Animals Do The Bravest Things Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kangaroo

In September 2003, farmer Len Richards was knocked unconscious when a branch fell during a storm on his farm in Victoria State. Lulu made her way to the family house and raised the alarm by "barking" at Len's wife, Lynne. Along with her nephew, she found Len, who later told Australian Broadcasting radio: "My nephew, when he got to my side, said she'd actually tipped me on my side and vomit was coming out of my mouth so she'd actually saved me from choking." Lulu was later awarded the National Animal Valor Award.

Answer: Guard their camps at night

History, it seems, has been revised and the reality is much less than the official citation for the Dickin Medal would have us believe. War Dog No 471/322, the citation states, made 20 parachute jumps in operations into Italy and North Africa. His task on the ground was to act as a sentry at night. In his obituary, 'Who Cares Wins', Prof Quentin Hughes MC, who served with the SAS at the time, said that Rob was just a home-based companion for the quartermaster of 2nd SAS. When Rob's true owners wanted him back, Prof Hughes claims to have 'concocted' the story about the operations.

Answer: Searched for animals in the rubble of bombed-out buildings in WW2

Beauty was in an animal rescue squad operated by the PDSA (The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals). Her task was to seek out pets ad their owners in the rubble of bombed buildings. She rescued 63 animals and received her medal in 1945.

Answer: Kept the rat population under control on a ship trapped by Chinese communists

Simon was the mascot of HMS Amethyst which was trapped by Chinese Communist forces for 101 day on the River Yangtze in 1949. He prevented rats from overrunning the ship, despite having been wounded by shrapnel. He was the first cat to be awarded the Dickin Medal, "the Animal's Victoria Cross".

Answer: Led their owners to safety from the World Trade Centre towers on 9/11

Roselle and Salty were both guide dogs (seeing eye dogs) for blind owners.
After Tower 1 was struck, Salty led his owner, a Port Authority employee, down 70 flights of stairs. Initially he had been unleashed so he could save himself, but returned to guide his owner to the street.
Roselle was also trapped with her owner, a sales manager, in Tower 1 and led him down from the 78th floor and through the smoke and rubble after the tower collapsed.
They received their awards at a ceremony in March 2002.
A similar award went that day to Appollo, a German Shepherd of the NYPD. That award represented the work done by all the rescue dogs at the Twin Towers.

Answer: Pigeon

In 1943, the Allied forces were making slow progress in their invasion of Italy. As artillery units prepared to bombard the village of Calvi Vecchia, Joe arrived through with word that it had been captured by British troops. Had he not arrived in the nick of time, then the troops and villagers would have been caught up in a bombardment.
G. I. Joe was one of 54,000 pigeons that have served in the United States Army Pigeon Service.

Answer: Defended them after they were attacked by two pit bulls

In May 2007, Associated Press reported: "A plucky foot-high Jack Russell terrier named George saved five New Zealand children from two marauding pit bulls, but was so severely mauled in the fight he had to be destroyed, his owner said Wednesday.
"George was playing with the group of children as they returned home from buying sweets at a neighbourhood shop in the small North Island town of Manaia last Sunday when the two pit bulls appeared and lunged toward them, his owner, Allan Gay, said.
"George was brave - he took them on, and he's not even a foot high," Gay told The Associated Press. "He jumped in on them, he tried to keep them off.
George receive the PDSA Gold Medal, and a US veteran, Jerrell Hudman, was so moved that he sent on one of the three Purple Hearts he had been awarded in the Vietnam War.

Answer: Saved a human toddler from attack by other gorillas

Binti Jua lived at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. When a three-year-old boy fell into the enclosure in August 1996, she went to his assistance and kept less-friendly gorillas at bay before carrying him to an access door. The boy made a successful recovery.

Answer: St Bernard

Bamse was a crew member of the Norwegian minesweeper 'The Thorodd' in WW2. He had his own steel helmet and stood at the front of the ship in battle. After Norway fell to the Nazis, 'The Thorodd', and Bamse, were stationed in Scotland. One of his duties was to ensure that crew members made it safely back from the local pubs after a night out.

In 1941, he also saved one of the officers when he bounded forward and knocked into the sea a thug with a knife. On another occasion he dived into the water to save a crewman who had fallen overboard.

In 2006, Bamse was awarded a posthumous medal of honour. The 'Sunday Times' reported in 2006: "He died on the dockside of the Angus port on July 22 1944. Hundreds turned out for his funeral, and more than 800 children lined the route to the River Esk, where Bamse was laid in the dunes, with his head facing Norway."

Answer: Carried a live grenade away from helpless soldiers

Gander was the mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada during WW2. They were sent to defend Hong Kong from the advancing Japanese and on one occasion Gander charged at Japanese soldiers approaching wounded Canadians. Then, in December 1941, came the incident that claimed his life. Gander picked up a grenade that landed near a group of soldiers and as he carried it away, it exploded. For that, Gander was posthumously awarded "The Dickin Medal", the highest honour that can be awarded for animal bravery.