Tiger cub abandoned at birth becomes best friends with a German Shepherd
A tiger cub abandoned by its mother at a Miami conservation facility has since been taken under the wing of an unlikely caretaker: a dog!
Optimus, a two-and-a-half-month-old Bengal tiger, was born in captivity at theZoological Wildlife Foundation in Miami.
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Just as soon as it became clear that his mother wouldn't raise him, the foundation's "top dog," 5-year-old German shepherd Igor, stepped in to take over parenting duties.
A video posted by Mario (@zwfmiami) on Oct 29, 2015 at 1:00am PDT
The duo are now inseparable and can usually be found kissing each other, chasing one another around the facility or exchanging barks and roars.
The Zoological Wildlife Foundation posted to Instagram an adorable video of the animal odd couple hanging out. It has been liked nearly 20,000 times.
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The Miami facility, in addition to tigers and dogs, cares for dozens of exotic species including leopards, big cats, primates, large predatory birds and mammals with the goals of preserving and protecting animals as well as educating the public about rare and endangered animal species.
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