After losing his parents, this three year old orangutan, named Suryia, was so depressed he wouldn’t eat and didn’t respond to any medical treatments. The veterinarians thought he would surely die from sadness. Primates and dogs are usually wary of one another. The zoo keepers found an old homesick dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutan lived and took the dog home to the animal treatment center. The dog, named Roscoe, kept returning to see the orangutan. The two lost souls bonded, share food, and have been inseparable ever since.
The orangutan found a new reason to live and each always tries his best to be a good companion to his new found friend. They are together twenty four hours a day in all their activities. See the video, it is really something to watch them together, riding the elephant, swinging on the stair rail, clinging to a bicycle and rolling together on grass. They live in Northern California where swimming is their favorite pastime, although Suryia (the orangutan) is a little afraid of the water and needs his friend’s help to swim..
Together they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship. They have found more than a friendly shoulder to lean on. I don’t know……some say life is too short, others say look at the possibilities, I know that nothing that we do makes sense if we don’t touch the hearts of others…….while it lasts!
This charming story has reminded me of other true animal stories, some better known than others, and all familiar to me from childhood. They are The Incredible Journey [DVD] [1963] from Canada, Greyfriars Bobby [DVD] [1960] from Scotland, The Faithful Dog Gelert from Wales, and Jock of the Bushveld [DVD] from South Africa. Do you have a favorite?
To see the National Geographic video interview, visit http://5thworld.com/Paradigm/Postings/!Wisdom/OrangutanAndHound.html
Original Post on: http://orangutancentre.org/2010/05/ with thanks