Eye-Opening Facts About Animals In Battle
It isn’t enough for humans to engage in battle with each other—somewhere down the line, they decided they needed backup from their critter companions. Here’s 43 surprising and eye-opening facts about how animals have been used in the history of battle.
43. Don’t Use Them for Aphrodisiacs Either
Contrary to an old and surprisingly popular idea, there is no evidence that rhinoceros have ever been used in battle. Their poor eyesight, sensitive skin, and unpredictable temperament would be serious hindrances against anyone who thought rhinos might be effective against their enemies. After that scene in Black Panther though, we can dream...
42. Friends at the Front
During the WW1, it wasn’t unknown for regiments to bring animals with them to the front for morale. In WWI, the British York and Lancaster army famously had their own cat as a mascot of sorts.
41. Heroic Hound
Lucca is a retired US Marine Corps dog who served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. In her six years as a search and rescue dog, Lucca helped save hundreds of lives. Her active duty ended in 2012 when she was caught in an IED explosion and lost one of her legs. After her recovery, Lucca enjoyed retirement until her peaceful end in January 2018. She has the honor of being the only US Marine Corps dog to win a Dickin Medal.
40. Sorry, Bullwinkle, You Can’t Enlist
Amazingly, both the Swedes and Russians tried to use moose as a kind of winter cavalry. Sadly, for all our imaginations, moose proved to be terrible mounts as they easily got sick, proved hard to feed, and because of their status as a "flight animal" (meaning when faced with danger their impulse is to run away) they were utter cowards in combat. No word on if the Russians ever considered switching to bears instead.
