Yeah, me neither…
I know German Shepherds are super nice and friendly to chosen people and animals.
I’ve seen it with my own eyes how German Shepherds develop their friendship with cats, tiny critters like bunnies, and even baby chicks.
But, not in a million years did I think that German Shepherds could be friends with wild animals like tigers.
You know, tigers are pretty badass. They’re the cool guys of the savannah, and they don’t hang out with just anyone. Much like lions, tigers prefer their own pack and occasional solitude. They don’t have friends among zebras, antilopes, or giraffes.
But, these tigers from Slovakia have nothing to do with their cousins from the African savannahs.
Hold on! Slovakia has tigers?
Yes it does, thanks to a project called Oasis.
Oasis is a project that actually saves and takes care of Siberian tigers. Guess they’re more friendly than their African relatives, huh?
Well, we’re about to see their kindness in action!
Unusual Friendship Is the Purest Form Of Friendship
Back in the days, there were a countless number of them.
Today, they’re considered endangered.
Siberian Tigers have been, according to the IUCN, officially endangered since 2007. However, they’ve been severely threatened and facing extinction since 1947. There’s not enough of this species in the world.
Thus, sanctuaries that take care of this species and try to preserve it the best way possible have been established throughout the world. One of those sanctuaries is Oasis.
Founded back in 1999, when the Siberian Tiger almost disappeared from the face of the Earth, Oasis, a shelter near Senec, in Slovakia, is home to 22 striped beauties.
But, it’s not a zoo as some might think. Oasis is a specialized sanctuary that helps preserve Siberian Tigers. Employees take great care of the animals that have been entrusted to them. The tigers live in habitats that try their best to imitate their natural surroundings.
Unfortunately, many of them were born in the sanctuary, never being able to step foot in the wilderness because that would bring them one step closer to extinction.
Bred and raised in the sanctuary, a lovely tiger girl named Suria learned that friendship comes in many forms, and that an animal can be a friend, even though it’s not striped.
Suria’s friends wore black and tan saddleback costumes.
They were German Shepherds!
Back in 2015, three wonderful German Shepherds found out that tigers aren’t really a threat to them. Being raised in the sanctuary, Hugo, Blacky, and Jenny were used to seeing these wonders of nature up close.
One of the tigers, a lovely girl named Suria, was especially fond of the canine additions to the park.
Suria figured out that playing with German Shepherds is much more fun than playing with tigers. She was always super nice and gentle to them, never even thinking of harming them or having them as her next meal.
Photos taken by Carters News Agency have toured the world. People couldn’t believe that a giant tiger would play so gently with three dogs. That wouldn’t be possible out in the wild… not in a million years!
Whether sun or snow, Suria, Blacky, Hugo, and Jenny are always inseparable!
Love For Dogs Runs In The Family
Suria was a young tigress when she first met the GSDs. Their friendship was destined to last, especially when Suria gave birth to her own cub – a little tiger named Sunny.
Seems like the love for dogs really runs in the family.
Sunny was equally amazed by the GSDs, just like his mom. Learning from her, he knew how to behave around doggos, which were much smaller than he was.
Such a gentle approach and such a loving friendship was never seen before at the Oasis sanctuary.
Suria and Sunny never saw German Shepherds as enemies, although they’re basically big cats and dogs. They were family!
Due to the lack of information about the three GSDs, we can only hope they’re still at the sanctuary. Being born back in 2013 would mean they’d be celebrating their 10th birthday this year.
Since German Shepherds have an average lifespan of 9 to 13 years, we can say they’re well into their senior years.
Let’s all pray that this magical friendship is still lasting.
You don’t get to see wild tigers playing with dogs every day. That’s just too incredible to happen all the time!
