Top 10 Animals Who Saved People's Lives
#10: A Chihuahua Saves a Baby From a Rattlesnake
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Toddlers take about half a nano-second to get into trouble. If you blink too slowly, they can suddenly be on the roof of the house, or in this case, in the crosshairs of a rattlesnake attack. While on a visit to his grandparents’ house in Colorado, 1 year old Booker West was innocently playing in the backyard, supervised by adults of course. However, a rattlesnake, presumably concealed by the grass, had slithered its way up and attempted to lunge at the toddler. Sensing the danger, pet chihuahua Zoey jumped between the child and the snake, taking the brunt of the attack. The dog was treated for a rattlesnake bite and lived to see another day and most likely a lot of treats.
#9: A Parrot Saves a Family From a House Fire
Apparently, parrots can do more than repeat your profanities and strut around like they own the place. In Fort Lauderdale in 2014, a couple was soundly sleeping at 3:45am when they were both awakened by the cries of Pearly the Indian Ring Neck parrot. Pearly was furiously flapping his wings and squawking, clearly distressed. It turned out a fire had broken out in the couple’s laundry room and it was quickly spreading. The parrot’s warning preceded the fire detector sounding. Birds are notoriously sensitive to smoke, and in this case, this affliction likely saved a couple’s lives.
#8: A Horse Saves a Woman From an Attack
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There are many dangers that come with life on a farm. Though they may seem less likely to kill someone, cows kill approximately 20 people per year in the US alone. In 2014, on a farm near Castle Douglas, Scotland, Fiona Boyd was transferring a calf to another barn with the mother cow following. The cow felt that her child was threatened, and attacked Boyd, coming dangerously close to crushing her under her 1300 pounds. Boyd’s horse, Kerry Gold, rushed over and started to kick the cow with her hind legs until it backed off. Boyd was mildly injured, but came out relatively unscathed, thanks to her equine friend.
#7: Dolphins Save a Woman From Sharks
Dolphins got even more lovable with this 1972 incident. After South African woman, Yvonne Vladislavich, survived a shipwreck off the coast of Mozambique, she was forced to swim 25 miles to shore. The waters were teeming with sharks, and Vladislavich had cut her foot and was bleeding. She claims that two dolphins came to her rescue and protected her from shark attacks until she reached safety atop a buoy. The dolphins even helped her stay afloat when she felt weak.
#6: A Dog Rescues Its Family From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Dogs are beloved, loyal companions, and have proven so time and time again. In 2008, Arkansas woman Stacie Pitts was awakened by her one-year-old Terrier mix, Miley. She tried to go back to sleep but the little mutt was persistent, and Pitts eventually woke up to realize she felt horribly nauseous and had a headache. Her fiancé awoke to find he was suffering the same symptoms, and then went to wake up his 6 year old daughter with some difficulty. The trio called an ambulance, and it was determined that the home had a carbon monoxide leak. Miley was credited with saving the lives of her family, and was awarded the National Hero Dog Award.
#5: A Pig Saves a Woman Having a Heart Attack
In the late 90s, Jo Ann Altsman was alone with her pets, an American Eskimo dog named Bear, and a pot-bellied pig named Lulu. Altman suffered a heart attack, and could not call for help. Bear barked in panic, but Lulu seemed to know what to do. The pig raced out of the doggie door, which was too small for her and scraped her belly as she passed. She then ran out into the road and played dead” Lulu went back to check on Altsman twice, each time worsening her belly wounds. After a while, a motorist pulled over to check on the pig, and Lulu led him to Altsman. Altsman survived after emergency heart surgery.
#4: A Pride of Lions Saves a Kidnapped Girl
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In 2005, a 12 year old Ethiopian girl was kidnapped and missing for a week. The kidnappers had taken her in an attempt to make her marry one of them, and she was badly beaten. When law enforcement finally found her, she was surrounded by three lions. It was presumed that they had stood guard for the young girl for at least half a day. When the officers arrived, the giant cats seemed to know help had come, and made their way back into the forest. Animals can sense danger, but this is really unusual as lions have been known to hunt and attack humans if given the chance. One wildlife expert speculated that the lions may have heard the girl crying, which can resemble a lion cub’s mewling.
#3: A Humpback Whale Saves a Scientist From a Shark
Though it has been debated whether this sea-faring mammal was aware of his rescue actions, marine biologist Nan Hauser credits a humpback whale with saving her life and/or limbs. As she was conducting underwater research near the Cook Islands, Hauser was suddenly nudged by a 50,000 pound whale. She went with the flow, as the animal gently pushed her upwards toward the surface, and attempted to shield her under its pectoral fin. She was definitely concerned, as the whale could crush her to death should it nudge a little too hard. Once Hauser was aboard her boat, she noticed a 15-foot tiger shark lurking nearby.
#2: A Gorilla Saves a Young Boy
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On August 16th of 1996, a 3-year-old boy at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois fell into the gorilla enclosure. A female gorilla named Binti Jua approached the boy and picked him up in her arms. She appeared to protect him by turning her shoulders to the other animals in the area, while cradling him gently. The child was taken to hospital and made a full recovery. Experts speculated that the boy’s unconscious state kept the situation calm, differing from the 2016 Cincinnati Zoo incident, which had a much sadder ending.
#1: An Elephant Saves a Girl From a Tsunami
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In 2004, a tsunami tore through the beaches and towns of Southern Thailand, killing thousands. An 8-year-old British girl, Amber Owen, was vacationing with her mother and stepfather at the Sheraton on the beach in Phuket. There were elephants that would give the children rides, and Amber visited them daily, bonding in particular with one named Ning Nong. She happened to be riding that elephant in particular on the morning of the tsunami, and as the massive wave approached, the animal sensed it. With Amber on his back, Ning Nong raced away from the shore. The tsunami reached land, and the elephant pushed his way to a wall, where Amber was able to climb to safety.
