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Mar 9, 2006 6:51 pm US/Eastern
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Talk About Strange Bedfellows
Tondalayo, A 45-year-old Orangutan Lost Her Mate Two Years Ago
Cat And Orangutan Play, Cuddle, And Sleep Together
PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL (CBS4/AP) ―
Tondalayo, a 45-year-old Sumatran orangutan, and T-J, a stray tabby cat, became an inseparable duo after a zoo employee introduced them late last year.
Zookeepers at the Education Director at Zoo World in Panama City Beach say Tondalayo was depressed since losing her mate two years ago.
Her age prevented her from moving to another zoo or taking another mate. The ducks and turtles swimming in a moat around her island were not enough.
When the sweet-natured orange cat wandered into Willard's life, the solution became clear.
Zookeepers named the cat, T-K -- short for "Tondalayo's Kitty."
They play together, cuddle and sleep together each night. They have been together constantly for more than a month.
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)