More Than Ordinary: 37 Times Animals Were True Superheroes

People love cats, dogs, and other animals for a whole variety of reasons. Some are selfish, such as providing us with love, laughs, and plenty of attention. Others are more practical, such as a barking dog scaring away thieves trying to break into your house. Alongside being cuddle buddies and security systems, animals can also be heroes.

In 2009, Yang Yun was applying for a job as a whale trainer at Polar Land Aquarium in Harbin, China. The application process involved a free-diving competition. Unfortunately, Yun’s leg cramped up in the cold water, making her unable to move.

At a Chicago zoo in August of 1996, a 3-year-old boy fell a whopping 18 feet. After a fall from that height, he suffered a bad head injury, but that wasn’t the only thing people worried about. You see, he fell directly into a gorilla cage, and gorillas are highly territorial. 

In 2005, seven men kidnapped a 12-year-old Ethiopian girl in order to force her into a marriage with one of the captors. For an entire week, the girl was held captive and subject to repeated beatings and assaults. Then, for some reason, three lions arrived. 

In 2017, a young girl of three was forced to leave her Michigan home because of abuse. She wandered off but didn’t really know where she was going. It was getting cold. Luckily, Peanut, a recently adopted dog who also escaped an abusive home, saw the girl. 

Deer are not known to hang out with humans. In fact, they tend to do the exact opposite. Whenever they get a whiff of human scent or hear a person’s voice, they run off into the woods as fast as possible. 

Indonesia is a country known for the destructive power of its tsunamis. However, it’s also well known for the heroic power of its elephants – or at least it has been since 2004. In that year, a heroic elephant hoisted four-year-old Amber Masson onto its back. 

One day Noel Osborne, an experienced farmer, was going about his work when tragedy struck. Suddenly, he was thrown into a pile of manure. The fall broke his hips and made it impossible to move.

Parrots are known (and respected) for their keen observation powers. That was on full display one day when a two-year-old child named Hannah began to choke. Hannah’s babysitter was off in the bathroom, and the parrot (named Willie) was the only one around.

A golden retriever named Todd came to the rescue for his owner one sunny day on a hiking trip in Arizona. It was 2018 when Todd stepped in between his beloved and a rattlesnake that she had not been able to see.

Sea lions are known to be territorial; you know sea lion. However, when Kevin Hines was 19 years old in September of 2006, he saw a very different side to the sea creature.

In 2017, Lako, a King Shepherd from British Columbia was inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame due to his act of valor and cleverness in the face of massive adversity and tragedy.

Robert Biggs of Paradise, California, was observing a mother bear and her cubs safely from a distance when he was surprised attacked by a mountain lion from behind. The mountain lion jumped on his back, while Biggs tried to fight the cat off with a rick hammer.

Another brave dog who saved their owner from a snake was Khan the Doberman. Khan had only been rescued 4 days before and was playing in the backyard with his new toddler friend. Khan noticed the snake and began trying to nudge the toddler away to safety.

Yvonne Vladislavich was somewhere in the Indian Ocean in 1971 when the yacht she was on exploded and sank. Because it was a leisure trip, the route her and the passengers were on was not on any shipping routes, making the chances of being noticed very slim.

In 2012, a Belgian Malinois named Lakya, who was overseas with troops in Afghanistan, metaphorically won the Purple Heart for her act of service and bravery, as well as surviving her injury. Lakya was shot four times with an AK-47 while going through a Taliban compound. The injury cost her a leg.

In June of 1974, a 62-year-old woman named Candalaria Villanueva was shipwrecked and ultimately saved by a giant sea turtle. The Philippine Navy wrote an official account of the events, citing the ship that saved Villanueva as having seen her “aboard” a sea turtle before they plucked her from the sea.

A man in Cape Town, South Africa, almost lost his life after a shark attack and lost almost two gallons of blood. British tourist Michael Cohen’s right leg was severed, and his left was bitten through.

A pit bull puppy saved a man from ending his life just by sheerly being herself. Cheyenne was adopted by Senior Airmen David Sharpe from an animal shelter a few months prior to his sad plan to end his life.

Ronnie Dabal was tuna fishing in Puerto Princesa Bay of the Philippines in 2008 when his boat was upset by an intense localized storm. Dabal battled against the sea for 24 hours, his only means of survival a piece of Styrofoam.

Another pooch who served in the line of duty and lived to the tail (oops…tale) was a half German Shepard and half Belgian Malinois named Luca. She led roughly 400 patrols in the search of improvised explosive devices, positively identifying almost 40 and saving countless lives.

Rheal Guindon of Ontario, Canada went camping with his parents when they took the boat to go fishing. Rheal stayed behind on shore. Sadly, he witnessed in horror as his parent’s boat tipped and they both drowned.

A cat in Russia saved a small and helpless child from freezing to death. A newborn baby was left in nothing more than a box in a cold stairwell and was at risk of freezing to death.

Dolphins seem to have a natural heroic streak and are known to rescue drowning or unconscious people. Adam Walker, a British swimmer, was very much awake and was in the middle of his 8-hour marathon in the Pacific Ocean when he saw a large great white shark ahead of him.

On one of the worst days to date in United States history, September 11^th 2001, a lot of help and resources were required to help find and save lives in the midst of the terror. About 100 dogs were included in the frantic search and rescue.

A woman who goes by Joann adopted a potbelly pig named LuLu after she was rejected by her first home. This decision ultimately saved her life. Joann suffered a heart attack and fell to the floor.

A 28-year veteran marine biologist named Nan Hauser experienced bizarre behavior from a 50K-pound humpback whale during a dive—the whale kept nudging her and trying to get her on its head, belly, or back. The whale continued to attempt to tuck her into its pectoral fin.

A Scottish farmer named Fiona Boyd was attacked by a mother cow who mistook her attempts to help her calf as a threat. The cow butted, stomped, and shouldered Boyd as Boyd received the beating helplessly.

Animals seem to have a perception and sixth sense that we cannot always pick up on. Rabbit is not known for their smarts, however, a pet rabbit in the U.K may have been the saving grace for resident Simon Steggall.

Chantelle Lister had already left for work in the early hours when her home in Kettering, England went up in flames on the ground floor. Her sleeping children slept above, unaware. The family’s four-year-old Terrier-mix, Bailey, began to panic and bark, scratching at Loren’s door, aged 17, the eldest.

Pippa the cat was abandoned in a box but was lucky enough to be re-homed, but it was not just her luck in the mix. Mia, 8, had type 1 diabetes and her blood sugar would drop dangerously low while asleep. This can lead to a coma, medical complications, and even death.

A Belgian organization, APOPO has trained giant African pouched rats to detect landmines and avoid tragic civilian casualties. Rats, which are intelligent, sociable, and trainable, seemed like a fiscally solvent and wise choice.

After a senseless massacre in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Connecticut, that left 20 first grade children and six school employees dead, the school turned to the comfort of human’s best friend.

After a devastating tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri, Lily the dog became a central part of the rescue mission. Lilly had only recently began recovering from a mysterious illness only months prior that nearly killed her and was still sickly and on medication when the storm hit. Lilly spent two weeks searching for survivors underneath the rubble.

Cher Ami, the much-admired Black Check cock carrier pigeon played a big part in World War 1, helping to save hundreds of lives. Cher Ami, meaning dear friend French, helped to deliver imperative messages to French troops stationed during battle.

A remote village in Nome, Alaska, was hit badly with a deadly bout of diphtheria in 1925. No plane or boat was able to transport the needed diphtheria antitoxin due to the town being snowed in, so sled dogs were commissioned to the task.

The aptly named Magic, the blue-eyed therapy mare frequented group homes and hospice care centers to bring joy, light, and some well-deserved happiness throughout the day. The mare was brought to an assisted living facility in Florida to offer a spoonful of her magic medicine.

A woman named Patricia Drauch thought her 14-month-old son, Stanley, was directly behind her one day as she went to grab something from the garage, however frantically noticed that he was not behind her. He had fallen into the pool.