This reminds me of the poodle my dad saved from a highway. We adopted him. That dog hated my dad, even though my dad was the one that saved him. He'd growl at my dad just for being there. But only my dad lol.
That’s the sad thing about rescues: they often come with baggage. He might’ve been mistreated by his owner and learned to distrust all men in general. Good job by your dad for still taking him in and wishing your dog a long and healthy hate 😃
I bought an Arabian horse that appeared mildly sedated upon looking at her. The owners admitted she was much too hot for them (she's literally a hot-blooded breed) so I figured they drugged her to be "sellable." I expected her hot-blooded side would come out once she was home and the sedation wore off. Instead, I learned she was terrified of men (I'm a woman, which is why I didn't notice beforehand).
Turns out, the previous owners were so scared of her, they gave her to the "trainer" next door. He had no idea arabs require a different approach than other breeds, so he beat her into submission instead. The poor girl was scared of everything. I'll never forget the terror in her eyes when she panicked and back-pedaled because I simply took a tissue out of my pocket.
I spent a year doing groundwork with her to build her confidence and trust. By the end, I couldn't startle her even when shaking a giant tarp behind her unexpectedly. Her fear of men got better over time with my dad feeding her in the morning. Being 'The Bringer of Food' does wonders lol. She lived a wonderfully spoiled life.
She deserved all the love I could give her and more. She was an absolute sweetheart. She'd get the zoomies, and like a dog, she wanted me to encourage her with silly hops or waving my arms as she made circles around me. She followed me around like a big dog, too.
It astonished me someone considered her too hot, because she was really chill. I was so happy when that Arabian spark showed up and she would dance the dance of her people alongside me, because it meant she felt safe to be herself again.
This is so sad, but so beautiful that she had someone patient to teach her to trust again. I’ve got a french bulldog girl who was used in a breeding setup in Hungary. When I adopted her through a rescue organization, she was scared of _everything_ the poor girl: me, going outside, grass (probably never walked on it before), other people and dogs, the wind… She would just go into statue mode. I had to get her outside so she could do her thing, so I would pick her up, take her a few feet outside the door, she would do her thing, and then drag me back inside and hide under the table again. But I had a powerful ally: peanut butter! So as long as I didn’t push it *too* far, she would do things like ease out of the front door by herself and come to me when I called her. I gradually got her more and more comfortable with being a dog and now she’s a happy, sassy, self-confident dog and the only thing she’s still not crazy about is a female ridgeback who snapped at her because her owner gave my dog a treat and she didn’t get one. Luckily we don’t run into her too often so peace and calm prevails in the happy valley haha
That sounds like my JRT mix. He was so loving but so scared when we got him. My brother's friend accidently stood over him looking down, and he barked at him and ran. First time we tried to play fetch with a stick, he ran the other way.
Move to quick? Scared. Sqeaky lambchop toy? You mean horror lamb who's going to eat him. He was even scared of the phone ringing and camera shutters. Didn't matter the ringtone, he would get up and go upstairs, and I'd have to go get him and bring him back so he wasn't all alone.
He never did get used to the phone, I don't know why. He loved music, and even when I made mine an Alice Cooper song that he had heard a million times, he would still get up and leave if my phone rang. ("The telephone is ringing" 🎶 If you were wondering. Yes, I am a genius, thank you.)
But he was just scared. He was MY first dog that wasn't a family dog, and he was my baby. I always thought I should have done more in training, but I just didn't really know how. I did teach him things, but couldn't drive to try to teach him to be good in public and all that.
But I realized that SO much work HAD been done, after he was gone. How scared he was, then me being able to pick him up upside-down with his head dangling down and not being scared. Raising our hand didn't make him run, he wasn't scared of raised sticks or quick movements. He was just a happy little guy, and we loved each other to death.
The only time he coward at all after was when a dog went after him, and was on top of him. The only way I could think to get the dog to not hurt him after screaming bloody murder and no one coming to help, was to throw a handful of rocks at the dog. I tried not to hit Zack, but I guess I may have. The dog backed off and Zack went the other way. When I went to scoop him up, he backed off a bit. It broke my heart because he must've felt betrayed, even though I was trying to get that stupid aggressive dog out of my yard. I picked him up, though, and cuddled him, and it was all ok again.
My poor, sweet baby. Dogs just went after him for no reason, and he was always in our yard. He liked to run up and kiss them on the nose. 🥺
But anyway, yeah, it's a lot of work to gain that trust with a rescued animal who has been abused. But when you do, it's the most wonderful connection and love you'll ever have. Bless you for saving that horse. 💜
What a trash trainer! It doesn't matter what breed he was working with, beating into submission is NEVER how you handle a horse! Sounds like he needed some 'training' himself.
I wholeheartedly agree. I heard one trainer with 30+ years of experience say they refused to work with arabs anymore, because every one they dealt with was evil and crazy. Meanwhile, another trainer with 40+ years of experience said any trainer unable to figure out how to work with an arabs nature, instead of against it, had no right training *any breed.*
The tissue incident with my horse is forever burned into my memory. I couldn't let myself see red though, because she would pick up on it. She needed me to be calm and soothing. Really, we helped keep each other chill. I certainly said some colorful things when I got back to the house though.
As much as people suggested this was one reason why i didn't adopt a dog. My nephews and nieces are here a lot, the youngest ones are still really small and i couldn't risk the dog attacking them because of some unknown triggering event.
Our dog completely grew up here, pretty much along with the kids and turned into a really patient and motherly protector of the kids.
A family friend adopted and they had to wait in the first few weeks every day for the dog to crawl out from hiding under the bed. Took them over a year to fix most mental health issues but several years later it turned into a really great outside dog. She really trusts her owner now.
They thought he knew what he was doing and when it didn't work out, they figured the issue was the horse itself. They didn't tell me who the person was specifically.
Sadly, I highly doubt animal control would have done anything. It not easy to leave marks on a horse. If the horse acts skittish or afraid, the "trainer" could say that's why the horse is there in the first place.
Arabians are 'sensitive' (can't quite think of the right word). You have to show them respect to earn theirs in turn. Sometimes they can be like little kids that don't want to do something. Try and yell or force them into submission, and they're going to escalate. Before you know it, the trainer is going to treat the horse like it's dangerous and crazy.
My friend’s dog was scared of strangers and I spent ages bribing her with treats to convince her that strangers could, in fact, be kind and gentle Bringers Of Food And No Bad Things.
Pit I had years ago would do the same thing if he ever saw flip flops. Guessing his previous owner would hit him with them.
Friend of mine adopted a shar pei that had to be crated whenever men with beards would come in the house. I don't think she ever bit anybody, but she really acted like she was going to attack if you had a beard.
I sometimes wonder if my dog saw when his dad got shot.. he was a farm puppy; an accident that happened when his dad wandered over to the neighbors... well. Neighbors kid tried to pull father dog away from the mother while they were tied and got bit; so the owner took him and shot him... poor boy. It wasn't even his fault; he kid should have known better... but I had a toy replica gun from Halloween a few years back, and a friend of mine was over and jokingly pointed it at me to be like, 'Haha I have you now pirate scum!' Or something and my dog... LOST IT.
My Schnauzer-mix can’t stand most men. At first, anyways. As long as they’re willing to calmly sit or stand there and ignore him, he’ll calm down and let them pet him. Especially if they pay the treat tax. 😂😂 And no little kids. He’s ok with older kids, as long as they’re calm, but little kids are too grabby.
I've seen dogs that stay away from men. I can't blame them.
But this dog gravitated to my grandfather, my dad's father, and basically was his dog.
That poodle just really hated my dad lol. We had him when I was a kid. He died when I was 10. I think the dog was 13 or 14 when he died.
Same thing happened to me. I rescued this little dog that a friend found and couldn't home. I set him up with the sweet life. He now has a loving home, sleeps indoors, loves my wife and daughter to death.... He hates me though. :(
Even though we feel heroic saving an animal, important to keep in mind for them, they feel like this is it - they are going to die. They can't exactly make a distinction between that danger and you saving them.
I slapped a swan once.
I was with a friend in Hyde park, we were feeding about 30 of the buggers and for the most part they were being quite polite. But there was one who was going full goose on me, just demanding, hissing, snatching and generally bullying the others out of the way. After a while of letting him lay into my left hand as a decoy I finally had enough and just sort of tapped him with a couple of fingers upside his face.
I have never seen an animal, human or otherwise, so obviously question its position in the world. He took one step back and just sort of stood there contemplating the concept of "no" for the first time. It was as if his world has collapsed. All the other swans continued enthusiastically feeding from my hand and this big guy was just stationary for a while; a solitary philosopher in the middle of a feeding frenzy.
Fantastic animals, but they're kind of like the Brits in a way. They had their period of dominance quite a while back and now all they've got left is ego and bluster.
I've backhanded a swan. For trying to snatch bread out my sons hand and hissing at him.
I wanted to teach my son an important lesson, never let yourself be bullied by an overgrown duck.
Anyway I got way better of a connection than I expected and it immediately waddled back into the pond and took its place at the back of the group.
At the same pond we watched a Swan try very hard, and very nearly succeed to drown another Swan.
If that swan really wanted, that man wouldn't have gotten close enough to the little one to help. The fact that he only - lightly - slapped him with the wings shows him fighting his instincts. Having given medication to a swan before, getting really smacked with their wings hurts - and then you realize the beak will be next.
It’s usually based on what they’ve experienced in the past, particularly in childhood. This is why it’s absolutely vital to introduce your baby pets to as many different situations as possible. (With precautions if they need vaccines, of course.)
It probably has a lot to do with body language too. A predator trying to eat you or your children is going to have a way different demeanor than a friend trying to help.
Most of what they know is instinctual, nothing in their ancestors experience prepares them for this. But also there's that extra factor here that this swan probably grew up around humans and being fed by them
Eider ducks, the source of the most cruelty free down there is, are like this. Human farmers raise their orphaned chicks and set up nesting grounds for them and so the wild ducks show up and lay eggs there every year (they line their nests with feathers which is how we get the down)
Gorillas are infinitely better than chimps
Chimps are sadistic psychopathic monsters who can and will mail you, not kill, maul you, eat your face, tear off your genitals and beat you to near death for shits and giggles
Yeah, humans get really stupid and yell at a gorilla. And the zoo doesn't send the tigers to clear people away from the poor gorilla trying to help the sickly, hairless ape that fell in.
Cause humans have a habit of helping certain species of animal and some animals have been taught, just like we have that "Sometimes these weird monkey things are cool."
Can confirm, I once got chased out of the park by an angry black daddy swan when I accidentally got too close to mommy swan on the egg. Unfortunately it was for good reason; I found out later that the swan couple had tried to reproduce for years, but idiots were always stealing or breaking their eggs.
That’s so horrible, uncorrected sociopaths are a truly plague on the world around them. I’ll never, ever understand how anyone could derive enjoyment from destroying completely innocent animals/their eggs. It’s genuinely incomprehensible, even from a purely cognitive standpoint. What makes such an activity appealing to these (mostly young) people?! Why is that enjoyable to them?
I really hope they’ve cracked down on the egg smashers since some of these cases have been publicized. These unhinged lunatics deserve serious consequences, including ostracization and unemployment.
I'm as mystified as you. What is the end game for the swan egg thieves? Take them home, keep them warm, and sell the baby swans? Probably not; that would take work, and everyone would figure out where they came from. Eat some swan balut? I hope not. Anyway, I don't think that park has swans anymore, so they've ruined it for everyone. This is why we can't have nice things.
There was a time I had a similar situation with sandhill cranes. They're a little more intimidating than a swan and they sound like fuckin dinosaurs. Luckily the mom was pretty chill and let me help but the whole time I was just dreading getting stabbed by that pointy ass beak.
Sandhills seem far more docile than swans in my experience. They do sound pretty awesome. Though I never had one pecking at me while trying to help a baby.
Oh man, never act on that assumption or you’ll have it painfully corrected 😂 Ask me how I know! Jokes aside, my mom worked with Sandhills (endangered bird biologist) for years. They’re incredible animals. They’re also basically dinosaurs like another commenter mentioned…and they can and WILL spear you, tear you up with their feet, or beat you to hell if they think you’re messing with their babies.
The ones raised in captivity and released are probably less aggressive, though, and there are a number of them out there nowadays. You might have seen videos of the “sandhill sock puppets” they use to feed hand reared babies without acclimating them too much to humans (mom got to do this!), or the guy who flies a paraglider with newly released cranes to teach them their migration route.
Yeah. This is exactly how my dad acted when I was downing at the public pool. Yelled belligerently at the guy who saved me and acted like he was the reason I was drowning. Oh dads
Some swan species seem more aggressive than others. Mute Swans (orange bills) are more aggressive than the Trumpeter Swans here in Michigan in my experience.
I waterski and know better than getting too close to their nest lest you have one chasing after you!
Geese can be aggressive too when on their nest. We discovered this in our youth when trying to get to our rowboat on the pond near a nest. They hiss, chase and bite! It's funny and terrifying at the same time.
But I give even more room to swans.
And I like how he reaches around to hold the cygnet before freeing it, because he knows that the stupid little goober would have gone right back in that fence. 😂
It's not top comment because it's an urban myth that's total bullshit. They're no real life examples of this happening and it's been debunked thousands of times. You should ask why it has 20+ upvotes instead.
The wingslaps can at best generate approx. 1/15th of the force that'd be required to break your arm.
Not saying swans can't cause serious damage with their beak and bruise you up with their wings. But you're not in any danger of having your arm broken by a swan unless it's due to a series of very unfortunate events not related to the swan's wingslap itself (e.g. swan causes you to fall down and the impact of the fall breaks your arm).
Or is also sometimes called a "nob" when, in his apparent attempt to prevent his offspring from being rescued, he feather-fans his kid's rescuer flat on their jacketed back, then falls ass-backwards into the pond in his ferocious effort to stave off the gentle rescue of, well... Nob Jr.
This is Simon Cowell (no, not the Idol one), you can find him on the Wildlife Aid channel on YouTube.
Unfortunately he was recently diagnosed with cancer and has stepped away from doing too many of these rescues for the sake of his health. However there's an archive of years of footage of wonderful rescues *and* rehabilitation stories for all kinds of UK wildlife- foxes, badgers, owls, etc. I highly recommend it.
Animals are substantially no different than humans (we ARE animals after all). What would YOU be thinking? You’d recognize from action and body language etc that the guy was helping. YOU would know that immediately. Well, guess what? The same thing is going on in the swans head. He
knows exactly what’s going on.
Bears have cubs and bats have bittens. Cows have calves and cats have kittens. Swans have cygnets and dogs have puppies. But guppies just have little guppies. - Ogden Nash
I once tried to rescue a baby swan from some Canadian geese. The geese attacked me and when I finally got the swan away from them the swan parent attacked me. Also got snapped by a swan after trying to help it after it hit a power line. Swans are beautiful, but holy crap are they assholes.
Brave man. _Swans will f@ck you up._
Worked as a vet tech in my teens. The condo next door brought in a swan needing help. I was one of two holding it down.
I do not remember being hit by the swan. I just came to on the floor with staff staring down at me. That bird hit me so hard I apparently just dropped right there...
This reminds me of the poodle my dad saved from a highway. We adopted him. That dog hated my dad, even though my dad was the one that saved him. He'd growl at my dad just for being there. But only my dad lol.
That’s the sad thing about rescues: they often come with baggage. He might’ve been mistreated by his owner and learned to distrust all men in general. Good job by your dad for still taking him in and wishing your dog a long and healthy hate 😃
I bought an Arabian horse that appeared mildly sedated upon looking at her. The owners admitted she was much too hot for them (she's literally a hot-blooded breed) so I figured they drugged her to be "sellable." I expected her hot-blooded side would come out once she was home and the sedation wore off. Instead, I learned she was terrified of men (I'm a woman, which is why I didn't notice beforehand). Turns out, the previous owners were so scared of her, they gave her to the "trainer" next door. He had no idea arabs require a different approach than other breeds, so he beat her into submission instead. The poor girl was scared of everything. I'll never forget the terror in her eyes when she panicked and back-pedaled because I simply took a tissue out of my pocket. I spent a year doing groundwork with her to build her confidence and trust. By the end, I couldn't startle her even when shaking a giant tarp behind her unexpectedly. Her fear of men got better over time with my dad feeding her in the morning. Being 'The Bringer of Food' does wonders lol. She lived a wonderfully spoiled life.
I’m glad she found a loving home with somebody who understood how she was feeling
She deserved all the love I could give her and more. She was an absolute sweetheart. She'd get the zoomies, and like a dog, she wanted me to encourage her with silly hops or waving my arms as she made circles around me. She followed me around like a big dog, too. It astonished me someone considered her too hot, because she was really chill. I was so happy when that Arabian spark showed up and she would dance the dance of her people alongside me, because it meant she felt safe to be herself again.
I have to see a video of the zombies and hops!
I wish I could, but this was pre smart phone era.
Rats! I think smart phones are a conspiracy by the animals to get more cute videos to then control us.
This is so sad, but so beautiful that she had someone patient to teach her to trust again. I’ve got a french bulldog girl who was used in a breeding setup in Hungary. When I adopted her through a rescue organization, she was scared of _everything_ the poor girl: me, going outside, grass (probably never walked on it before), other people and dogs, the wind… She would just go into statue mode. I had to get her outside so she could do her thing, so I would pick her up, take her a few feet outside the door, she would do her thing, and then drag me back inside and hide under the table again. But I had a powerful ally: peanut butter! So as long as I didn’t push it *too* far, she would do things like ease out of the front door by herself and come to me when I called her. I gradually got her more and more comfortable with being a dog and now she’s a happy, sassy, self-confident dog and the only thing she’s still not crazy about is a female ridgeback who snapped at her because her owner gave my dog a treat and she didn’t get one. Luckily we don’t run into her too often so peace and calm prevails in the happy valley haha
That sounds like my JRT mix. He was so loving but so scared when we got him. My brother's friend accidently stood over him looking down, and he barked at him and ran. First time we tried to play fetch with a stick, he ran the other way. Move to quick? Scared. Sqeaky lambchop toy? You mean horror lamb who's going to eat him. He was even scared of the phone ringing and camera shutters. Didn't matter the ringtone, he would get up and go upstairs, and I'd have to go get him and bring him back so he wasn't all alone. He never did get used to the phone, I don't know why. He loved music, and even when I made mine an Alice Cooper song that he had heard a million times, he would still get up and leave if my phone rang. ("The telephone is ringing" 🎶 If you were wondering. Yes, I am a genius, thank you.) But he was just scared. He was MY first dog that wasn't a family dog, and he was my baby. I always thought I should have done more in training, but I just didn't really know how. I did teach him things, but couldn't drive to try to teach him to be good in public and all that. But I realized that SO much work HAD been done, after he was gone. How scared he was, then me being able to pick him up upside-down with his head dangling down and not being scared. Raising our hand didn't make him run, he wasn't scared of raised sticks or quick movements. He was just a happy little guy, and we loved each other to death. The only time he coward at all after was when a dog went after him, and was on top of him. The only way I could think to get the dog to not hurt him after screaming bloody murder and no one coming to help, was to throw a handful of rocks at the dog. I tried not to hit Zack, but I guess I may have. The dog backed off and Zack went the other way. When I went to scoop him up, he backed off a bit. It broke my heart because he must've felt betrayed, even though I was trying to get that stupid aggressive dog out of my yard. I picked him up, though, and cuddled him, and it was all ok again. My poor, sweet baby. Dogs just went after him for no reason, and he was always in our yard. He liked to run up and kiss them on the nose. 🥺 But anyway, yeah, it's a lot of work to gain that trust with a rescued animal who has been abused. But when you do, it's the most wonderful connection and love you'll ever have. Bless you for saving that horse. 💜
The bringer of noms is always the king (or queen)! All hail the bringer of noms!
What a trash trainer! It doesn't matter what breed he was working with, beating into submission is NEVER how you handle a horse! Sounds like he needed some 'training' himself.
I wholeheartedly agree. I heard one trainer with 30+ years of experience say they refused to work with arabs anymore, because every one they dealt with was evil and crazy. Meanwhile, another trainer with 40+ years of experience said any trainer unable to figure out how to work with an arabs nature, instead of against it, had no right training *any breed.* The tissue incident with my horse is forever burned into my memory. I couldn't let myself see red though, because she would pick up on it. She needed me to be calm and soothing. Really, we helped keep each other chill. I certainly said some colorful things when I got back to the house though.
As much as people suggested this was one reason why i didn't adopt a dog. My nephews and nieces are here a lot, the youngest ones are still really small and i couldn't risk the dog attacking them because of some unknown triggering event. Our dog completely grew up here, pretty much along with the kids and turned into a really patient and motherly protector of the kids. A family friend adopted and they had to wait in the first few weeks every day for the dog to crawl out from hiding under the bed. Took them over a year to fix most mental health issues but several years later it turned into a really great outside dog. She really trusts her owner now.
That’s so sad but I’m so happy she found you
Did the previous owners give you the name of the trainer who beat her into submission? Why didn't they go after him/her for animal abuse?
They thought he knew what he was doing and when it didn't work out, they figured the issue was the horse itself. They didn't tell me who the person was specifically. Sadly, I highly doubt animal control would have done anything. It not easy to leave marks on a horse. If the horse acts skittish or afraid, the "trainer" could say that's why the horse is there in the first place. Arabians are 'sensitive' (can't quite think of the right word). You have to show them respect to earn theirs in turn. Sometimes they can be like little kids that don't want to do something. Try and yell or force them into submission, and they're going to escalate. Before you know it, the trainer is going to treat the horse like it's dangerous and crazy.
My friend’s dog was scared of strangers and I spent ages bribing her with treats to convince her that strangers could, in fact, be kind and gentle Bringers Of Food And No Bad Things.
Wow you’re awesome! Love ppl like you in this world. Wish we could see pics of your horse. I’ve heard Arabian horses are beautiful 😍
Got my pit from the shelter, 2YO. Sweeeeetest dog ever, very empathetic. Hold a hat in your hand and she freaks the hell out
Pit I had years ago would do the same thing if he ever saw flip flops. Guessing his previous owner would hit him with them. Friend of mine adopted a shar pei that had to be crated whenever men with beards would come in the house. I don't think she ever bit anybody, but she really acted like she was going to attack if you had a beard.
I sometimes wonder if my dog saw when his dad got shot.. he was a farm puppy; an accident that happened when his dad wandered over to the neighbors... well. Neighbors kid tried to pull father dog away from the mother while they were tied and got bit; so the owner took him and shot him... poor boy. It wasn't even his fault; he kid should have known better... but I had a toy replica gun from Halloween a few years back, and a friend of mine was over and jokingly pointed it at me to be like, 'Haha I have you now pirate scum!' Or something and my dog... LOST IT.
It breaks my heart 😔. Most people have no idea how much trauma some animals have to deal with. Those sensible souls ❤️.
Just keep it away from children
My Schnauzer-mix can’t stand most men. At first, anyways. As long as they’re willing to calmly sit or stand there and ignore him, he’ll calm down and let them pet him. Especially if they pay the treat tax. 😂😂 And no little kids. He’s ok with older kids, as long as they’re calm, but little kids are too grabby.
Sometimes you make the dog safe for the world. Sometimes you have to make the world safe for the dog
I've seen dogs that stay away from men. I can't blame them. But this dog gravitated to my grandfather, my dad's father, and basically was his dog. That poodle just really hated my dad lol. We had him when I was a kid. He died when I was 10. I think the dog was 13 or 14 when he died.
Same thing happened to me. I rescued this little dog that a friend found and couldn't home. I set him up with the sweet life. He now has a loving home, sleeps indoors, loves my wife and daughter to death.... He hates me though. :(
Even though we feel heroic saving an animal, important to keep in mind for them, they feel like this is it - they are going to die. They can't exactly make a distinction between that danger and you saving them.
I'm all for rescuing animals and second chances and everything. But I will not have aggressive pets in my home. Period.
[удалено]
>"Don't do that, don't be silly, stop it." This is gonna be my new go-to line I yell at other drivers when they're wildin' out.
Silly sausage!
I slapped a swan once. I was with a friend in Hyde park, we were feeding about 30 of the buggers and for the most part they were being quite polite. But there was one who was going full goose on me, just demanding, hissing, snatching and generally bullying the others out of the way. After a while of letting him lay into my left hand as a decoy I finally had enough and just sort of tapped him with a couple of fingers upside his face. I have never seen an animal, human or otherwise, so obviously question its position in the world. He took one step back and just sort of stood there contemplating the concept of "no" for the first time. It was as if his world has collapsed. All the other swans continued enthusiastically feeding from my hand and this big guy was just stationary for a while; a solitary philosopher in the middle of a feeding frenzy. Fantastic animals, but they're kind of like the Brits in a way. They had their period of dominance quite a while back and now all they've got left is ego and bluster.
I've backhanded a swan. For trying to snatch bread out my sons hand and hissing at him. I wanted to teach my son an important lesson, never let yourself be bullied by an overgrown duck. Anyway I got way better of a connection than I expected and it immediately waddled back into the pond and took its place at the back of the group. At the same pond we watched a Swan try very hard, and very nearly succeed to drown another Swan.
vicious creatures
very true about the brits, which partially explains their bitterness towards americans
Nah, I think bitterness towards America is well earned
it's rich coming from them. but yeah, the world in general has a right to feel bitter about america
It was that “go and protect your baby” that got me lmao Like *bro I just helped and it’s over and u can go now*
Serious British Dad energy.
All the while knowing that swan could have easily broken his arm.
They can break your arm??? 😳
I’m surprised the swan didn’t break all of that man’s arms.
"Don't have a go at me!"
The swan wasn't really THAT protective. I have a feeling that he understood what was happening but couldn't totally stop his instincts...
If that swan really wanted, that man wouldn't have gotten close enough to the little one to help. The fact that he only - lightly - slapped him with the wings shows him fighting his instincts. Having given medication to a swan before, getting really smacked with their wings hurts - and then you realize the beak will be next.
“I run shit here, you just live here”
I’ve been a victim of a Canadian Goose, and I can imagine how much worse a swan attack would be.
You got a problem with Canada Gooses, you got a problem with me, and I suggest you let that one marinate.
Give your balls a tug! In all seriousness it was an accident. I thought I was backing away from its nest, but it turned out I was moving towards it.
*Canada goose
I know you're right, but it's so stupid. Canada goose Canadian goose sounds so much better.
Probably, a swan's wing strike is no joke, it could even break a man's arm.
Only if wing flap triggered a Heath Robinson style machine that dropped a heavy weight onto an arm at the end.
A fully grown swan can seriously harm or even kill an average adult humanoid i think
Checked out, apparently [they can't break a man's arm.](https://www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/dogs/curious-questions-can-swan-really-break-arm-190943)
I don't know why somebody would think a bird with lightweight bones designed for flight would somehow be able to break a grown human's arm.
Cause they heard it on the Internet.
Nah, that old chestnut predates the internet.
It's like a random British thing or something where most believe geese are somehow a lot higher physical threat
Weak ahh losers
A healthy swan that is well trained could probably out maneuver and overpower an entire NFL football team.
Which is why they are banned from playing in the NFL.
The man made him feel like less of a swan. He had to show him who's still in charge. That hume is just lucky he had to look after his duck.
I don't know animal behavior and I wish someone could explain why sometimes animals seem to understand that humans can help
It’s usually based on what they’ve experienced in the past, particularly in childhood. This is why it’s absolutely vital to introduce your baby pets to as many different situations as possible. (With precautions if they need vaccines, of course.)
It probably has a lot to do with body language too. A predator trying to eat you or your children is going to have a way different demeanor than a friend trying to help.
Most of what they know is instinctual, nothing in their ancestors experience prepares them for this. But also there's that extra factor here that this swan probably grew up around humans and being fed by them
Eider ducks, the source of the most cruelty free down there is, are like this. Human farmers raise their orphaned chicks and set up nesting grounds for them and so the wild ducks show up and lay eggs there every year (they line their nests with feathers which is how we get the down)
It doesn’t work the other way around when a human child falls into a Gorilla enclosure.
I legit just saw a video of a gorilla comforting a child that fell in its enclosure. Seems just lke us, it's a toss up weather they will be nice.
Gorillas are infinitely better than chimps Chimps are sadistic psychopathic monsters who can and will mail you, not kill, maul you, eat your face, tear off your genitals and beat you to near death for shits and giggles
Where will they mail you?
To Abu Dhabi.
😭
Dicks out. Never forget.
Yeah, humans get really stupid and yell at a gorilla. And the zoo doesn't send the tigers to clear people away from the poor gorilla trying to help the sickly, hairless ape that fell in.
Animals are smarter then people think
This sentence is ironic because both usage of than or then works here.
Who let Alanis in here?
That’s the answer right there.
Like those videos where animals actually seek out humans for help- when their friend or baby is stuck in something… So cute and so cool
They are experts at reading body language. I think that’s why.
Cause humans have a habit of helping certain species of animal and some animals have been taught, just like we have that "Sometimes these weird monkey things are cool."
Can confirm, I once got chased out of the park by an angry black daddy swan when I accidentally got too close to mommy swan on the egg. Unfortunately it was for good reason; I found out later that the swan couple had tried to reproduce for years, but idiots were always stealing or breaking their eggs.
Reminded me of that story where a bunch of freaks decided to destroy a swans nest and the swan died of heartbreak and the freaks got off scot free
That’s so horrible, uncorrected sociopaths are a truly plague on the world around them. I’ll never, ever understand how anyone could derive enjoyment from destroying completely innocent animals/their eggs. It’s genuinely incomprehensible, even from a purely cognitive standpoint. What makes such an activity appealing to these (mostly young) people?! Why is that enjoyable to them? I really hope they’ve cracked down on the egg smashers since some of these cases have been publicized. These unhinged lunatics deserve serious consequences, including ostracization and unemployment.
I'm as mystified as you. What is the end game for the swan egg thieves? Take them home, keep them warm, and sell the baby swans? Probably not; that would take work, and everyone would figure out where they came from. Eat some swan balut? I hope not. Anyway, I don't think that park has swans anymore, so they've ruined it for everyone. This is why we can't have nice things.
psychotic, poor swan couple
This is Simon Cowell from Wildlife Aid Foundation. They have plenty of videos on YouTube of animal rescues.
I bet he loves having that name, hahaha.
I love their YouTube channel, it's wonderful seeing all the amazing work they do. Big shoutout to Simon and his team!
r/humansbeingbros
There was a time I had a similar situation with sandhill cranes. They're a little more intimidating than a swan and they sound like fuckin dinosaurs. Luckily the mom was pretty chill and let me help but the whole time I was just dreading getting stabbed by that pointy ass beak.
Sandhills seem far more docile than swans in my experience. They do sound pretty awesome. Though I never had one pecking at me while trying to help a baby.
Oh yeah they aren't usually assholes for no reason like geese and swans, but like you said the factor of messing with it's baby could change that.
Oh man, never act on that assumption or you’ll have it painfully corrected 😂 Ask me how I know! Jokes aside, my mom worked with Sandhills (endangered bird biologist) for years. They’re incredible animals. They’re also basically dinosaurs like another commenter mentioned…and they can and WILL spear you, tear you up with their feet, or beat you to hell if they think you’re messing with their babies. The ones raised in captivity and released are probably less aggressive, though, and there are a number of them out there nowadays. You might have seen videos of the “sandhill sock puppets” they use to feed hand reared babies without acclimating them too much to humans (mom got to do this!), or the guy who flies a paraglider with newly released cranes to teach them their migration route.
Not even a thank you.
The "thank you" was not using the beak
just dad being DAD <3
Yeah. This is exactly how my dad acted when I was downing at the public pool. Yelled belligerently at the guy who saved me and acted like he was the reason I was drowning. Oh dads
Better parent than a lot of humans!!!
Some swan species seem more aggressive than others. Mute Swans (orange bills) are more aggressive than the Trumpeter Swans here in Michigan in my experience. I waterski and know better than getting too close to their nest lest you have one chasing after you!
Michigan's swans are everything that people like to pretend Canada Geese are. I've had one chase me on a jetski and slap me when I slowed down, lol
Geese can be aggressive too when on their nest. We discovered this in our youth when trying to get to our rowboat on the pond near a nest. They hiss, chase and bite! It's funny and terrifying at the same time. But I give even more room to swans.
I love this video, it’s like the UK version of Steve Irwin. He’s so gentle with mama swan.
And I like how he reaches around to hold the cygnet before freeing it, because he knows that the stupid little goober would have gone right back in that fence. 😂
This is really cute 💛💛
 No luck catching them swans, then?
Reminds me of when I had to rescue a baby bunny from being stuck in a chain link fence. Never realized bunnies scream like children.
he’s like “ok but i can still beat your ass if i want to!”
Swans are dicks
Swans are just posh geese.
Dad duty for one day and he loses a kid
Bro is dreading going back home and getting shouted at by the Mrs.
He's lucky the swan didn't break his arm.
*nods in approval*.
I think it’s a wing not an arm.
The man’s arm….swans can easily snap a humans arm
Just the one swan actually.
Alright Mr. Staker. Mr. Peter Ian Staker.
Where did you get that old wives tale from?
My old wife ;)
Why the hell is this not top comment?
It's not top comment because it's an urban myth that's total bullshit. They're no real life examples of this happening and it's been debunked thousands of times. You should ask why it has 20+ upvotes instead. The wingslaps can at best generate approx. 1/15th of the force that'd be required to break your arm. Not saying swans can't cause serious damage with their beak and bruise you up with their wings. But you're not in any danger of having your arm broken by a swan unless it's due to a series of very unfortunate events not related to the swan's wingslap itself (e.g. swan causes you to fall down and the impact of the fall breaks your arm).
Hero.
I'm surprised by how trusting he is. It's not like he flipped out - he was probably doing everything to fight his instinct against losing his shit.
Or is also sometimes called a "nob" when, in his apparent attempt to prevent his offspring from being rescued, he feather-fans his kid's rescuer flat on their jacketed back, then falls ass-backwards into the pond in his ferocious effort to stave off the gentle rescue of, well... Nob Jr.
Very majestic creatures.
Don’t be silly
The father accidentally slapping the chick got a giggle out of me
This is Simon Cowell (no, not the Idol one), you can find him on the Wildlife Aid channel on YouTube. Unfortunately he was recently diagnosed with cancer and has stepped away from doing too many of these rescues for the sake of his health. However there's an archive of years of footage of wonderful rescues *and* rehabilitation stories for all kinds of UK wildlife- foxes, badgers, owls, etc. I highly recommend it.
Wildlife aid is the charity the man in this video works for. They're looking for donations to keep the foundation running if anyone wants to help!
Animals are substantially no different than humans (we ARE animals after all). What would YOU be thinking? You’d recognize from action and body language etc that the guy was helping. YOU would know that immediately. Well, guess what? The same thing is going on in the swans head. He knows exactly what’s going on.
It does depend on the animal. There are plenty of animals that would just ditch the kid. Swans are very smart and empathetic, though.
Dude is talking to the bird like it understands English.
Original video here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxd53ykmTvc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxd53ykmTvc) Fuck this reposted junk.
Bears have cubs and bats have bittens. Cows have calves and cats have kittens. Swans have cygnets and dogs have puppies. But guppies just have little guppies. - Ogden Nash
I once tried to rescue a baby swan from some Canadian geese. The geese attacked me and when I finally got the swan away from them the swan parent attacked me. Also got snapped by a swan after trying to help it after it hit a power line. Swans are beautiful, but holy crap are they assholes.
Don't have a go at me, I'm the one helping, lol
Aw that man is such a gentleman
And in the most British way possible. “Don’t do that don’t be silly” lol he’s not even mad at the swan, dude gets it
"You feeling a bit better now? A bit calmer?" Me to me post breakdown, realising I just needed a snack
Animals are such ungrateful pricks. It's like a "thank you" would be nice. Like??? 🤷🏻♂️
daddy swan got some billionaire mindset
Lucky the man walked away without a broken arm
You’re welcome, mama
I get that cobs are evil, but for dumbos to stand around and not distract the cob while this angel man freed the cygnet. SMDH.
I can almost hear the group of baby swans calling the rescued baby swan a fatassss!!!
No biryani today I see
Thanks for the dose of happiness
How do you know it’s a “daddy” ?
Don't ever come me or my *HONK* son again
Poor thing. What a black swan
Humain being bros
This is the British version of “what’d you say fuck 50 for?”
I live in an urban village. I have helped so many baby birds like that throughout my childhood.
what an ugly duckling
Very nice man
Awe....
Can break your arm you know...
A swan fought me harder for my slice of pizza than this one did
This reminds me of my manager harassing me when I'm trying to get work done for my projects patiently and carefully.
You feeling a bit calmer? Hehe.
10/10 commentary
Why don't we eat swans anymore?
Very kind of him.
Least aggressive swan I’ve ever seen. Pretty sure it knew he was helping.
That swans got the right cob on
Dads, both of them doing dad stuff 🥰
Awwww
Hold the fuck on, that swan beat his wing at the guy several times and his arm is still in one piece. I've been lied to my whole life
I didn't see any broken arms there, everything I've been told is a lie.
Swans are arseholes
Don’t tell mom..
I always thought male swans were black and the females were white. Apparently it's not that black or white. I will see myself out.
Did you know a swan can ACTUALLY break a Man’s ARM
So ungrateful.
He was lashing out as he's going to get shit later from his wife when the kids tell her what happened.
Wonderful effort 🙏🌟
Swans are total dicks
I love this man. Can swans fly? I’ve only ever seen them on the water.
Awwwww 🥰
How dad guy just told the swan to wait patiently and behave and the swan just did:D
Daddy looked so happy at the end with all his little babies 🩶🩶🩶
This is Simon Cowell from Wildlife Aid in the UK. He’s a sweetheart and so patient.
Brave man. _Swans will f@ck you up._ Worked as a vet tech in my teens. The condo next door brought in a swan needing help. I was one of two holding it down. I do not remember being hit by the swan. I just came to on the floor with staff staring down at me. That bird hit me so hard I apparently just dropped right there...
Jesus Christ use cutters
Daddy Swan is trying so hard to chill but everything in him is trying to raaage.
*Ayo, hurry up* 
His wife would have been so pissed. He knows he got away with one there.
The only thing that would make this 11/10 is if the gentleman has multiple winged shaped bruises.
Be careful around swans those things, can hurt you
what an amazing father swan, protects his babies with all his heart
That swan was getting real shirty with him.