It is always amusing to watch interactions among animals. They display qualities at times that really do make them seem human, or at least similar to human beings.
It is especially endearing to watch individuals of two different species interact, and to see how well they get along. Some unlikely combinations of animals have actually become friends. Some female mammals even take it a step further and adopt babies of other species as their own. This male orangutan does something similar when he sees zookeepers tending to the needs of baby tigers on the property.
At Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina, this orangutan observed zookeepers taking care of tiger cubs who are absolutely adorable, and he made the decision that he wanted to do the same. After this, he has been spending time nearly every day caring for and playing with these baby tigers.
They really are the best of friends, and it is so heartwarming to watch these animals get along. They are definitely an unlikely combination, because you would not expect monkeys and tigers to get along well. However, since these are just babies, it makes sense that they have not developed a killer instinct yet. Hopefully, they will be able to play for a little while longer before they become dangerous to their orangutan caregiver.
For now, they are absolutely adorable to watch together, and you can tell just how much fun they are having. He really does treat these cubs like they are his own.