Predator and Prey Friendships

Predator and prey friendships are among the more unique friendships captured by wildlife photographers in different parts of the world, illustrating how the natural instincts of animals have certain quirks and particulars of their own.

From a rat snake befriending a hamster named “Gohan” (which means “meal”) in Japan, to an African lion and an Axis deer developing a friendship of their own in the Doha Zoo, there are countless photographic evidence and accounts which tell of predator and prey friendships actually happening.

The 2005 released animated feature Arashi no Yoru (based on a book published in 1995) stands to be one of the more popular pop-culture tales touching up on the subject of predator and prey friendships, featuring a goat and wolf, two of the world’s more well known and documented natural “enemies”.

Though fantasy and reality are known to be two entirely different things, the aspect of predator and prey friendships has been described to be similar in both, somewhat standing out as the “common ground” between the two.

Specific research and studies devoted to look into the dynamic of predator and prey friendships aren’t as defined as other animal-behavior studies are, with most researchers and the general populace terming them as simply unique scenarios which occur naturally.

In the realm of fantasy, the aspect of predator and prey friendships have been explored and looked into as a plot device, with different authors utilizing the novelty of such unique friendships in telling heartwarming tales of good values and understanding.

Very rare, predator and prey friendships are a testament to how unique animals truly are as individuals, with specific predators getting over their instincts in befriending those whom they are naturally inclined to attack and make a meal out of.