Animal Heroes Read online

  First published in Australia and New Zealand by Allen & Unwin in 2015

  First published in the United Kingdom in 2012 by Summersdale Publishers Ltd.

  Copyright © Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 2012

  Written and researched by Lucy York

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.

  Arena Books, an imprint of

  Allen & Unwin

  83 Alexander Street

  Crows Nest NSW 2065

  Australia

  Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100

  Email: [email protected]

  Web: www.allenandunwin.com

  Cataloguing-in-Publication details are available from the National Library of Australia

  www.trove.nla.gov.au

  ISBN 978 1 74331 929 1

  eISBN 978 1 74343 695 0

  CONTENTS

  Introduction

  Our Loyal Protectors

  All in a Day’s Work

  War Heroes

  Animals to the Rescue!

  Saving Other Animals

  Water Rescue

  Incredible Survivors

  Raising the Alarm

  Creatures that Care

  Not so Wild at Heart

  Useful Resources and Information

  INTRODUCTION

  A hero is generally defined as an individual admired for their courage, outstanding achievements or noble character. This anthology gathers together some heart-warming and truly astonishing stories that have appeared in the media around the world, proving that animals can have all three of these qualities in bucketloads, and more besides.

  Not only have animals come to the rescue or raised the alarm when someone has been in danger – they have also shown heroism in their hardiness, by triumphing over suffering and surviving against the odds. Some animals have even gone down in the history books as war heroes that have made a significant contribution to the war effort, or as treasured mascots that have provided comfort and boosted the morale of weary troops on the battlefield.

  You might expect a pet to come to the aid of its beloved owner in their time of need, and there are plenty of stories in this book concerning animals that have done just that, instinctively acting in the right way at the right time in order to save a life, or they may have provided the love and comfort someone needed to get through a difficult patch. These animals are remarkable for their loyalty and determination, and the stories make for some touching reading.

  But then it’s rather more surprising to hear of a predatory, wild animal protecting an injured, vulnerable human child. We can never know what motivates an animal normally considered a potential threat to humans to show such compassion. It just proves that even the most dangerous beast can have a softer side.

  It’s not only humans who have benefited from the benevolence of animal heroes – animals have also lent a helping paw, hoof or flipper to their fellow creatures, protecting members of other species from harm and forming unlikely friendships.

  One thing that’s certainly striking about this collection of stories is the variety of animals involved: prepare to meet cats, dogs, horses, pigs, dolphins, lions, gorillas, bears, elephants, geese, a tortoise, a beluga and a parrot named Peanut – and that’s just to name a few.

  OUR LOYAL PROTECTORS

  When faced with a perceived threat to their territory, or to a human they view as their fellow family member, some animals will react instinctively to fight off that danger. With their pack mentality, dogs make the perfect guard animals and have long been trained for this purpose by humans. Since these things come naturally to dogs it’s not surprising to hear the story of a family pet that has acted to protect its owner from a violent criminal entering their home, for example. But, as the other stories in this chapter show, there are many other animals that will bravely do whatever it takes in order to safeguard a human with whom they have formed a strong bond of friendship, or to ward off an intruder on their turf – often risking their own lives in the process.

  OI

  One brave dog risked life and limb when an unexpected and shockingly violent attack was made on her family’s home…

  Patricia Adshead was making a cup of tea when three men burst into her home in Plumstead, south London, brandishing machetes. They threatened to kill her, apparently having mistaken her for someone else. The 62-year-old was shocked and terrified by these violent men, whose faces were hidden by ski masks.

  Patricia’s ex-husband, who was upstairs and heard the commotion, came rushing down and managed to deter one of the men who was heading up the stairs. But in the ensuing struggle with two of the men his hand was severed and left hanging by a thread.

  Patricia was now trapped in the kitchen with her pet dog Oi, a 15-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier. One of the men approached, raising his machete, but just as he went to strike a blow Oi leapt at him and bit his hand. The injured attacker struck out at the dog, leaving a huge gash across the animal’s head, but that didn’t stop brave Oi chasing him out of the house.

  A neighbour raised the alarm and the three men fled. Both Oi and Patricia’s ex-husband were rushed from the scene for urgent medical attention. Oi was taken to the Thamesmead PDSA PetAid Hospital, where she was given 30 stitches.

  Oi made a full recovery and lived for another two years, when sadly she died of cancer. Patricia was very sad to be parted from her dear friend, but also very proud to hear Oi would be posthumously awarded the PDSA Gold Medal for her bravery. Looking back on the attack, Patricia said: ‘If she hadn’t gone for him I would have been dead. She saved my life.’

  LURCH

  Janice Wolf was very glad to have her bovine friend Lurch around when the young calf spotted a hidden danger in her path…

  Janice Wolf was out walking around her animal sanctuary, the Rocky Ridge Refuge in Gassville, Arkansas, one day with her dogs when her 11-month-old African Watusi calf, Lurch, started to act rather oddly. The calf stepped right into Janice’s path and turned sideways, blocking her way.

  Puzzled by this apparently stubborn behaviour, Janice decided she wasn’t taking any nonsense from the calf, and grabbed his horns to push him out of the way. But, as she was about to step forward, Lurch tossed his head, throwing her off balance. That was when she noticed the coiled copperhead snake, lying right where she was about to take her next step. Before she could react, the dogs dashed over to investigate and sadly one of them was bitten. Lurch then trampled the reptile, killing it.

  Janice was both astonished by and thankful for Lurch’s actions that day. The venom of copperhead snakes, or pit vipers, is not usually fatal to adult humans, although it can cause extreme nausea and damage to muscle and bone tissue in the area near the bite. In Janice’s case, however, the effects could have been much more serious, as she was very sensitive to insect bites, and had recently been in hospital with a lung condition, so wasn’t in a state of perfect health at the time.

  Lurch went on to grow into a boisterous and healthy steer. Watusi cattle are a breed originally from the savannas of Africa and have large, distinctive horns that can grow up to 8 feet from tip to tip. In May 2003, Lurch was awarded a Guinness World Record for the largest horn circumference on a steer at a whopping 37.5 inches.

  KERRY
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br />   Cows are normally placid creatures, except when defending their young, as one farmer’s wife in Scotland discovered…

  Fiona Boyd, aged 40 and a mother of two, was at home on her own one day in 2007 at the family farm in Chapmanton, near Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire. Hearing the cries of a young calf in distress, she ventured out to investigate and saw the baby had been separated from its mother. She decided it would be best to move both the calf and its mother into a shed where they could be together, and approached the calf first.

  But just then, the mother cow responded to the calf’s cries and, seeing Fiona next to its young, charged over and knocked her to the ground.

  ‘The first thing I knew I was lying on the ground – I thought I was dead,’ Fiona told reporters later. Each time Fiona tried to get up or crawl away the bellowing mother cow would slam into her again, knocking her back down, applying the full weight of its body to her. Fiona felt trapped and terrified, and worried that soon the other cows would join in – as sometimes happens in such situations.

  Luckily for Fiona, her 15-year-old pet chestnut mare, Kerry, was grazing in the same field and charged at the attacking cow, kicking out wildly. This drove the cow back, giving Fiona the chance to crawl the 20 feet to the electric fence and under it to safety. Her husband Matt, 44, who had been working in another field, took her straight to hospital and she was fortunate enough to escape with just some cuts and severe bruising.

  During calving, cows, which are usually very gentle animals, can become extremely protective, and it was unwise for Fiona to attempt to move the calf on her own. After her frightening experience she certainly wouldn’t be doing it again. ‘I am in no doubt Kerry saved me,’ said Fiona. ‘If she hadn’t been grazing in the same pasture, I really believe I would have been killed.’

  DAISY

  This little piggy called Daisy ran headlong into the path of danger to protect a little boy…

  Seven-year-old Jordan Jones was playing happily in his front garden in the company of the family’s pot-bellied pig, Daisy, blissfully unaware of the drama that was about to unfold around him. The Jones’ neighbour in the Las Vegas area owned a pit bull, which was normally kept locked up in an enclosure in their garden. But on this day in October 2004, the dog had somehow got out.

  The pit bull entered the garden and charged straight for unsuspecting Jordan, but before it could get to the boy brave Daisy rushed over, placing her 150-pound form in its path. The angry dog clamped its jaws on to the pig’s head, causing the poor animal to squeal in pain. Hearing the ruckus, Kim Jones, 45, hurried outside to see her pet pig pinned by the dog and bleeding profusely.

  She called out for her husband, who emerged with his handgun. The neighbour, also drawn outside by the chaos, gave his permission for Mr Jones to shoot his dog. The pit bull was killed instantly. Kim said, ‘It killed me to see Daisy hurt, but if not for her it’s possible my son wouldn’t be here today.’

  Daisy incurred some pretty serious injuries – one ear was severed and there were bites all over her face and jowls – and a vet was called out immediately. Arriving on the scene, the vet realised he didn’t have the special anaesthetic needed to operate on pigs, and so he had to improvise – after downing two cans of beer Daisy was sufficiently numbed for him to tend to her wounds. A few weeks later, the pot-bellied protector had made a full recovery.

  Sadly, the Jones family were later to be parted from their beloved pet when they relocated to Pennsylvania and were forced to put Daisy up for adoption, but she found a new loving home with pig rescuer Kimberly Moneymaker in Sacramento, California. Daisy’s new owner said: ‘She’s not just a hero, she’s the sweetest, most wonderful girl.’

  ARNOLD

  Policemen might take being called ‘pigs’ as a compliment once they hear about the porcine crime-fighter known as Arnold…

  Becky Moyer, 54, of Stevens Square, Minneapolis, was rather surprised when her boyfriend presented her with a part-Yorkshire, part-Vietnamese pot-bellied pig as a gift. ‘Some people get lingerie,’ she said. ‘I got a pig.’ But she soon came to love her new pet and named him Arnold. He weighed about 10 pounds then, but grew to a hefty 300 pounds. Becky also acquired Axel, two months younger and more than 100 pounds lighter, as a companion pig for Arnold. The pair were often found sleeping with their rear cheeks pressed together in the comfy pig house in Becky’s back garden, although in winter they would stay inside the house.

  One day in February 2001, Becky came home to find her garage door open. Assuming she’d left it that way by accident, she entered – and found two men inside. One of them pressed something that felt like a gun to her back and demanded her purse. Frightened Becky told them it was inside the house and so in they all went together. Once through the door she shouted Arnold’s name, and the pig leapt to its feet and grabbed one of the men by the leg with its jaws. The man cried out in pain and cursed, and the two of them fled, leaving a large amount of the miscreant’s blood behind. Axel took a backseat while all this was going on, hiding under a chair and squealing with alarm.

  Ever since then, Arnold was known as ‘the crime-fighting pig’ by local police, who always stopped to pet him whenever they were passing by. Arnold’s heroic deed won a Minneapolis Police Department Building Blocks award that year, set up to acknowledge the good work of neighbourhood groups that help to build community, solve problems and work with the police.

  All the attention Arnold received did raise a somewhat thorny subject – that pigs and other hoofed animals were not technically allowed to be in the city without a permit. There was talk about making an exception to this law for pot-bellied pigs, which had become popular pets.

  But Becky was very proud of Arnold for what he did to help save her that day, and also for the role that he and Axel played in bringing her local community together. There were many immigrant families in the area – Russian, Hispanic, Somali and others – and, although language could be a barrier, the sight of a pig united children of all backgrounds in their excited reactions.

  SUNSHINE

  A criminal realised he’d picked the wrong apartment to break into when he came face to face with a winged fury…

  When hairdresser J. W. Erb came home to find his apartment in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, had been burgled, his first thought was for his pet parrot, Sunshine. He had bought the beautiful blue-and-gold hybrid macaw for $1,000 as a gift to himself on his fortieth birthday five years before, and was extremely fond of him. He was dismayed to find a very dishevelled looking Sunshine in the laundry basket on top of his dog’s cage. ‘My heart sank,’ he said. ‘He was missing a lot of feathers, and there was blood all over the apartment.’

  The man to blame had managed to get away with a camcorder and $100, but not without sustaining extensive injuries from a frenzied attack by the bird. It was very easy for the police to link him to the crime, given that his face looked like it had been rolled in barbed wire. The criminal was brought into the station on an unrelated charge the same day and was already being held when Erb made the 911 call. When officers confronted him with pictures of Sunshine, he confessed to the break-in.

  Although undoubtedly relieved that the perpetrator had been caught thanks to his heroic bird, Erb was more worried about poor Sunshine’s welfare. Eleven of his tail feathers had been pulled out during the battle and the bird was severely traumatised, remaining silent for three weeks and becoming very clingy. But happily Sunshine did make a full recovery and was soon back to his funny old habits – singing Cher songs and dancing in the shower. ‘We’ve picked up the pieces and moved on,’ said proud owner Erb.

  STORMY

  While out with their horse in the woods one day, two children came across an unexpected foe…

  Before Stormy came to be part of the Leonard family in Sulphur, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, she had been found in tragic circumstances. The Calcasieu sheriff’s deputies were called out to deal with an abandoned horse and found the 30-year-old mare in an emaciated state. She was
with a stallion and her yearling colt, and was eating bark off the trees to stay alive.

  Stormy was taken to the local non-profit organisation Steeds of Acceptance & Renewal (SOAR), where riding instructor Heather Dionne recognised she had been well trained and had probably even performed in shows in the past. The mare made good progress and, despite her age, in time she could be saddled up and ridden again.

  There was an influx of horses at SOAR at the time and so Stormy was placed with a loving family. The Leonards were looking for a horse for their nine-year-old daughter, Emma, to ride, and so they took her in – much to Emma’s excitement. The little girl would rush to finish her homework and chores every day so she could go and see her new friend.

  One day after school in September, Emma and her seven-year-old brother Liam headed out for a walk with Stormy. This time Emma put Stormy’s bridle on, but no saddle, and Liam, who wasn’t as comfortable on a horse, began to walk alongside, pretending to be a soldier in a game the pair had played a few times before. They set off down an unexplored path and Liam trailed behind with his rubber-band shooter, keeping a lookout for baddies.

  As they reached the end of the trail, Stormy seemed nervous and started to act up, snorting and dancing around, which was strange for the usually composed horse. Emma’s efforts to calm Stormy down failed. Liam had just moved in front of them both when a sudden sound from the woods caught their attention. Emma turned to see a large brown wild pig with huge sharp tusks jutting out of its mouth. The children were terrified, especially Emma, as she had heard stories about territorial wild pigs attacking people. She wanted to get them both out of there, but her little brother had frozen to the spot with fear.

  When the angry pig stepped between the two siblings, Stormy made her move. She resolutely trotted past the pig and nudged Liam into the woods with her nose, then turned to face the attacker. A stand-off ensued, which was brought to an abrupt end when Stormy spun around and aimed a sharp kick with her back legs at the pig’s snout – which was enough to send it off squealing into the woods. The children’s mother said of Stormy’s brave actions: ‘Emma and Liam made it home safely that day because that old horse loves her kids and protected them. She is our hero.’