Sheba, a Rottweiler living in Florida had no choice but to watch her owner bury her pups in a two-foot deep hole in his back garden.  Neighbours reported hearing her howling all night and desperately trying to break from her chain.  After twenty four hours, she was able to break the chain and dig the surviving pups out of the hole.

Very sensitive microphones were attached to twigs where several treehoppers were resting.  The microphones revealed that when young treehoppers were threatened they would call to their mother and she would come running to protect them.

 

Elephants produce oxytocin as do humans, when they are pregnant.  This hormone creates feelings of overwhelming love for their baby.  Elephants and their cubs form very close bonds with one another and if the mother is shot for her tusks, the cub left behind will not leave the side of his mother, even when attacked by predators and faced with starvation.  Mothers also will protect their cubs with their life.

 

As humans, when you feel affection towards someone, you want to touch them and there is much evidence to suggest animals feel the same.  Cats rub up against their owners and members of their family, for example.  Many kinds of monkey enjoy being physically close to people and animals they are fond of.  Mr. Bartlett, a keeper from the Zooilogical Gardens, describes the behaviour of two chimpanzees in his care, after they'd first been brought together, 'They sat opposite, touching each other with their much protruded lips; and the one put his hand on the shoulder of the other.  They then mutually folded each other in their arms. Afterwards they stood up, each with one arm on the shoulder of the other, lifted up their heads, opened their mouths, and yelled with delight.'

 

'Elephant Bill' an early account of working elephants in Burma, talks of a calf who was trapped in a violent stream.  He cried for his mother who encircled him with her trunk to bring him upstream.  When this didn't work she swam after him and managed to get him to safety being carried off by the torrent in the process.  She did manage to free herself in the end and ran back to her calf, calling to him all the way.  When they were re-united, she stopped roaring and started to make a low rumbling sound, similar to that of a cat purring.