There's nothing like watching a few furry, adorable animals play with each other, squabble over food and generally prove that there's no barrier to affection, even in the natural wilds. But a video of a particular band of cuddly furry creatures might surprise you in that its mixed family includes two lions, a hyena and a tiger.
The wild lions, hyena and tiger cubs were abandoned by their respective mothers in South Africa where they would have likely not survived on their own. This was when Layla Cajee, owner of Rustenburg's Akwaaba Lodge, decided to keep the cubs who were born within the confines of her hotel property and were summarily left behind by their mothers for being the runts of their litters.
Each cub needed to be adopted by Cajee, she said as relayed by Trending Now.
"The orphans share the same living enclosure and interact during mealtime," Trending Now continues. "Cajee said they fight over food and that the dominant one will sometimes take food from the others. After mealtime, they have been known to cuddle together for a nap."
In the video showing Cajee and the animals interacting, the hotel-owner-cum-animal-matron talks about how each of the creatures has a personality of his or her own: the mischievous hyena, the leader-of-the-pack tiger, and the shy lions.
Right now - and in the video we can see - the cubs are playful and seemingly having fun "arguing" (as Cajee puts it) over food (generally large pieces of raw meat). But no mistake should be made: these are fierce creatures who will grow up to be vicious predators and thus will need to be separated and kept in their own enclosures.
For now, though, a video like this shows just how even tigers, lions and hyenas can get along. At least while they're "innocent" children.
Like what you're reading? Follow @profklickberg.
