In a fascinating incident cited as potential “emotional empathy,” three marauding crocodiles appeared to save a young dog from a pack of wild dogs on the Savitri River in Maharashtra, India. This uncharacteristic interaction, described in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, occurred when the dog sought refuge in the shallow waters of the river, inadvertently approaching the crocs that were hiding.
Contrary to their predatory nature, the adult crocodiles, labeled “opportunistic predators” by the Wildlife Institute of India, nudged the dog to safety with their snouts, escorting it to an area safe from the shore, far from the wild herd. The magazine posited this as a display of “sensitive behavior suggestive of interspecies empathy.”
Robber crocodiles can grow to be over 16 feet long and weigh up to 450 kg. This distinctive incident led to speculation about the emotional capabilities of these reptiles. Although the analysis considered the possibility that the crocodiles’ lack of appetite influenced their actions, the focus gravitated towards the hypothesis of emotional connectivity between species.
The paper concluded: “Given that the assailant was within striking range and could have easily devoured the dog, but neither attacked and instead chose to push it to the bank, it implies that the appetite drive was absent.” He asserted the possibility of “emotional empathy” existing in reptiles, suggesting that this capacity deserves recognition, despite the paucity of extensive research on the subject.
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