Imagine the horror of being a helpless parent while your child lies unconscious 18 feet below you, in an enclosure full of hulking great apes. Fifteen years ago, this hair-raising scenario unfolded at Brookfield Zoo.
A three year old boy somehow managed to get away from his mother and was trying to get a better view of the gorilla pit when he slipped over the guard rail and crashed into the enclosure, suffering a broken hand and a gashed face. The child slipped into unconsciousness from the fall and zoo visitors held their breath, dreading what would happen next.
The sight of Binti Jua, a fully grown eight year old female gorilla, approaching the boy must have sent shivers down spectator’s spines. However, Binti, a new parent herself, tenderly picked up the boy and carried him through the enclosure, past other wild beasts and nursed him until emergency personnel could retrieve the child. Whether this was a display of animal altruism or a case of Binti’s maternal urges overpowering her territorial instinct is unclear, but it is obvious from her case that animals have the capacity to recognise distress in humans and come to our aid.
Aside from Binti Jua’s remarkable story, there are other animals who have played the rescuer to people. Here are some of their stories.
The Lifeguard Whale
Mila was one of the Beluga whales at the aquarium in Polar Land, north-east China. She was one of the attractions in a free-diving contest which had contestants diving into the frigid, Arctic waters of the Beluga whale tank.
Yang Yun, a female diver, had taken part in the competition without any breathing equipment. She sank to the bottom of the 20 foot deep tank and held her breath as long as she could before attempting to swim to the surface. However, the arctic temperatures caused severe cramps in her muscles and she discovered she was unable to move her legs, rendering her helpless with time running out.
Mila the Beluga whale noticed Yun’s distress and came to her aid, guiding the semi-paralysed swimmer to air by gripping her leg in her mouth and pushing her to the surface. Today, Yun has Mila to thank for her life.
Pot Bellied Saviour
Lulu was an unwanted pet, a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig that her owner refused to care for. Eventually, Jo Ann Altsman, Lulu’s owner’s mother, came to care for her. Jo Ann was on a fishing trip with her husband in 1998 when Jo Ann found herself alone in a cabin in the woods suffering a heart attack.
She collapsed to the floor of her apartment and began crying for help, but no one seemed to hear her. Except for Lulu, that is. The pig saw her owner lying on the floor and dashed out the door and onto the busy highway. She lay there on her back, in the middle of oncoming traffic, to try and get motorists to stop for her. After several attempts, she managed to lure a young driver towards Jo Ann’s cabin, where he heard her cries of distress.
Paramedics were called in instantly and Jo Ann’s life was saved thanks to Lulu’s efforts. Pigs are smart and sensitive creatures, as Lulu’s case proves. She even tried to climb into the ambulance with her owner!
The Record Breaking Parrot
Willie, the South American Quaker Parrot, is the only bird to hold a Red Cross Animal Lifesaver’s award. He earned this distinction for his actions in 2008, when he saved the life of two year old Hannah Kusk.
Hannah’s babysitter, Megan Howard, was in another room when Hannah sat down to eat breakfast in her kitchen with only Willie the parrot for company. Things were going fine until Hannah choked on her cereal. With the food lodged in her throat she was unable to call for help and was losing the fight for air.
It was at this point that the babysitter heard Willie loudly flapping his wings and screaming, “Mama, Baby, Mama, Baby!” She rushed to the room and was able to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre in time to save little Hannah’s life, all thanks to an alert pet.
Pvt. Rufus, the War Hero
Sgt. Chris Duke of the American armed forces was stationed at a remote outpost in Paktia Province, Afghanistan. With not much company, Duke befriended a mongrel who roamed the locality, naming him Rufus. Rufus was a feral dog but he grew attached to his new companion, spending nights closer to the base.
The dog would prove to be a lifesaver for the American GI’s stationed at the base. On the night of February 11th, 2010, an armed intruder slipped past security and entered the compound. The insurgent was strapped with explosives and his mission was to kill himself and as many American soldiers as he could with him. However, before he could reach the barracks, he was confronted by Rufus and his companions, two other feral dogs. The dogs attacked the stranger and their barking roused the rest of the soldiers. The man detonated the explosives, but thanks to Rufus’s efforts, no soldiers lost their lives that day.
Rufus survived the ordeal, and since then Sgt. Duke has adopted the canine, bringing him to a new home in the rural United States.
Avid Learning 