elephant and a sheep. They aren’t what you’d
normally view as compatible creatures, but National Geographic
magazine writer Jennifer S. Holland wrote about 47 such instances of
animals pairing up as friends with other species in her book “Unlikely
Friendships,” published earlier this year. (“Unlikely Friendships” is
also a photo calendar for 2012, featuring some of the book’s
heartwarming images.)
Many of us who have pets know that animals introduced to one another
at an early stage of development will accept another species as one of
their own kind. We’ve even seen our own children become best buddies
with a pet, despite not sharing a common language nor a similar taste
in food. We know we are accepted by the animals that share our homes
and families, for they bring us comfort, too.
Psychologist Harry Harlow determined back in the 1950s that baby
Rhesus monkeys preferred to satisfy their need for contact comfort,
even before their need for food. While I despise the technique it took
to conclude the research, I understand the conclusion. Animals crave
being close to someone, even if only a resemblance of something
living – even humans do. Maybe this is why pets are so popular.
Even my great-grandmother accepted the company of a pet. She was a
strong but stern woman, widowed shortly after her tenth child was
born. She wrote: “Here I am now in my 70th year going upstairs [to
bed] alone after bringing up 8 children. On the bed was Tabby. I
thought, ‘something alive if nothing but a cat,’ and I let her stay.”
Is it only curiosity that motivates these friendships?
Does instinct play a part in animals seeking out other living
creatures, despite their differences?
We may never know what prompts the start of these friendships between
different animals. But what better way is there to live than to accept
each other?
