This is one of the most controversial videos to have surfaced in a long time. Is it for real? Or are the tortoises somehow trained to perform this as a party piece? What do you folk think?
From personal experiences, I would say that it is for real. It is not the only 'you-tube' video that shows such behaviour, although in the other one, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF8yZ66LJ5I near the end, the critter that helps its friend, does seem to have what may be termed 'an ulterior motive'.
However, I have seen this type of behaviour in both sheep and fish. Some years ago, I was touring in Scotland and saw a sheep that had got on its back and was struggling to get up. As I walked across the field to help it, another sheep went up to it and using its head, pushed it onto its side so it could get up.
Two years ago, one of the fish (a Shubunkin) in my pond became ill and could not stay afloat in a proper position, it was on its side and was gasping for air on the surface. Before I could catch and treat it, two of the other fish (another Shubunkin and a Comet) came to the surface on each side of it, trapped it between their bodies in a normal position and began slowly swimming around the pond with it. This went on for about 3 hours as I wanted to see what would happen, before I intervened. Unfortunately the fish did not survive, it seemed to get a bit better with treatment in a small tank but died a week later shortly after being returned to the pond.
From personal experiences, I would say that it is for real. It is not the only 'you-tube' video that shows such behaviour, although in the other one, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF8yZ66LJ5I near the end, the critter that helps its friend, does seem to have an ulterior motive.
However, I have seen this type of behaviour in both sheep and fish. Some years ago, I was touring in Scotland and saw a sheep that had got on its back and was struggling to get up. As I walked across the field to help it, another sheep went up to it and using its head, pushed it onto its side so it could get up.
Two years ago, one of the fish (a Shubunkin) in my pond became ill and could not stay afloat in a proper position, it was on its side and was gasping for air on the surface. Before I could catch and treat it, two of the other fish (another Shubunkin and a Comet) came to the surface on each side of it, trapped it between their bodies in a normal position and began slowly swimming around the pond with it. This went on for about 3 hours as I wanted to see what would happen, before I intervened. Unfortunately the fish did not survive, it seemed to get a bit better with treatment in a small tank but died a week later shortly after being returned to the pond.
From personal experiences, I would say that it is for real. It is not the only 'you-tube' video that shows such behaviour, although in the other one, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF8yZ66LJ5I near the end, the critter that helps its friend, does seem to have what may be termed 'an ulterior motive'.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have seen this type of behaviour in both sheep and fish.
Some years ago, I was touring in Scotland and saw a sheep that had got on its back and was struggling to get up. As I walked across the field to help it, another sheep went up to it and using its head, pushed it onto its side so it could get up.
Two years ago, one of the fish (a Shubunkin) in my pond became ill and could not stay afloat in a proper position, it was on its side and was gasping for air on the surface. Before I could catch and treat it, two of the other fish (another Shubunkin and a Comet) came to the surface on each side of it, trapped it between their bodies in a normal position and began slowly swimming around the pond with it. This went on for about 3 hours as I wanted to see what would happen, before I intervened. Unfortunately the fish did not survive, it seemed to get a bit better with treatment in a small tank but died a week later shortly after being returned to the pond.
From personal experiences, I would say that it is for real. It is not the only 'you-tube' video that shows such behaviour, although in the other one, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF8yZ66LJ5I near the end, the critter that helps its friend, does seem to have an ulterior motive.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have seen this type of behaviour in both sheep and fish.
Some years ago, I was touring in Scotland and saw a sheep that had got on its back and was struggling to get up. As I walked across the field to help it, another sheep went up to it and using its head, pushed it onto its side so it could get up.
Two years ago, one of the fish (a Shubunkin) in my pond became ill and could not stay afloat in a proper position, it was on its side and was gasping for air on the surface. Before I could catch and treat it, two of the other fish (another Shubunkin and a Comet) came to the surface on each side of it, trapped it between their bodies in a normal position and began slowly swimming around the pond with it. This went on for about 3 hours as I wanted to see what would happen, before I intervened. Unfortunately the fish did not survive, it seemed to get a bit better with treatment in a small tank but died a week later shortly after being returned to the pond.