HEY ARE AN UNLIKELY PAIR. ONE OF THEM SMALL, THE OTHER VERY ?big. But their bond of friendship has nothing to do with their differences. Bella and Tara are best friends who love each other, yet their relationship puzzles most people.
You see, Bella is a dog, and Tara is an elephant.†
On a Tennessee elephant sanctuary where both animals live—a home for “retired” elephants and some stray dogs—it is not uncommon for creatures to pair off with each other. But the pairings usually involve animals from the same species.
Somehow, a bond was formed between canine and pachyderm that proved strong when tragedy struck. Bella suffered a spinal injury that rendered her paralyzed. She couldn’t walk or even wag her tail. So for three weeks sanctuary staff members carried Bella around and let her rest in their office. But instead of Tara spending her days roaming the 2,700-acre property, she parked herself outside the office and kept vigil for her friend. Every single day.
Bella was finally carried outside so Tara could visit with her. Tara even scratched Bella’s tummy with her giant foot. And Bella responded. Soon the little dog’s tail wagged again, and the extraordinary visits continued until Bella made a full recovery.
Today, the pair romps freely about their sanctuary home, where Bella is very protective of her much larger friend.
Is their story that hard to believe?
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them” (Isa. 11:6).
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*Best friends forever
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Wilona Karimabadi is marketing and editorial director for KidsView, the Adventist Review’s magazine for children ages 8-12. This was article was published January 28, 1010.
