One dog has proven to be a gentle giant as he is very protective of his baby duck companions and will not leave their side. Ben is a German Shepard from New Zealand who has a very unusual habit of befriending ducks.

Owner Julie McGuire has described herself as both a “duck and dog mum” and raises ducks that need to be cared for as a hobby. Julie explained that in the last year, Ben developed a deep bond with a wild duck named Teddy, who Ben has known since he was a puppy.

However, this summer the duck reached adulthood and flew away, which has left Ben lonely as the pair were once “inseparable.” On her TikTok page, Julie said: “The hardest part of raising a wild duck as a pet is the day they fly away…[Ben] waits outside every evening for his best friend to return.”

Ben may have been heartbroken by the loss of his friend, but Julie has since discovered some new friends for Ben. Julie and her partner have taken in a group of baby ducklings who were found abandoned and dying in the middle of winter until they were rescued.

In an interview with Newsweek, Julie explained: “My partner works in an apple orchard and was watching the ducklings all day, but there was no mom around, so, before night hit, he decided to bring them home to me.

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“Unfortunately, one had already died at the stream, and we ended up losing a few more. Today we only have three left, so I think they were quite sick—maybe that’s why the mom rejected them, or maybe the mom got sick as well.”

Despite the sad circumstances, Ben has been delighted to have some new friends, and will not leave their side as they are nursed back to health. Julie said: “When we got these ducklings, he was extremely curious, and now he won’t leave them alone.”

Julie has shared some video footage of Ben lying quietly next to the duckling on her TikTok account @life.of.duck which has received over 11 million views in just a few days since it was posted.

In the video, Julie said: “We found some abandoned ducklings by steam this week. Ben was curious when he heard the little quacks and wanted to meet them.” In the video clips, Ben can be seen curiously sniffing the blanket the three baby ducks are laying on and cocks his head as he watches them.

@life.of.duck ������ ������ The ducklings were being watching all day and mum never showed up. There was already one duckling that was gone ������������ it being winter now my partner decided to bring them home to the warmth. We dont know what happened with mum but its duck hunting season ������ #ducks #newzealand ♬ original sound – welcome

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The video then shows the baby ducklings enjoying a bath together and then snuggling together in a cage, where Ben can also be seen carefully keeping his distance but standing nearby.

Julie added: “[Ben loves being beside them and watching them. He has been laying beside the ever since.”

Ben’s story soon captured the internet’s heart, as many have complimented him for his gentle nature. One popular comment said: “That pup has the sweetest heart.”

Another user added: “Ben was always meant to be a dad, what an angel” Someone else wrote: “What a beautiful dog, so gentle and loving, a real gem. Blessings to you all.”

However, some people were more critical of Ben, with some saying he is also staring at the ducklings as he wants to eat them. In order to prove these negative comments wrong, Julie posted a new video with the cage door open to show that Ben “love these ducks.”

In the video, Ben can still be seen keeping his distance and sometimes hovering over the cage to watch over the ducklings but still continues to be caring towards them. In the comment section, one user said: “Shepards are really good at bonding with other species.”

Another person wrote: “Ben has such a sweet nature and is such a special dog…this has made be absolutely sob.”

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