Everyone has seen those touching relationships between two things don’t logically go together
In this video you will find at the end of the article from Wildlife Images Rehabilitation Center, we see the bear and the cat explore one another, establish a peaceful detente and move into the beginning of a lifelong friendship in the adorable video below.
Griz, who a large adult grizzly bear who was orphaned and severely injured as a cub, seemed to have a follower walking a parallel track through the forest with him. This follower is Tabby, who is a bright orange cat abandoned at just a few weeks old.
She’s hungry and afraid of all humans, which may have compelled her to seek out an unlikely companion in Griz. She’s at first quite cautious, staying beside him, but still at a distance.
Later, the two begin to interact. Griz shows normal grizzly curiosity and seems very eager to check out this potential new friend. Tabby’s body language indicates she’s will be no threat, and soon, a fortuitous friendship is born.
According to BearSmart, bears naturally react to new things within their environment, and a new situation or object may often frighten a bear. This particular behavior has been defined by behaviorists as “strange object response.” While a bear may feel an initial sense of fright and appear to become aggressive, it quickly calms down and sets about investigating the new thing.
In the video, Griz’s reaction to Tabby was likely because of his awareness of something new in his environment and a natural need to determine if Tabby was a threat, or a food source, or something completely harmless.
Grizzly bears are social among their own, coexisting peacefully with each another, forming friendships and alliances and even mentoring orphaned or younger cubs. Grizzlies often do not bond with other animals, but there have been several reports of unusual social relationships with other species, including yet another cat-grizzly friendship at a zoo in Berlin, Germany.
To the surprise of the staff at the 24-acre sanctuary, Griz and Tabby formed a strong bond, and they have often been observed eating together, playing with one another and napping together in what has become a lifelong relationship.
