IT’S a story that sounds like it’s come straight out of a children’s book, an orphaned cottontail bunny was adopted by a tortoise on a chilly night.

    Wamba the 11-year-old tortoise accepted a two-week-old bunny into her enclosure with a heat lamp outside of the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona.

    The four-inch-long (10-cm-long) rabbit also had weeds tied around his neck. Ranger Brian discovered the bunny snuggled up to the tortoise Feb. 22 and helped remove the plants.

    A post on the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain hotel Facebook page read: “As the Ranger attempted to remove the bunny, so as to clear the plant debris from its neck, the tortoise became quite responsive to their actions, emitting grunts & groans in a clear demand for the gentle care of his newly found friend.”

    “This ultimate example of Tortoise and Hare finding each other might just signal the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

    “The bunny is now doing much better and receiving plenty of TLC from the tortoise as well as from a devoted team of caregiver Rangers.”

    Wamba herself was adopted by Ron Brink who works as the lead ranger for the hotel, according to The Dodo. Brink told the website, “Wamba could have scared the bunny away, but she accepted him. The little bunny just needed some comfort, and Wamba provided that. It’s incredible.”(SD-Agencies)