They are the real life fox and hound, their touching relationship proving that friendship can survive despite background and social pressure, or in the case of these two, natural instincts.
Sniffer the wild fox and Tinni the domestic dog met by chance one day in the woods of Norway and their very unlikely friendship blossomed.
Tinni’s owner who lives in the forest with his dog, is photographer Torgeir Berge and he has been at hand to capture every heartwarming moment between the two best of friends as they frolick and roll in the secluded woods.
The tender and playful relationship between the two is captured in these photos and Berge was so inspired by it that he decided to release a book chronicling the canine duo called The Fox and the Dog which will feature fairytales based on their friendship.
More so, Berge noted how similar his dog and Sniffer were and his thoughts on Norway’s controversial fox-fur trade changed so much that he is now campaigning to have it banned.
Berge observed ‘how similar foxes and dogs actually are’ and labels the fox, the ‘dog of the forest’.
Berge will donate a large portion of the proceeds from the book to help his conservation and anti-fur trade campaign.
The talented photographer objects to the conditions that some animals, including foxes are kept in before they are slaughtered for their fur.
‘Why should some animals be in small, narrow claustrophic cages without freedom just because…human kind wants to look good?’
Play time in the forest: Sniffer the fox and Tinni the dog met while Tinni was out for a walk in the Norwegian forest where he lives and since that day they have been best friends forever
Hello: Tinni greets Sniffer in the scrub of the forest as they prepare to begin one of their daily bouts of play time observed by their own personal photographer
Laughter: Sniffer and Tinni play around like two dogs would in the park let off their leash – free to be friends in their Norwegian forest
Unusual sight: To see a fox and a hound is like something out of Disney’s 1981 movie of the same name and like that heart-warming cartoon Sniffer and Tinni’s relationship is just as cute
Bonding: Sniffer and Tinni’s are closer than most dogs and fox’s would ever usually be – helped by the remoteness of the forest they live in and their acceptance of one another
What are we going to do today? The dog and fox in normal circumstances would usually be enemies – separated by tens of thousands of years of domestication but these two have ignored that and share an unlikely bond
Icy: Sniffer and Tinni ply their way gingerly across a frozen pond in the Norwegian forest where they spend most of their playtime together
Rest after play: The two friends are also comfortable to just take a breather in the forest after exhausting themselves – captured by photographer Torgeir Berge
Tired out: Sniffer and Tinni take it easy out in the Norwegian forest captured by photographer Torgeir Berge
Just playing: While it looks like the animals are fighting – the photographer pointed out that the two friends are simply having fun