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Humans are pretty dangerous creatures, which is why so many wild animals give us a wide berth. But sometimes an animal needs help and approaches humans.

I think it's important not to read too much into the video. Sharks are clearly not simply mindless eating machines, and we know they go to "cleaning stations" where certain fish species like cleaner wrasses provide a service for many species so to some extent this could be an extension of such behavior. Also, since this group provides a "feeding station" it's not that bizarre an injured shark would show up for what is probably an easy meal and feel non-threatened enough to allow humans to approach.

Here's a raven that allows a human to help it. Clearly, the raven is in pain and pulling the quills out hurts but the bird sticks around until the job is done and although it clearly protests it doesn't injure the human helping it.

I find these sorts of incidents fascinating.

Can't seem to find it now, but I recently saw a video of a man helping a skunk that had its head trapped inside of a soda can. The skunk let him help then just waddled off down the road, happy as can be.

My beagle routinely requests help getting into the food pantry.

Domestic animals don't count for purposes of this thread.

Broomstick wrote:Domestic animals don't count for purposes of this thread.

Yeah; they're accustomed to people and, in most cases, have at least a vague understanding of their relationship. Pets in particular will know what they can and can't do, and know that doing certain things will provoke certain reactions. They will have certain expectations (cows come in at night and get a nice feed, etc) that wild animals just don't have.

Ah well with that being said then, I did get a lizard stuck in the bird netting I keep over my pond to keep predators out. He was wrapped up pretty good in it and would have died. He was a pretty large alligator lizard and mean-looking, but he let me handle him as I cut away the netting from his body with a pair of scissors. He seemed to know that I was helping to free him, so he didn't struggle or snap at me or anything. When I finally got enough net snipped to free his legs, he wiggled out and just looked over his shoulder at me before he wandered off. He didn't come to me seeking help but he seemed to know I wasn't going to hurt him, so he remained calm.

Borgholio wrote:Ah well with that being said then, I did get a lizard stuck in the bird netting I keep over my pond to keep predators out. He was wrapped up pretty good in it and would have died. He was a pretty large alligator lizard and mean-looking, but he let me handle him as I cut away the netting from his body with a pair of scissors. He seemed to know that I was helping to free him, so he didn't struggle or snap at me or anything. When I finally got enough net snipped to free his legs, he wiggled out and just looked over his shoulder at me before he wandered off. He didn't come to me seeking help but he seemed to know I wasn't going to hurt him, so he remained calm.

If he was on the cooler end of things, that'd easily explain it.


A raven (or any other corvid) approaching a human for help, or at least not immediately fleeing and then realizing the human was helping, isn't shocking. If they've had positive experiences in the past they'll be more prone to trusting humans to begin with, and they're damn smart birds. Smarter than a parrot.

There's a video floating about of some raccoons stuck in a dumpster, and a person pushes a board in so they can get out. One gives the person what appears to be a nod of appreciation, though I doubt that's what it really was. Raccoons are clever bastards, from what I can tell, so I'm guessing it figured out the person was benign enough.

Here is one video about a humpback whale accepting assisstance from humans

My own personal experience with wild animals are not that strong. All I have done is nurse a few wounded and or starving hedgehogs back to full health.

Broomstick wrote:Sharks are clearly not simply mindless eating machines, and we know they go to "cleaning stations" where certain fish species like cleaner wrasses provide a service for many species so to some extent this could be an extension of such behavior. Also, since this group provides a "feeding station" it's not that bizarre an injured shark would show up for what is probably an easy meal and feel non-threatened enough to allow humans to approach.

I always seek help from humans when I'm seriously injured. That said, I did put away an entire pizza the other day.

Some asshole left an illegal gill net in a god damn pond. I happened across a water snake that was caught in it to the point that the net had cut through to its rib cage. Water snakes are not the most pleasant of snakes to deal with, they tend to defend themselves very aggressively, and this snake did. Until I started cutting the net away and it was not in as much pain. She calmed down rather quickly after that and let me take her back to my lab where I cleaned her injuries, packed them with wet gauze, and then changed them every day for a week. Once the wounds started closed up I let her go. Never tried to bite me once.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj6quKEn3dw Baby fox approached people for help with jar stuck in head