Polar Bears and Dogs

 I've seen pictures of this phenominom before, but never a video.  Its sooooo thought provoking.  Oddly enough I could see Crusher doing something like that. 

Oh wow!  That is absolutely amazing.  I loved how the polar bear was holding the dog like he was hugging him and the dog was just going right along with it.  Amazing!

DumDog

i wonder how close those bears would have gotten if the dogs werent chained??? 

Talk about a bear hug -- those dogs weren't trying to get away -- they were loving it!! 

I think the likelihood of this happening again will be reduced.  The substantial impact on hunting territory (changes in the pack ice) suggest that in the future, it will be food the bears are seeking, not a play mate.

LOL...looks like that one bear has some lovin' on it's mind. The dogs are all throwing out submissive signs like crazy.

I have seen this before. I think it is amazing since I have heard that Polar Bears are the ONLY animal that will attack completely unprovoked. Very cute I just hope the dog owners don't trust in the future.

It is amazing that animals seem to be better at putting aside differences than humans are! The tiger with the piglet babies, this, it just amazes me. Remind me who the higher mentality species is?
 

 I've seen this before, but yes, it's amazing...

Maxs Mom

I have seen this before. I think it is amazing since I have heard that Polar Bears are the ONLY animal that will attack completely unprovoked. Very cute I just hope the dog owners don't trust in the future.

It is amazing that animals seem to be better at putting aside differences than humans are! The tiger with the piglet babies, this, it just amazes me. Remind me who the higher mentality species is?

Yeah.  This is pretty amazing - and NOT common.  I'd be holding me breath if I were the dogs' owner.

The person who sent me stills of this encounter actually used it as an example of the spiritual superiority of animals.  I couldn't help but remind her of the woman who lost two shi-tzus  to coyotes- not for food either, or a newly conquering male lion who will normally kill the cubs in the pride because they are not his.  Or the chimps who wage war on a neighboring group and kill of the babies. Or seals that hunt penguins to kill and play with - not for food. 

 They are wild animals and live for the moment - has nothing to do with morality or spiritualism. 
 

diane303

Maxs Mom

I have seen this before. I think it is amazing since I have heard that Polar Bears are the ONLY animal that will attack completely unprovoked. Very cute I just hope the dog owners don't trust in the future.

It is amazing that animals seem to be better at putting aside differences than humans are! The tiger with the piglet babies, this, it just amazes me. Remind me who the higher mentality species is?

 

Yeah.  This is pretty amazing - and NOT common.  I'd be holding me breath if I were the dogs' owner.

The person who sent me stills of this encounter actually used it as an example of the spiritual superiority of animals.  I couldn't help but remind her of the woman who lost two shi-tzus  to coyotes- not for food either, or a newly conquering male lion who will normally kill the cubs in the pride because they are not his.  Or the chimps who wage war on a neighboring group and kill of the babies. Or seals that hunt penguins to kill and play with - not for food. 

 They are wild animals and live for the moment - has nothing to do with morality or spiritualism. 
 

i remind myself of both... i know animals can be as ruthless, or more ruthless than people at times - especially cub killers or animals that play another animal to death - but am also reminded of symbiotic relationships in the wild. coyotes and badgers hunting together.. i even watched my grandmother's old dog herd and tag team a squirrel with help from my cats... then watched the dog bring the squirrel to an older less active dog.. i've also watched Kaydee lay down and cuddle with kittens and "groom" an adult tom cat but at the same time hold a grudge against a different older cat that couldnt stand to be in the same room with her..

animals never cease to amaze me but at the same time a lot of things they do dont surprise me. my favourite story is the one about a pride of wild lions that surrounded and protected a kidnapped girl from her enemies.

 Oooohhh! And the lioness that adopted the Antelope fawn...and like 8 more afterwards.

see? its a strange world we live in with endless fascinations  

You know, that bear that cuddles the dog looks like it's trying to mother it to me. Females with no babies do some pretty nutty things due entirely to hormones. The lioness with the baby antelope(s) is a prime example. There's this famous photo of a cardinal trying to put a worm in the mouth of a goldfish. The stimulis of the open goldfish mouth was too much for the cardinal's instincts.

Having said all that, I think it's in Trials of Life where they're talking about Killer Whales taking seals off the beach. At the end of one hunting bout, one of the whales returned a seal it had snactched from the beach back to the beach without a scratch on it. Now that is spooky. What does it care what happens to a seal if it decides it's not hungry after all? Why on earth would it go to all the trouble of making another dangerous surge onto the beach to put the seal back where it got it from, unharmed??

David Attenborough had no explanation, either. 

Yes, there are amazing examples of animal behavior, cruel and kind, and just as Dumdog says in her post, it's good to be reminded of both.  Each situation is what it is - for whatever reason the animal reacts at the time, whether it is instinctual, hormonal or altruistic. 

It is a gross generalization to say that animals are spiritually superior to humans, though. I personally think that animal are only spiritual in that they are part of the whole ecosystem and more closely react to it.   I think it's a naive example of anthropomorphizing to apply morals and intentions to these actions.