When the images were published of this dog in Maharashtra, India, they immediately went viral. The poor pup had put himself in harm's way, desperately trying to escape the feral dogs that were chasing him.
But what had onlookers and experts even more perplexed, was the scene that unfolded once the dog was in the water...
Crocodiles to the rescue
While at first glance it looks as if the crocodiles are moving in for an attack, it quickly becomes clear that they're actually trying to save him!
In an unexpected turn of events, it seems they want to direct him away from the wild dogs waiting on the river bank.
Surprised scientists
"These crocodiles were actually touching the dog with their snouts", reported scientists in The Journal of Threatened Taxa. They "nudged and escorted the dog to safety".
Given that the crocodiles could quite easily have eaten him, the fact that they pushed the dog back towards the bank suggests they weren't being driven by hunger.
Some scientists are even questioning the presence of cross-species empathy from the reptiles. And while this may not have been proven, the remarkable behaviour most certainly requires further investigation.
