#25. Bonedigger And Milo
A male lion being best friends with dachshund, how strange does it sound? The story of a huge lion named Bonedigger and his dachshund friend Milo is beyond incredible.
Bonedigger weights 500 pounds and was raised by zookeeper John Reike. Every animal in the zoo is afraid of the big lion, except for the brave Milo. Milo is eight years old and spends most of his time with Bonedigger.
#24. True Friendship
Bonedigger and Milo live in G.W. Exotic Animal Park, located in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. There is plenty of space in this park, so the lion and the dachshund spend countless hours playing around and running all over the place.
They always stick together, and sometimes Milo's dog friends join them. Zookeeper Reinke takes care of them, just like he does with the rest of the animals in the zoo.
#23. Strong Connection
Bonedigger and Milo's friendship was a great surprise to the whole animal park crew. They couldn't believe how these two animals developed such a strong bond. The lion and the dachshund even slept together, a picture worth seeing.
Milo weights only 11 pounds, but his size is no impediment when the two of them are together. In fact, Bonedigger would play with Milo as if he were a cub.
#22. Zookeeper
John Reinke is the manager at the animal park. The fact that he has both legs amputated doesn't stop him from performing an excellent job. John had a terrible accident while doing bungee jumping, he fell and broke his bones from knee to feet.
But everything happens for a reason. After the accident, John began working as a zookeeper and he discovered his one true passion.
#21. Fearless
John Reinke found a way to cope with his disability. Having both legs amputated is quite a problem, but he didn't care about it. In fact, he takes care of the animal park without any difficulty.
If you think about it, John and Milo are quite alike, since neither of them fear Bonedigger. In other words, they are his loyal friends!
#20. The Protector
Zookeeper John Reinke was the one who made the friendship between Bonedigger and Milo possible. Six years ago, the huge lion was sick and John approached to him together with the dachshunds.
The dogs stayed with Bonedigger and cuddled with him for a while. From that moment, Bonedigger became the dogs' protector. The fact that the big lion shares his meals with the dachshunds amazes the animal park staff.
#19. His Personal Guardian
Now, the huge lion acts as a guardian to the dachshunds, but back when Bonedigger was a cub, it worked the other way around: the protectors were Milo and his dog friends.
Bonedigger was just a little lion cub when he was diagnosed with a metabolic bone disease, which left him disabled. Milo was only two years old when he sensed that Bonedigger was lonely and scared, so he took care of the little cub and looked after him.
#18. Crippled
Bonedigger suffers from a disease that causes him to be weak and disabled. A recent study showed that metabolic bone diseases are caused by the animal's diet.
To deal with this disease, veterinarians suggest that the sick animal eats crushed bones, cod-liver oil and horse meat. A weird but necessary intake.
#17. Lion Tamer
You may be surprised that a huge fierce lion is a dachshund's best friend. What's even more surprising is that this big lion is also John Reinke's friend!
John is considered to be fearless when it comes to being with wild animals. He was once called "lion tamer", because he treats the giant felines as if they were ordinary dogs. Especially with Bonedigger, who even plays with his prosthetics.
#16. Raised Like A Child
John Reinke raised and took care of Bonedigger since he was only a cub. He treated the little lion as if he were his own son. In fact, Bonedigger spent his first months of life living with John and Kristi, his wife, at their home.
Until one day, Bonedigger's size wouldn't let him fit in the couch or even in the living room, so he was taken to the animal park to enjoy a better and bigger space.
#15. Tiger Tony
Bonedigger isn't the only beast living in the animal park. Believe it or not, there are more wild animals who live there and are under John's care.
One of them is Tony, a big tiger that arrived together with the lion. Unlike Bonedigger, Tony enjoys a healthy life and isn't tormented by any birth diseases.
#14. A Big Family
Bonedigger and Tony may seem dangerous and fierce, but the truth is that these big cats have touched John's heart in a way that no one thought was even possible.
They were both raised by the amputee zookeeper and they've formed an incredible relationship. Not only does John look after them, but he also considers the big cats to be part of his family.
#13. Always Together
John admitted having both Bonedigger and Tony living with him inside the house. Can you imagine how crazy it sounds to have a little lion and a tiger wandering around your place?
They grew up together and now their bond is unbreakable. John never stopped taking care of these big cats, even when they reached a size that forced him to take them back to the animal park.
#12. Having Fun
What's really interesting about these giant cats is that they know how to behave properly while being with John, so as not to hurt him. Bonedigger realizes that there is a limit when it comes to playing with John, a limit that Tony doesn't quite understand.
However, John has observed that Tony always follows Bonedigger and he always makes sure that he doesn't get too aggressive with is owner.
#11. Behaving Like Dogs
Bonedigger is definitely a strong fierce lion on the outside, but on the inside he's far from intimidating. The huge lion sometimes behaves such as a dog would! Je must have taken it from his friend Milo, with whom he spends most of his time.
When Bonedigger sees John for the first time in the day, he runs towards him and welcomes him just like any other dog would! Wait until you see what else the lion does!
#10. Newly In
Undoubtedly, Bonedigger and Tony were lucky that they were raised by John in his own home. These big cats were the ruling beasts in the animal park for years years.
However, the situation changed when the staff took in several tiger cubs. One of these little tigers is Tippy, an adorable creature who also stole John's heart.
#9. Meet Tippy And Orlando
Tippy and his brother Orlando were little cubs when they were brought into the animal park and joined this amazing family. Look at the picture below: how cute are they?
The brothers looked like Bonedigger and Milo back when they were little and full of energy. John hopes that one day, all animals in the park will co-exist and develop a strong bond.
#8. New Life
John believes that life has given him a second chance. Despite being amputated, he has managed to find a reason to get up from his bed every morning.
He is glad that he can spend time with the giant lions and tigers, play with them and feed them. It's not so common for such wild predators to establish such confidence with other zookeepers!
#7. Recovered
Before the accident, John worked as an engineer. When he looks back and thinks about his past, he admits that he always a rather adventurous and wild kid, and grew up to be just like that as an adult.
He always loved animals and enjoyed being with his domestic cats and dogs. Bonedigger and Tony were certainly John's cure, and playing with them was almost like a form of therapy. Of course, John had the support of his family all along as well.
#6. John And Kristi
Behind every successful man, there is a supportive woman. This phrase perfectly applies to John and his wife Kristi. She stood by his side even in the worst times.
In fact, Kristi had a big role in John's recover, she would always stay with him during rehabilitation and therapy. Apart from being emotionally supportive, Kristi is also an animal lover. What a perfect match!
#5. Home Raised
Raising lion and tiger cubs at home is not an easy task, let me tell you that! Both John and Kristi admitted that there were times that they didn't know how to handle the situation.
But their love for animals has never stopped them from raising these creatures. In fact, they had quite a bit of fun along the way! The little cubs would wake them up every morning to play around and have some fun.
#4. John's Family
Having John Reinke as a father and uncle is awesome. I bet you wish that your relative had a pack of lions or tigers in their yard, too!
It would be wonderful to sneak in with him and enjoy some quality time with Bonedigger and Tony! That's exactly what John's children and nephews feel.
#3. Little Cubs
Unlike other tigers, Tippy and Orlando enjoy being surrounded by people. They even like it when John's family take pictures of them (yes, they pose when they see a camera!)
Some people believe that having been raised in John's home had a detrimental effect on the little cub's behavior. Nowadays, the cubs always behave like dogs. But is that really a problem?
#2. Best Buddies
Orlando and Tippy are now best buddies. They are always together playing and having fun. Orlando is a little bit older than Tippy, but it doesn't mean that Orlando is the one in charge.
In fact, Tippy is the big boss! These little creatures grow up to 8 feet! So John and his family are appreciating their time together before they don't fit at home anymore!
#1. Lesson Learned
Well, if you ever thought it was impossible for lions, tigers, and pooches to become friends (as we all did), then you've all learned your lesson!
This is a true story of a strong and loyal friendship between animals of different species that don't discriminate by size or appearance. We, humans, have a lot to learn from them!