When Animals Save the Day By Patrick Chong At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Travellers are usually wary of animals abroad. A run-in with a foreign animal could lead to you claiming on your travel insurance policy for medical treatment after bites or contracted diseases. However, here are two uplifting stories where animals have saved the day.

When you’re on holiday it’s difficult to keep an eye on children the whole time. Accidents are bound to happen occasionally, so it makes sense to be prepared with some travel insurance. One lucky family, on a trip to Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, found that when their child was in danger a maternally-inclined gorilla was there for protection.

Gorilla on Guard

The incident began when a three-year-old boy fell from a great height to the floor of the Rain Forest enclosure at the zoo. The child was knocked unconscious and was vulnerable to attack from the gorillas that were housed there. A gorilla called Binti Jua, still carrying her infant daughter, rushed over to stand over the boy as the other gorillas began to gather round.

The zoo keeping staff reached the enclosure and opened a side gate to tempt the gorillas out with food, but they did not move. The gorillas were curious about the boy and were staring intently at Binti Jua who was protecting him. The keepers took out hoses and blasted water at the gorillas until they reluctantly moved through the door. To the keepers' alarm, Binti began to walk towards the door too, while cradling the child. Then, before she walked out, she laid him gently on the ground.

The boy suffered only a few bruises and a cracked wrist, so instead of claiming on their travel insurance for substantial hospital bills, his family were able to tell a story of an amazing rescue. But this rescue story is not as amazing as the one told by a diver called Yang Yun in July 2009.

Saved by the Whale

Yang Yun had entered a free diving competition at Polar Land in Harbin, China, where the winner would land a job working with the whales. As part of the competition, contestants were asked to dive into the arctic tank and hold their breath at the bottom for as long as they could. Yang Yun had a wetsuit, but no breathing apparatus and the arctic temperatures gave her cramp. She quickly found herself stuck at the bottom of the pool struggling for breath.

Remarkably, the beluga whale, with whom Yan Yun was sharing the tank, knew how to help. After years of training and working with humans, it seems Mila, the milk-white, smiley, one-tonne beluga had learnt how we swim and breathe and recognised that the free diver was in distress. The whale grabbed Yan Yun by the leg with its mouth and pushed her up to the surface.

Had Yang Yun known about her pre-disposition for cramp, she may have not attempted such a stunt. Similarly, it’s important to declare any known pre-existing medical conditions to your travel insurance providers to ensure you are covered for related illnesses or injury. After all, we won’t all be lucky enough to have Mila or one of her friends rush to our aid. It is also worth checking your travel insurance includes cover for water sports activities such as scuba diving, or even free diving if you are that adventurous!

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