A nervous cheetah cub at a zoo was in need of a friend. So the zoo found him a support dog to be his companion. And their friendship is too cute for words.
We’ve all heard of emotional support dogs. Many people dealing with mental illnesses have emotional support dogs to help them. But people aren’t the only ones who deal with anxiety and could use a little dog friendship. Now other animals are getting their own emotional support dogs too.
A cheetah named Kumbali at the Metro Richmond Zoo, for example, has his own emotional support dog. And it might just be the cutest animal friendship ever.
According to Nerdist, Kumbali’s mother couldn’t produce enough milk to feed her litter when the adorable cheetah was just a newborn, and he started to lose weight. The zoo managed to nurse him back to health by bottle feeding him and putting him in an incubator, but by that time, his family rejected him.
Kumbali became very nervous and anxious. Cheetahs are naturally very social and he needed someone to be with after being left all alone by his family. Basically, Kumbali needed a friend. That’s when the Metro Richmond Zoo came up with an interesting idea: What if they got Kumbali an emotional support dog?
Enter Kago. A shelter had given the lab mix puppy to the zoo and the zoo thought he’d make a good companion animal for the lonely little cheetah cub.
At first Kumbali and Kago were unsure of each other. But they quickly warmed up to each other and are now total BFFs. They make an unlikely pair, but they’re growing up together and getting into all kinds of antics. It’s pretty much the most adorable thing in the world.
The zoo explained that this animal friendship would never exist in the wild, but this kind of companion relationship has been used for dogs and cheetahs in captivity for over 30 years. Kumbali and Kago are now growing up together and have formed an “almost inseparable, sibling-like” bond. And they both benefit from their relationship because they both have companionship now. Plus, dogs are usually very confident, while cheetahs tend to be pretty fearful, so Kago has a calming effect on the once very anxious Kumbali. Thanks to his BFF, Kumbali is a strong, confident cheetah ready to take on the world.
“The dog has a calming influence because the cheetah will take behavioral cues from the dog – learning not to fear his surroundings, but instead embracing them with confidence,” the zoo explained. “The dog normally becomes the dominant figure in the relationship by becoming the protector and leader. The cheetah will not hurt or kill his friend.”
Next: Wednesday Wag: Chris Evans' dog singing will melt your cold, cold heart
Plus, it’s just adorable to watch this pup and cub romp around.