National Geographic photographer Ami Vitale captured the unlikely friendship between a lioness and her cub in Kenya. She photographed this young lion, who was born to an abandoned mother at Nairobi National Park earlier this year. The little guy had been rejected by his mom and was being raised by human handlers until he could be reintroduced into the pride of lions. But even before that happened, the orphaned lion cubs bonded with Riuto, a female lioness who became their foster momma surrogate.
The story behind these photos is one of hope for the future of wildlife conservation in Africa as captive-bred animals can eventually be released back into the wild population when they are ready to fend for themselves—thus increasing genetic diversity and strengthening overall populations.
The dog, named Snickers, refused to leave the cow’s side and even lay down on top of her when she was being loaded into the truck taking her away. Needless to say, it broke their hearts to see how upset Snickers was over losing his best friend.
The little pup followed the truck all the way to the sale lot, and when his cow mom was sold he sat down in front of the pen and refused to leave. The workers at the lot were so touched by Rookie’s story that they decided to buy him back themselves and bring him home. Now this lucky puppy gets to spend eternity with both of his moms – how sweet is that?
