Five-month-old grizzly bear cub and 16-month-old chimp are firm friends

But Bam Bam the bear will soon grow to nine times the size of chimp pal

PUBLISHED: 22:06 GMT, 4 May 2013 | UPDATED: 23:45 GMT, 4 May 2013

Like most youngsters, their play can get a little wild. But five-month-old grizzly bear Bam Bam and 16-month-old chimpanzee Vali are the most unlikely friends.

For while together they resemble a pair of cuddly toys, they would normally live on different continents.

And when they grow up, Bam Bam is likely to be about nine times the size of his chimp pal. But the young males have been inseparable since being introduced at the Myrtle Beach Safari park in South Carolina, where they were born.

Bam Bam the grizzly bear cub and Vali the chimp have become firm friends

The five-month-old bear and 16-month-old chimp live at the Myrtle Beach Safari Park in South Carolina

The pair love to play together and have been best of friends since they were introduced

Visitors delight in watching them wrestling and playing tag. In the wild, Bam Bam would live in the wilds of North America, while Vali’s natural home is the jungle of central Africa.

Park owner Bhagavan Antle said staff decided to see whether the pair would hit it off when Bam Bam reached the same size as Vali – even though bears grow much faster than chimps.

‘We got them out there playing on a sunny day and they went on and on for hours,’ he said. ‘Neither of them wanted to quit. They would lie down and fall asleep at our feet, wake back up and start wrestling again.’

Dr Antle added: ‘Bam Bam has more power, but Vali tricks him. He will throw things at Bam Bam and run around him in circles.’

When the pair aren’t together, energetic Vali likes to help out his mum, while Bam Bam prefers a slower pace of life.

‘He likes nothing better than a bowl of sweet potatoes and chicken mash,’ added Dr Antle.

Staff at the safari park now wonder whether the friendship can last. An adult grizzly can weigh up to 56st, while a mature male chimp tips the scales at just 9st.

Staff are not sure how long the friendship will last as Bam Bam will quickly grow into a 56st adult bear, while Vali will reach only 9st