Unbelievable Animals That SAVED People's Lives
Have you ever heard of an animal that saved a person’s life? It’s very easy to dismiss stories like this to be exaggerated and even untrue, but the fact is there are hundreds of documented cases of these happening. Clearly, there is something within the relationship of animals and men that we don’t fully understand.
Today, we here at Top 5 Best would like to take the opportunities to share some highly compelling stories, those that are not usually told in the media, but that definitely make this world a better place, as it is not only humans that have acts of kindness and bravery, more often than not, animals are the kindest and altruistic creatures of all.
This list will focus on stories on animals that have saved human lives as the main characters, those furry, fuzzy, shady and shadowy heroes who do not seek neither glory nor recognition.
We have searched the internet and found ten stories that are truly awesome and inspiring. So just sit back, relax, and marvel at the heroic acts of the Top 10 Animals that Saved People’s Lives.
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Let’s begin.
Number 5 – Lulu the Vietnamese Pig
Pigs are perhaps the smartest domestic animals known - more so than cats and dogs, according to some experts. Lulu's heroic act is a prime example.
In 1997, Jo Ann and Jack Altsman of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, had agreed to baby-sit their daughter's pot-bellied pig, Lulu. The temporary babysitting turned into a permanent fixture as the bond between the pig and her new parents grew strong. So strong in fact, that when Jo Ann had a heart attack, Lulu was there to save the day.
Jo Ann's heart attack happened on August 4, 1998, while her husband was out of town on a fishing trip. She collapsed on the floor and yelled for help. She even managed to throw an alarm clock out of the window in an attempt to get the attention of anyone that might have been nearby, but no one was around.
Their dog, an American Eskimo named Bear, barked and barked. Realizing that was not gonna cut it, Lulu decided to act. She forced her way out of the yard in a way that left her skin torn and bleeding.
She made her way to the street and laid down as if playing dead. When a concerned driver stopped to check her wounds, Lulu led him back to the trailer.
The man arrived at the trailer, saw Jo Ann in distress, and dialed 911. Jo Ann was taken to The Medical Center, Beaver, for open-heart surgery.
According to the doctors, had 15 more minutes had passed Joan would have died.
At the Mayflower Hotel in New York, LuLu received the coveted Tiffany gold hero's medal from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She has also made appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show and The Late Show with David Letterman.
Number 4 – Jambo the Gorilla
Here’s a story that would have gone viral if the internet was around when it happened.
Jambo is a male silverback gorilla which was housed in the gorilla enclosure of the Durrell Wildlife Park in New Jersey. He rose to international news stardom on August 31, 1986, when five-year-old Levan Merritt fell into the gorilla enclosure and lost consciousness. His parents and other onlookers watched in horror, fearing the worst especially when a large silverback gorilla approached the child.
Fortunately for everybody, that gorilla was Jambo. Jambo stood guard over the boy when he was unconscious, placing himself between the boy and other gorillas in what ethologists analyze as a protective gesture. He later stroked the unconscious boy's back. When the boy regained consciousness and started to cry, Jambo and the other gorillas retreated in panic, and the silverback led them into the little house. A paramedic and two keepers rescued the boy. Most of the drama was recorded on home video, and extensively photographed by zoo visitors. The publicity on major news channels and newspapers helped ease public fears about the potentially violent nature of gorillas.
Unfortunately, Jambo died due to a ruptured artery in 1992. Following his death, his biography was written and published by his keeper Richard Johnstone-Scott. A documentary was also made based primarily on the home video footage taken during the Merritt incident. And finally, and I think most meaningfully, Jersey Zoo has erected a bronze statue of Jambo inside the zoo grounds as a tribute to the gorilla who helped change public perception about the species.
