Hamerkop standing on a hippo, Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe

© David Fettes/Getty Image

A friend in need…. Buddying up for International Friendship Day

Who better to embody the spirit of the International Day of Friendship than these two buddies of different species? Here in Zimbabwe's Mana Pools National Park, the hamerkop, a wading bird, catches a ride from a hippo into deeper waters, where it can get to fish and insects it otherwise couldn’t reach. In 2011, the United Nations declared 30 July as International Friendship Day, but different countries have long set aside various dates to celebrate that special bond between friends. In India and parts of South America in particular, Friendship Day is widely celebrated. How does one mark the day? It can be as simple as letting your mates know that you appreciate their friendship, no matter where they happen to be.