Photo credit : Yuri Smityuk
In a remote zoo located in Siberia, an extraordinary bond formed between two unlikely companions. The tale revolves around Amur, a magnificent Siberian tiger, and Timur, a brave goat. Their remarkable journey began in late November when zookeepers at Primorye Safari Park introduced Timur (who was nameless at the time) into Amur’s enclosure as live prey. The intention was for the goat to become a delicious meal, not a playmate.
However, Amur’s behavior surprised everyone. Instead of seeing Timur as a meal, the tiger showed no interest in hunting him. This was unprecedented during Amur’s bi-weekly live animal feedings. The fearless goat did not display any signs of fear towards the tiger. Amur seemed perplexed and eventually gave up. Timur’s audacity and caution led to this paradoxical outcome: the tiger and goat became the most unlikely of friends. Since Timur entered Amur’s enclosure, the two have been inseparable. They walk side
by side, resembling the bond between close friends.
Timur even sees Amur as the alpha male and follows him everywhere. The tiger, who typically consumes live prey, switched to raw meat instead. Zookeepers were astonished by this unusual companionship and wondered if Amur would ever return to his old ways. In the meantime, he fiercely protected his new friend. Amur even hissed at a zoo employee who was feeding the tigers, as if to say, “Hey, don’t you dare approach my friend.” This was a stark contrast to his previous behavior with the staff.
Even when Timur evicted Amur from his shelter during a rainstorm, the odd pair remained friends. Dmitry Mezentsev, the director of Russia’s Far East Safari Park,explained that Amur is given live prey every day, but not goats, out of respect for Timur. The tiger’s confusion and subsequent decision not to eat the goat demonstrated the power of an unexpected bond between two very different animals.
The friendship between Amur and Timur serves as a heartwarming reminder that companionship can flourish in the most unlikely of places. Sometimes, even fierce predators can find solace in the company of an unexpected friend. I hope you enjoyed reading about this extraordinary friendship!
Written by Reklusive
