Unlikely Animal Friends

In the Amazon rainforest of Peru, scientists have found something surprising. A wild cat known as an ocelot was seen walking calmly next to a small animal, commonly referred to as an opossum. This happened more than once between 2019 and 2023, and the animals were caught on camera at the Cocha Cashu Biological Station. Normally, ocelots hunt and eat animals like opossums. Hence, seeing them travel side by side like friends was shocking to scientists. Scientists are now attempting to determine why this happened and what it means.

In nature, we usually think of big animals hunting smaller ones. But sometimes animals form special partnerships. Scientists believe this may be one of those times. The opossum might be walking with the ocelot to stay safe from other predators. It might even use the ocelot’s scent to hide from animals that want to eat it. On the other hand, the ocelot may benefit too. It could facilitate approaching prey by using the opossum as a distraction or finding food more easily by following it. These kinds of friendships, where both animals benefit from the relationship, are called mutualism.

I think the best animal friendships are those where both sides help each other. We also observe this in other parts of nature, too. For example, in North America, badgers and coyotes sometimes hunt together. Even some dogs and humans form friendships where they both gain love, help, and safety.

These kinds of friendships are not always about feelings, as they’re often about helping each other survive. That’s why we should continue studying animals and how they live together in the wild. It helps us understand not just nature, but also how important teamwork and cooperation are. We should support scientists and protect wild places so that we can learn even more about these amazing animal friendships.