Some of these animals are domestic, so in some cases humans have created fraternal connections with them that would end up saving them from the death; while other animals are wild, and for no apparent reason, they have surprised the world by intervening and saving humans from imminent death aswell. These stories show us, and remind us, that we should be grateful to them and respect their nature.

Get ready to marvel at these stories in these top 10 animals that saved human lives.

1. Orion, the dog

Orion was a dog that rescued 37 people during the Vargas tragedy, a disaster that occurred in Venezuela on 15 and 16 December 1999, when torrential rains and flash foods killed thousands of people.

Orion saved an eight-year-old girl who was dragged by the turbulent waters that brought logs and stones. When he opened his mouth to grab her, people thought he would bite her badly, but instead he took her gently and carried her to the shore.

He jumped again and rescued a 14-year-old girl from the water, as well as an 80-year old man. In total, the witnesses reported that the dog rescued 37 people from drowning. Orion did that in response to his natural feeling of fidelity and nobility towards humans.

His performance was so incredible that he was decorated, received a medal and a diploma for the role played.

2. Lulu, the pig

Jo Ann Altsman suffered a heart attack while on vacation in the forests of northern Presque Isle, Pennsylvania.

Lulu, a domesticated pig saw his owner in troubles and quickly went out onto the road and lay on it until a car stopped; then, she got up and headed for his owner’s mobile home. Lulu repeated this several times, according to witnesses, until finally a young driver decided to follow her. The young man quickly called emergency and saved Mr. Jo’s life.

3. Mila, the Beluga while

Diver Yang Yun lived a terrifying moment in a competition in China, when cramps paralyzed her legs due to the cold of the water. Yun, 26, struggled to move her legs, but failed. Miraculously, a Beluga whale named Mila sensed that something was wrong and used his nose to safely carry Yang Yun to the surface, saving her life.

4. Willie, the parrot.

We all know that parrots love to mimic humans.

Megan, Willie’s owner, was taking care of her roommate’s two-year-old daughter when she left the room for a moment, and the baby, Hannah, began to choke on her breakfast. Willie repeatedly screeched the words “Mama! Baby! Mama! Baby!” as he was moving his wings. Fortunately, Megan returned on time and found the girl almost in a blue skin tone.

Megan was able to save Hannah by performing the Heimlich maneuver, but said Willie was “the real hero.” In fact, Willie received a prize during an event called “Breakfast of Champions,” attended by Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. Hanna’s mother also thanked that day that parrots could mimic human sounds.

5. Mandy, the goat

Noel Osborno was a 78-year-old farmer who was working on his farm in Australia during 2012.

The man accidentally slipped on a pile of manure while tending to his animals. This caused him to suffer a hip fracture that left him immobile, and very far from anyone who could hear his cries for help.

He spent 5 days in those terrible conditions, but was able to survive thanks to his goat, Mandy, who curled up with him during the cold and stormy nights, and allowed him to take her milk.

6. Dory, the rabbit

Simon Stegall, 42, is a diabetic man who was saved from coma thanks to his rabbit, Dory.

While the man was watching TV, he started suffering a diabetic reaction that made him impossible to move or make any sound. Dory sensed something was wrong and jumped anxiously on his owner’s chest.

Simon’s wife, Victoria, was in the kitchen but sensed Dory’s strange behavior. Victoria understood what was going on and called quickly to emergency when she couldn’t wake Simon.

“The rabbit came up on my lap and started tapping and digging at my chest and looking at my face. That caught Victoria’s attention and she realized something was wrong” said Simon when he got better.

7. Ning Nong, the elephant

Amber Owen, a British girl of 8 years old, was on vacation in Thailand when the 2004 tsunami occurred.

When the sea suddenly receded, Ning Nong kept Amber on his back and began running away from the sea, while other tourists disappeared under the waves. But Ning Nong had to stop when he came upon a small wall; then, he leaned against the wall and resisted the enormous pressure of the sea water, giving Amber the time to climb to the wall and save herself.

Amber doesn’t know what happened to Ning Nong. “He saved my life, he knew something bad was about to happen and he took me to a safer place. I will always be grateful and that experience has made me appreciate more my life. He taught me, at a very early age, that terrible things can happen in an instant and life can change forever”.

8. Lions, Ethiopia

Three lions rescued a 12-year-old girl in Ethiopia after chasing four men who kidnapped her on her way to school. The lions pursued the kidnappers and looked after the girl until the police and their families found her in a remote place in Ethiopia.

“The lions kept looking after the girl until we found her, then they went into the jungle,” said Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo.

The sex of the lions was not established. However, a wildlife expert said: “Everyone thinks this is a kind of miracle, because lions usually attack people.” He also said that probably the lions saved her because a little girl’s groans can be mistaken for the mewing of a lion cub.

9.Brave dolphins, New Zeeland

A group of lifeguards who were training on a beach in New Zealand lived an unforgettable experience but, according to experts, not unusual: they were saved by dolphins.

The event took place when a large white shark, three meters long, appeared in the training zone near the lifeguards. Suddenly, they saw half a dozen dolphins swimming around them in a circle.

The dolphins, extremely agitated and beating the water with their tails, formed a kind of defensive chain around the lifeguards for about 40 minutes. This didn’t end until the three lifeguards and the teenage daughter of one of them were driven by the dolphins to a safer area.

10. Solidary dolphins, Philippines

Finally, as we mentioned above, dolphin rescues are not unusual. In 2008, Ronnie Dabal was fishing for tuna at Puerto Princesa Bay in the Philippines, when a storm began and capsized his small boat.

After battling the waves for hours on top of his boat, Ronnie was losing strength. Then, about 30 dolphins and a couple of whales appeared and began to push the boat.

Ronnie said he lost consciousness as the animals pushed him to the shore. When he woke up, he found himself at Barangay Beach, where he was assisted by local residents.

