Between shark attacks and out-of-control canines, you might get the impression that animals are out for our blood. Let's take a look at some times animals bucked this trend, such as...
- Liberated by three lions
- Whale on watch
- Ludwig the guard pig
- Saved by a sea lion
- The cat deemed a "hero dog"
- Dragged Home by a Lightning-Proof Pooch
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| Three lions rescued an Ethiopian girl from kidnappers, seemingly guarding her until police arrived... (herbert2512) |
Liberated by Three Lions
Of all the animals you might expect to rescue a distressed human, lions would be amongst the least likely.
In 2006 Ethiopia, a 12-year-old girl had been kidnapped and beaten by a group of men intending to force her into marriage. This isn't as rare as you'd hope - the United Nations estimates that around 70% of rural "marriages" in Ethiopia involve abduction.
Things took an almost story-book turn when a group of three lions emerged and chased off the would-be kidnappers. The big cats then guarded the traumatized girl for around half a day, melting back into the forest when police arrived.
It's unclear as to why the big cats were interested enough to investigate yet didn't eat the helpless girl. One suggestion is that her whimpers may have resembled those of a lion cub, provoking a guarding response from the predatory cats.
Whale on Watch
Ocean exploration isn't without risk - for example, you can be observing the aquatic dance of whales... only for their behavior to turn strange and potentially deadly.
Humpback whales can approach forty tons in weight. This means that collision with one can be fatal for a human, while even being clipped by an errant flipper can do some serious damage. This posed something of a concern for researcher Nan Hauser, when a humpback began bumping her around. The massive marine mammal pushed Hauser along with its head, then attempted to tuck her under a pectoral fin. Eventually it dipped beneath her and physically lifted her out of the water.
What Hauser didn't realize was that an 18ft long tiger shark was hunting her. Part-way through her involuntary trip, she caught sight of the lurking man-eater with pectoral fins pointed downward - the posture adopted by an attacking shark.
Humpbacks have been known to interfere with predators hunting other mammals - though researchers are not sure why. It could be that the gentle giants really are altruistic.
Ludwig the Guard Pig
In 2015 England a group of robbers were driven off by an unlikely hero. Having broken into the Maughan residence on New Year's Eve, the would be crooks heard a low rumbling growl in the darkness.
The exact events that transpired are unknown, but the 17 stone pig known as Ludwig emerging from the darkness was presumably more than the crooks had bargained for. They fled into the night without taking anything, leaving the open door as the only mark of their passing.
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| Kevin Hines claims a sea lion kept him afloat long enough to be rescued... (fotos1992) |
Saved by a Sea Lion
You've probably heard tales of dolphins rescuing distressed swimmers... but what about a sea lion?
In 2000, Kevin Hines leapt off the Golden Gate bridge in an attempt to take his own life. As soon as he began falling, he was hit by a wave of regret and realized he didn't want to die... but there's no take backs from physics. Hitting the water around four seconds later at 75mph, Hines suffered multiple shattered vertebrae - the odds of him swimming to safety were very low. That's when he felt something in the water with him.
Hines thought this other marine presence might have been a hungry shark, a cruel twist of fate having survived the impact. Instead, the entity got beneath Hines and buoyed him up. Hines was able to keep above water long enough for a search and rescue team to pull him from the water.
He would later claim (based on the experience and a witness who sent him a photograph of his broken body being circled by the creature) that his savior was a sea lion.
The Cat Deemed a "Hero Dog"
Normally it's a heroic dog that rushes to the defense of a hapless human, but in 2014 Tara the cat stepped up to the plate.
Tara was owned (as much as a cat deigns to have a master, anyway) by 4-year-old Jeremy Triantafilo. The boy was riding a small bike on his driveway when the dog from next door attacked him, biting his leg and dragging him to the ground. As the out-of-control dog shook him, Tara hurtled in with a flying body-slam against the aggressive canine and pursed it as it fled.
In the aftermath Triantafilo needed eight stitches, but could have come off much worse. Tara was given a "Hero Dog" award by the Los Angeles chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - presumably for being a better dog than most dogs. As for the attacker... they were euthanized.
Dragged Home by a Lightning-Proof Pooch
Many dogs get anxious in storms, but this one in particular has a good reason. Monty was accompanying his owner Ian Thomas as he went to feed his chickens in Cornwall when a sudden force hurled him senseless to the ground. Thomas came round as the whimpering Monty licked his face, finding himself in excruciating pain and unable to walk.
The stricken man was able to his arms around Monty while the loyal hound dragged his master around 100 yards back to the house. Medical examination would reveal that both man and dog had been struck by a bolt of lightning. The bolt had entered at the head and exited through the hip - Thomas probably would have died if not for his rubber wellington boots and the dogged assistance of the pooch.
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