From around the world
Part VI
Darwin
The Galapagos Islands, situated in the Pacific Ocean are a fascinating destination for naturalists, conservationists and anyone interested in the protection of the environment. Some of the animals, birds and marine life are unique and guides are there to ensure your experience is educational and enjoyable.
Unfortunately, over the years, many undesirable elements have invaded this beautiful island paradise, including humans!
Many will associate the islands with the famous giant tortoises, which weigh up to a whopping 417 Kilograms (920lbs). For those of you who collect snippets of information to impress your next dinner guests, the islands are named in Spanish after these giant tortoises, which were plentiful years ago.
So why are we talking about islands, wildlife and giant tortoises?
The simple answer is Darwin
Who is Darwin?
Darwin is a Yellow Labrador, and he and his pal Neville, who were both trained by the charity Dogs for Conservation, are making an attempt to sort out a threat to the local ecology.
It’s kind of ironic that our canine hero shares the same name as Charles Darwin, whose visit to the islands in 1835 led to his publication of “Origin of Species,” the theory of evolution by natural selection.
And the threat is? Well, it is the Giant African Snail. Ok, you can stop laughing now because that was also my reaction. What possible threat comes from a snail that, despite its name, is generally no more than two inches long? Well, it seems that the destructive snail, if left unchecked, will create havoc on the island’s delicate ecosystem and agriculture. Its ability to reproduce is phenomenal, and it is considered to be one of the top 100 invasive species in the world. Yet again, our most faithful and trusted companion is helping to make the world a better place with a nose so amazing that despite the advances in technology, we humans still cannot make a machine that comes even close.
Tomi
Hamdu Sena Bilgin is an 11-year-old girl who lives in a small village in Turkey whose family run a small farm where they raise goats for milk. In 2017, on her way home, she found one of the goats had given birth on a snowy hillside, but with the temperatures so low, the youngster realised that mother and her kid would struggle to survive the freezing temperatures. With a decision way beyond her years, Hamdu would become an overnight sensation. Let’s be honest: how many 11-year-olds, faced with this sort of dilemma, knowing that the loss of the kid would be a severe financial loss to the family, would know how to react?
With the decision made, she realised that she would be unable to carry home both goat and kid.
With her faithful canine companion Tomi, who has the appearance of an Anatolian Shepherd Dog, she drove the herd to the farm and then grabbed two backpacks. She returned to the scene of the birth, placed the mother goat in one bag and placed the kid in the other bag. Realising that she was unable to manage both animals, Hamdu decided to tie the bag with the kid goat onto the back of Tomi. What Tomi thought of this indignity is not recorded, and with no evidence that Tomi had ever done anything like this before, he showed the versatility of this breed of dog as he carried the newborn back to the farm.
The Hero Dog
This incident was captured on CCTV cameras on a busy highway in Santiago, Chile.
A stray dog had been struck by a passing vehicle and lay comatose on the road with cars travelling at speed passing perilously close. The incident had not been noticed by any human, but another stray dog was a witness to the scene. After a lifetime of working with dogs, I never thought that there were any surprises in store for me, but as I watched the video of what happened, even I was stunned at what I saw.
The video appears on YouTube.
Without hesitation, the rescuer went into the traffic and appeared to be dragging the stricken animal to safety without any fear of being struck by passing vehicles. The truly amazing part of this rescue is that the rescuer appeared to drag the injured dog with its paws. One would expect the rescuer to use its teeth, but for whatever reason, paws were the chosen way. The rescue took place with no human assistance before the workman came to help. Despite initial reports to the contrary, the critically injured animal, having initially survived its injuries, sadly succumbed and died, and unfortunately, the heroic hound had disappeared. The incident prompted filmmaker Vanessa Shultz to travel to Chile in search of the dog. The search would last months and include government agencies, but sadly, it ended with a negative outcome. The hero dog was never identified.
Vanessa Schultz made a documentary of her journey, which can be seen here: Hero Dog
I guess we will never know why this incredible dog did what it did. What prompted this dog to risk its life to attempt such a rescue? Were they siblings, just great mates, or did we see a remarkable act of compassion when one animal realised that another was in danger? What was the thought process? Sadly we remain ignorant, however, we need to be aware that animals have a thought process way beyond what we understand today. Far into the future, when we have a better understanding, we will be embarrassed and ashamed as our ignorance is exposed.
“Dogs don’t not let their fears hold them back, teaching us to face our own fears with bravery and confidence.”
Anon
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