Small Miracle

A baby dolphin has been rescued in Japan after it was dumped in a rice paddy by the tsunami that hit that country's coastline. A man spotted the dolphin in a flooded field about 2 kilometers from the coast, and decided he had to do something to save it. He got in contact with a pet store owner, Ryo Taira, who has been rescuing abandoned animals since the tsunami hit.

Taira found the dolphin struggling in the shallow seawater on Tuesday. He tried to net it but failed, so waded into the field and cradled the animal in his arms. He tells Reuters that the dolphin was pretty weak by then, and assumed that's why they were able to catch it so easily by hand.

He and some friends wrapped the dolphin up in wet towels and were able to drive it back to the sea. When they set it free the dolphin appeared to perk up and made its way back out into the Pacific.