There are stories of creatures that are gentle in nature and even willing to help other animals and humans out. Dogs and cats, for example, have been known to wake their owners to warn them of danger or a fire in the house. This nature in certain animals is not totally researched, and as a result, we don’t always know exactly why animals do what they do!
One pitbull in Tampa, Florida had an encounter with one of the “friendly” creatures in this world.
Officer Lopez was thrust into a precarious situation without expecting it one day. When a woman heard some “struggling” coming from her backyard, she called the authorities and Officer Lopez was the one sent to investigate. It was this call that allowed Officer Lopez to meet a “mythical sea creature.”
Sea creatures are always interesting to consider, mostly because the ocean is the last great place to explore here on Earth.
There are always a variety of creatures that come up in myths, mostly ones that we have heard of. The Kraken is always on the top of that list along with the Leviathan. The interesting part about these creatures is that they are probably based on real creatures!
The Kraken is probably a giant squid.
Krakens are described as large, cephalopod-like creatures who terrorize the deep. It came from Nordic folklore and was often “sighted” from Norway all the way to Greenland. The reality is that these probably saw a giant squid, the likes of which can grow to over 50 feet long.
When Officer Lopez went to see what the commotion in the backyard was, he encountered one of these “sea creatures.”
A dog had fallen into the river behind the house and was struggling to stay up. It was a pit bull who had accidentally gotten lost and then fallen in the river, causing a commotion. The pit bull was holding desperately onto the sea wall and had been there for hours. It was completely exhausted and was about to give up and be swept away downstream.
When Lopez saw the scene, he noticed a large gray creature floating behind the dog.
The creature in question was a manatee! Known as sea cows, these gentle creatures have a long history of folklore and legend. Often thought to be mermaids, West African folklore prohibited the killing of manatees because of their gentle nature. They also believed them to be human at some point in the past!
A manatee had come up and was sitting behind the dog the entire rescue.
The entire scene was interesting, to say the least. Manatees are quite curious and may have been interested in the noises that it heard coming from the struggling pup. The amazing part was that it came, sat, and provided a calming presence to the dog that was in a fight for its life.
“They’re curious by nature, so I’m sure the sound of the dog splashing in the water trying to get up the sea wall got his attention and he came over to investigate, maybe calm the dog and tell him it was going to be alright,” says Officer Lopez.
Grabbing the dog out of the water, the day was saved and the owners were happy to have their dog back.
The manatee waited until the dog was gone and then slowly disappeared into the water. The gentle protector of the dog was gone. Once the owners came, they were glad to have their friend back. We will never know what the manatee was thinking during the moment, but it is easy to see how folklore abounds with such majestic and funny creatures.
Check out the rescue video below!
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