ANIMAL PALS: Strange But True – Robert F. Burgess

★★★ ½

The Dog Who Loved an Elephant

Tara never seemed unterested in bonding with any of the other elephants…she might lose interest in life if she didn’t develop a bond with one of the other members of the herd.

Tara, a retired circus elephant, was purchased by her rider, who then made a sanctuary for retired elephants. However, she had troubles adjusting and bonding with other elephants…but luckily for her a rescued pup, Bella, soon turns her life around.

The Leopard and the Cow

…the leopard would appear about eight in the evening and snuggle up to the cow. The two would cuddle together this way all night long…

A young leopard looking for motherly affection, an old cow willing to give it and a sweet relationship soon forms.

The Lioness and the Antelope

the case of a fierce predator bonding to an animal that she would normally hunt.

A young lioness decides to mother a rather unusual…cub.

The Monkey and the Dove

…the dove was attempting to care for the baby monkey. They lived together and they dined together.

An abandoned macaque was picked up by a wildlife preserve in China. A grieving dove already lived at the sanctuary but was struggling to adjust to life without her mate. Surprisingly, the two vastly different species began help each other through their stuggles.

The Polar Bear and the Sled Dog

…one of the dogs wasn’t barking. He simply stood still and watched the bear that came directly toward him.

No one knows how it started but it certainly happened – and they were the best of friends.

Dogs, People and Dolphins

The dolphin was hurting business, they said. It had to go.

A young dolphin washes up in the bay and quickly befriends a local family. However, the other locals are less than pleased.

My Affair with Mermaids

Her head was thrown back so I could tickle the bristly triple chins beneath her.

The author gets to meet a very memorable sea creature.

The Man Who Befriended a Crocodile

Chito had a fondness for these fearsome creatures

A young crocodile is left injured and near-death but is nursed back to health by Chico…and much to Chico’s surprise, after the croc is healed, it wants to stay with him. Thus begins one of the most unusual and long-lasting friendships in crocodile history.

Overall 

These stories were extremely fun – I liked how they were all based off of true stories however they felt a bit underdeveloped.

The language was straightforward and some of the stories were so short that they didn’t leave me with much of an impression.

The longer ones sometimes had a bit of a cardboard feel – they stated the facts but not the emotions you’d expect from such endearing stories.

I was given a free copy from the author in exchange for a honest review.