Cute animal stories

[Dryhill]

Well, I've read and heard other stories of how elephants mourn the death of a member of their herd, so this is very believable to me.

Some years ago I saw an animal programme where an elephant died, about a week later the herd returned to the same place and an elephant went and picked up a bone from the carcase of the dead elephant. The interesting thing was the bone carrying elephant had been friends with the dead one and carried the bone for three or four days. It would seem some form of grieving thing.

Its amazing how the elephants knew from so far away that the man had passed. But I believe and thanks for sharing!

Elephants can communicate using infrer-sound. A lot of animals can hear sound up above our hearing range, but elephants can make a noise (and hear it) well below our ability to hear. High pitched sound is fine in open areas, but is absorbed by trees, plants and of course hills, but low pitched sound travels more easily through things and can therefore be heard many, many miles away (possibly as much as 30 miles).

So it is quite possible that a message had been passed to all interested elephants.

Jim

[annekat]

It never crossed my mind that it could be a hoax, although it did seem so amazing that the elephants would know of the death without being there. But I've read other things lately about animals having abilities we never dreamed of and way more intelligence than most of us give them credit for, and I figure, it is just like human beings to have underestimated them throughout history.

[Al]

It never crossed my mind that it could be a hoax, although it did seem so amazing that the elephants would know of the death without being there. But I've read other things lately about animals having abilities we never dreamed of and way more intelligence than most of us give them credit for, and I figure, it is just like human beings to have underestimated them throughout history.

Anne, I think it is so much easier to feel smuggly superior, and to justify a good deal of cruelty, when we posit consciousness and higher emotions and the ability to plan into the future only to ourselves.

Al

[drz]

Another happy duck story:

Banker Saves a Dozen Ducklings From a Ledge---ABC News - YouTube

[Dryhill]

Many, many years ago I was on a walk in the Malven Hills (in Gloucestershire), with my wife and a friend, when we came upon a fox that was standing in a ditch watching us. We were amazed that it did not run away, even though we were getting closer and closer, then we realised that the fox was trapped by some wire. It turned out that there was a small hole in a hedge which someone had tried to block up with some electric flex (about 10 - 13 amp cable), and somehow the fox had got some of the flex caught in it's right-hand rear leg - and I do mean IN it's leg.

We were miles from anywhere and mobile phones had not yet been invented so I decided that if we could distract the fox I could get in the ditch with it and cut (I had a sheath knife) the flex to allow the fox to be able to move. Our very bright and intelligent friend decided the best way to distract a very scared, wild fox was to stroke its head ...... after seeing our friends hand only had one puncture wound and that it was bleeding freely, I decided he could wait for a bit before we took him to hospital and that I would try to help the fox by myself.

I got in the ditch and was able to move a lump of old tree which was causing the fox to have to stand, the fox immedaitely lay down and just watched me as I got hold of it's leg and started cutting the wire on both sides of it's leg. All told I took about four to five minutes to cut the cable and at no point did the animal growl, snap or try to bite me. When I had cut the fox free, I patted it on its back and told it to go and off it shot through the hole at a goodly rate of knots.

I had cut the flex leaving a length about six inches long still partially buried in the leg. As the wire did not seem to be very deeply buried I thought that the fox would gnaw at it and get it out, or it would fester and fall out. While I was working on the fox I did wonder if I was making matters worse, but it would take ages to find a phone and get some proper help but seeing how fast it ran off I think I did the right thing.

Oh it turned out our friend was (and still is) so scared of needles neither my wife or I could convince him to go into the hospital for an injection.

Jim

[Al]

...told it to go and off it shot through the hole at a goodly rate of knots.....

Great story, Jim. Bur really: Knot hole...?!

Al

[Dryhill]

Great story, Jim. Bur really: Knot hole...?!

Al

Al, you caught me out there.

Jim

[Al]

Al, you caught me out there.

Jim

With wire, you sly one....

Al

[drz]

Just walked to local park to watch egrets in rookery on the lake. Saw geese feeding on grass and one lone duck browsing the parking lot and road looking for something to eat. He was different colored and looked like an abandoned pet duck with clipped wings and one all messed up. I stood and watched him for awhile and he came up to me and started pecking at my pants and shoes like trying to eat them. I watched him for several minutes and then decided to leave and walk back home. After about a half block a truck stopped to tell me the duck was following me and asked if I was taking my pet duck for a walk. The duck gave up after a block but now I wonder if it had been trained to get food by pecking at pants legs and shoes from its former owners or maybe as way of begging for handouts since many people go there to feed the ducks and geese. They can get quite aggressive about begging for food. I will bring some food along next time and see if it is still there. I don't think our local animal shelter accepts ducks but many crippled birds and others live at the levee since river is heated by local power plant and they sell bags of corn to feed the birds in the winter.

[Sangye]

Awww, poor little ducky! You might call a local wildlife rehab center to see if they can check on it, drz.

I love that you have close access to nature.