Some of the most compassionate deeds are not done by Christians trying to get into heaven or by Liberals proving that social programs work. In fact compassion which is widely recognized as a human trait might very well be an instinct that is not exclusive to humanity at all. Animals of different species practice compassion in manners that don't seem consistent with their prime need to survive. I have put together a few You Tube video's I found that demonstrate just that. In one of the video's an orangutan in a zoo enclosure spends a good ten minutes carefully trying to coax a baby bird out of the water where it could have drowned and onto the safety of a leaf he guided with precision. The animal did not distract from its mission of mercy until it had pulled the helpless creature from the water and was sure that it was still alive.
In another video a dog risks getting hit on a busy highway to rescue another dog that had gotten hit. But lest you might think that dogs spend a lot of time with humans and so this type of behavior is natural and orangutans are peaceful mostly herbivorous creatures so this would not surprise you I also included a video of a carnivores predatory big cat who despite her inability to nurse the calf (that is right, calf) in her care, she protects it for three weeks from her hungry on looking pride. There is no explanation why she should risk her life to save the life of what in another instance might have been her prey. But she did and it does happen. To me at least it is encouraging that creatures who show no ulterior motives can teach humanity benevolence in its purest form. Thanks for reading. Please watch the other video examples below.
Dog saves boy from cougar attack.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Iw7dKC8_...Gorilla helps toddler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmDdBuOa7...Dog protects abandoned baby with her own pups
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rWP1O3Hb...