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This goat was meant to be the tiger's lunch, but now it bosses the big cat

By 0 and 0 and 0
26 November 2015

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Normally big cats don't think twice about eating the live prey placed helplessly in their enclosures. Picture: A. Fedoseev

The case has stunned keepers at a Russian safari park where normally big cats don't think twice about eating the live prey placed helplessly in their enclosures. But this goat showed no inkling of fear, eyeballed the tiger, and took over his shelter. Pictures show the obedient big cat reduced to resting on the roof of the shelter while the goat languishes inside on the tiger's bed. 

'Our tigers get live prey twice every week,' said a keeper. 'Tiger Amur knows very well how to hunt goats and rabbits. But recently he came across a goat that he refused to hunt.'

Amur and Timur


Amur and Timur

Tiger Amur knows very well how to hunt goats and rabbits. But recently he came across a goat that he refused to hunt.' Pictures: A. Fedoseev

The goat, as the staff at the Far Eastern Safari Park at Shkotovsky, Primorsky region, was 'very brave'.

'We think that the goat never came across tigers and no-one taught him to be scared of them,' said the keeper. 'Amur the tiger is quite cautious by his nature decided not to go to the trouble of hunting Timur. 

'The brave goat not only saved his own live. He kicked the tiger out of his bedroom and is sleeping on Amur's 'bed' for the fourth night. We named the goat Timur - he was just a nameless prey at the point when he entered the cage - out of respect his bravery.'

Amur and Timur


Amur and Timur

Pictures show the obedient big cat reduced to resting on the roof of the shelter while the goat languishes inside on the tiger's bed. Pictures: I. Petukhov

Every day, the tiger and goat take walks together, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. 

'It looks like they are friends,' said one of the staff. 'Timur the goat has taken Amur for a leader and follows him everywhere.'

Somehow the relationship seems the other way around. 'Timur's bravery and Amur's cautiousness got them to this paradoxical situation.'

Unusual friendship occured in Far Eastern Safari Park at Shkotovsky, Primorsky region. Picture: The Siberian Times

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Comments (17)

Friendship is an odd thing. The goat's initial, slightly dominant behavior, triggered the restraint the tiger would have to another tiger (possibly of the opposite sex). The probability that this would happen is slight, but it must have value (to the tiger) in that it allows it to express a social need (given that the tiger does not have another tiger or mate in the enclosure).
Howard Gross, Los Angeles
30/01/2016 03:07
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Glad Goat befriends with Tiger -- read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Glad-Goat-Forest-Karen-Keleher/dp/0578136686
Timur the Goat, Far East Russia
31/12/2015 15:31
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cute goat.
sam, usa, nyc
01/12/2015 03:52
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A good study would be to add another goat and see if he eats the other one. It will study the 1st goats fear and see if they are really friends. Maybe the tiger is lonely.
Rosalinda, USA
01/12/2015 00:43
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Lol...cool tho .... But I give the goat seven more days ...... I believe the tiger ain't hungry yet ..... If it becomes hungry now everyone will know friendship is just by the way ...business is the real deal .
tosin Lawrence, Nigeria
29/11/2015 14:06
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They are not friends-its sick as we all know he'll be eaten eventually. It's a sad fact that we even have 'zoos' wtf! Nothing to be enjoyed as these animals should have the room & right to live in the wild.
T fox, Ty
29/11/2015 05:44
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Comments on "how it is cruel to give live prey to a tiger" just shows how far off we have strayed from the nature. Surprising that one of those comments came from a Canadian.
Jussi Koutonen, Jyväskylä, Suomi
29/11/2015 03:42
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@Martin Bouchard, Canada 27/11/2015
Narrow-minded Canadian: take a watch in your local zoo. Predator animals get other animals to eat. Living or dead. Sure you can be against the principle of a zoo, but didnt read that in your comment. And finally, dont blame all Russian for something they are not all responsible for. And as you can see I am Dutch, so you know we could do easily the same for some other Russian acts but we don't.
Joris Goedbloed, the Netherlands
29/11/2015 03:29
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That tiger seems to be saying one thing in all the pictures, "I hope my friends don't see this".
Bernard Townsend, Saint Louis Missouri, United States
28/11/2015 06:01
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@Vusi, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Amur is eating beef,rabbit, pink salmon daily .
alexander, novosibirsk
27/11/2015 19:16
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I wonder what the tiger feeds on now. Do they still give it live goats to kill & eat while Timur is watching?
Vusi, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
27/11/2015 19:08
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Nice and excellent news are coming from your region on the Amur tiger. Very well done to all Russians.
Matthew, Malta
27/11/2015 18:50
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Forgot to add, Canadians are not, as a rule, rude people, unlike Martin. While I don't like the thought of the goat suffering, I think this tiger would put him out of his misery pretty quickly.
Shelley, British Columbia, Canada
27/11/2015 14:31
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Wonderful story. Perhaps Amur is lonely...better to have a fearless old goat as a friend than to eat him.
Shelley, British columbia, Canada
27/11/2015 14:17
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I think it is cruel to offer the tiger live prey..It shows once again in certain parts of the world people have no heart and no brain..(Russians)!!!
Martin Bouchard, Canada
27/11/2015 09:20
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