“Poldi the owl and Ingo the Belgian Shepherd are an unlikely pair of animal friends that have captured the hearts of many.
Their beautiful and highly unusual friendship has been captured on film by German photographer and animal lover Tanja Brandt. Poldi, or Paul D as he is affectionately known, was the last owl of his clutch of eggs to be born and was also the smallest. This made him exceptionally vulnerable to predators, so he was unable to live free in the wild.
Luckily for Poldi, he found a protector in Ingo. Ingo was from a long line of fearsome police dogs, but he was gentle and kind with Poldi.
The duo spent their days exploring the acres of land on Brandt’s property, snuggling, napping, and just generally enjoying each other’s company.
Brandt was able to capture all sorts of intimate photographs of the two, like the funny shot of them begging for scraps from her dinner plate, or the adorable image of Ingo chomping down on some springtime blossoms while Poldi looks on with interest. Even when Ingo felt like roughhousing, Poldi wasn’t scared off.
This relationship between these two adorable creatures serves as an important reminder to everyone about the power of friendship. Even though they were very different, it was clear that they considered themselves to be brothers.
Their friendship wasn’t one-sided either; Poldi felt protected around Ingo and Ingo had a loyal companion to nuzzle and play with.
Brandt’s post portraits were certainly lovely, but there was something even more charming about all of the quiet, candid moments she caught on film.
It’s clear that these two spoke in their own special language, but what on earth could they even have to talk about in the first place?
No matter how they found each other, the fact remains that they did and that’s really all that matters.
This unlikely pair of animal friends is a reminder that you don’t need to have anything in common with someone to forge a bond that will pass the test of time.
If you doubt it, just look at Poldi and Ingo and be reminded of how love doesn’t see with anything other than the heart.”
