2007-10-03 17:02:36 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
I saw on the news where a cat nursed puppies because the mother dog rejected her pups once. There was also an incident I recalled being in the news where a hippo tried to help a baby Impala, I found the footage on you tube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E51DyWl_q0c
2007-10-03 17:19:44 · answer #1 · answered by Granny in KS 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes there are quite a few.
Elephants often do and there are several reports of dolphins not only helping their own but helping human swimmers who have got into difficulties. Lots of animal mothers "adopt" an orphaned baby.
The one that immediately sprang to my mind when I read your question was the amazing footage a few weeks back of the herd of wildebeests saving a young wildebeest from a group of lions. Lions sailing through the air as though they were toys, I've never seen anything remotely like that in my life!
2007-10-03 18:16:51 · answer #2 · answered by elaine d 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is called Altruism
Altruism is selfless concern for the welfare of others.
Pure altruism is giving without regard to reward or the benefits of recognition.
The concept has a long history in philosophical and ethical thought, and has more recently become a topic for evolutionary biologists.
When a group is attacked, individual birds and gazelles have been shown to jump out in front of the predator to distract it from the rest of the group. This act is obviously very detrimental to the individual, but good for the group.
2007-10-03 23:49:33 · answer #3 · answered by glenn_gambit 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes! Im sure you have heard of older dogs or cats taking in an orphaned baby animal and end up nureing it in some cases, such as a mother dog, will sometimes execpt an orphaned kitten and treat it as one of her own, also I have seen a gorilla take to an orphaned kitten or puppy, but it is almost always a mother animal that will do this due to maternal instincts, but I have seen a male dog "love" or be protective of a kitten and even a baby duckling.
2007-10-03 17:07:49 · answer #4 · answered by leah j 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. I know, and have seen pictures of, elephants helping each other. I suspect primates also do, but am unsure. Also, I would suspect most intelligent species do. The dolphin is one that does assist each other in defense. They are very intelligent and I have included a URL for that. I find your question most interesting. You might try a google search on other intelligent species.
Best regards,
Jim
2007-10-03 17:11:51 · answer #5 · answered by Jim H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes no they will leave the sick or injured animal as it will attract prey to the herd.
Birds will sometimes knock out a weak young bird out of the nest
Survial of the fittest
2007-10-07 14:32:51 · answer #6 · answered by lunapurple 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have so many brilliant answers already, but I noticed that no-one mentioned that lioness who raised a baby gazelle as her own child. So I just wanted to remind everyone about the beauty of their bond.
Best to forget what happened when the Alpha Lion Male came along though ... God! Was that sad!
2007-10-04 06:17:34 · answer #7 · answered by kiteeze 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Elephants. Dolphins. Whales.
2007-10-03 17:09:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Only place I have seen cross species behavior like that is in domestic animals, pets. Dogs that are raised with cats become cat baby sitters.
2007-10-03 17:10:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, some will even help out other species. Dogs, for example.
2007-10-03 17:05:42 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋