In fact, he thought it was a human at first!

That’s why he and his friend, who were out fishing on Lake Vygozero in northwestern Russia, sped directly toward the floating blob.

If it was a human, that person would be in dire need of assistance because the water temperature was frigid.

In fact, Lake Vygozero is infamous for having incredibly cold water; it can go down to 4 degrees below zero!

So, Ruslan and his fishing buddy headed toward the brown spot on the water, preparing for a rescue.

But when they got closer, they realized it wasn’t a human … whatever it was had fur.

And it was gigantic!

Then, when they brought up the binoculars, they saw that it was actually THREE brown blobs:

One was a mother brown bear and the other two were her struggling cubs!

That’s when the mama bear did something the fishermen couldn’t believe:

Instead of sticking with her cubs, she turned around and headed back to shore, leaving the two babies behind.

The cubs were having trouble staying afloat and they couldn’t keep up with their mother, who was obviously a stronger swimmer.

As they watched the mother swim away in consternation, the fishermen knew they had to help.

And even though the bears in trouble were just babies, they knew it would indeed be a little risky. But as Ruslan said:

“It was dangerous of course. But they are living creatures. We couldn’t just look the other way.”

They steered toward the drowning cubs and before they knew it, the first one tried climbing into the boat!

But he was too weak to make it, so the fishermen grabbed a net and scooped up the terrified animal.

The second cub was even more exhausted; it couldn’t even attempt to lift itself into the boat, so Ruslan and his friend did all the work for him.

Once they’d safely snagged both cubs, the fishermen headed directly to a nearby island…

The island the mama bear was waiting on!

Under the mother’s watchful eye, Ruslan and his friend unloaded their precious cargo on the beach, and then motored off.

After all, it’s not a good idea to be near cubs when when the mother bear is nearby!

And although it would forever remain a mystery as to why the mother bear had left the cubs in the lake, at least those two babies were safe.

All because two determined fishermen weren’t about to let them drown … no matter how big their claws were!

Source: Honest to Paws

The post Fishermen Spot A Furry Blob In A Freezing Lake – They Get Closer, Then Leap For Their Nets appeared first on Addicting Stories.

But they didn’t expect to get quite THIS close to a huge humpback whale!

Michael Fishbach, one of the founders of the Great Whale Conservancy, took the fateful trip on Valentine’s Day in the Sea of Cortez.

Then everyone noticed a huge animal floating alongside their boat…

They got a closer look and realized it was a humpback whale, and she didn’t look like she was in good condition.

In fact, she was barely moving at all!

Michael then noticed the problem:

The huge mammal and gotten entangled in a gillnet, and she was so badly wound up in the netting, she was trapped!

Her pectoral fins were pinned to her body and her tail was weighed down by a ton of fishing gear.

Being the tremendous whale lover he is, Michael was just heartbroken:

The post Boaters See Struggling Whale – One Man Spots The Problem, Then Grabs A Knife And Jumps In appeared first on Addicting Stories.

They prepared to charge right in but before they could move, they noticed something truly terrifying…

It wasn’t the condition of the poor dog, though the suffering pit bull was indeed in bad shape.

She clearly hadn’t eaten in some time and she’d probably been chained up for a very long time. She was filthy, unhappy, and very scared.

And she was scared because she was surrounded by a horde of unsavory creatures!

That’s what made the animal rescue officers freeze:

The ailing pit bull was in the midst of a giant flock of vultures!

It was suddenly as clear as day: this poor innocent creature was on the verge of death, and those nasty scavengers knew it.

It made the officers work even faster, as they quickly chased the dozens of black birds away and raced to bring the pit bull to safety.

Even after she was rescued, however, the neglected pooch remained fearful and timid. Those vultures had only made her terrible situation worse!

But this dog’s dreams were about to come true…

Because the local news picked up this dark story of an abused pup and the swarming vultures, a lot of kind-hearted souls came forward to adopt the dog.

It wasn’t long before the friendly canine found her forever home, with Keana Lynch and Travis Henley.

The couple named the dog Lilo (Travis’ daughter’s favorite movie is “Lilo and Stitch”) and now, Lilo’s fear is finally starting to melt away.

The trauma she sustained will never happen again and she knows it. No more chains or vultures for Lilo!

And it gets even better:

Lilo visits schools with Keana to teach kids about dog behavior and rescue animals, and Lilo even gets dressed up for the lessons!

Oh, and Lilo has a new sister, too, and the pups are absolutely inseparable.

Lilo went from being chained up and left to starve to having a best friend, loving owners, and an honorable purpose in life!

Now this is a feel-good story that has it all … vultures included!

Source: Honest to Paws

The post Rescuers Run Toward Starving Pup, But Freeze When They See He’s Surrounded By Nasty Creatures appeared first on Addicting Stories.

But the crew of the Manly Fast Ferry in Sydney, Australia would describe what happened next as “one of the weirdest incidents.”

And passengers will definitely remember it for a long time, too!

It began when a woman spotted an animal swim out past the jetty, and right into the path of the ferry.

…and this was no sea creature!

She couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but she was convinced it didn’t belong in the water.

Before long, a crowd had gathered at the wharf, and many were frantically pointing at the creature in the water.

Some were just shocked to see the animal; others were trying to warn the ferry pilot.

But the boat captain didn’t realize what they were doing, and just kept going … full steam ahead!

Thankfully, one of the ferry crew spotted the struggling animal at the last second, and he yelled to the captain to change course.

He did so, just in time, and the furry swimmer was saved!

But what was it…?

Well, when the boat got closer, the crew and passengers realized:

It was a wallaby!

That’s right, one of those furry kangaroo-like creatures you might see during a trip to Australia.

You just never expect to see them swimming for their lives in a river! Wallabies aren’t really known for their swimming skills, after all.

So, how to save the little guy?

The crew tried angling the boat to steer the wallaby back to land, but that really wasn’t working. He just kept swimming in circles.

And he was obviously getting tired … he wasn’t going to be able to stay afloat much longer!

So, the boat pulled alongside the frightened marsupial and a crew member did exactly what he should do:

He leaned over and snagged the furry friend by the tail, and hauled him on board!

Everyone applauded!

And when they got back to land, a vet checked her out to find “water in her lungs and scrapes on her feet,” but otherwise in good health.

Treatment would be quick and simple and after that, the wallaby would be returned to the wild … the wild on land, where she belongs!

They named her Christine and said goodbye. And now everyone involved has a great story to tell!

“You’ll never believe what we saw swimming in the river one day, and what the ferry crew did about it…”

Source: Honest to Paws

The post Boat Cruise Becomes A Rescue Mission After They Spot A Drowning Creature In The Water appeared first on Addicting Stories.

But one group of fearless – and adorable! – animals decided they’d risk it.

They were obviously counting on the goodness of humans to do the right thing…

But they’d need a LOT of humans to do the right thing, all at once!

It happened during rush hour on a highway near downtown Auckland, New Zealand:

Last Friday, a tiny feathery family had somehow gotten stranded on the center median, and now faced thousands of racing vehicles.

Now, ducks can fly, of course … but not baby ducks!

That’s right, a mama duck and her babies were trapped and the mother wasn’t about to fly off and leave her brood behind.

So, what to do?

Well, the goodness of strangers happened: everyone suddenly started stopping so the ducks would be able to cross safely!

SH1 NORTHERN MWY, SOUTHBOUND – 7:45AM
Please allow a little extra time citybound on the Northern Mwy this morning with minor delays due to ducks crossing near Tristram Ave. NZ Police are now escorting all to safety. ^TP #becauseitsfriday #nocrashescaused pic.twitter.com/c38jB6lhV5

— NZTA Akld & Nthlnd (@NZTAAkl) August 23, 2018

Vehicle after vehicle slowed to a stop and when the mama duck and her ducklings realized the path was clear, they took off!

Sure, three lanes of traffic grinding to a halt at rush hour causes a small delay.

But most people didn’t have a problem with it at all; as one person said:

“That’s an awesome example for equally respecting animals!

It’s good to come across such news and [I”m] feeling happy that there’s still humanity prevailing in a society!”

The ducks did need some assistance after the crossing, but the New Zealand Traffic Authority quickly got the family back to a safe place.

Doesn’t this just make your day?

Source: The Dodo

The post Tiny Animal Family Trapped On A Highway – Traffic Cam Captures Their Desperate Dash appeared first on Addicting Stories.

It began in late 2017, when videos and images were spotted online of a 24-year-old man abusing animals.

Well, as you might expect, a whole lot of animal lovers were horrified at the display and many contacted law enforcement.

Thankfully, authorities acted quickly.

They first pinpointed this evil man’s location and when everyone was set, they raided the apartment in a French suburb of Noisy-le-Sec.

Nobody was home – the criminal had made a run for it – but authorities did find a heartbreaking sight:

They came across a precious wild animal, terrified and locked in a cage!

And when rescuers got a little closer, they realized with a shock that it was a tiny lion cub!

The poor thing was barely a year old and suffered from many cuts and bruises. He was also badly malnourished.

It was such a depressing sight.

But thankfully, a couple animal rescue organizations sprang into action: Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis and Refuge de l’Arche.

They quickly transferred the abused cub to the Natuurhulpcentrum in Belgium, which specializes in rehabilitating big cats.

There, the stricken cub was named King and he rapidly began to improve.

Before long, he had sprouted into an animal well deserving of his name!

That’s when Born Free stepped in with a plan to transfer King to their Big Cat Rescue Centre at the Shamwari Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

That’s where King belonged, after all!

And finally, just last month, the once-abused baby lion flew 6,000 miles and arrived at his new home.

Rescuers were a little nervous about how King would respond to this big, free open world, but he immediately started frolicking about!

It didn’t take long at all for King to join his fellow lions and lead the life he was always meant to live.

From terribly abused and locked in a cage to healthy and free … that’s quite the transformation!

Now, let’s just hope authorities eventually catch that heartless abuser!

Source: Honest to Paws

The post Rescuers Raid A Deserted Apartment – A Totally Unexpected Animal Is Locked In A Cage appeared first on Addicting Stories.

The Tennessee native loves to get outside and push herself to the extreme, and that includes hiking in dangerous territory.

But she never expected to be in a position where she’d be saved … and not by a human!

Amelia decided to go hiking in Chugach State Park, which is a huge rocky mountain expanse situated about 30 miles east of Anchorage, Alaska.

It’s a cold, forbidding environment but Amelia felt up to the challenge.

She struck out alone (brave girl!) and on the second day of her trip, she started to descend into Eagle River Valley.

But as she was going down, the unthinkable happened:

Her walking sticks snapped and she slid 300 feet, smashed off a boulder, then fell another 400 feet down a snowy hill!

The 21-year-old survived the tumble but she was in bad shape; she was bleeding and broken, and there was no way she’d be able to get back to civilization alone.

Then suddenly, she saw something terrifying … and she thought her situation had just gotten worse!

A white furry streak came out of nowhere and headed straight for her!

Her first instinct was that it was a big hungry wolf, and it had spotted injured prey … and he was going to finish her off.

Amelia trembled as the big animal came close, then she realized…

It wasn’t a wolf; it was just a huge Husky that looked a lot like a wolf! And on his tag was a welcoming announcement:

This Husky was named Nanook and he was a Crow Pass Guide!

Amelia couldn’t believe it. The dog, which she had thought was a wild beast, was there to support her. And it gave her strength.

She managed to get up and pitch a tent and though Nanook wouldn’t enter the tent, he didn’t budge all night. Said Amelia:

“I realized he really was sticking with me when he greeted me in the morning when I unzipped my tent.

He had stayed the entire night next to me.”

The next day, an injured Amelia set out for home with Nanook at her side. But Nanook wasn’t done saving her life.

When Amelia tried to cross the deep Eagle River, she slipped and the water pulled her under … she was drowning!

But there was Nanook, pulling her back to shore after grabbing her backpack!

Finally, later that day, Amelia remembered that she had an emergency tracker; her mother had forced her to take it with her.

She quickly activated it and several hours later, rescue workers honed in on her location.

When they found her, the rescuer workers and troopers were slack-jawed:

“Nookie was nothing short of a modern-day Lassie hero,” one rescuer, Alaska State Trooper Lt. Eric Olsen, said.

And for his heroics, this amazing dog was made an honorary Alaska State Trooper!

Of course, Amelia will always remember Nanook for what he did for her … he basically saved her life twice! Incredible!

The loyalty and determination of our canine friends never ceases to amaze us.

Source: Honest to Paws

The post Deaf Hiker Plunges 700 Feet Down A Cliff – An Unexpected Animal Sprints To Her Aid appeared first on Addicting Stories.

But when they got close enough, they realized it was no seal … and the poor furry creature was trapped!

It all began when Mallory Harrigan and her boyfriend Cliff Russell, crab fishermen from Labrador, Canada, set out early one crystal clear morning.

Mallory, Cliff, and the rest of the crew sailed through the harbor, and everything seemed pretty normal.

There were hundreds of tiny icebergs around them; chunks of ice that often break free from larger bergs at that time of year.

Then, when they were several miles from shore, they realized that a flock of seagulls seemed intent on one particular piece of ice…

And on that piece of ice, there appeared to be an animal of some kind. It made sense to think it was a seal.

But as they got closer, they realized the animal had fur and it looked a lot like a dog…

Well, they weren’t far off: it turned out to be a stranded arctic fox!

The crew figured the poor thing had been on the ice when it broke away from the shoreline, and now there was no way for the fox to escape.

Mallory and Cliff knew they had to help, but how? They couldn’t reach the fox from the deck of the boat.

So, they decided to gently hit the iceberg with the ship, so the chunk the fox was on would fall into the water.

And the instant the fox was in the water, they could scoop him up with one of their big nets!

Well, it was a good plan but the frightened creature had no idea the fishermen crew was trying to save him, so he fought like crazy against that net.

Thankfully, however, they were finally able to drag the soaked, scared animal on board. What a rescue!

They then set up the fox with a makeshift bed, so he could rest, warm up, and get his strength back.

The fox was obviously starving, though, so the crew wasn’t sure the little guy was going to make it. And he refused to eat any crackers, too.

But it was just a matter of the type of food … because when he was offered Vienna sausages, he ate ’em all up!

At long last, they got the fox back to land and though he was at first a little suspicious, he eventually darted off, back into the icy wild!

Mallory and Cliff didn’t catch any crab that day, but they did save the life of an amazing and beautiful animal.

Wouldn’t you say that’s a fair trade-off?

Source: Honest to Paws

The post Strange Animal Stranded On A Hunk Of Ice – Fishermen Get Closer, Realize It’s No Sea Creature appeared first on Addicting Stories.

And one Nebraska woman certainly found three surprises at the bottom of a well near her property!

Morgan Brumm first heard the noises when she stepped outside her family home, and she recognized those sounds as animals in distress.

But where were they coming from?

Well, Morgan traced them to an old well in a nearby forested area, and when she looked inside, she gasped!

There was a baby deer trapped down there!

Actually, when she knelt down to get a closer look, she realized there were three fawns crying for help!

As she told The Dodo:

“…I peeked in a bit and only saw one head. I thought, ‘All right, I can do this.’ I took another step forward and saw three. I was blown away.”

She was indeed, but she couldn’t reach the bottom of the well. She needed assistance, so she quickly whipped out her phone.

She knew just who to call:

“I called my best friend’s dad to see if he could come down and help.

He came within five minutes, laid next to the well and pulled all three babies out.”

It took him just 30 seconds to extract all the deer, which is no small feat!

After all, you can expect the babies are scared and aren’t used to human hands, even if those hands are trying to help.

But this Good Samaritan took care of business quickly and the instant the fawns were free, they sprinted off to find their mama.

Morgan said she saw a female deer wandering around nearby so there very likely was a happy reunion!

Perhaps one day the family will come back Morgan’s way; she’d very much like to get a picture of them if she could.

And here’s the fantastic rescue:

Source: NTD.TV

The post Woman Hears Faint Cries Coming From A Well – She Looks Inside And Whips Out Her Phone appeared first on Addicting Stories.

But it wasn’t just one. Many newspapers would be lying outside his North Carolina home; sometimes as many as ten!

What the heck would he need all these newspapers for? Was it due to a drunken delivery person, or something?

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, other items started appearing along with the newspapers…

James woke up one morning to find a bunch of phone books, too!

The post Man Gets Dozens Of Stolen Papers Every Day – Night Vision Catches The Furry Culprits appeared first on Addicting Stories.