Animals in the Pool

Sometimes unlikely animals crave the cool and calming waters of a backyard swimming pool. Land critters, far and wide, have taken the plunge — and, in some cases, it took a team of professionals to get them out safely.

Here, we’ve compiled some animals that have made news headlines lately for taking a swim.

Kangaroo

In the suburbs of Seaford Rise in Southern Australia, a kangaroo was found in the deep end of homeowner Cheryl Sawtell’s swimming pool. Luckily, the kangaroo was able to find its way to shallow waters and jumped out of the pool and down the street to nearby bushland.

Cow

Wisconsin firefighters were called to rescue a cow from a swimming pool, located in Trempealeau County, Wisc. Thankfully, the cow returned home safely, ready for a full day of grazing.

Alligator

Gator Boys’ Paul Bedard hoisted an eight-foot, eight-inch alligator out of a South Florida swimming pool after it walked through the pool screen and into the pool. With experience handling gators, nerves were not a problem for Bedard. “I was looking forward to [it] when I got the call,” he says.

Moose

A moose managed to get himself into a swimming pool in Bedford, N.H. According to state biologists and local conservation officers, the moose likely stumbled into the pool “while looking for a mate.” After placing wooden steps in the pool, they were able to help him out. He ran off into the woods safely.

Pony

In Chelmsford, Essex, a pony was rescued after taking a late-night dip. With the help of firefighters, the pony avoided serious injury and was left in the care of a vet as a precaution.

Prairie Dog

A prairie dog lived to see another day after two members of the Flatiron swimming team in Lafayette, Colo., successfully performed chest compressions to revive the creature after being found at the bottom of a pool. Within seconds, water began draining from the little guy’s body, and it safely scurried away.

Bear

Two bears were caught on video enjoying a dip in a Colorado residential pool. The footage was simply adorable, which was reflected in the Boulder Police Department’s statement: “Don’t feel too bad that you didn’t get an invite, we didn’t get invited either.”

This article first appeared Aqua Magazine, February 2020 and is used with permission.