Gangland: Sex, Money, Murder
Mike Tyson's Countdown: Glory Heavyweight World Championship
World's Wildest Police Videos: One Way Ticket To Spinout City
Cops O: Not My Crack
Cops O: We Know Who You Are

Animals’ 10 Best Friends From Film

by Kevin Marshall   March 11, 2013 at 1:00PM  |  Views: 5,271
Urban Tarzan debuts on March 19 at 10:30/9:30c. The show will feature professional animal wrangler and expert URBANTARZAN rescuing exotic animals from urban locales, from the streets to the grocery store. He's not just helping humans by doing this, but the animals themselves. As disconcerting as it can be to have a wild animal loose in your neighborhood, it's probably ten times more distressing for these poor creatures. Because of this and his general love of animals, URBANTARZAN is a true BFF (Best Friend Forever) to Animals.

He'll join a long list of other Animal BFFs from television and film. Including…

Ace Ventura

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

The only private dick who specializes in pet protection and recovery.

Dr. Doolittle

Source: 20th Century Fox

Pick any version. He can talk to the animals, and that's the most important quality in a friend: the ability to listen.

Timothy Treadwell

Source: Lions Gate Films

And unfortunately this guy didn't. His heart was in the right place, but his untimely and tragic demise (as documented in the compelling Werner Herzog documentary "Grizzly Man") was a direct result of his refusal even acknowledge, let alone embrace, the very nature of the bears he was trying to protect.

BJ from BJ and the Bear

Source: NBC/Getty Images

This trucker never went anywhere or solved any dilemma without the aid of his trusty pet chimpanzee, who he nicknamed after legendary college football coach Bear Bryant. Though we still can't fathom how someone on a truck driver's salary was able to afford him. Aren't chimps expensive? That is our only issue with what was otherwise a fine television program.


Source: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

When plainclothes directive Tony Baretta wasn't using his street smarts to solve crimes, he'd be seen in his Manhattan apartment fawning over his pet Cockatoo, Fred. Years later, the guy who played him allegedly killed his wife and got away with it. Hey, this is Animal BFFs, not Human Being BFFs.

Koko B. Ware

Source: Bob Levey/Getty Images

Speaking of birds! Although he rarely if ever had a gold belt around his waist, stalwart midcarder Koko B. Ware was none the less one of the biggest wrestling stars of the 1980s due to his natural charisma, energetic theme music, and his pet macaw Frankie which he brought to the ring with him. Tragically, Frankie later died in a fire that destroyed Koko's house.

Turner from Turner and Hooch

Source: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Turner is an OCD cop who gets stuck with his murdered friends dog, who drools EVERYWHERE. At first it drives him crazy, because this dog is creating such a mess all the time! But then he comes to love the big galoot. And how can you not? I mean, look at that face.

The kid in "Free Willy"

Source: Warner Bros. Family Entertainment

That whale would be in a can of tuna (hey, if our burgers are horse meat…) if it weren't for that kid. He was such a good friend that he said, you know what, I'll probably never see you again if I set you free, but here you go anyway. That's what a good bro does.

The coach from "MVP: Most Valuable Primate"

Jack the chimpanzee dons the skates and joins a young boy's hockey team when they learn that the chimp is athletically gifted and also there is no rule saying that chimps can't play ice hockey. People will think it's the children that are the true friends, and it's true that they bring him in. But it's the coach that gives him the opportunity of a lifetime.

That woman from World's Worst Tenants with the horse living in her apartment

In an episode of the XX season of World's Worst Tenants, the crew entered a rental only to discover a horse chilling in the other room. They flipped. What's the big deal? That's her buddy, The Horse, just dropping in for a midday coffee and chat. It's what people do with horses, right?


Spoiler: the dog almost dies and it's Belushi's fault.

For more animal and human friendship and adventure, be sure to tune in to the new series Urban Tarzan premiering Tuesday, March 19 at 10/9c on SPIKE.


SPIKE on facebook