People who were able not only to find a common language with wild animals, but also to make friends with them (16 photos)

There is a saying that you don’t choose friends. There is truth in this. Loyal friends come into our lives when we need them most. They fill our days with joy and create good memories.





You can be sincerely friends not only with a person, but also with an animal. Many people mistakenly believe that warm relationships are only possible with pets, such as a cat or a dog. However, even a completely wild animal, which, it would seem, is not capable of this, can become imbued with feelings for a person.

Kirill Potapov - a guy from Yekaterinburg who is inseparable from wolves







For many years, Kirill Potapov from Yekaterinburg has been making friends with wolves. The man saves animals from zoos and private nurseries, for which they are incredibly grateful to him. Kirill also takes care of other wild animals, including a bear, wolverine and even a lynx. The animal rights activist affectionately calls his charges “children.”

Laurie Marker founded a fund for cheetahs after meeting her pet Khayyam



Laurie Marker is an American zoologist who founded the Cheetah Conservation Foundation. A woman helps rehabilitate cheetahs and return them to the wild. Early in her career, Lori took charge of a cheetah named Khayyam, who was born in captivity. They developed a close and warm relationship. Marker taught him how to survive and hunt in the wild.

Costa Rican Gilberto Sheldon tamed a giant crocodile and named him Pocho



One day, fisherman Gilberto Shedon was returning home after fishing and found a wounded crocodile in the river. The man took the reptile home and began to nurse it, surprised at how willingly the creature came into contact with him.

For some time the animal lived at the fisherman's house, which was prohibited by law. When the authorities found out about this, Gilberto had to hide in secluded places near the river with his newfound friend. The neighbors decided that the man had lost his mind. A little later, his wife left him, who also shared the position of his fellow villagers.

It took Gilberto three years to fully recover the crocodile. The man repeatedly tried to release the reptile into the wild, but the very next morning he found it on the threshold of his own home. An amazing friendship lasted twenty years.

A Texas couple keeps a huge bison in their home.



Spouses Ronnie and Sherron Bridges live in Texas and instead of a pet they keep a real bison in their house. The pet's name is Savage, he has his own room where he can watch movies on TV or relax to his heart's content. The buffalo breakfast is traditionally held at

company of owners.

Roxy Danckwerts and her ward baby elephant Moyo, who considers her his mother



Roxy Danckwerts is the founder of the Wild is Life Nature Reserve, which is located in Zimbabwe. One day, on the shore of the lake, she discovered a frightened elephant calf, who was injured while trying to cross the river and, as a result, got separated from the pack. Roxy took the baby elephant with her and began to nurse him in order to return him to the wild in the future. The girl and the beast became close friends. They slept in the same bed and did household chores. The baby elephant followed his savior everywhere, as if he were following a real mother. He was given the name Moyo, which means “from the heart” in African language.

Old Man Joao and the Penguin Din-Dim



A Brazilian fisherman named Joao rescued a penguin that was the victim of human negligence. The bird's feathers were heavily smeared with oil, so the penguin could not swim and get food. Joao took the baby, washed it thoroughly and fed it until the penguin was strong and ready for further travel. The fisherman named his new friend Din-Dim.

When Din-Dim recovered, Joao released him into the wild. However, the grateful penguin returns to the beach every year to meet his savior.

Casey Anderson and Brutus the grizzly bear prove that any friendship is possible



Casey saved Brutus when he was still a bear cub. They wanted to take the animal to the zoo from the overcrowded reserve, but Anderson did not allow this to happen and decided to take care of the bear himself. The bear was raised with love and care. Over all the happy years of his life spent next to the Casey family, Brutus proved that he was a true friend and not at all a bloodthirsty predator.

The Joubert family and their hippopotamus Jessica





One day, the Joubert couple discovered a newborn hippopotamus, which had been thrown onto the river bank as a result of a flood. The cub was several hours old - he had no chance of surviving without human help. The baby was called Jessica. When she grew up, the couple set her free. But the hippo has become so attached to people that she regularly comes to their homes to chat and beg for goodies in the form of rooibos tea and sweet potatoes.

Kevin Richardson is able to win over any dangerous predator





Kevin Richardson is a zoologist and a real animal whisperer. The researcher became famous not only for his incredible love for animals, but also for his amazing ability to find a common language with them. Therefore, among his close friends are many lions, tigers and even hyenas. Kevin is one of the few scientists who can calmly be near predators, play with them, watch them eat, and even sleep next to them without fearing for their lives.

Damien Aspinall and Kwibi met many years later, but their friendship has not disappeared anywhere



Conservationist Damien Aspinall raised and nursed Kwibi the gorilla after it became a victim of poachers. The guy became very attached to the monkey, but when the animal grew and became stronger, he took it to Africa and released it into the wild. After a full five years, Damien decided to visit Quibi. The film crew was very worried that the male gorilla would not recognize his savior. However, Kvibi immediately recognized his childhood friend and hugged him touchingly.

The Giustozzi family tamed a wild pig and now it behaves like a house cat



The Italian Giustozzi family once rescued a barely alive, very emaciated wild pig in the forest. The couple Doriana and Raffaele decided to take the tiny boar with them and feed it. The pig survived and turned into a beauty weighing more than a hundred kilograms. She was given the name Pascalina and left to live in the house. She happily lies on the bed, watches TV and constantly demands attention from her owners, as if she were a domestic cat and not a wild pig.

Bonus: 2-year-old boy makes friends with a troop of wild monkeys



Two-year-old boy Samarth Bangari from the village of Allapur (India) became friends with a troop of langur monkeys. The boy's parents and neighbors were initially wary of such guests, but soon became convinced that the monkeys were extremely friendly. The uncle of young “Mowgli” even claimed that the boy and the animals had some kind of special connection. The baby could not speak at all, but at the same time he perfectly imitated the sounds made by his new friends.