Animals at zoo form unlikely friendships

Animals at the Tbilisi Zoo in Georgia are forming unlikely friendships. A rhino is living with donkeys and a lion cub is living with a poodle.


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It all started when a 6-year-old rhino named Manuela became depressed after the death of her mate and became aggressive toward her caretakers. Zoo management searched for the perfect companions to make her feel at ease, which turned out to be a herd of donkeys.

They had tried putting zebras in her enclosure, but they only returned the aggression. Then they tried goats, which ran away. But the donkeys had an instant calming effect.


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Zoo officials say the rhino even protects the youngest donkey when somebody enters their living space. Also, sharing the same living space is a black poodle and a white lion cub named Shumba. The two were raised together after the cub was separated from his mother.