This Orphan Zebra & Two Dalmatians Are Close Pals Amazing Animal Friends Smithsonian Channel
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AnimalsTranscript
00:00 A dog's desire to offer unconditional friendship is legendary.
00:08 And it's plain to see at this animal rehab center in Zimbabwe, where two spotted sisters
00:15 share a gift for making friends.
00:21 The center's co-founder, Joe Connolly, is one of them.
00:26 This is Indigo.
00:27 She's got one blue eye, an indigo-colored eye, and her sister, Bindi.
00:33 These Dalmatian sisters have very different personalities.
00:38 Indigo is really sassy, yeah.
00:40 She's a real madam.
00:42 And Bindi is the gentle, friendly giant of the two.
00:46 There are 101 reasons to love a Dalmatian.
00:50 But fashionable breeds can be victims of their own popularity.
00:55 They were rescue puppies from a puppy mill.
00:58 Their mom, we believe, was forced to breed over 170 puppies.
01:04 I'd say that was to make money purely out of the fact that they're Dalmatians.
01:09 Centuries of intensive breeding to create that distinctive coat have led to an unfortunate
01:14 genetic condition that affects almost a third of all Dalmatians.
01:20 Hearing loss.
01:22 This is Indigo here, and she can't hear anything.
01:26 Hello.
01:27 Hello.
01:28 She's stone deaf, and then her sister is half deaf.
01:33 The sisters will stay with Joe forever.
01:37 But most of the animals here are temporarily passing through on their journey to a life
01:42 in the wild.
01:45 Their fellow black and white buddy is teenage zebra, City Boy.
01:51 A year and a half ago, City Boy was found wandering the bush alone after his mother
01:56 had been killed by lions.
01:59 He was just a few days old, and the couple who found him took him in.
02:03 But if there was any hope of him leading a normal life, he'd need special help.
02:09 For us, there was no option.
02:11 They phoned us and they said, "Would you help with City Boy?"
02:14 So we don't really think about it.
02:15 We just say, "Absolutely."
02:18 We get in the car and we go there and we grab him.
02:21 City Boy was just six months old when he arrived.
02:25 He was only about yea high and so big in the beginning.
02:29 Luckily, he settled in easily.
02:32 And now, a year later, he's ready to become more independent.
02:39 This is where Indigo and Bindi come in, taking City Boy for walks in the bush.
02:48 Eventually, he'll roam free in a 17,000-acre private reserve maintained by Joe's family.
03:00 His friendship with Indigo and Bindi means he's lost his natural fear of canines.
03:06 Fortunately, there are no African wild dogs or hyenas in the reserve.
03:12 The more time he can spend in the wild, the more acclimatized he'll become to the wild
03:16 and the easier the transition will be for him.
03:19 The sisters' company gives him confidence to explore without Joe.
03:24 I don't know what you call them, a herd or a pack, but spots and stripes, they really,
03:30 really enjoy each other.
03:31 I don't think there's anyone else that we could take with City Boy on a walk like this.
03:36 The sisters' affinity with City Boy may be more than just luck.
03:41 Dalmatians were originally bred to accompany horse-drawn carriages in 18th century Britain,
03:48 where speed, stamina and calmness around horses were the main requirements.
03:54 [music]