10 Interspecies Friendships Documented by Researchers and Sanctuaries

6. Anjana the Chimpanzee and Tiger Cubs - Surrogate Motherhood Across Species

At the Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, the relationship between Anjana, a chimpanzee, and various tiger cubs has provided researchers with unprecedented documentation of interspecies surrogate motherhood and its effects on both caregiver and offspring development. Dr. Bhagavan Antle's team observed that Anjana, who had been raised with various species from infancy, naturally assumed maternal roles when introduced to orphaned tiger cubs, displaying behaviors typically reserved for chimpanzee infants including cradling, grooming, and protective positioning. Behavioral analysis revealed that Anjana adapted her caregiving techniques to accommodate the specific needs of tiger cubs, using gentler handling than she would with chimpanzee young and even learning to assist with bottle feeding by holding the bottles steady for the cubs. The tiger cubs, in turn, responded to Anjana's care with typical infant attachment behaviors, following her around their enclosure, seeking comfort from her during stress, and even attempting to engage in play behaviors more typical of primates than felines. Long-term studies showed that cubs raised by Anjana displayed more confident and social behaviors compared to those raised solely by human caregivers, suggesting that interspecies surrogate relationships can provide important psychological benefits for developing animals. This research has influenced wildlife rehabilitation protocols and contributed to understanding the flexibility of maternal instincts across species boundaries, demonstrating that the capacity for nurturing care extends far beyond biological relationships.