Many heartwarming stories of interspecies friendships have been told to us over the years, from a horse and a dog to a cat and a rhino, yet they never fail to astound us in some way. This enormous gorilla and his little companion right here are no exception. The fact that they are members of two different species is astonishing in and of itself, but it is their size disparity that makes their friendship really remarkable.
This strong 24-year-old Western Lowland Gorilla was rescued by Ape Action Africa at the age of only one year old and has now risen to the role of leader in his community of gorillas. Bobo is presently in charge of three girls and two other guys, which indicates he is not at all laidback in his approach. However, the primate still has a sensitive side that he doesn’t usually show to others since he is so reserved.
This tiny bush baby was one of a select group of animals that were fortunate enough to witness Bobo’s most tender moments. On one of his visits to the sanctuary, he met face to face with the gentle giant, and the two seemed to be quite fond of one another. The sighting was so impressive, according to Ape Action Africa spokesperson Elissa O’Sullivan, even their direct caregiver was taken aback.
“During his morning inspections, our gorilla caretaker noticed Bobo clutching a small, wild bush baby,” O’Sullivan said. “The bush baby shown no fear of Bobo, going around his body and hopping about in an open grassy area before returning to Bobo.”
O’Sullivan went on to say that it is quite difficult to stumble across a bush baby (also known as galato) during the day since this little creature is mostly active at night. Instead of saying that, they may say that their experience was really exceptional.
“Because bush babies are normally nocturnal, seeing one during the day is quite uncommon. At Mefou Sanctuary, we have never seen a wild monkey engage with a rescued animal,” she stated.
Before Bobo let his buddy leave, the two of them had been hanging out for around two hours straight. Perhaps they will run into one other again in the near future!