Dogs committing suicide by jumping off the Overtoun Bridge
Overtoun Bridge
The Overtoun Bridge is an arch bridge located near Milton, Scotland, over the Overtoun Burn. A burn is a term used to describe a type of stream which is smaller than a river. Milton is a village in West Dunbartonshire, which is just on the outskirts of Dumbarton. The Overtoun Bridge has gained public attention because of the unusually large number of dogs that have allegedly leaped to their deaths off the bridge. It is not known exactly
when or why dogs began to leap from the bridge, but news stories and studies have indicated that these deaths might have begun during the 1950s or 1960s, at the rate of about one dog a month.
Overtoun Bridge
The long leap from the bridge onto the waterfalls of the Overtoun Estate almost always results in immediate death. Inexplicably, some dogs have actually survived, recuperated, and then returned to the site to jump again. These dogs are known to the locals of Dumbarton as “second timers.” The
dogs have mostly jumped from one side of the bridge, during clear weather, and have mostly been breeds with long noses. No explanation has yet been
found.
There have been a number of theories as to why dogs are choosing to end their lives by jumping off the bridge, ranging from the bridge being haunted to the canines suffering from depression, or even picking up depressed or suicidal feelings from the bridge. However, the explanation which seems to be the most logical involves the presence of minks on the banks of the burn. The mink’s powerful anal glands leave marks wherever they go and the strong musty smell they produce is of interest to dogs.
It has been suggested that the height of the bridge’s granite walls significantly impairs the dogs’ sense of sight and hearing, so when they go to investigate the smell, they are unaware of the massive fall that awaits them. However, this explanation doesn’t satisfy all. It is still puzzling why the dogs all jump from roughly the same spot or why they return for a second jump if initially unsuccessful. There is something quite eerie about this bridge.
Categories: Dogs, Interesting
