If you're picturing a certain scene from The Wizard of Oz after reading that headline, I don't blame you, but in this case, the three animals in question aren't scary at all. In fact, they are beloved brothers.
For fifteen years, Baloo the bear, Leo the lion, and Shere Khan the tiger lived together at the Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary in Georgia.
The crew was called "BLT" by staff and fans.
But BLT's story is a good example of nurture trumping nature. Even though their species would never cross paths in the wild, they bonded through early trauma and were inseparable from then on.
The conditions were terrible. All three were malnourished and infested with parasites. Leo also had a wounded nose.
He was wearing a harness that had never been adjusted while he grew and his skin had fused around it.
While he was having surgery, Shere Khan and Leo cried and paced, only calming down once Baloo was returned.
For fifteen years, BLT lived together in a three-acre enclosure. They slept together, played together, and ate together.
Veterinarians discovered that more than 80% of his liver was covered in inoperable tumors and the choice was made to let him pass peacefully.
Leo was buried next to their clubhouse, so that he'd always be close.
Baloo stayed with him until the end and he was buried beside Leo.
Staff have been working hard to help Baloo through his grieving process and he's still happy to greet visitors to the sanctuary.
In a 2015 interview with The Telegraph volunteer Judi Peterson said:
"I think if a lion, a tiger and a bear can get along, people ought to be able to get along."
h/t: The Telegraph
