Aug11
Top Five Animal Athletes
Posted at 03:30 PM | Permalink
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Comments (13)
Staying up 'til the wee hours of the morning to catch your fave Olympians go for the gold in Beijing? That's cool. But what's even cooler is the fact that the best athletes in the world can be found in the animal kingdom, not the Olympic Village. If the Summer Olympics were open to all of the planet's species, humans probably wouldn't even have a shot at medaling—especially if they had to compete against these top five animal athletes:
5. Cows. Natural track and field stars, cows have been known to hurdle a 6-foot fence to escape from a slaughterhouse and trot 7 miles to reunite with calves sold at auction.
4. Ants. Known for their Herculean strength, ants can lift 20 times their own body weight. That's the equivalent of a 200-pound weightlifter bench pressing 4,000 pounds!
3. Cheetahs. The fastest land animal, cheetahs can reach speeds of up to 75 miles per hour. Able to accelerate faster than a Ferrari, cheetahs can go from 0 to 68 miles per hour in just 3 seconds.
2. Sharks. Frightfully fast, sharks are excellent swimmers thanks to scales covered with tiny teeth that enable water to flow smoothly over their bodies. Hoping to reduce drag and increase speed, many Olympic swimmers are now sporting swimsuits modeled after shark skin.
1. Chickens. Chickens know how to bend it like Beckham. Give a small round object to a group of chickens, and they'll happily pass it around, much like they're playing soccer.
Yep, chickens. Take that, all you live-animal markets! Speaking of China not exactly giving a cluck about animal protection (see also: fur farms), I say that we honor the true Olympic spirit of friendship and fair play by treating all animals like gold.
Posted by Amy Elizabeth
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I love your last comment Amy!! They are all FAN-tastic!! And the athletes who have to train day in and day out, these 5 stars above do it naturally!! Love it!!
Posted by: Carla | August 11, 2008 04:05 PM
I agree, they're all gold!
And squirrels-don't forget squirrels, who glide up,down,around trees in seconds.
And snakes that sidewind across sand (and across slick pavement fast enough to miss my car thankfully!!)-a breathtaking sight!!
Thanks for honoring animal athletes, Amy.
Posted by: lynda downie | August 12, 2008 01:45 AM
chickens playing soccer that is so cute. i love those birds
Posted by: nicole | August 12, 2008 04:42 AM
Cluck you? Hahaha! I love chickens. Never had a doubt in my mind that they're superior to us weakling humans (in some ways at least- now, if only they were 20' tall, to stomp on their captors...). I can't see how people can ignore the fact that animals are also 'people'. I think I'd jump over the notre dame if some random idiots were about to shove me in a tiny crate and torture me to death.
Posted by: Lisa | August 12, 2008 11:57 AM
I would like to nominate the black (or black and red) fuzzy caterpillars that run like mad across the road during this time of year. Thanks to my wife, I now notice these little sprinters and attempt to avoid running them over (within reason - not into an oncoming car or a ditch).
If you haven't seen these little guys on country roads, start looking!
Posted by: Derek, MD | August 12, 2008 04:11 PM
The other animal species are not only superior athletes but they are smarter than humans. Just look at the fact that they don't eat garbage and have every disease in the book. The other animals eat the diet nature intended and enjoy perfect health. If humans were smart enough to eat raw vegan they could eliminate degenerative diseases. Oh and the other animals also don't destroy the planet. Let us also not forget that humans are the only animal that is so morally inferior that it is intentionally cruel for the hell of it. Humans suck.
Posted by: vegan4animals | August 13, 2008 03:17 PM
These animals are definitely superior to human animals in many ways (loved your comment vegan4animals!). And they are accomplishing these things without having to take steroids to be "better" than their peers...
I refuse to watch the Olympics this year, because of China's atrocious treatment of humans and non-human animals.
Posted by: Michele | August 13, 2008 04:22 PM
Animals are intelligent, too. Here's an article on Animal Einsteins:
http://www.readersdigest.com.au/content/32513/
Posted by: Mike Quinoa | August 13, 2008 06:13 PM
You said it, vegan4animals. I've never known a human who can forgive like a dog or a cat (I'm sure other species do as well but these guys forgave me, personally, in a heartbeat, no long held grudges) Morally superior, you bet!
Posted by: lynda downie | August 13, 2008 11:31 PM
Thanks for including those little caterpillars, Derek MD. They sure can lay down tracks!
Posted by: lynda downie | August 13, 2008 11:39 PM
5. Cows - 4. Ants - 3. Cheetahs
2. Sharks. - 1. Chickens ----
Figuring them in their habitat may change their ranks
I'd say as far as I'm concerned that ants would win gold, cows go in for silver and chickens / sharks / cheetahs on 3rd place :) because of their usefulness, strength and will ...
Thru competion against mankind, they all win gold! :D
But on second thoughts, i'll give them all GOLD !! :)
Posted by: Sonja BONFILS | August 17, 2008 12:24 PM
Horses are very fast animals.
Including rabbits,bulls and ostrichs.
Posted by: Eloy Freites | August 17, 2008 08:32 PM
Well written cuz!
Posted by: Allison Tedesco | August 25, 2008 08:57 AM