Who says dogs and cats cannot get along?
Take Milo the Miniature Dachshund for example, the little wiener dog has developed an unlikely bond with a 500 lbs lion known as Bonedigger.
Bonedigger the Lion and Milo Span Unique Interspecies Friendship
It may be hard to believe that a dachshund and a lion could ever be friends, but both Milo and Bonedigger have shocked the world with their inseparable bond.
The pair are from the G.W. Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. Bonedigger was raised under the watchful eye of zookeeper John Reinke, who happens to also share something in common with the lion.
Bonedigger the Lion was born with a rare form of bone disease that left him crippled at a young age. Reinke, on his part, lost both his legs in a tragic bungee jumping accident. Their handicaps have managed to connect them in a special way.
But it is Bonedigger’s friendship with Milo that is going viral around the Internet. They were introduced back when Bonedigger was a cub and they became more and more inseparable over the years. Bonedigger has even welcomed two other wiener dogs, Angel and Bullet, to his pack.
According to reports, the feisty dachshunds had sensed that the lion was disabled, so they took it upon themselves to provide him with protection.
Clearly unaware of their size difference, Bonedigger and his pack of wieners feast on raw meat and enjoy each other’s company in the zoo grounds. The lion never forgets to assert itself during meal time, but somehow the dachshunds manage to get the best of him.
“This friendship between an 11 pound wiener dog and a 500-pound lion is the only of it’s kind in the world ever seen,” said Reinke. “Milo does his best to copy Bonedigger when the lion tries puffing to communicate with other lions in the park.”
John Reinke: “Bringing up Bonedigger helped me recover”
Long before bringing Bonedigger the Lion home, Reinke was involved in a devastating bungee jump back in 2004. He fell 55 feet onto the ground due to a faulty trap door. The accident crushed both his legs and the doctors told him he could never walk again.
After the incident, Reinke developed a new perspective in life. He suffered years of painstaking therapy and medication. But the connection he formed with the animals in his zoo provided him with much-needed strength.
“That was another low moment for me because I value my independence highly,” Reinke describes the years he spent during rehabilitation. “Bringing up Bonedigger and Tony helped me recover, especially my relationship with Bonedigger.”
