Real-Life Heroes Helping Animals: Rescues and How to Help Safely

Animals sometimes end up in places they cannot escape on their own, and the nearest help is often whoever happens to be passing. One compilation of real-life heroes helping animals strung together many separate rescues, with different people, animals and places, all sharing the same decision to stop and help.

Real-life heroes helping animals

Each clip in the compilation was its own story, and the edit moved quickly from one scene to the next. The common thread was the moment when someone notices a problem: an animal stuck in the wrong place, unable to move or blocked by an obstacle. What happens next depends on that problem, and the best rescues are the ones where people match their help to the situation.

When a wild animal really needs help

Winter can make wildlife look more vulnerable than it is. An animal sitting quietly in the cold is not automatically in trouble, and many species are well adapted to snow. Wildlife organisations such as Humane World for Animals and the British veterinary charity PDSA list the signs that do mean an animal needs help:

• visible wounds or bleeding;
• limping, or dragging a wing or leg;
• abnormal movement, weakness or not responding;
• difficulty breathing;
• having been caught in a cat’s or dog’s mouth.

Young birds are a special case. Fully feathered fledglings hopping on the ground are usually being watched by a parent nearby and may spend up to two weeks on the ground while they learn to fly. They are best left alone, with pets kept away.

How to help an injured animal safely

Start by keeping your distance and noting your exact location. Injured animals are frightened and can be unpredictable. Then call for advice from a vet, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or a local animal-rescue service before you try to handle the animal.

• Small animals and birds: wear gloves if you can, cover the animal gently with a towel or coat and place it in a ventilated box. Cover the box to keep it dark and calm, keep it somewhere quiet and take it straight to a vet or rescue centre.
• Large animals such as deer, seals, birds of prey and big waterfowl: do not try to catch or move them yourself. Keep people and pets back and call the professionals.
• Animals sheltering in a brush pile or similar shelter in cold weather: if they are not hurt and not a hazard, leave them undisturbed.

Helping wildlife through winter

Much of the best help never makes it into a video. Keep rubbish and compost covered so animals are not drawn to it, check roofs, vents and chimneys for openings before the cold sets in, and contact a rehabilitator instead of sealing a gap that may have an animal inside. On the road, slow down where wildlife is common, and when one deer crosses, expect more to follow.

For more rescues with a full story behind them, read about Zak Anderegg’s canyon dog rescue, the deer saved by hovercraft on Albert Lea Lake and the young squirrel brought indoors.

Related reading

• Zak Anderegg’s Canyon Dog Rescue
• A Young Squirrel Brought Indoors: The Rescue Photo Sequence
• Roadside Kindness in a Russian Video Compilation
• Hovercraft Deer Rescue on Albert Lea Lake
• Rupee and Joanne Lefson’s Trek to Everest Base Camp
• A Wolverine Digs Through Snow in America the Wild
• Juneau the Dog and the Rescue of Skier Leonard Somers

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