Meet The Unlikely Animal Friends That Warmed Our Hearts This Year

Throughout the last 12 months, these animals have shown just how strong their uncommon bonds can be.

From the lion cub and sea otter playing together to the rescue cat that comforted a dying cow, these animals have shown what the definition of friendship really is.

InsideEdition.com has taken a look back at some of the most unlikely animals that formed unbreakable bonds in 2016.

Read: This Lion and Otter Are Best Friends Despite Their Obvious Differences

In August, a lion and otter were first reported as a dynamic duo inside a Florida animal sanctuary. 

Both animals were brought to the Zoological Wildlife Foundation in Florida at a very young age. Bosu the lion cub was donated to the conservation by Myrtle Beach Safari while Kappa the otter was acquired from an exchange program, Nurtured by Nature.

Although the two wouldn’t cross paths in the wild, thanks to the volunteers at the conservation, Bosu and Kappa can chase each other’s tails to their heart’s content.

Read: Cat Comforts Dying Cow During Last Hours of Its Life

There was also the touching story of a caring cat that noticed his friend, a cow, was dying from old age in January. He then stayed by his buddy's side until the very end, comforting the farm animal in her final hours.

Read: Baby Elephant Snuggles With Rescued Ostrich Who Thinks She's Part of the Herd

When a baby elephant was discovered at the bottom of a well in Kenya last September, it was barely a month old. But the rescued young calf found comfort in the wings of an orphaned ostrich. 

The ostrich and the elephant became so close that the bird even started to believe she was just another elephant in the herd.

Read: Disabled Dog Brings Guinea Pig Bestie on a Ride in His Wheelchair Every Time He Goes Out

In October, the story of Rex the Boxer and his guinea pig friend was brought to the masses. Wherever Rex went, his guinea pig friend was closely in tow.

Rex has degenerative myelopathy, a spinal cord disease that causes him to slowly become paralyzed starting from the rear. To get around, the 10-year-old dog uses a wheelchair that supports his wobbly hind legs, but Smores the Guinea Pig has taken to hopping on and hitching a ride.

Read: Stray Cat Becomes Best Friends With Bear at Zoo: 'Wherever He Is, She's Not Far Off'

Over the summer, a bear and a cat became the best of friends and prove that opposites do indeed attract at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary in California.

Read: Rescued Calf and Puppy Are Inseparable: 'They Loved Each Other From Day One'

Inside a Colombian animal sanctuary is a love that only Shakespeare could have written. A puppy and calf have been inseparable since they were taken by the Juliana Animal Sanctuary earlier this year.

Rescue co-founder Juliana Castañeda Turner told InsideEdition.com that she was contacted by a small local dairy farm about a newborn bull that they didn't want.

“[He would have] no chance to have a normal life, because the dairy industry needs cows that give milk, not bulls,” Castañeda said.

Watch: Pregnant Zookeeper Compares Growing Baby Bump to Different Exotic Animals at Her Zoo