How Enemies Can Become Best Friends

Can so-called "natural enemies"-wild bears, wolves and mountain
lions-live together as friends? Or, will they fight, maim or
kill each other? A very special wildlife park shares an "
unbelievable" story about how one member of a group can
transform the consciousness of a whole community. In this case,
the one was an Arizona gray wolf.

"Your Friends are Wild, Dude!"

On the outskirts of Phoenix, an eclectic assortment of wild
animals live at "Out of Africa" (www.outofafricapark.com). This
wild beast and reptile sanctuary is host to large predatory cats
such as lions, tigers, cougars, leopards plus a menagerie of
other wild creatures including 16 foot pythons, ancient
tortoises, exotic birds and giant lizards. This extraordinary
educational center enthralls audiences with live interactions
between wild animals and people. In some animal encounters,
audience members are invited to spontaneously pet and play with
the critters. "We wanted to do things in a non-traditional way,"
states founder, Dean Harrison. "Our objectives focused on co-
existing with the wildest of all large land predators. At the
park we work hard to teach kindness to all the cats, so that
when they grow up and a hierarchy develops, the ruler will be a
benevolent one."

Close to the Heart

Dean and his wife, Prayeri, often share a bed with some of the
large furry felines who can weigh over 600 pounds. The trusting
couple never carry any weapons or physical means of defense. The
results of this intimate connection are countless incidences of
these creatures exhibiting intelligent, caring behavior towards
the Harrisons. (You can read about a heart-stopping encounter
involving Dean, a black panther named Eclipse, and a lioness
called Sahara, at www.outofafricapark.com/oldhtml/wild.html.)
Soon Dean and Prayeri discovered that their own benevolent style
of living and playing with lions and tigers-species other than
their own-influenced other species that are not usually best
friends. Remarkably, several "natural adversaries" in the park
opened to the idea of living together peacefully.

Trust Is Contagious

Acting on an intuitive vision, Dean decided to put three of the
most competitive "natural enemies" in the state of Arizona into
the same fenced outdoor living space. At first, these adolescent
wild animals-four mountain lions, four Arizona gray wolves and
four Arizona black bears-were scared and hostile towards each
other. They attacked each other. They roared ferociously at each
other. Each group claimed their own area inside their compound
and did not trespass into another group's territory. However,
after days of warning attacks, hostile posturing and growling,
something remarkable happened. It only takes one to break new
ground.

Dangerously alone, the female wolf pack leader left the safety
of her group and sauntered into the territory claimed by the
mountain lions. She lay down and rolled over onto her back in a
deliberate, submissive posture in front of the four lions. The
gray wolf exposed her throat and stomach to her enemies, totally
vulnerable to injury or even death. Cautiously, the juvenile
cats approached the she-wolf. The process of sniffing and
careful investigation took quite a while. Eventually the
gigantic felines and lone wolf began playing together. Before
long, the rest of the wolf pack completed the newly formed
frisky alliance.

After successfully breaking through the boundaries of the
mountain lions, the furry gray peacemaker intruded into the
territory of the bears. Repeating the same unprecedented
behavior, the female lobo lay down and opened herself to the
four black beasts. Once again, after a lengthy getting
acquainted period, the bears and wolf began to frolic. Soon, the
other wolves joined in.

Play Catches On

Eventually all three "natural enemies" overcame their programmed
instincts to remain separate and hostile. The young lions,
wolves and bears are an inspiring demonstration of how "natural
enemies" can alter their consciousness and change their
relationships in order to live and play in harmony.