Today's Extreme K9 is Mtani the Labrador retriever!
"Tampa Bay, Florida:
Whenever Kasi the cheetah wants Mtani's attention, he chirps like a baby bird. Mtani responds by chasing Kasi's tail. "They absolutely love spending time together," says zoologist Mike Boos of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, where the friends live.
The animals were introduced shortly after Kasi was abandoned by his mother. The baby cheetah was sad and alone, so caretakers found him a pal. They brought Mtani from an animal shelter and began supervising playdates for the pair. Now Kasi and Mtani spend most of their days cuddling, rolling around in the grass of the park's cheetah habitat, and playing tug-a-war with stuffed animal toys. They even share a large pillow when they snooze, with Kasi often falling asleep right on top of Mtani! If the cheetah is separated from his Lab friend, he chirps until the dog returns. Luckily, the buddies have a lot of together time in their future: They've started traveling the country with their keepers, helping teach people about endangered animals such as cheetahs. Says Boos, "The two will be friends for life."
Article from: National Geographic Kids Nov. 2011 issue, p. 6, Incredible Animal Friends section
Pics from: http://www.roritravel.com/?p=2835
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