[DollHead]

Tragedy struck a pair of unlikely friends who had captured the hearts of caretakers and animal lovers.

Tarra the elephant and Bella the dog began their friendship at The Elephant Sanctuary In Tennessee about eight years ago, according to CBS. Last week, Bella was believed to have been attacked by coyotes and died, leaving Tarra to mourn the loss of her best friend.

Bella and Tarra played and ate together, and often had sleepovers in a barn, according to the Leavenworth Times.

Sanctuary caretakers believe Tarra found Bella's body after the attack and carried her to the spot they often spent time together.

"The idea that she couldn't leave that body and brought it back home is just heartbreaking, but so inspiring," Robert Atikinson, CEO of the Elephant Sanctuary, told Nashville's WKRN News 2.

Once, when Bella suffered a severe spinal cord injury, Tarra patiently waited for her friend's recovery. CBS detailed the moments in a 2010 story:

For three weeks the elephant held vigil: 2,700 acres to roam free, and Tarra just stood in the corner, beside a gate, right outside that sanctuary office...

Then one day, sanctuary co-founder Scott Blais carried Bella onto the balcony so she and Tarra could at least see each other.

"Bella's tail started wagging. And we had no choice but bring Bella down to see Tarra," Blais says.

Bella was first spotted at the sanctuary in the fall of 2003, and died on October 26, 2011. The Elephant Sanctuary set up a tribute page in honor of the deceased canine. Watch one of the videos below and check out the website for more. (Warning: The videos are tearjerkers.)

I didn't watch the video. I heard a clip of it on tv and started crying....
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1...n_1074531.html

[slapchoppa]

awwww

[mwt77932]

[LadyPox]

I can't watch the video... the story alone made me cry. I remember the CBS report about their beautiful friendship. Rest in Doggy Peace, Bella.

[DollHead]

Originally Posted by LadyPox ↗

I can't watch the video... the story alone made me cry. I remember the CBS report about their beautiful friendship. Rest in Doggy Peace, Bella.

Me too...I caught a piece of the news of this on total accident and it made me cry. I accidentally hit the channel button and it went to a random news station and there they were together. I can't believe she died.

[BigFoot]

Hate to break this tear-jerker of a thread, but if they were such close friends, where the hell was Tarra at when Bella was getting mauled on by Coyotes?!

[Steve]

Originally Posted by BigFoot ↗

Hate to break this tear-jerker of a thread, but if they were such close friends, where the hell was Tarra at when Bella was getting mauled on by Coyotes?!

Thats like saying how did that child manage to be hit by that car when their parents were supposed to be watching them, yes exactly shit happens.
Poor jumbo, she will get over it no doubt.

[BrownRock]

Damn I remember watching that story last year. Breaks my heart.

[luton loyal]

[LadyPox]

Originally Posted by BigFoot ↗

Hate to break this tear-jerker of a thread, but if they were such close friends, where the hell was Tarra at when Bella was getting mauled on by Coyotes?!

I wondered about that, too... why was Bella out running around in the wild? Well, wild enough that coyotes are around. Even though she was getting older and had sustained a back injury at one time, I think she was a free spirit and enjoyed the wilderness there.