3news.co.nz has wrapped up 10 of the best animal stories for 2009. From unlikely friendships, to animals behaving badly - they are in no particular order, but the common theme is that they’ll make any animal lover go warm and fuzzy inside.
Opinion by Angela Beswick
Tarra the elephant and her best friend Bella
1. Tarra, the 8,700 pound elephant, and her best friend, Bella the dog, prove that friends come in all shapes and sizes.
Tarra and Bella have been close for years - but no one really knew how close theywere until Bella suffered a spinal cord injury. She couldn't move her legs, couldn't even wag her tail. For three weeks the dog lay motionless up in the sanctuary office.
And for three weeks the elephant held vigil: 2,700 acres to roam free, and Tarra just stood in the corner, beside a gate, right outside that sanctuary office.
Skunk gets its head stuck in a peanut butter jar
2. A hungry skunk was just looking for a meal when he got his head caught in a discarded peanut butter jar.
A self-proclaimed 'skunk whisperer' used a rag soaked in chloroform to mildly sedated the skunk before pulling the jar off of his head. The skunk was unharmed.
Puppy adopts a litter of kittens
3. A Chihuahua-fox terrier cross named Shyla took a shine to a litter of seven kittens, treating them as her own – despite the fact they are cats and she is a dog.
Monkey urinates on the President of Zambia's head
4. The President of Zambia was the victim of an embarrassing leak at a news conference, when a monkey showed his displeasure at the update on the economy by peeing on the president’s head – proving politics is full of monkey business.
Caught on camera: cop harassed by cat
5. A Texas police officer had a bizarre encounter with an overly friendly kitten - he was writing a ticket for a traffic violation, when the kitten decided to violate him.
Neighbours do not know what the cat is called, but say it lives alone on the abandoned farm. The cat is well fed, but starved of affection.
Monkeys thanked with enourmous buffet
6. In the Thai city of Lopburi, about 150km north of the capital Bangkok, villagers thanked the thousands of monkeys they share their town with by treating them to an enormous buffet lunch.
The banquet takes place every year outside the Buddhist shrine ruins of Phra Prang Sam Yot temple, also known as the Temple of Three Towers, in the city centre.
Two legged puppy to be fitted with wheels
7. A stray puppy born with only two legs is learning to get around while staying at a Phoenix animal hospital. Little Roo, as the six week old Chihuahua is known, was taken in by the hospital after she was found by an animal clinic.
Vets hope to fit Rue with a special device with wheels on it so she can move around better, and because of the special care she will need one of the vets plans to adopt her.
Cheeky luggage thieves: Safari park baboons caught on tape
8.A safari park in England has banned visitors with rooftop luggage carriers because the park's baboons have learned how to open them. The park manager says the largest baboon bounces on the box until the lock bursts, then the others are able to work their way in.
Best friends: Lion, tiger and bear - oh my!
9. In an animal sanctuary in the United States, an unlikely friendship has flourished between three apex predators; Leo the lion, Shere Khan the tiger, and Baloo the bear.
They were rescued as cubs in 2001 following a police raid on a drugs gang in Atlanta, Georgia, who were keeping the wild animals as status symbols.
The three friends live in a specially built enclosure, complete with a club house which has three red Christmas stockings hanging over the door.
Kiwi hatching 'a miracle'
10. It is the first time Orana Park in Christchurch has had a kiwi chick hatch and survive for almost a decade.
Weighing just 227g, it is thought to be the smallest Kiwi ever born in captivity. The staff have named it Piwi.
Some content from AP.