When something goes wrong, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
But even our darkest moments have the potential to lead us to a new, brighter chapter in our lives.
Just look at Simon and his best friend Leonardo.
The baby cow and the giant tortoise make an unexpected duo, but after their tumultuous lives brought them together, they have found safety and true friendship with each other.
In 2016, Simon was just a little calf. He got his leg caught in some vines and ended up having to amputate the leg.
He was rescued and taken care of by the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand who fitted him with a prosthetic leg and brought him to their animal sanctuary.
Simon had lost his leg, but he was about to gain a new best friend.
When Simon arrived at the sanctuary, he wasn’t ready to join the other rescue-cows right away.
In order to give him some time to recover from his trauma and grow a bit bigger, Simon was placed in a large enclosure by himself.
Except, he wasn’t completely by himself…
In 2013, Leonardo, an African spurred tortoise, lost his home when the zoo he was living in closed down.
However, Leonardo was rescued by WFFT and brought to their animal sanctuary where he started a new and comfortable life.
Leonardo was just minding his own business when he noticed that a new resident had moved into his enclosure.
A baby cow with a prosthetic leg waltzed into Leonardo’s life and suddenly, his comfortable life at the sanctuary got even better.
When Simon spotted Leonardo, it was love at first sight. The baby cow immediately formed a strong bond to the giant tortoise, to the bemusement of the sanctuary staff.
On their website, WFFT noted that Simon and Leonardo could often be seen eating together, resting together and walking around together.
Their unexpected friendship came as a delight to the staff and to the rest of the world.
It highlights the deep connection that true friends share and reminds us that friendship comes from within; it’s not based on appearance or other superficial qualities.
“We hope this unusual friendship continues to flourish,” WFFT stated, and we can only agree.
Simon and Leonard make a beautiful pair and we wish them a long and happy life together.