An unusual relationship has developed between a Siberian tiger and a goat that was supposed to be the carnivore's lunch at Pirmosrky safari park in Russia.
When the keepers brought the billy goat, Timur, inside Amur the tiger's cage, it was so Amur could hunt it and eat it, as it regularly does with the past live preys given to it, The Inquisitr reported.
As part of the park's advocacy in ensuring that tigers in captivity remain skilled in hunting, they are all regularly given live preys to hunt inside their cages, as did Amur for the past three years.
However, when Amur started towards Timur that day, the goat stood his ground and fearlessly faced the tiger.
"The goat was very brave. He flashed his horns or retaliated every time the Amur attacked. The wary tiger was confused by this, and he decided not to mess with the goat," said Dmitry Mezentsev, the park's director, according to The Huffington Post.
Now, Timur seems to think Amur the tiger is his leader, chasing and following it at every turn, while the tiger also exhibits great affection for the billy goat.
The two animals are fed every day in the hope of helping the friendship continue and avoiding a bloody ending, CBC reported.
