Remember the baby takin, Dale, and his best friend Blakely? Of course you do. And good news: the overwhelming cuteness of their relationship has not decreased one bit. Residents of the Cincinnati Zoo, Dale and Blakely are a bit of an odd couple. One is, well, a young takin—a strange-looking, ox-like animal—and the other a full-grown dog. Their relationship is not so unusual in the world of zoos, where dogs are often used for socialization, but it’s awesome all the same.
In the video above, we reconnect with Dale, who is a few months older than the last we checked in on him, but still being bottle-fed (spoiler: cute). Blakely’s there, too, a constant canine companion to his cross-species buddy—and his influence on the growing goat antelope is unmistakable. Not only is Dale more social overall, but his mannerisms and general behavior are downright puppy-like. Which is, uh, amazing.
According to his handlers, Dale has a bit to go still before being reintroduced to his parents full time. But needless to say, in the meantime, he’s in good hands with old pal Blakely.
