Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/otter-ape-friendship/

Animals living in a zoo often socialize with other species, mainly when they share a habitat. This happens when both animals are required to live in a certain environment. Often, unexpected interactions happen, and friendships are built. Animals who are often not seen together get curious about one another and try to observe their neighbor and form the oddest relationship.

In Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, an otter was found making friends with an ape. They were in a shared habitat that was built for an exhibit — Brookfield Zoo’s Tropic World: Asia habitat. It was a presentation of white-cheeked gibbons living on the treetops while otters spend their time in the water. Since they rarely see each other, the friendly swimmer couldn’t help but be curious about their new neighbors.

At the start of the video, the otter was swimming its way to the gibbon sitting on the tree. It approached the ape, and the otter started investigating the puzzling creature as soon as they were close. As an introduction, the 10-month-old pup sniffed the 8-year-old ape and smelled the ape’s armpit and feet — like it was determining the animal’s identity. The gibbon was extremely confused, but it simply sat there — doing his own observation.

“He was just kind of watching cautiously but was very comfortable with the otter kind of investigating him, smelling the hair on his chest,” Tim Sullivan, the curator of primates at the Brookfield Zoo, said in an interview with CNN. Apparently, otters are inquisitive animals, and feeding their curiosity is only a natural reaction.

Further into the video, the otter was seen giving kisses to the gibbon, which was absolutely adorable. Sadly, the gibbon seemed uncomfortable being chummy with a stranger, making him swing away. The otter might have come off too strong at their first meeting. Maybe they’ll cross paths again and start anew — resuming a possible friendship that may seem odd but is actually pretty cute.

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog