Current Date: 08 Aug, 2025
{{entry.title}}

Bear, Tiger, And Lion Became Friends For Life

In 2001, a Bear, Tiger, And Lion cub where found abandoned in a drug dealer's basement. They were soon adopted by a sanctuary and lived together ever since.

Get to know Shere Khan the tiger, Leo the lion, and Baloo the bear.

When these three strange male predators were taken as cubs from a drug dealer’s home in Atlanta, Georgia in 2001, they became the best of friends.

The Huffington Post was informed by Allison Hedgecoth, curator of Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, that the three predators—the Bear, Tiger, And Lion—showed signs of being a bonded trio from the moment they arrived.

She claimed that “they were already seeking each other out for solace and showing affection by cuddling, grooming, and playing with one another.”

Hedgecoth wasn’t surprised by their 15-year friendship, but she was taken aback by their enduring initial bond.

She told the BBC that animals often grow apart as they age and that “before they reach sexual maturity, a lot of times animals will form unique bonds with members of other species.” “It was unexpected how they maintained that family unit and bond well into adulthood.”

Bear Tiger And Lion Became Friends For Life 1
Bear, Tiger, And Lion, oh my! Photo credit: NOAH’S ARK ANIMAL SANCTUARY

According to the sanctuary, the three animals (the Bear, Tiger, And Lion) were discovered by police during a raid in the basement of a drug dealer’s home 15 years ago when they were just a few months old.

“Baloo, Shere Khan, and Leo were hurt, scared, and clinging to one another for comfort when they were first brought to the sanctuary,” Hedgecoth said to HuffPost.

Leo was an African lion with an open wound on his nose that was infected, and he had been kept in a small crate. The harness that the American black bear Baloo was wearing had become so large that it was embedded in his flesh, which had grown all around it. Bengal tiger Shere Khan was noticeably underweight.

When the Georgia Department of Natural Resources brought the three cubs to Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, a nonprofit animal rescue located in Locust Grove, Georgia, they were all terrified, underweight, and infected with parasites.

Bear Tiger And Lion Became Friends For Life 2
When the trio was discovered in 2001, Leo had an open and infected wound on his nose. Photo Credit: NOAH’S ARK ANIMAL SANCTUARY

The Dodo claims that because of the extreme damage the cubs’ living circumstances had caused, the rescuers chose to keep them at the sanctuary rather than reintroducing them to the wild.

Because of how well they got along, the sanctuary decided to keep all three of them in the same environment.

Since then, Baloo, Leo, and Shere Khan have been unbreakable.

“They’re usually within 100 feet of each other, even though they live in a three-acre enclosure,” Hedgecoth said to Inside Edition. “That’s proof that they’re not just coexisting or cohabiting, they actually do enjoy each other’s company.”

Bear Tiger And Lion Became Friends For Life 3
All of them almost 1 year old, Shere Khan, Baloo and Leo hang out on the front porch in 2002. Photo Credit: NOAH’S ARK ANIMAL SANCTUARY
Bear Tiger And Lion Became Friends For Life 4
BLT hanging out at their crib during some time in November, 2015. Photo Credit: NOAH’S ARK ANIMAL SANCTUARY

Ensuring that every animal’s needs are satisfied at the same time is the most difficult task for sanctuary employees, according to Hedgecoth, who spoke with HuffPost. This covers their dietary, health, and behavioral needs.

She clarified that Baloo is the group’s leader, most self-assured, and most laid back member. Leo is always conscious of his surroundings, even though he can be aloof at times. Shere Khan is naturally curious and eager to play.

As stated on Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary’s Facebook page, these three predators “live together, sleep together, and even eat together as a family.”

The sanctuary claims that they are frequently seen cuddling together because Shere Khan is so loving.

Related Topic You Might Find Interesting:

Even though they are an endangered species, Bengal tigers usually live alone in the wild, but Shere Khan frequently strokes and caresses Baloo and Leo.

Fortunately, they never seem to mind too much.

Bear Tiger And Lion Became Friends For Life 5
Brotherly love. Photo Credit: NOAH’S ARK ANIMAL SANCTUARY
Bear Tiger And Lion Became Friends For Life 6
Photo Credit: NOAH’S ARK ANIMAL SANCTUARY
Bear Tiger And Lion Became Friends For Life 7
Photo Credit: NOAH’S ARK ANIMAL SANCTUARY
Bear Tiger And Lion Became Friends For Life 8
Photo Credit: NOAH’S ARK ANIMAL SANCTUARY
Bear Tiger And Lion Became Friends For Life 9
Photo Credit: NOAH’S ARK ANIMAL SANCTUARY
Bear Tiger And Lion Became Friends For Life 10
Photo Credit: NOAH’S ARK ANIMAL SANCTUARY
Similar Stories
Earthquakes: Can Animals Really Predict Them?

Earthquakes: Can Animals Really Predict Them?

In 1975, when officials in the Chinese city of Haicheng were alarmed by odd and anxious behaviors of dogs and other animals. These observations led them to order 90,000 residents to evacuate the city. Only a few hours later a 7.3 magnitude earthquake destroyed nearly 90% of the city’s buildings.

The Evolution of Flight: From Dinosaurs to Birds – A Journey Through Time and Science

The Evolution of Flight: From Dinosaurs to Birds – A Journey Through Time and Science

Flight is one of nature’s most remarkable adaptations, but its origins trace back millions of years before modern birds took to the skies. Emerging from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic period, birds evolved feathers, wings, and lightweight bodies that enabled powered flight. This detailed narrative explores the fascinating evolutionary path from ground-dwelling dinosaurs to the aerial masters of today, blending science, intriguing fossil finds, and surprising trivia about our feathered ancestors.

A man travels for hours daily through a drought to provide water for wild animals.

A man travels for hours daily through a drought to provide water for wild animals.

This man travels throughout Kenya bringing thirsty animals thousands of litres of water. Patrick Kilonzo Mwalua regularly travels to the Tsavo, where extreme drought is endangering the lives of elephants, buffalo, zebras, and antelope. He promises to keep giving out water every week until it starts to rain in the hopes that getting the word out will lead to a long-term fix.

10 Rarest and Albino animals you haven’t seen

10 Rarest and Albino animals you haven’t seen

For centuries, people have been fascinated and enchanted by the ghostly appearances of abnormally white animals. People have loved albinos and other unusually white animals so much that they may be helping to increase their numbers, despite the difficulties these animals face in the wild. While these unusual animals did not win the genetic lottery, they have persevered in the face of adversity.

Andy Goose - The Goose With No Feet but wears Nike shoes

Andy Goose - The Goose With No Feet but wears Nike shoes

Andy was a goose who was born without feet. However, his owner came up with a solution to help him stand and move around by outfitting him with Nike sneakers. This gave Andy the ability to move around like any other goose, but it also made him a source of inspiration for disabled children. Sadly, he was mysteriously murdered in 1991.

Remembering Alex: The African Grey Parrots Final Message

Remembering Alex: The African Grey Parrots Final Message

"You be good, I love you. See you tomorrow" Parrot's last words to her caretaker. Alex (1976 – September 6, 2007) was an African Grey Parrot and the subject of a thirty-year (1977–2007) experiment by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg, initially at the University of Arizona and later at Harvard University and Brandeis University. Pepperberg bought Alex in a regular pet shop when he was about one year old.

The story of The chicken that lived for 18 months without a head

The story of The chicken that lived for 18 months without a head

Mike the Headless Chicken was a rooster whose head was accidentally chopped off but miraculously survived. This is due to most of the brain stem being left intact. He was fed using a special tube that delivered food directly into his esophagus. Despite his lack of a head, he lived for 18 months, gaining worldwide fame before ultimately choking on a kernel of corn during one of his tours, in a Motel in Fruita, Colorado.