‘Two is better than one’ is a popular saying that applies in almost any circumstance—even with animals! After all, many animals thrive in social settings, and who are we to argue with that? Living in groups can help wild animals feel safe and fulfilled, and the same can be said for pets like cats and dogs.
As one zookeeper discovered at Florida’s Brevard Zoo, however, animals of different species can be friends, too. She witnessed the heartwarming moment when Peach, a fallow deer, nuzzled up close to her turkey friend named Pillsbury when she noticed him shaking. It truly doesn’t get any sweeter than this!
Animals know that friendship knows no bounds, no matter the circumstance. Peach looked as relaxed as can be as she nuzzled up to the sweet turkey, and even Pillsbury seemed to settle down as he hugged his buddy. There’s no question that they needed each other in that moment!
Commenter @apandak spoke for all animal lovers when she said, “I simply will not hear anyone ever saying animals don’t experience emotion or don’t have feelings. I will not hear it.” Moments like this prove that animals don’t only have feelings, but can recognize feelings in others, too!
Related: Sweet Baby Deer Licks Golden Retriever Bestie in Moment of Love
“Interspecies friendship is in my top 5 favorite things to witness on this earth,” @decendiary commented. “It’s so painfully cute.”
I know exactly what she means! I actually said ‘aww’ out loud the first time I watched this viral video, and I can only imagine how sweet it was for zookeeper Mallory to witness this friendship in person. Clearly, her job has some amazing perks!
Why Do Turkeys Shake?
“Did that deer just help that turkey through an anxiety attack?” asked @robinistired599. Even though that’s exactly what it looks like, that may not actually be the case. In fact, Brevard Zoo had some good news to report!
“The ‘shaking’ is an expression of content or happiness in Pillsbury!” they confirmed. Even better! These animal friends are simply sharing a moment of joy and affection in the sweetest way they know how, and we were lucky enough to see it.
It’s official—these two can never be separated!
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This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Nov 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.