Buzz
I've been a quiet observer on Mytour for a while now, and I thought it was about time I contributed something of my own. Here's my first list, which highlights 10 instances where animals have heroically saved human lives. In nearly every case, the animals were protecting humans from other dangers posed by animals. Feel free to share any similar stories you know in the comments below.
10. Cat Rescued Family from a Blaze
At 4:45 a.m., Dianne Busscher was startled awake by the frantic meowing of her cat, Oreo, coming from the garage. She hurried downstairs to investigate, only to find smoke and flames. Without hesitation, she grabbed Oreo and rushed back inside to alert her husband and five children. The fire caused significant damage to the garage and a bedroom, but thanks to the cat’s timely warnings, the entire family escaped unharmed. Interestingly, before the fire, the family wasn’t particularly fond of the cat, but after the incident, Jesse Busscher remarked, “We love it now. This thing is getting some tuna tonight!” This type of heroism isn’t as rare as it might seem – above is another cat, Baby, who also saved her family from a similar house fire.
9. Dolphin Rescues Teenager from Drowning
When Davide Ceci, just 14 years old and unable to swim, fell from his father's boat off the coast of south-east Italy, he was moments away from drowning when a dolphin named Filippo appeared to rescue him. Filippo had been a beloved local attraction near Manfredonia for two years. While Davide’s father, Emanuele, was still unaware that his son had fallen into the sea, Filippo guided the boy to safety, nudging him upward out of the water. The dolphin even approached the boat, allowing Emanuele to pull his son aboard.
Davide’s mother, Signora Ceci, was astonished and remarked, “It’s a hero, it seems impossible that an animal could do something like that, to have the instinct to save a human life.” Filippo had been living in the waters near Manfredonia since becoming separated from his school of dolphins. Dr. Giovanna Barbieri, a maritime researcher, commented, “Filippo shows no fear of humans. I’m not surprised he did something so extraordinary as saving a human.” Above is a photo of a beluga whale rescuing a diver from drowning.
8. Dog Saved Woman from River
Brenda Owen had been out for a brief walk with her dog when she noticed a wheelchair by the riverbank, and then spotted a woman floating in the water. She called to the woman, but when there was no response, Brenda urgently commanded her dog, Penny, to 'Fetch! Fetch!' Without a moment's hesitation, Penny ran into the river, swam to the woman, and dragged her to the shore. Brenda remarked that Penny had always been an exceptionally obedient dog, and despite being 10 years old, she was still in excellent physical condition.
7. Dog Rescues Boy from Snake
Back in 1982, in Texas, a 2-year-old child was walking with his grandmother when the family dog, Arf, suddenly became extremely agitated. Concerned, the grandmother decided to take the child inside. Shortly afterward, the child’s mother, Mrs. Sparks, went outside to find Arf in a fierce struggle with a 24-inch North American coral snake. Mrs. Sparks shot the snake, but Arf had suffered multiple bites and scratches and needed to be hospitalized for 24 days. Although the article I found didn’t confirm if he survived, it did mention that he was recovering well.
6. Watusi Calf Rescues Woman from Snake
Janice Wolf was in the back pasture of the refuge she manages in Arkansas when her 11-month-old Watusi calf suddenly turned and blocked her way. Puzzled, she tried to push the calf aside by gripping its horns, but it tossed its head, knocking her off balance. That's when she noticed a copperhead snake on the ground, right where her foot would have landed if the Watusi calf hadn’t stepped in.
She explained that while copperhead venom is generally not fatal to adults, it could have been deadly for her, as she had been unusually sensitive to insect bites in the past and had just recovered from a lung surgery.
5. Dolphins Rescue Surfer from Shark
On a scorching August day, Todd Endris, a 24-year-old owner of Monterey Aquarium Services, decided to go surfing with his friends. While out on the water, a 15-foot shark appeared. The shark attempted to bite him but couldn't fit both Todd and his surfboard in its jaws. It circled around for a second attack, managing to trap Todd between its jaws and the surfboard. Since his stomach was pressed against the board, his internal organs were spared, though he lost significant skin from his back. The shark released him but returned for a third attempt, trying to swallow his right leg. This gave Todd the opportunity to kick the shark in the snout until it let go. Just when he was exhausted and thought he was done for, a pod of dolphins appeared and surrounded him in a protective circle, keeping the shark at bay long enough for Todd to catch a wave back to shore and receive emergency first aid from his friend.
4. Pit bull Rescues Woman and Child from Attack
In 2008, a woman and her young son were walking home from the playground. As they entered a parking lot, a man holding a knife approached them and ordered them to stay still. Out of nowhere, a large pit bull ran toward the man and charged at him, causing him to flee. An animal control officer later stated they were unsure of the man's intentions, but it was highly likely that the dog saved the lives of Angela and her son.
What’s remarkable about this case is that in every other instance on this list, the animal is either performing a trained task or the person(s) were clearly in danger from other animals. This is the only case I came across during my research where the threat came from another human.
3. Treo The Bomb-Sniffing Search Dog
I want this section to represent all animals used in warfare and by authorities, but instead of summarizing all the courageous military animals, I’ll focus on one: Treo, the bomb-sniffing search dog. Recently, Treo has been making headlines in the UK for receiving the Dickin Medal, which is the animal counterpart of the Victoria Cross (the British version of the Medal of Honor). Since its introduction by PDSA founder Maria Dickin in 1943, 26 dogs, 32 World War II messenger pigeons, three horses, and one cat have earned the award.
Treo successfully detected two concealed bombs in Helmand province, potentially saving countless lives, and is now enjoying a well-earned retirement at the age of eight. His handler, Sgt. David Heyhoe, worked alongside him for five years, and now Treo is living as a family pet. And if you're as curious as I am about how Simon the cat earned the award, here's the story: '[Simon] served aboard HMS Amethyst during the Yangtze Incident, ridding the ship of many rats despite being wounded by shell blasts. Throughout the ordeal, his conduct was exemplary, even after a blast left a hole over a foot wide in a steel plate.'
2. Dolphins Protect Swimmers from Sharks
Rob Howes, a lifeguard from the UK, was swimming with his daughter, Niccy, and her two friends at Ocean Beach near Whangarei on the North Island of New Zealand when a group of dolphins appeared out of nowhere. The dolphins began herding the swimmers, pushing all four of them together by circling around them. Howes tried to break away from the group, but two larger dolphins pushed him back. That's when he saw a 10-foot great white shark heading directly toward them. 'I just recoiled,' he recalled. 'It was only about two meters away from me, the water was so clear, it was as clear as the nose on my face. The dolphins had corralled us together to protect us.'
The dolphins maintained their protective circle for 40 minutes until the shark lost interest and swam away, allowing the group to swim the 100 meters back to shore. Another lifeguard, Matt Fleet, who was patrolling in a lifeboat, witnessed the dolphins surrounding the swimmers and slapping their tails on the water to keep them in place. He later told the Northern Advocate newspaper that he clearly saw the shark. 'Some of the people on the beach later tried to tell me it was just another dolphin; but I knew what I saw,' he said. Ingrid Visser, from Orca Research, an environmental organization, explained that the dolphins' actions were understandable, as they are known to attack sharks to protect themselves and their calves. Similar occurrences have been reported worldwide. 'They likely sensed the threat to the swimmers and took action to shield them,' she said.
1. Gorilla Rescues Boy from Attack
On August 16, 1996, a 3-year-old boy fell into the gorilla enclosure at Brookfield Zoo and lost consciousness. Binti Jua, a female lowland gorilla, immediately stepped in to protect the boy from the other gorillas. Cradling him in one arm, while her own 17-month-old baby was on her back, she carried the boy 60 feet to a nearby entrance where zookeepers could safely retrieve him.
This wasn't an isolated incident. On August 31, 1986, a 5-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at Jersey Zoo and lost consciousness. A large male gorilla named Jambo stood guard over the boy, keeping the other gorillas away. When the boy regained consciousness and began to cry, all the gorillas backed off, and zookeepers, along with an ambulance, were able to safely retrieve him.
