If you need a book to uplift you, surprise you
and warm your heart, Unlikely Friendships
by Jennifer Holland will meet the expectations.
These forty-seven stories of friendship
will “connect you with the best part of yourself.” This read will shower you
with smiles and tears of joy, and it will kindle a sense of hope.
If you
are skeptical, let me introduce you to the story of Bobbi the Dog and Bob Cat. After
the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina 250,000 domestic animals were left on
their own. Rescuers from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary found Bobbi the dog and
Bob the cat roaming the streets of New Orleans. Nobody knows if they had shared
a home before Hurricane Katrina slammed New Orleans, but a construction worker
noticed that they were inseparable.
At the
shelter volunteers were unable to separate the pair. Bobbi the Dog (a female)
was also found to be very protective of Bob Cat. They discovered that Bob Cat
was blind, so Bobbi Dog had been leading the cat to keep him safe at all times.
Bobbi Dog would bark at anybody who approached the cat, and eventually they
were both adopted by the same person.
The bond of
their friendship was stronger than the effects of the hurricane.
After hurricane
Katrina, volunteers and rescue organizations worked tirelessly to rescue
animals. Humans are not the only ones who suffer with wars and natural
disasters. Animals do too, and they also need our help. This is why I support
an organization called International Fund for Animal Welfare, which supports animals and people in Ukraine amid the cruel, irrational
and inexcusable Russian invasion by Vladimir Putin, a dictator whose
acts of terrorism are destroying the lives of families in Ukraine, and having
consequences beyond the Ukrainian borders.
Some photographs have the power to tell
stories. The vibrant photos in Unlikely
Friendships do just that. In the Indonesian island of Bali a macaque
befriended a kitten.
The macaque groomed and hugged the kitten with loving care. You can tell by the expression on the kitten’s face that the feline welcomed the macaque's tender displays of affection.
The macaque also protected the kitten in every way he could. If other macaques or people got too close to him, the macaque would carry the kitten away from them, or he would hide him by covering him with leaves.
In a village called Antoli, located in India, a young wild leopard sneaked into a farm every night to visit a cow. The villagers thought the leopard would harm the cow, so they called the Forest Department to have the leopard removed and transferred to a wildlife sanctuary nearby. However, the leopard came back every night, seeking motherly love.
“The cow would lick the leopard starting with her head and neck, cleaning whatever she could reach as the leopard wriggled in apparent delight. If the cow was asleep when the leopard arrived, the visitor would gently awaken her with a nuzzle to the leg before lying down and pressing close. Other cattle stood nearby, but the leopard ignored them. The chosen cow seemed pleased to give the leopard her nightly bath. For almost two months the cat showed up around eight in the evening and cuddled with the cow until the first hint of sunrise…”
Koko the gorilla used sign language to ask for a kitten for her birthday. When she received the kitten, she took great care of her. She was always patient and handled her gently.
The amusing stories in this book remind us to
celebrate the power of friendship and motherly love, and to honor the glory of
these precious bonds: a rat and a cat; a cockatoo and a cat; a pig and a dog; a
sheep and an elephant, and so many others that will captivate your heart and
open your mind to the complex inner lives of animals.
Those of us who are attuned to other animals
may not find these stories so surprising, but they are still reassuring to our
intuition and perceptions.
If the pensive eyes of the macaque in the book
cover were not enough to convince you to read this spellbinding book, I hope my
post will.
Jennifer Holland is a science and nature
journalist. She writes for National Geographic.
