Blakely the Australian shepherd dog sure does enjoy acting as nanny to wild animals at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
His latest charges are three Malayan tiger cubs named Chira, Batari, and Izzy. Their mother ignored them after their birth in February and the 6-year-old canine has been snuggling the cubs and teaching them manners in her stead.
“He’s more than just a large, warm pillow for the cubs. Blakely is the adult in the room. He teaches them proper tiger etiquette by checking them when they’re getting too rough or aggressive,” said Dawn Strasser, head of Cincinnati Zoo’s nursery staff, in a post on the zoo’s website. “This is something that their human surrogates can’t do.”
In the past, Blakely has helped nursery staff care for cheetahs, skunks, and wallabies. He was even honored by the city for his fantastic contributions as a zoo caregiver.
Blakely is such a patient and wonderful boy. He deserves some extra treats!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhMBa5kVo1w?ecver=2]
Feature photo via instagram.com/cincinnatizoo/
