Everyone on the planet knows that dogs are a “man’s best friend,” but what about cats? When Scottish welder and extreme cyclist Dean Nicholson decided to quit his job and bike around the world, he never expected to challenge the well-known idiom about dogs. But one fateful day while riding through the Balkans, Nicholson discovered a stray kitten meandering amongst the rocks. The cat began to chase after him, giving Nicholson little choice but to bring her along. Naming her Nala (after his favorite movie, The Lion King), the two quickly became inseparable and are now traveling the world together, one lap at a time.
Nicholson and Nala’s journey is the latest heartwarming story to illustrate the special (and ridiculously cute) bond between humans and animals. If you’re caught grinning and teary-eyed by the tale of these unlikely soul mates, wait until you see these seven stories of unexpected bonds that defy logic and prove (in adorable fashion) all living things are interconnected.
This story is nuts: Alabama Man Surprisingly Only Has One Meth-Fueled Pet Squirrel (Considering His Stance On Abortion)
Shark life: Man Adopts Baby Pet Shark, Lives Just Long Enough to Regret It (And Shark Week)
Cover Image via Daily Mail
Follow Mandatory on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
cat bicycle animal friends
-
Chito Shedden And Pocho The Crocodile
When Shedden discovered a mortally wounded crocodile along the banks of his fishing route one morning, he decided to nurse the little guy back to health. Once Pocho had healed and grown strong, Shedden released him back into the river. The next day, Pocho returned, making it clear who his new family was. The two became best friends, demonstrating how even cold-blooded crocs can be as warmhearted as any golden labradoodle.
-
Rene Casselly And Kimba The Elephant
Casselly is a German circus performer and animal trainer whose acrobatic family has been working under the big top for generations. His treatment of Kimba (and friends) is setting the bar higher for animals raised in the circus. Kimba's love for basketball began when she saw Casselly shooting hoops in the backyard and decided to join in. Together the pair make King James look like a midget with two broken legs.
-
John Aspinall And Kwibi Gorilla
Often seen as the violent, brutish, early link to Homo sapiens, Gorillas can actually be sensitive and loving companions. When Aspinall visited Kwibi five years after releasing her into the wild, the two picked up right where they left off. As soon as she sensed her childhood caretaker was near, Kwibi sang a song of love and excitedly introduced Aspinall to all her friends and relatives (despite her mother-in-law not being dressed for company).
-
John Randall, Anthony Bourke, And Christian The Lion
While human-animal friendships most certainly date back to ancient days, the story of Randall, Bourke, and their pet lion is as vintage a GIF as can be found. As legend goes, the two Englishman purchased Christian from Harrod's department store and raised him in and around swinging London before releasing him into a wildlife conservancy in Africa. A year later, the duo returned to visit their dear friend and within minutes, a full-grown lion emerged from the bush and charged the men, surprising them with a bear hug. Where Christian the lion learned how to hug like a bear we'll never know, but the reunion remains one of the most tender ever caught on film.
-
Kevin Richardson, The Lion Whisperer
Another friend of the big cats, Richardson runs a lion reservation near Pretoria in South Africa. His ability to pal around with the likes of lions, cheetahs, and hyenas, has earned him the nickname, "The Lion Whisperer."
-
Joao Perei de Souza And Dindim The Penguin
How an Antarctic penguin ended up famished, dying, and covered in oil on the Brazilian coast is still a mystery. But it's no secret why Dindim the penguin bonded with the man who saved his life and nursed him back to health. Every year, Dindim travels over 5,000 miles across the sea to visit Joao in Rio de Janeiro. The two are so psychically connected, they don't even text each other when and where to meet up. They just know.
-
Marc Dumas And Agee The Polar Bear
The only man who eats breakfast with a polar bear, Marc Dumas lives with his buddy Agee in a small house outside Vancouver, Canada where the duo enjoy swimming, wrestling, and reading Spiderman comics. And though polar bears are the largest and most ferocious bears on the planet, Agee never bites Dumas, even when he won't share the remote control while binge-watching The Bachelor. (Single teardrop rolls down cheek.) How awesome is that?
