There’s something so sweet about interspecies friendships. Animals of two different species finding themselves drawn to one another enough to bond is one of nature’s sweet treats.
While you might think these relationships are confined to animals in captivity who have no other choice but to get along with whatever is nearby, they occur regularly in the wild as well — and nature photographers have captured hundreds of examples of peculiar pairings over the years.
There are plenty of reasons two different types of animals choose to become what we would call “friends.” Sometimes, it’s a mutually beneficial relationship that helps them survive or simply a desire for bonding. But we’ll never truly know what these creatures are thinking.
One of the many interspecies friendship videos to go viral on YouTube is that of Duke and Chino.
Uploaded in 2015 by an account that goes by the name “Djl Equestrian,” the sweet one-minute-and-22-second video shows a one-week-old foal (that’s Duke) having a grand old time getting to know the property’s one-year-old Shar-Pei (that’s Chino).
We don’t know if this is their first meeting or not, but their first few attempts to figure each other out ended in some sudden jumps backward by both. That makes sense since animals first and foremost assess a threat before interacting with other creatures.
Even as Chino backs away from Duke’s advances at first, you can tell he’s curious. After all, he appears to live on a horse farm and is probably used to hanging out with equines. He’s just got to size up this particular pony.
The two maintain eye contact as they sniff at one another a bit.
There’s an adorable moment when Chino gets a little rattled but then immediately plants his butt on the ground in front of Duke as if to say, “I really do want to play, I just need a minute.”
Duke looks back, bowing his head and approaching slowly.
He gives Chino a bit of a brush off, which is probably for the best since walking right by him makes the dog even more curious.
Now the ball is in the pup’s court.
Or is it?
Duke boops Chino from behind in a playful way and it appears to startle him.
But now the game is on as both animals run around one another and begin to have some fun.
Chino is fast and can bolt at any time and Duke’s mom appears to be nearby if he needs a safe space.
It’s pretty clear that these two will get to know each other well — likely as playmates — as time goes by.
Commenters admitted to watching the video over and over again not only for the two sweet animals but for the bucolic backdrop of their encounter.
“Those flowers, the richness of the overgrown grass and those beautiful animals on a bright sunny day…is this what heaven looks like?” asked one viewer.
Simply watching the scene made people feel better.
“That’s a pretty picture. Sun is shining, flowers are blooming, baby frolicking with fuzzy dog. All is right with the world.”
What can we say? Nature really is the best medicine.
Be sure to scroll down below to get a glimpse of Duke and Chino’s playful encounter.
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