Sunday, December 4, 2011

Animal Human Bond

I come across a number of videos about the bond between human beings and animals. I was very amazed and touched about the beautiful nature of such bond. It is unbelievable but yet it unfolds before your eyes. Building up a bond with some of the wildest animals in the world is not easy. You have to spend the time and be emotionally attached to these animals in order to be part of their kind, otherwise you get eaten up by them in no time. Animals does have heart; they have feelings too. They do know who is their friend, who is their saviour, who is their family. As you scroll downwards, you will see some of the extraodinary pictures in the earth:

1. Kevin Richardson - Lion Bond

Known as the lion whisperer, Kevin Richardson is a zoologist that study lion behavior  He does this by living, feeding, sleeping, and even swimming with the lions! And I think that should be the way. In order for the lions to see you as 'one', he need to stay with them and live their life. It is important to note that he has known most of the lions since they were cubs, hence the relationship is nurtured for a long period of time. This is not easy. By having such a close relationship with a lion requires the use of intuition as well, says Richardson. He have to know what is the mood of the lion. If it is bad, try to stay out of danger.

I love the bond that Richardson have with the lions. It is an amazing sight seeing him hugging a leopard. The bond is amazing! I love it! They are like one family. But of course, it requires true love. Richardson must be truly loving the lions. Lions are able to sense it; and thus reciprocate back the love to him. It is so beautiful.

However, having a bond with these fierce animals does not mean that he would not get hurt by them, whether on purpose or unintentionally. Richardson mentioned that he sometimes get scratched by their paws when playing with them. He also highlight that he would get attacked by these lions if they are angry. They bite him, but they did not kill him. The lion is only showing his anger. By attacking and biting him, the lion want to teach him a lesson he says - Do not cuddle or touch them when are in a bad mood. Know how to avoid their wrath. This is essential as Richardson did not abide to any safety rules when building bond with the lions.

A heartwarming scene where the lion and Kevin Richardson kissed. Full of love!

2. Abdullah Sholeh - Tiger Bond

Close: Abdullah Sholeh, 31 has formed an unbreakable bond with four-year-old feline Mulan
The Tiger Giving his Friend a Big Teddy Hug! :))

AMAZING SIGHT. I loved this! Not only Lion, but you can also even form an unbreakable bond with a Tiger! Sholeh is an Indonesian. And the tiger is known as Mulan, which is 4 years old. It is considered young as tigers usually live up to 25 years old. However, this tiger has already grown to be a HUGE size. And it is not like the person is taking care of a small baby. Thus it is totally heart-warming to me that even ferocious animals like tigers, can have such a close and loving friendship with a human being who is not even his kind. ASTOUNDINGLY BEAUTIFUL. 

Friends: Mr Sholeh regularly sleeps, plays and fights with the enormous tiger
A Tender Kiss~

Once again, such friendship doesn't come easy. Mr Sholeh has been a prominent character in Mulan tiger's life, ever since the cub was borned 3 months old. Sholeh has been committing every single time of her day taking care of the tiger and raising it till today.  He regularly sleeps, plays, and fight with the tiger, slowly building up the genuine bond between them. It is definitely not a bond that is build overnight, a day, or a year.  Sholeh is affectionately known as the 'Tiger Nanny', which means not just raising it but with real feelings put in. That is what I find it beautiful. 

Unbreakable: The pair spend every day together after Mr Sholeh helped raise her from a three-month-old cub in Malang, Indonesia
More than Companions, They Are also Playmates! :))

In fact, this pair are inseparable. They are close friends. Closer than what people might think. Every night, Sholeh sleeps beside her big tiger in the open, rickety outhouse instead of her own warm bed. This shows that how much Mulan the tiger mean to her. WONDERFUL. I can tell you right now that nobody can ever replace Sholeh's position in the tiger's heart, vice versa. Nobody. This is SO TOUCHING. Bengal Mulan is even known to 'mock attack', hug, and kiss Sholeh when they play in the garden behind their home. Both of them are so FUN! :)) I liked that! And it is very normal if Sholeh gets hurt in the process. As Sholeh said, sometimes, the strength of the tiger's paw could unintentionally hurt him. After all it is a tiger. However, this is normal. I resent anyone who makes a big deal out of it. Getting injured by an animal but not letting it getting into the way of their relationship is what makes a strong, solid animal-human bond. 

Playful: Bengal Mulan is even known to 'mock attack', hug and kiss her companion when they play in the garden behind their home
Open your Mouth: Roar~

This amazing pictures reminds me of the movie 'Life of Pi' where a young man and a tiger miraculously build a harmonious bond together, when both are stranded in a small boat in the middle of a Pacific Ocean. The tiger eats the Zebra, Hyena and Orang Utan up, but never eats Pi. This shows that animals and animals aren't able to co-exist. But human and animal can co-exist. Animals aren't cold blooded as you think, as long as people are willing to put in their heart and soul to connect with them. 

Don't you agree?!! :D 

3. Chito and Pocho - The crocodile bond

You have to admit that this is one INCREDIBLE bond! This is more unbelievable! WA! Never in a million years would I thought that a person could bond with a REPTILE! Even experts said that crocodiles cannot be tamed. This comes to show that even crocodiles have feelings. Let me share with you the story behind this 'impossible' relationship. Chito found Pocho on a Parismina river where it suffered a shot in its eye, and very malnutrition; close to death. He saved the crocodile, and healed it with medicine and food applying full attention and care towards its wound along the process. He stayed and even sleep with the crocodile during this period. The bond between them built up from 6 months to over 10 years. You see, time.

And Chito's intention of saving pocho the crocodile also stems from goodwill. According to Chito, he said, "I just wanted him to feel that someone loved him, and that not all humans are bad." Such kind intention could also possibly be sensed by the crocodile, which in that time was deeply wounded. You need to have love. When Pocho was healed, Chito released him into the wild, but instead the crocodile followed him back home. This is so touching. The crocodile recognized Chito, his savior  It had a sense of loyalty most of us would never expect.

A dangerous scene where a man is in water with a crocodile, overturning it. However, there is no harm. It is a unbelievable sight. The crocodile Pocho did not devour him. On the other hand, both were having lots of fun, performing in front of a spectators. This is such a wonder, even when looking at the pictures itself. Too bad that Pocho had die naturally some time ago. Chito expressed his loneliness through a song:

"I am the great pretender. Pretending that I am doing well. My need is such I pretend too much. I am lonely but no one can tell."

This is sad, but beautiful.

4. Koun Samang - Snake Bond

This is another unbelievable image. Who DARES to curl up in a python  Yes. There is. A boy from Cambodia aged 7 during that time. Does that also mean that snakes are humanly-attached? Have feelings? WOW. I think for this case, it is the family blessing. The mother of young boy Samang, said that she dreamed of the snake, and that it is in their house to protect them. She also add that her whole family had been safe throughout the years. Hence, I think that only this family is blessed with the snake. It may not be necessarily the bond built up, as mentioned above. Nonetheless, it is an extraordinary pet to have STILL.

Throughout the 7 years of growing up with the snake at that time, the boy kissed, hug, cuddle, and play with the phython. Nothing has gone wrong. Most surprisingly, the snake's diet is similar to that of the boy which is mainly duck and chicken. Though the phython looks vicious, it is harmless towards the family members in real life. It is remarkable.

5. Shaun Ellis - Wolves Man

The Wolverine Man Who lived With Wolves 

Now. Now. Now. Wolves are known to be one of the world's nature most FEARSOME villains. They glare, snarl, snap the air with their jaws and bare their teeth to keep their subordinate pack members in line. When threatened, wolves also raise their hackles and tail, inflating its size to deter its threat. However, they are not famous for attacking humans. In fact, wolves are shy around humans. They would try to avoid contact with them, even though they do get aggressive towards people. 

There is one man in this world who is able to build an 'unlikely' bond with these wolves who are not friendly with humans at all. This man is called Ellis. He is the only one who DARE to venture into the wolves territory, befriend them, follow the same diet as them, and even learn to howl like them. He had totally engrossed himself to the habits and lifestyle of the wolves with the sole purpose of seeking their recognition into their group. This is very HONORABLE to me. To truly bond with fearsome animals, you needs GUTS.

Shaun Ellis romping with wolves at a wildlife park
Integrating Into the Veracious Wolf Pack

Did anyone wonder how its like to live with wolves? I bet you don't. It is not easy for Ellis. He actually lived with wolves pack for 2 YEARS!! Yes. 2 years with no human contact. As I highlighted, you need time to developed TRUST with animals. I totally respect his courage to be up close and personal with these terrifying creatures. According to his own words, he had experienced "a wolf's fangs hovered over his neck",  getting "knocked over", "nipped and sniffed", get handled "hard and roughly" by them, and even suffered "bone-crushing impact of their jaws" which caused him to be covered in cuts and bruises. Even up to a situation where his "entire face was gripped by a wolf who start to squeeze it hard, to the point that he can feel the bonds in his jaw bend". And this is caused by him who accidentally ate the wrong piece of meat. There is a strict hierarchy as to who eats what part of an animal. WOW. YOU GOT TO DO IT, BEFORE YOU CAN KNOW IT.

Not only that, Ellis said he was also disciplined by the wolves on 1 occasion. One wolf "barged" towards him "crumpling" him to the ground with its weight and another wolf "snarl and growl just 3 inches away from his face" where even the warmth of her breath can be feel. THIS IS SCARY. This man is facing DEATH SITUATIONS every day. However, this should be the way. You can never understand wolves fully by staying in a lab and monitor from afar. YOU NEED TO BE ONE OF THEM. Shaun even learned to exchange howls with them.

Smelling and Breathing Each Other

After all this interaction, the wolves eventually accept him as one of them. They care for him. The wolves sleep beside him. And they even hunt for him, where they would bring him a raw meat of a deer to feed him. All this continue for 18 months, when winter settles and Shaun would lived with them in a scent of pine needles where female wolves would start to breed. These wolves show their acceptance of him by letting him to be close to their little pups when they were born.  HOW SWEET :)) They even trust Shaun to guard their den area while they go hunting. They had a beautiful bond together. Not only that, these wolves also save the life of Ellis from harm by a huge grizzly bear. So you see, wolves are not evil as people think they are. In actual reality, wolves are not malicious or cruel. They only care about keeping their family safe and fed. Wolves only killed to eat. Never for fun. Never for more than they need. Therefore, humans can coexist with these wolves and even build a telepathic bond. It's true. 

Like a Family Portrait

Therefore, I respect Ellis. He is THE MAN who chose to live among wolves, and understand them one step closer than the others. He has adopted 3 abandoned wolf pups, in which he teaches them how to be wild wolves and becoming the pack's alpha male. He trained them, as well as wolves in captivity the skills of how to hunt and survive in the wild. This is simply INSPIRING. I am in AWE. Shaun Ellis is the true Wolverine. I loved the bond and affinity that he has with nature's wolves. Not everybody can. 

To conclude, I think the 2 most important factor in building up true, permanent, positive, close relationship with an animal is TIME, LOVE and COURAGE. Not only to animals, but to humans as well. We had to treat one another with care and respect; intention from an action must be morally motivated. People, or even animals can sense your heart, and will be connected to you. Even the most dangerous animals could be best friends with you. Animals and humans can co-exist. And i think that such animal-human bond is ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS.