Until I saw these shocking and charming photographs by Tanja Brandt, a skilled animal photographer and collage artist in Germany, I wouldn’t have imagined an owl and a dog could become best friends. Poldi, the charming owl, and Ingo, the Malinois shepherd dog, seem to like snuggling up to each other for photoshoots in the beautiful twilight light.

If you enjoy these photographs, check to Brandt’s website to see more of Ingo’s amazing animal friendships, whether it’s with other Belgian shepherds or fearsome birds of prey besides Poldi. Brandt is a professional photographer who specializes in animal portraits and collages, so she must have a lot of willing subjects to work with!

Though Ingo the Malinois dog and Poldi the owl are charming and distinctive, they aren’t the only strange and cute animal friends out there — we have a page on all kinds of weird animal friends!