Random Historical Figures With Animal Sidekicks (13 items)

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  (#9) Nero

  • Dec. at 31 (37-68)

  Nero is one of the least popular Roman leaders from history, and his lack of love for his people is well known. Some say the only living thing he ever truly loved was his tigress, Phoebe. And no, "tigress" is not a metaphor. Nero first saw the big cat fighting in the Colloseum, and he immediately fell for its ability to disembowel people. Nero adopted the tiger and kept it in a golden cage most of the time; although, he occasionally allowed it to come out and eat at the table. When provoked, Nero was known to feed unfortunate guests to Phoebe as her main course.
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  (#1) Tycho Brahe

  • Dec. at 55 (1546-1601)

  Sources will differ as to whether the famed Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe, owned a moose or an elk; although, a moose seems more likely. All sources agree, however, that Brahe got that large mammal astoundingly drunk on a regular basis, whatever species it was. Brahe respected his pet moose so much that he sometimes sent it to visit various nobility as an envoy of sorts. It was on one such diplomatic mission that the moose met its tragic end, getting far too drunk late into the night and then falling down a set of castle stairs to its death.
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  (#7) Salvador Dalí

  • Dec. at 85 (1904-1989)

  Salvador Dalí was well-known for his eccentric behavior, so it’s no surprise that he had a few exotic pets in his lifetime, including an anteater. His most famous animal companion, however, had to be Babou the ocelot. Babou was one of the few living creatures that Dalí seemed to genuinely care about, even though Babou was barely tame and tended to frighten passersby. Often, Dalí would simply lie to people and tell them that Babou was a house cat that he painted. Babou was so famous that he inspired a likeness of himself to appear in TV’s Archer.
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  (#4) One Alligator Was Owned By Both Marquis De Lafayette And John Quincy Adams

  Having an alligator in a bathtub in the White House seems completely unacceptable. Perhaps an exception can be made, however, for one particular alligator in history, who happened to have ties to two important American figures. The first was Marquis de Lafayette, a Frenchman who helped America win the Revolutionary War and was later gifted an American alligator for his efforts upon a return to the US. De Lafayette eventually re-gifted the gator to John Quincy Adams, who was president at the time. Adams really did have the beast live in a bathtub in one wing of the White House, and he loved to spook guests with it.
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  (#3) Napoleon Bonaparte

  • Dec. at 52 (1769-1821)

  Napoleon Bonaparte is one of history’s most mocked figures, so it’s surprising that more noise isn’t made about the fact that he was often made to eat his meals with an orangutan. The ape – named Rose – belonged to his wife, Josephine, and was one of her most treasured companions. Josephine liked to dress Rose in fancy chemises, and Rose loved to eat turnips. Sadly, when the Bonapartes had to move to another part of the country, Rose caught an intestinal inflammation and died. Josephine ensured she received a proper funeral.
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  (#12) George Gordon Byron

  • Dec. at 36 (1788-1824)

  Lord Byron’s pet bear is a direct result of his spiteful desire to exploit a loophole. When Byron went away to college, he was dismayed to learn that he could not keep a dog on campus. He checked the rules, which didn't say anything about other large mammals, so he showed up with a pet bear, which became his roommate. Apparently, the bear was well behaved, so nobody really did anything about it, and Byron got away with his ursine rebellion. The bear later got to retire to Byron’s ancestral home, where it shared the grounds with a friendly wolf. How delightful!

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