Piggybacking on yesterday's foray into the wild kingdom with my post about Transparent Creatures,
I thought I'd share some amazing wildlife videos. These videos all
feature human and wild beast(s) together. They are amazing videos in which wild animals
have bonded with a human. And while I don't think everyone should go
out and hug a ferocious wild animal, these relationships are beautiful statements about
our mutual connection in this world.
1. Man and Pup Seals: Irish journalist, Charlie Bird
met some elephant pup seals while on a recent trip to Antarctica. These
seals were looking for a wee bit of a cuddle and Charlie got more than
he bargained for. It's so sweet!
2. Man and the Bear Cub: I actually posted this video in June 2012, but it "bears" reposting (pun intended). I'm not certain where this bear "attack" happened, but it's just too adorable.
3. Man and the Lions: Known as the Lion Whisperer, South African zoologist, Kevin Richardson,
has built the most amazing relationship with a pride of African lions.
These beautiful but dangerous animals have accepted Kevin as one of
their own, so they think nothing of roughhousing, hugging, and nuzzling
Kevin. It's stunning and slightly terrifying. [Kevin also pets and
scratches hyenas.]
4. Two Men and a Lion:
This is an oldie but a goodie. Back in 1969, two Australian men, John
Rendall and Anthony "Ace" Bourke, bought a lion cub from Harrod's
Department Store in London (it was legal at the time) and named the
lion, Christian. They housed the lion in the basement of their London
furniture store, until he was about a year old. After that Christian was
moved to Surrey, where he lived in a huge enclosure and slept in a
caravan on the property of actors/wildlife campaigners, Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna. In 1971, conservationist and lion-man George Adamson
took Christian back to Kenya and reintroduced him into the wild. Here
is the video of John and Ace being reunited with Christian nine months
later. Brings tears to the eyes.
5. Woman and Wolves: For two years, a woman only known as Anita socialized with a pack of wolves. After a two months absence, the video below shows the reaction of the wolves when Anita returns. Again, this is heart-warming and reminds me of when dogs greet their owners.
6. Man and Gorilla: Damian Aspinall is an English casino owner, aspiring songwriter and conservationist, who is noted for his raising and eventual release of Kwibi, a zoo-bred Lowland Gorilla. Kwibi had been born and raised at Howletts, a wild animal park in Kent. In 2005, Kwibi was released into the wild in Gabon when he was 5 years old. Five years after releasing Kwibi back into the wild, Aspinall tracked down a now 10-year old Kwibi. The 2010 video below shows their reunion.
7. Man and Polar Bear: Mark Dumas, a bear handler from British Columbia, has formed an amazing bond with a polar bear, Agee. With his incredibly intimate bond, Mark wrestles on the grass with Agee, kisses her, puts his head in her huge jaws, and even bear hugs her as she rears up on her hind legs to over seven feet. This video footage is pretty amazing.
8. Men and Humpback Whale: On February 14, 2011, Michael Fishback and his family, while on vacation on the Sea of Cortez, had an incredible experience with saving a nearly dead humpback whale who got entangled in a fishing net. Michael has been actively involved in conservation efforts, scientific research, education, and eco-tourism related to blue whales for 20 years. Gershon Cohen and Michael founded The Great Whale Conservancy to protect whales. What happened on Valentine's Day 2011 was an experience of a lifetime. Check out the video to see the footage:
9. Woman and Baby River Otter: A woman played mom to a baby river otter for awhile until she was strong enough to live on her own. This is one happy baby otter. Cuteness overload in this video:
I can admit it, I'm kind of jealous of these human/wild animal bonds.
[Updated with videos 8 and 9 on 4/6/14]
5. Woman and Wolves: For two years, a woman only known as Anita socialized with a pack of wolves. After a two months absence, the video below shows the reaction of the wolves when Anita returns. Again, this is heart-warming and reminds me of when dogs greet their owners.
6. Man and Gorilla: Damian Aspinall is an English casino owner, aspiring songwriter and conservationist, who is noted for his raising and eventual release of Kwibi, a zoo-bred Lowland Gorilla. Kwibi had been born and raised at Howletts, a wild animal park in Kent. In 2005, Kwibi was released into the wild in Gabon when he was 5 years old. Five years after releasing Kwibi back into the wild, Aspinall tracked down a now 10-year old Kwibi. The 2010 video below shows their reunion.
7. Man and Polar Bear: Mark Dumas, a bear handler from British Columbia, has formed an amazing bond with a polar bear, Agee. With his incredibly intimate bond, Mark wrestles on the grass with Agee, kisses her, puts his head in her huge jaws, and even bear hugs her as she rears up on her hind legs to over seven feet. This video footage is pretty amazing.
8. Men and Humpback Whale: On February 14, 2011, Michael Fishback and his family, while on vacation on the Sea of Cortez, had an incredible experience with saving a nearly dead humpback whale who got entangled in a fishing net. Michael has been actively involved in conservation efforts, scientific research, education, and eco-tourism related to blue whales for 20 years. Gershon Cohen and Michael founded The Great Whale Conservancy to protect whales. What happened on Valentine's Day 2011 was an experience of a lifetime. Check out the video to see the footage:
9. Woman and Baby River Otter: A woman played mom to a baby river otter for awhile until she was strong enough to live on her own. This is one happy baby otter. Cuteness overload in this video:
I can admit it, I'm kind of jealous of these human/wild animal bonds.
[Updated with videos 8 and 9 on 4/6/14]
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