When this zoo adopted an elephant in 1980, they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into. When they ran out of ideas, it took a special friend to get this elephant back in good spirits. Read on to find out how these two got to be BFFS…
Bubbles the Elephant
Bubbles was a rescue elephant from Africa. Weighing in at 9,000 pounds at age 34, the massive animal was rescued from poachers in 1980. Her herd was killed for ivory, and she needed a new home. The risk was rising in Africa, so Myrtle Beach stepped in…
Adopting an Elephant
Bubbles the Elephant was one of the few in the herd to make it out alive, and so, she was transported to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. There, she would be safer than in the high-risk hunting environment of Africa. She was safe, but was she happy?
Safari Wonderland
The park brings visitors on a wild safari-like drive to show them tons of unique animals that aren’t typically found in North America. This includes giraffes, cheetahs, and of course, elephants! However, soon there would be a new addition…
Elephant Depression
Bubbles began to feel sad. Elephants are considered the most expressive creatures, aside from humans, on earth. They are confirmed to have deep-felt thoughts, emotions, and memories. Which is why no one was surprised to see Bubbles getting sad…
Crying Out
Being separated from the herd and shipped overseas had a deep effect on the massive mammal. His trunk and ears were always drooped and he was rarely excited by activity, all indicting sadness. To combat this, the crew came up with an idea…
Beating the Heat
In 2007, the zookeepers had the idea to beat an incoming heatwave by giving the animal a swimming pool. It would be huge, almost as big as a lake. On the last day of construction, one worker brought a foster dog named Bella. Bella jumped right into the water…
Bubbles & Bella
Bella and Bubbles became instant best friends. Bubbles was a nervous elephant and often only went into the water if accompanied by a staff member. Bella was an alternative way to get Bubbles to cool down, and she was happy to do so…
Fast Friends
The duo became inseparable. Bella was adopted by one of the zookeepers, but pretty much just lived wherever Bubbles went, even sleeping next to her. They never left each other’s side…
Perfect View
The dog even jumps on top of the elephant when in the water, using her back as a way to stay dry. The two play every day with Bella jumping on Bubbles or just swimming around her. It helps that Bella wasn’t just any dog…
Hurt Dog
Bella was a black labrador. She was severely abused as a puppy, and always had trouble connecting with both people and other dogs. Because of this, workers were worried how she’d feel around the massive park animals. Lucky for them, it all worked out…
Safe For Each Other
According to the zoo, “Even after the ban in 1989, more than 33,000 wild elephants are still killed each year.” Additionally, about 1.5 million stray dogs don’t find homes every year and are euthanized as a result. Together though, these two beat their odds.
Possible Adoption
At one point, a local family considered adopting the dog from the zoo. It would certainly be easier to manage one less animal, especially one that wasn’t kept in a cage or found on a safari. In the end, though, the staff couldn’t separate the two…
Together Forever
Now, Bubbles and Bella always stay together. They sleep, eat, and play together every day, making each other comfortable and happy all the time. “It’s one of the most adorable animal friendships we’ve seen in a long time” said a staff member, but they aren’t the only cute zoo pair…
Meeting Mauschen
Mauschen was a giant Asiatic bear that made waves at the local Berlin Zoo. Fans would come from all around to see the black bear in his enclosure…
Fan Favorite
Mauschen was well known for his strength as well as his massive size. The visitors loved him and the staff respected him. He was the celebrity of the zoo…
The Lone Ranger
Mauschen didn’t have any other animals in the cage. This is because he was just too aggressive and vicious to ever have a friend join him. That is, until one day…
Cat Attack
One day, employees noticed a cat sitting in the tree above Mauschen’s enclosure during his regular feeding time. They thought it was strange, but surely the cat would be safe up in the tree…
Eye Spy
The bear noticed too. Mauschen stared up into the branches, waiting for the cat to fall. The staff knew he’d try to make the stray into a meal, so they tried to rescue the animal…
Too Late
When the team reached up to grab the cat out of the tree, he instead ran from them. He jumped right into the pit they were trying to protect him from. Things could only go downhill…
Name Game
The cat, who the workers would later name the cat Muschi, slowly approached the bear. Everyone watched as Mauschen met his new feline friend…
Mauschen and Muschi
The bear sniffed the cat a few times, and the cat sniffed back. It wasn’t long until the two were in best friends. They couldn’t even be separated…
A Strange Attraction
No one knew why the bear and the cat got along so well. In fact, they didn’t even know where the cat came from. Maybe Muschi was something special…
Meant to Be
Workers said that the pair was so adorable together that they felt like their meeting was fateful, maybe even destiny. They were meant to be together, but soon they’d be torn apart…
Construction Zone
While the two became closer and closer, Muschi and Mauschen became the zoo’s most popular attraction. They decided to treat the furry friends to a bigger enclosure. This had some repercussions…
Far Away
The two had to be separated when the construction was taking place. Once the new location was built, they’d be reunited, but of course, the animals didn’t know about that…
Brokenhearted
The two were too close for comfort. They were both upset and even irritable being apart from each other. This was strange, but it got even stranger…
Crying Out
The cat would sit outside the bear’s transition cage and meow over and over. The zookeepers said it sounded like the animals were literally crying out for each other…
Reunited
Eventually, the new digs were completed. The two unlikely friends were officially together again. They were so happy, but there was still so much in store…
Famous Friends
People began to take even more notice of the duo. They were so adorable, how could any Berlin Zoo visitor resist? Everyone wanted a photo of the pair together.
Local Celebs
The two were frequently photographed together near at the Zoo, being photographed for the paper and local trips. If you ever stop by Berlin, be sure to snap a photo of these two!