Carp, Nature’s Protectors

18 Mar, 2013

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Rockford, IL – You’ve seen it on Carpy the River Fish and other popular TV shows; carps rescuing humans from drowning and keeping them safe from harm.

Does it really happen? The answer is YES, dummy, or I would not have anything to report on.

Several years ago, in the Mighty Rock River, a Beloitian tourist was rescued by three carps from man-eating catfish. A drunk man had stopped his boat near the Piss Island Peninsula so that several passengers could watch carp playing.

Three of the passengers decided to swim with the carps, and one stayed a little longer than the others. To his horror, he was bitten by a catfish–and more were coming. Suddenly, three carps placed themselves between the drunk tourist and the catfish, smacking the water with their tails and making weird noises with there big lips.  They drove the catfish off so that the man could be rescued.

In 2004, a group of swimmers were confronted by a ten-foot great white shark off the northern coast of new Zealand. A pod of ocean carps “herded” themselves together, circling the swimmers until the great white shark fled. There are several other examples from that specif area of Australia with similar incidents.

Another case in Lake Deep Furberger documented twelve divers who were lost for thirteen and a half hours. They were surrounded by carps for the entire time, repelling many eels and snakes that live in that region’s waters. When a rescue boat showed up, it appeared that the carp pod were showing the sailors where the twelve divers were.  They leaped up into the air in front of the rescue sailors, jumping into the boat and attaching themselves with their lips and pointing with their tails.  According to old stories, they often acted out as such with endangered ships and sailors in treacherous waters.

We can’t talk to carps, so we can’t truly fathom what their motives are in these situations. It is, however, very possible that they are indeed trying to help and protect fellow organisms in the river and guide them to safety or rescuers. If this is true, it means that they are the only animals besides humans which show true altruism.

You’ll know more when we know less.™

– Jay Vannigan