A horse shot twice with a crossbow survived after four fellow mares spent three hours taking turns licking the wound clean.
The 20-year-old horse, Zeta, was in critical condition after one of the arrows bounced off her rib, while another lodged an inch from her lung as she grazed in a field in the U.K. Zeta's owner, Jo Young, said the four other horses saved Zeta’s life.
“It was really touching that when she was found the other horses in the field were nuzzling her for comfort and licking the wound,” Young said. “They kept the wound clean which would have prevented it from being infected by bacteria. It also helped to stem the blood flow.”
“There was definitely a herd instinct kicking in among the horses. They knew Zeta was in need and they rallied round to save her,” he said.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians and encouraged them to display the same care one to another, “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:25-26).