Famous Animals Throughout History
Southern California residents love animals. And we really love animals here in San Diego – as professional groomers we’re lucky enough to see that every day. But we are not alone, nor are we unique in our fur-baby obsessions. The bond between animal and human has been a close one for ages. Throughout history people have had a tradition of making animals their best friends and sidekicks. Some of those animals, because of some achievement in their own right, have become well-known and even made a mark in history. Seriously, how many of us can say that!
Here are a few of our favorite stories about famous animals throughout history:
Tycho Brahe’s Moose
You may not remember his name from science class, but 16th century astronomer Tycho Brahe was one crazy guy. In fact, his name was more renowned for his pet moose than he was for his science. And it wasn’t just any old moose; it was a pet that had free range of his home and known to drink more alcohol than humans. Unfortunately, it drank too much beer with dinner, fell down the stairs, and died. Really, look it up.
Marocco the Dancing Horse
So 1591 was a long time ago, but you still may have come across Marocco the dancing horse’s influence. The horse was so famous in 16th century England that he was immortalized by Shakespeare in “Love’s Labours Lost” where he is referenced as “the dancing horse”. Marocco was so intelligent that he could dance on two legs, count out coins by stomping, and was even thought to be psychic. The latter almost cost the horse and his owner, William Banks, their lives when they were tried and found guilty of witchcraft. They escaped death when the horse knelt in front of the judge to plead for his owner’s life. The story drops off there, however. Apparently they were both happy to live out their lives in quiet seclusion.
Ham the Chimp
Ham was one of the first monkeys trained to pull levers in response to flashing lights in preparation of space flight. Since he outperformed all of the other, he was chosen by NASA to be launched into space aboard the Mercury capsule in January 1961. He was an instant celebrity. After retiring from NASA, Ham went on to live at the National Zoo in Washington DC for the next 17 years of his life.
Unsinkable Sam
Any cat fearing water (or grooming) should think of Unsinkable Sam for a little inspiration. Sam survived three shipwrecks during WWII—the Bismark, the HMS Cossack (which rescued him after the sinking of the Bismark), and the HMS Ark Royal. He eventually gave up his life at sea and later died in a seaman’s home in Belfast in 1955.
Bobbie the Wonder Dog
In 1923, Bobbie became separated from his family while on vacation in Indiana. After an exhaustive search the family gave up hope of finding the Collie/English Shepherd mix and returned to their home in Oregon. Six months later Bobbie showed up at home after having traveled 2,551 miles across the US to find his family. He died at the age if six and was buried with honors at Oregon Humane Society’s pet cemetery.
Now those are some pretty amazing animals! But the cool thing is, we know that each of us loves our own fur-baby just like a favorite family member, whether they are famous or not!