This should not surprise us although it looks surprising to see such a large and potentially dangerous animal being so friendly with a domestic cat. But this has happened before. What I mean is cats becoming friends with wild animals that look totally incompatible such as an owl, a bear, an orangutan and a giant capybara (see interspecies friendships).
It’s just about socialisation. We socialise cats to humans and dogs. This rhino has been socialised to humans and domestic cats. He was rescued when just a few weeks old by Jamie Traynor. This cat is great though. They live in South Africa at The Rhino Orphanage. The cat is ‘Mewie’ and the rhino is ‘Nandi’.
The rhino’s mother was killed by poachers for her horn. I guess it ended up in a rich Chinese man’s stomach. The poor guy wanted an erection. Sorry if that is rude but it’s probably true.
Source: The Dodo.
Love stories like this.
Mewie is very alert as to Nandie’s position as they walk. Understandably, as one miscalculation, one misstep and it’s curtains, or a broken leg. While Nandi is so heavy, I don’t think rhinos make a lot of noise as they travel; not like hoofed animals anyway. Their feet, like elephants’ look pretty squishy. It’s funny that the cat is leading him too, and they do look happy.