A behaviour Ive noticed... Bunnies and Ducks

[BelovedBirds]

(Ive made a fair few threads lately, apologies for that)
This is kind of a question, kind of an observation.

So I have a bunny pen right to my duck's pen.
Dougie doesn't care, or pay attention. But Sprightly likes to nap against the bars, right beside Bonnie, with her being sat on the other side. As though she enjoys being close to her, or at least, they feel safe with eachother.

This morning there was a situation, Sprightly always watches when I let Bonnie into the pen, this morning, Bonnie was hidden in her hutch and refused to hop out. Sprightly saw her door was open. And watched. Bonnie didn't appear.
Sprightly came right up to the fence. And looked around trying to spot her, her head feathers raised and she started quacking. She sounded distressed. And she was very upset, like this, until Bonnie finally hopped out.

This isn't the first time I've seen this behaviour, Sprightly has looked for her and gotten very upset previously when I've put Bonnie to bed early. She expects her to be there and notices when she isn't.

I just find this really interesting
What is with this?

 

[ExoticPetOwner]

The duck could be looking for the rabbit and confused about where she might be. It's like an interspecies bond between them.

 

[Canadian Wind]

They are friends. Just another example that our pets aren't just 'dumb animals". <3

 

[BelovedBirds]

They are friends. Just another example that our pets aren't just 'dumb animals". <3

It surprises me sometimes how observant she is- really weird, but it's pretty sweet.
Not that I'd let Bonnie around the ducks without a fence there, but she does seem to love them too. I think they offer some company for her!

I'll be bringing her into my outbuilding which is going up soon, but they'll still be able to see eachother when she goes in her outside run some days!

 

[Isadora]

Animals also enjoy routines and patterns. It could have been upsetting to Sprightly because something was "different".
I'm not trying to say she doesn't have an attachment to the rabbit or anything like that, BTW.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Animals also enjoy routines and patterns. It could have been upsetting to Sprightly because something was "different".
I'm not trying to say she doesn't have an attachment to the rabbit or anything like that, BTW.

Oh I definitely agree, I think she likes Bonnie since they choose to nap so close to eachother etc-
But Sprightly is definitely BIG on her routine. You'd better believe she's the first out in the morning and first to bed at night, if someone isn't where they're meant to be, they'll get quite the telling off! Dougie is pretty much the opposite, she doesn't care if the sky is falling, she just wants to hunt for spiders.

If that is to do with this, that'd make sense, but it still surprises me how she notices everything