Alligators save dog that fell into river, surprising scientists

Đàn cá sấu cứu chú chó rơi xuống sông khiến giới khoa học bất ngờ - Ảnh 1. — Dog guided to safety by crocodile, after being chased into river by wild dogs

In a recent study published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa , scientists analyzed a surprising incident when three swamp crocodiles saved a dog in the Savitri River in Maharashtra state (India).

A long-term study of the behavior of swamp crocodiles in the wild found a dog being chased into a river by a pack of wild dogs. Waiting in the shallow water were three adult crocodiles that could have eaten the unfortunate animal.

The crocodiles approached but did not attack. Two crocodiles even guided the dog out of the water toward a shore where there was no pack of ferocious wild dogs waiting.

“These crocodiles actually touched the dog with their snouts, prompting it to move further to safety and eventually escape,” according to the study by authors Utkarsha M. Chavan at Hazarimal Somani University and Manoj R. Borkar at Carmel College, both in India.

The researchers don't know why the alligator pushed the dog to safety, although they said it appeared that "the animals' hunger had gone away." They also speculated that the behavior could be evidence of "interspecies empathy" in the reptiles.

The study also noted that they had found two cases of crocodiles preying on wild dogs.

Additionally, the study describes other crocodile behaviors that they say are worth further investigation. They appear to work together to hunt fish and even hold small branches to their snouts to attract birds.

Another interesting finding was that the crocodiles seemed to have a fondness for marigolds, which are thrown into the river during local funeral ceremonies. They frequently “floated, sunbathed, and lay near” the flowers. The researchers believe that marigolds have antibacterial properties that could be beneficial.

Reptile expert Duncan Leitch at the University of California at Los Angeles (USA), who was not involved in the research, warned against relying too much on observations.

“Crocodiles have a lot of complex behaviour,” he said, warning against interpreting their behaviour from an “anthropomorphic perspective” or “trying to attribute abilities to them that they may not have.”

For their part, the authors argue that their observations show that there is a great need to study the cognitive abilities of crocodiles, and that they may be more intelligent than many people think.

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