When we think of real life heroes, we only think of human. But, there are some other kinds of heroes around us which is animal. Animals are frequently used to rescue people and are specially trained to do so. This in itself is a fantastic feat, but when an animal spontaneously chooses to do so, their efforts are even more amazing.
Here are seven incredible animal heroes people should thank for saving their lives. Read on:
1. Jambo the Gorilla
When a boy fell into a gorilla pit and was knocked unconscious by the fall, things looked bleak. With a fractured arm and cracked skull, the 5-year-old boy would make an easy target for the huge silver-back gorilla that lumbered towards him.
As luck would have it, Jambo the gorilla had no intentions of harming the child. Instead, he gently stroked the back of the child and kept the crew of other curious gorillas away. When the boy started crying, he leads the other gorillas into the gorilla house so that the boy could be safely removed from the pen. This act of kindness makes the Jambo one of the famous animal heroes in modern time.
Levan Merrit is still alive today thanks to this gentle and beautiful gorilla. Jambo has since passed on, but a bronze statue still stands at the Jersey Zoo in honor of this animal hero.
2. Lions of Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, an estimated 70% of marriages happen through abductions. One unlucky 12 years old was kidnapped and beaten severely in an attempt to force her to marry a man she didn’t love. The severe beatings left her whimpering in pain, and her cries were heard by unusual heroes—three enormous lions.
The Lions succeeded in frightening off the men, and rather than kill the girl, and they chose to guard her for over half a day until help arrived. When police showed up, the lions disappeared, allowing her to be taken by her rescuers and treated. This was regarded as a miracle because lion attacks are frequent in the area. Respect to those animal heroes.
3. Cher Ami the pigeon
During World War I, things were not looking good for 194 soldiers and their officer, Major Charles White Whittlesey. They were trapped in a small depression hardly big enough for all of them. They had no food, no ammo, and worst of all; the friendly fire was raining down on them. Their only hope? A pigeon.
With other pigeons having already tried to send messages home and being shot down, things did not look good for Cher Ami, but the plucky little pigeon was up to the task. With a message strapped to her leg, she took flight for her home nest.
Just like the pigeons before, Cher Ami was shot down. She lost her eye, took a blow to the chest, and had a leg injury so severe it was almost completely amputated. Despite these serious injuries, Cher Ami made it home, saving all 194 people.
Cher Ami was declared a hero and given emergency treatment that saved her life in turn. Doctors were unable to save her leg but created a small wooden one for her, and she was sent home with honors. When she passed, she was stuffed and placed in a museum, where you can still see this animal hero.
4. Babu the Shih Tzu
An elderly dog seems like an unlikely hero for this list, but Babu the Shih Tzu managed to save her owner’s life despite her age. One morning, Babu became unusually restless for a 12-year-old dog. She insisted his equally elderly owner, 85-year-old Tami Akanuma, take him for a walk. Thankfully, she complied.
Their usual route lies in one direction, but Babu pulled his owner strongly in the opposite direction, up a hill. Indulging the little dog, they walked all the way to the top of the hill. When Tami turned around, her entire town was under water.
Babu had somehow sensed the small town in Japan was about to be hit by a tsunami and saved his owners life through quick thinking.
5. Balto the sled dog
When diphtheria threatened the lives of every single child in Nome, Alaska, there was little hope for their survival. The medication that could save their lives was all the way in Anchorage, and extreme weather made it impossible for aircraft to bring the serum there. The only hope for the children was to bring the serum by sled dog, and even that was a dangerous task.
Teams of sled dogs brought the serum to the final team, lead by a dog named Balto. The brave dog was able to cut travel time by continuing toward Nome even when the musher could no longer see the trail and thought it best to stop. He was able to get the serum over 53 miles in temperatures that never exceeded -40F, in just 20 hours. Balto had a statue dedicated to him in central park and became hugely famous thanks to his efforts.
6. Barry the rescue dog
Another famous animal hero is Barry the rescue dog. Most people know that St. Bernards were bred to do rescue work, but few have actually heard stories from a dog in action. Barry was one such dog. After snow storms or avalanches, he would go out on his own and search for people who had been lost or buried in the snow. Over the course of his life, Barry saved over 40 different people, digging them out of avalanches with his huge paws, and keeping them warm by licking their hands and faces. At one point, he even carried a small boy back home, something he wasn’t trained to do. He worked up until the age of 12 and died at the age of 14.
7. Khan the Doberman
When Catherine brought Khan home a few days before the incident, she never expected the dog to save her daughter’s life less than a week after he’d come home. Yet that is exactly what happened one summer day when Khan and her daughter were playing outside. The dog went from his usual behavior to surprisingly aggressive, grabbing her daughter by the diaper and flinging her behind him.
When she came out to separate the two, she found the truth that Khan had saved her daughter from a venomous snake and taken the bite himself. He recovered fully with the help of anti-venom and certainly assured his place as a family member.
Animals are amazing in their capacity to understand situations and to save human lives. Thanks to animals like these heroes, the world is a better place. Hope, your heart is melting like as mine after reading these animal heroes stories. Now, you might have a reason for having a pet?
