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Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom

by Jennifer S. Holland

Unexpected bonds across species

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Unexpected bonds across species

Across 47 accounts gathered from around the world, Jennifer S. Holland examines animals forming relationships across familiar divisions: predator and prey, or creatures with little in common. The examples range from a cat and a bird to a lioness caring for a young oryx, alongside stories of Koko and a kitten and of a hippo with a tortoise. Holland also offers possible explanations for some of these bonds, including the role of maternal comfort and animals’ responses to one another’s signals. Full-color candid photographs accompany the stories, making the book a collection of observed encounters as well as an exploration of how interspecies companionship can take shape.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • For readers interested in wildlife and animal behavior.
  • For those who enjoy collections of documented animal stories.
  • For readers drawn to accounts of companionship between different species.

Themes

Interspecies relationshipsAnimal behaviorCare and companionshipPredator and prey

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

It is exactly like Isaiah 11:6: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid . . . " Written by National Geographic magazine writer Jennifer Holland, Unlikely Friendships documents one heartwarming tale after another of animals who, with nothing else in common, bond in the most unexpected ways. A cat and a bird. A mare and a fawn. An elephant and a sheep. A snake and a hamster. The well-documented stories of Koko the gorilla and All Ball the kitten; and the hippo Owen and the tortoise Mzee. And almost inexplicable stories of predators befriending prey--an Indian leopard slips into a village every night to sleep with a calf. A lionness mothers a baby oryx. Ms. Holland narrates the details and arc of each story, and also offers insights into why--how the young leopard, probably motherless, sought maternal comfort with the calf, and how a baby oryx inspired the same mothering instinct in the lionness. Or, in the story of Kizzy, a nervous retired Greyhound, and Murphy, a red tabby, how cats and dogs actually understand each other's body language. With Murphy's friendship and support, Kizzy recovered from life as a racing dog and became a confident, loyal family pet.

These are the most amazing friendships between species, collected from around the world and documented in a selection of full-color candid photographs.
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