From pigeons and rats to lions and gorillas: hero animals that selflessly saved people’s lives (20 photos + 1 video)

Animals that people exterminate, poison or throw into the street every day have much more compassion, heroism and love. This is especially noticeable in those stories when some drunk parents throw out their children, or cowardly passers-by do not pay attention to a person in trouble.





It doesn’t matter what species the animals are, whether they are domesticated or raised in the wild, predators or mammals - as history shows, there have always been plenty of heroes among them.

Recently it became known about the death of a marsupial rat named Magawa. She was not only awarded a gold medal, but also recognized as a true hero of Cambodia. After all, the rodent has discovered 71 mines and 38 unexploded ordnance.







In 20 minutes, she could search a field the size of a tennis court, while a person with a metal detector would take at least four days. In total, Magava helped clear over 225 thousand square meters. meter of land.



Now imagine how many lives have been saved thanks to her. After all, after the end of the civil war, which lasted from 1967 to 1975, the ground contained from 4 to 6 million mines, which managed to blow up more than 40 thousand people.

The hero of the Great Patriotic War, the dog Dzhulbars, could boast of great achievements in mine clearance, with 7,468 mines and approximately 150 shells on his account. It is not surprising that Stalin personally presented him with the award on Red Square.





But in the First World War, one of the heroes was the pigeon Cher Ami, who saved the lives of 194 people. In 1918, the French and American armies launched an offensive, but due to a miscalculation, over 500 people were surrounded by German forces.





Only a carrier pigeon could save them. As soon as he took off, they opened fire on him. As a result, the wounded bird delivered the message to its destination, losing its paw and eye.

By the way, a year later a dog named Tang distinguished himself. Thanks to him, it was possible to save 92 sailors from the Eti ship, which ran aground. Clutching one end of the rope in his teeth, the dog swam to the shore in search of help. Eyewitnesses who discovered the dog were surprised by his selfless courage, thanks to which almost a hundred lives were saved.



Some cases, of course, are not so large-scale, but deserve no less attention. For example, the rescue of a 3-year-old boy who fell from a height of 6 meters into the gorilla enclosure at the Chicago Zoo.



The female, named Binti Jua, put her cub on her back and took the baby in her arms, protecting her from other animals in the enclosure. She rocked him with all her maternal care and later carried him to the entrance, where she gave him to the zoo staff. Modern mothers clearly have a lot to learn!

But a pig named Lulu saved her owner from a heart attack. She would run out onto the road and lie down in front of cars to attract attention, periodically running back to check on the woman’s condition. By the way, she still managed to attract attention. The man who sent for her managed to call the doctors in a timely manner.



An equally interesting incident occurred in Canada, where the boy Real Guindon spent the whole night on the street, having lost his parents in an accident. The child could have died from hypothermia, but once on the ground, he felt something warm nearby.

Initially, he thought it was a dog, but in the morning it turned out that several beavers were warming him with their furry bodies.



Cats often reciprocate their feelings with their owners. Englishwoman Charlotte Dixon adopted the cat Theo, whom she nursed when he fell ill with the flu. The pet repaid her in kind.



In the middle of the night, the woman felt unwell, but decided to go back to sleep. Theo began jumping on her, preventing her from falling asleep and, as it turned out later, for good reason. She called doctors, who discovered a blood clot in the woman and reported that if she had fallen asleep, she most likely would never have opened her eyes again.



There is no doubt that dolphins are one of the kindest animals. That's why they saved surfer Todd Andrews from a shark attack. They not only drove off the predator, but also brought the wounded man to the shore. As a reminder of this story, he had a huge scar on his back.





No less touching was the story of Erica Poremski and her 8-month-old daughter Viviana. While the woman was going outside, a fire broke out in the house and quickly engulfed the house. She was unable to get inside herself because the door was jammed.



When firefighters arrived in the house, it seemed to the woman that the child was dead, but he received only minor burns. Why? Because the dog covered it with its body. But she could have run out into the street, but she did not abandon the helpless girl at the cost of her life. Unfortunately, it was already too late to save the pet.



Well, let’s end the parade of heroic animals with a story from Ethiopia that happened back in 2005. It's no secret that child abductions are common in Africa. This happened this time too, when four men tried to drag away a girl walking home from school.



But the attempt was unsuccessful, as three lions came to her defense. They probably mistook her crying for the meowing of a lion cub, however, they remained with the child until the police discovered her.



It is unfortunate that today many people lack the kind of selfless courage and compassion that animals possess, regardless of their species.