Animals that Symbolize Friendship and Loyalty

Friendship and loyalty have many ways of being expressed as we can see in the distinct species where each one does it in a unique way. Here we bring animals that are symbols of these values.

Loyal Animals

1- Dog

When talking about loyalty, the first animal that comes to mind is the dog. Man has innumerable signs of the fidelity and loyalty of dogs, which even risk their lives to save ours. Also famous are some stories of dogs that have waited for their owners for years or that have haunted their graves, leaving straightforward evidence of the strength of their bond.

The characteristics of dogs have made them our best friends since the beginning of humanity. Did you know that they can perceive our emotions? That’s right, dogs are pets with great empathy; they have the capacity to love and establish real bonds. That is why they have won our hearts and are part of our lives. Regardless of race, each of these furry little ones possesses qualities that make them great companions for human beings! Read More about Symbolism of Dog

2- Dolphin

Another animal that is a symbol of friendship and loyalty, both with men and with those of their own kind, is the dolphin. Dolphins have rescued humans from shark attacks, and if another dolphin is in danger of dying, others will show up to help keep your respirator above the water’s surface.

Every year dolphins save around 1,500 shipwrecked people and divers around the world. And they will continue to do so as long as they last as a species, because they understand that these people have difficulties, so they direct them to the shore of the beaches to save themselves.

Already in Greek mythology, this amazing ability to save these mammals was honored, when Telemachus, son of Ulysses, was saved from drowning thanks to the dolphins, which is why Ulysses always used drawings of dolphins on his shields. Since then Seafarers, when they see a dolphin, say that it is a good omen. Read More about Symbolism of Dolphin

3- Wolf

The wolf is an animal with a profound sense of loyalty. In fact, the expression “lone wolf” corresponds little to reality, since these animals always move in packs, helping each other and even establishing joint hunting strategies.

When you come to understand how a wolf pack works internally, the idea that man is the only animal capable of living in a well-defined social structure becomes a bit pretentious.

If we manage to get rid of the connotations of the “dangerous pack” that the word “pack” carries with it, we can see that the pack is a group of individuals united in favor of the protection of each one of them. Each wolf accepts its individual position in the pack, just as members of a family do. Read More about Symbolism of Wolf

4- Chimpanzee

The chimpanzee shares a large part of its DNA with human beings, and its jovial and affectionate character is known to all. The chimpanzee symbolizes that affective friendship that is shown with gestures such as kisses and hugs.

The chimpanzee is an animal that has a high intellectual capacity, being considered the most intelligent animal in the world, after the human being. Chimpanzees can use tools, hunt, gather their food, develop social roles, communicate by signs, elaborate a sophisticated language, or have a great memory.

However, what is most surprising about the smartest animal in the world is that they can use symbols and give them a meaning or reference to other objects or use various sequences of objects to convey ideas. Read More about Symbolism of Chimpanzee

5- Elephant

Elephants are also animals with a keen sense of loyalty, who live in groups to help each other and do not hesitate to help others if they need it. There have been cases of elephants saving trapped antelopes by freeing them with their trunks.

They are one of the smartest animals in the world because they have an extremely high capacity to memorize and remember. In addition, the elephants clean the food they are going to consume and use tools from nature.

Well-known are the cases of elephants that learn to follow orders that are taught to them, but it has also been seen that they can show understanding and compassion towards smaller species in size and not only for their own. Read More about Elephant Symbolism

6- Bee

The bee is one of the greatest loyalty symbols out there. She lives dedicated to the task of making the life of the queen bee easier, and can give her life to protect her. Is there a greater show of loyalty than that?

Bees are animals belonging to the Hymenoptera, that is, those insects that develop by metamorphosis and have two pairs of membranous wings. These insects live in colonies called hives and have no classification in taxonomy. Its color is brown with yellow rings and small hairs.

In most cases, these insects are housed in a formation made of wax that is called a honeycomb. Their lives a queen bee that is responsible for fertilization. In addition, worker females (who work for the colony without reproducing) and drones also coexist in this family.

Bees are characterized by making honey and being a primary factor in pollination. These types of insects are vital to the production cycle of plants. According to scientists, there are thousands of species that live on all the planet’s continents, except in places where the cold is extreme. Read More about Bee Symbolism

7- Swan

Another notable example of loyalty, in this case to the couple, is that of the swan. The swan looks for her partner and once he finds her, he spends his whole life with her, showing her absolute fidelity. Friendship, love, and loyalty intermingle in their relationship, which once started, can only be broken by the death of one of the members.

They are considered the most faithful animals to their partner. These birds are known for choosing a single couple to live together and reproduce.

If any of the swans is missing from the home, it does not matter if it is the male or the female, it takes care of its young. It may be that in migrations they distance themselves and get lost along the way, but if they meet again, they will identify immediately and love each other as if they had never been apart.

This bird is used to represent love and fidelity, because apart from being one of the longest-lived birds in the world, when they are with their partner, they intertwine their necks drawing the silhouette of a heart. Read More about Swan Symbolism

8- Horse

The horse is an animal that has always been close to man. Helping him in all kinds of tasks, the horse symbolizes loyalty to humans, since, over time, his effort has helped us to move or carry objects, making our lives easier. In addition, the emotional bonds between men and horses have always been extraordinarily strong.

The horse is a highly intelligent animal, in fact it has been shown that it has an emotional system remarkably like that of man. They are curious and adventurous animals and can remember experiences and places.

As in dogs, their intelligence varies according to the breed and the stimulation they receive. They are overly sensitive and emotional animals; they can understand words and understand emotions in human beings and it is a noble and very faithful animal.

All these characteristics make them ideal animals for therapies. However, a horse that spends its life locked in a box, understandably, has a poor intellectual development. Read More about Horse Symbolism

9- Penguins

This flightless seabird is recognized in the animal kingdom for being faithful to its partner throughout life. In summer, the penguins return to the place where they were born to find a mate.

When they find their partner, they return home to establish a relationship for life.

They can also be extremely dangerous with other penguins when they try to seduce their partner, they are capable of fighting to the death to defend their partner.

In the family part, males and females are equally responsible for the safety and growth of their offspring. Read More about Penguin Symbolism

10- Seahorses

Known in the scientific world as the sea hippocampus, this animal has been present since Greek mythology for being one of the most faithful and loyal animals.

They live from one to four years; they look for their partner with a hypnotic 10-minute dance to attract the attention of who will be their ideal partner. When one of the two dies, the deceased’s partner mourns and often dies of moral sorrow.

Another curiosity is that the female lays her eggs inside the male so that they are fertilized there and thus the male does the ‘labor’. Read More about Seahorse Symbolism

11- Lobsters

These crustaceans are a faithful example of fidelity. Depending on the species, they look for a partner to reproduce and spend their lives for more than 20 years.

They are known for sharing burrows and coordinating their daily activities, managing to agree on all tasks. Sometimes the male keeps the female and sometimes the female attends to the male so that they alternate hunting and breeding times. A true example among the most faithful animals of the animal kingdom.