Jim and Susan Kowalczik look after a 9ft, 1400lb Kodiak brown bear at their orphanage, where they have dedicated their lives to rescuing and releasing injured animals. They care for 11 bears, including Kodiak brown bears, Syrian bears and black bears on their 100-acre estate in Otisville, New York. Most were rescued as cubs from breeding programs or nature reserves that closed down.

Being in close contact with an alligator might be terrifying for most, but Angela Lance dresses her pet gator LillyGator in a tutu and even gives her manicures. The four-and-a-half-foot reptile is known for wearing a tiara and pink dresses.

Discover the dynamic relationships between animal and human. A man becomes neighbours with over 200 lions and tigers, a woman transforms her adorable alpaca into an online sensation, and a colossal-sized croc becomes a family's backyard bodyguard.

Pinky Janota is raising six monkeys at home, and even dresses them up. The 53-year-old owns three rescued Rhesus Macaques, one Bonnet and two Marmoset monkeys. The primates have all proved the truth behind the phrase `monkey see, monkey do' by mimicking their owner's behaviour. Pinky spends her days teaching her monkey kids sign language, feeding them on a high chair, changing their nappies, bottle-feeding them and bathing them.

An unusual friendship has formed between a playful otter and a mischievous lion. Petite Annel Snyman has raised a lion and otter in her house, and now they are best friends. Annel runs Loebies Guesthouse and Predator Park in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.

‘Lion King’s’ Top 5 Animal Trainer Moments