When a cheetah cub is weaker than its siblings and struggles to fight for food, their siblings push them aside. The siblings let the weaker cub get weaker until they die of hunger, siblings are not there to be a friend. This is what was happening to Kumbali, who was born at the Metro Richmond Zoo.
He was weaker than his siblings and his siblings would hurt him. He kept losing weight and was getting weaker. The concerned zookeepers decided to remove him from his family because it was a matter of life and death.
They bottle-fed him to help him gain weight and strength. After eating on his own, he was returned to his family, and, unfortunately, his family rejected him.
This happens often in the animal kingdom. Even though he was strong and healthy, his family didn’t want him. The zookeepers knew this was a difficult time for Kumbali and that he was missing something vital.
He felt abandoned and depressed, although he was active. He would just lie down and stare into space, clearly suffering from loneliness.
So the zookeepers intervened again and knew that he needed a companion. But finding a friend for a cheetah cub could not be easy.
There are a lot of aspects to finding a friend for a wild predator. But that is where an animal shelter would come in. But in this shelter, dogs had no future, they would just be put down and conditions were terrible for puppies.
When animal activists were looking for new homes for these puppies, the zoo saw Kago’s playfulness and friendliness. They thought he could be the perfect friend for the lonely Kumbali. Even though they were similar in age and size, how would you know they would get along?
In their first meeting with each other, they were frightened and lacked courage and trust.
But that is when puppies always step up. Kago approached Kumbali and investigated this potential friend. As puppies often do, he liked Kumbali despite their differences.
Kumbali was being jumped on and getting bitten by this strange creature. He even dragged him by his tail. Kumbali could not understand what this funny creature was about. So he started to investigate this dog. It just goes to show, “everyone’s best friend is a dog”.
Their friendship grew beyond anyone’s belief. Kumbali could not even leave Kago’s side. They weren’t just friends anymore, they become roommates.
Every day their brotherly bond grew stronger. Playing games like hide-and-seek and tag, they would spend days horsing around. Despite growing up quickly, they always protected each other. Impossible to separate, they would sleep, eat, play and hug together all day, every day.
These two have made numerous other friends at the zoo. From the frightening penguins to the mischievous pig. They have shown what true friendship is about. It doesn’t matter what you look like, where you are from, or what differences you might have.
If you approach every uncertainty with friendliness and open-hearted, you could find your next best friend.
Thank you to the Metro Richmond Zoo for their life-saving works.
Play Day On The Trampoline For These Two Friends
Trampolines are known to have benefits for children. But did you know that trampolines can also be good for dogs? And when you put a child with a dog on a trampoline, you can get an amusing play day.
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