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| Overtoun Bridge Photo by Lairich Rig |
Overtoun Bridge near Milton
village in Dunbarton, Scotland is the site of a very odd phenomenon. It would
seem as if something is causing the dogs of the area to “commit suicide” by
jumping off of the bridge. Reports state that somewhere between fifty and six
hundred dogs have died this way. The “suicides” supposedly began in the 1950's
or 1960's. If the latter number of dogs reported to have died is correct, it
would mean that dogs are jumping off of this bridge at a rate of one per month.
Overtoun Bridge is part of the
Overtoun Estate. The bridge spans the Overtoun Burn, a tributary of the river
Clyde. The Overtoun Burn is very shallow and its bed is very rocky. It is rare
for a dog that jumps to survive the fall. Astoundingly, some of those that do
have been known to climb back up to the bridge and jump off again. Most of the
“suicides” occur on days when the weather is clear. Most of the jumps are made
off of the same side of the bridge. Another odd similarity between the canine “suicides”
at Overtoun Bridge is that they are almost all committed by dogs of long-nosed
breeds.
Dogs are not generally known for
committing suicide. Yes, they are capable of becoming depressed and can become
ill as a side effect of depression. However, it has not been proven that they
will actually do something that results in their death as a means of escaping
life. It’s virtually unheard of. Nonetheless, these dogs are climbing onto the
parapets of Overtoun Bridge, over the thick, solid walls and jumping to their
deaths. What could possibly be causing this?
We can almost say for certain
that these animals are not committing suicide in the way that one might think.
If canine suicide were as common as that, it would be occurring in far more
places and it simply isn’t. There have been some theories that Overtoun Bridge
is haunted and that a ghost drives the animals to jump. Another theory is that
the bridge is simply evil in some way for dogs and that they become depressed
when on it. This seems unlikely. Again, canine suicides are not common, by a
long shot, and if either of these theories were true, it would probably happen
elsewhere as well. Just like hauntings that supposedly affect people, there
would be more than one on the planet. There is another theory regarding the dog
“suicides” at Overtoun Bridge that seems to make the most sense.
There are minks living on the
banks of the Overtoun Burn. Minks give off a powerful scent with their anal
glands that is very enticing to dogs. A dog on the bridge, on a clear day,
would be given a very strong whiff of that scent. They would be naturally
curious and try to get to the source of the smell. It is highly unusual for a
dog not to realize that they can’t survive a jump, but it may be explainable.
Seeing that the walls of the bridge are solid, these dogs may not know that
they are getting ready to jump to their deaths until they have already made the
decision to jump. There is another possible gap in the theory as well. Why
would dogs that have made it down to the source of the smell immediately return
to the bridge to jump again? For now, it is unexplainable.
*Dogs being walked in the area
of Overtoun Bridge should obviously be leashed for their own safety. At this
time, there are no protective measures up at the bridge. It is the owner’s
responsibility to keep their pet under control.
Sources
The Overtoun or “Dog Suicide”
Bridge, retrieved 2/2/10, atlasobscura.com/places/overtoun-bridge
Overtoun Bridge, retrieved
2/2/10, absoluteastronomy.com/tpics/Overtoun_Bridge
The Dog Suicide Bridge,
retrieved 2/2/10, scotclans.com/bletherskite/?tag=overtoun-bridge
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