A 500lb lion and a miniature sausage dog have formed an unlikely friendship.
Five-year-old male big cat Bonedigger likes nothing more than a snuggle with seven-year-old dachshund Milo.
And if the sight of Milo peering into Bonedigger's jaws makes you nervous, rest assured, for the helpful hound likes nothing more than licking the big cat's teeth clean.
The two have been inseparable over the past five years at GW Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma.
Bonedigger was born with a metabolic bone disease that left him partially disabled, while Milo is a bold little dog with a bark bigger than his bite.
Park manager John Reinke, 43, who lost both his legs after a bungee jumping accident, works at the zoo where he witnessed the bond develop between the unlikely duo and Milo's friends.
He said: "This friendship between an 11lb wiener dog and a 500lb lion is the only of its kind in the world ever seen.
"But Bonedigger would only ever be this friendly with these dachshunds.
"He wouldn't be so friendly with other dogs - it's all down to them being pals since he was a cub. "
Milo tries to copy Bonedigger's 'puffing' - a deafening lion growl that can be heard over a mile away - which wild lions use to communicate with other prides in their natural environment.
"Milo and two other wiener dogs at the park, Bullet and Angel, sensed that Bonedigger was disabled as a cub and sought to comfort and protect him," said Reinke.
Bonedigger and his pack of dogs cuddle, feast on raw meat and play in the grounds together.
GW Exotic Animal Park has recently been affected by the deadly tornado that swept through Oklahoma on 20 May.
The park was damaged and flooded, but is still managing to provide shelter for domestic and wild creatures that are homeless because of the storm.
see more pictures:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/05/24/miniature-dachshund-milo-bonedigger-lion-best-friends-pictures_n_3332330.html?utm_hp_ref=uk#slide=2492601
The two have been inseparable over the past five years at GW Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma.
Bonedigger was born with a metabolic bone disease that left him partially disabled, while Milo is a bold little dog with a bark bigger than his bite.
Park manager John Reinke, 43, who lost both his legs after a bungee jumping accident, works at the zoo where he witnessed the bond develop between the unlikely duo and Milo's friends.
He said: "This friendship between an 11lb wiener dog and a 500lb lion is the only of its kind in the world ever seen.
"But Bonedigger would only ever be this friendly with these dachshunds.
"He wouldn't be so friendly with other dogs - it's all down to them being pals since he was a cub. "
Milo tries to copy Bonedigger's 'puffing' - a deafening lion growl that can be heard over a mile away - which wild lions use to communicate with other prides in their natural environment.
"Milo and two other wiener dogs at the park, Bullet and Angel, sensed that Bonedigger was disabled as a cub and sought to comfort and protect him," said Reinke.
Bonedigger and his pack of dogs cuddle, feast on raw meat and play in the grounds together.
GW Exotic Animal Park has recently been affected by the deadly tornado that swept through Oklahoma on 20 May.
The park was damaged and flooded, but is still managing to provide shelter for domestic and wild creatures that are homeless because of the storm.
see more pictures:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/05/24/miniature-dachshund-milo-bonedigger-lion-best-friends-pictures_n_3332330.html?utm_hp_ref=uk#slide=2492601
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