Animals coexist on this planet with us, and some of them are so close to us that we call them our best friends. They become a big part of our lives and family. Sometimes they even save us from the worst. Here are 7 stories of animals acting as real heroes.
7. Kerry the horse
The bond between horses and people is usually very strong, and it may save your life. Fiona Boyd, a farmer from England, thought that a raging cow was going to attack and kill her, but Kerry, her horse, came to the rescue. Kerry galloped toward the cow and kicked it until the cow moved away. Fiona believes that if it were not for Kerry, she would have been killed by the raging creature.
6. Leala the dog
A dog named Leala saved her little owner from drowning in a dam. The Brockbanks were out for a picnic when suddenly their son David disappeared. Then they heard Leala’s barking. At first, they thought she wanted to show them something, but seconds later they discovered their boy floating face down in the dam. David was safely airlifted to a nearby hospital, and he recovered. Truly, a human’s best friend is a dog.
5. Lulu the pig
Lulu the pig received an award as a hero animal for saving her owner from a heart attack. On August 4, 1998, Jo Ann Altsman was in her trailer alone with her American Eskimo dog, Bear, and Lulu, a pot-bellied pig.
Jo Ann collapsed and could only manage to throw an alarm clock out of the window for people to notice and come to the rescue. But it was not enough. Bear was barking, and Lulu started to walk to the road, injuring herself on the way (the bloodstains went all the way up to the trailer).
She then lay on the road, pretending to be dead. When the first driver stopped to check Lulu, she brought him back to Jo Ann. The driver found Mrs. Altsman and dialed 911. Lulu was honored with a Tiffany gold hero medal from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
4. Elephant Ning Nong
The devastating tsunami in 2004 left the world mourning for many lives, and the miraculous survivors still tell their story. Amber Owen was only 8 years old and vacationing with her parents in Thailand’s Phuket.
She made friends with a 4-year-old elephant named Ning Nong and was eager to play with her new friend on the beach. This is when the tragic events began unfolding. Suddenly the water disappeared. Amber did not understand what was going on, but Ning Nong did.
The elephant seemed very distressed, and it started to turn away from the beach. When the first tide hit, the elephant began running away, carrying Amber on its back. When the second tidal wave arrived, Amber was already safely with her parents, brought to them by Ning Nong. They say that animals feel danger, and we, the humans, are better off listening to their instincts.
3. Jambo the gorilla
Jambo the gorilla is another animal hero — he saved Levon Merritt back in 1986. Levon was on vacation with his family in Jersey. The family went to Jersey Zoo, and Levon slipped and fell into the gorilla’s pit.
Jambo felt instinctively protective of the boy. The gorilla stayed next to the motionless boy and began stroking Levon’s back. As the boy lay on the concrete, Jambo led his pack back into their little house. This is when Levon was rescued by zoo workers. Jambo was honored by a monument that anyone can visit at Jersey Zoo.
2. Winnie the cat
This is the heroic Winnie the cat. This furry feline jumped on its owner’s bed and meowed continuously until the owner woke up and dialed 911. If it were not for the brave cat, the Keesling family would have died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
1. Rescuer dolphins
Todd Endris, then 24, survived a white shark attack in California in 2007. His rescuers were dolphins that created a “wall” between Todd and the shark. This saved Endris’s life, but he still received a big scar on his back. Alas, Endris died in a car crash in 2016.
