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To: volunbeer
Among the most caring and nurturing animals on our planet with an amazingly stable social structure.

I saw a documentary, years and years ago, which showed a herd of elephants and some predator had appeared. They closed ranks around a young calf who was actually physically handicapped. There was something definitely wrong with one of his legs.

I remember being rather gobsmacked at that as most wild animals will not protect the weaker members of their group.

9 posted on 05/25/2021 8:21:46 AM PDT by LibertarianLiz
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To: LibertarianLiz
Humpback whales do the same thing. There are numerous reports of seals finding shelter under the flippers of humpbacks as they try to hide from sharks.

I saw a video of a whale biologist who was being ‘’buzzed’’ by a large humpback who get gently nudging the woman and moving it's large flippers against her, and in effect, corralling the woman to it's side. She tried to break away from the whale but it kept moving in such a way to continue to keep her at it's side. Her friends following all this in the boat finally realized, as did the woman that there was a large Great White shark in the area and the whale was protecting her from it. The woman , a scientist, had never seen such altruistic behavior in a large mammal but apparently higher order mammals are capable of such behavior and will risk harm to protect another species. Amazing.

17 posted on 05/25/2021 11:07:43 AM PDT by jmacusa (America. Founded by geniuses . Now governed by idiots.)
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