Dog "Suicide Bridge" mystery

[Tobi]

At least 50 dogs have suddenly leapt to their deaths from the forbidding Overtoun Bridge in Scotland. And apparently 600 dogs in 60 years have leapt over -some surviving.
The dogs had been behaving normally, then without warning, jumped the 4 foot high wall, to plunge into the gorge 40ft below.

http://www.problempets.co.uk/media/overtounbridge.asp

There are many theories about why so many dogs have leapt the bridge. Some suggest the bridge is haunted. One woman says that her dog was staring at something intently just above her, before leaping over.
But there is also a theory that the dogs are scenting Mink, and with no idea what is on the other side of the wall, it is too late by the time they realise, and their momentum carries them over.

Now there are warning signs to keep dogs on a lead on the bridge.
(I think they should put up a 6ft chain link fence!)

[Catherine]

How very strange and tragic. I hope people are keeping their dogs on leads when they are anywhere near the bridge.

It must be a terrible thing for the dogs that jump. They expect to see land and trees and chase a mink and instead they fall to their deaths.

I have never heard of anything like this, but I have heard of dogs jumping off of high rise balconies and being killed. They don't seem to understand how high up they are.

[LPC]

Of course, there may be some rational explanation, but the scent of mink doesn't convince me. I think that dogs can and do sense things which we cannot see. Even on a mundane level, it is scientifically the case that they can hear sounds of high frequency which we cannot.

Years ago some relatives and I were walking locally and they wanted to see the elaborate graves (some were even mini-chapels) in the graveyard. Puce was with us. She happily walked with us down the various alleyways lined with these ornate graves, as we chatted. But then there was one alleyway she absolutely refused to enter. She looked ahead, put her paws firmly down and resisted being tugged. So we didn't go down that alleyway. She happily then continued down the rest of the paths before we left.

Perhaps on the bridge you mention, Tobi, there is some presence (something? someone?) which scares or excites dogs, which humans cannot see.

[Catherine]

Dogs do have senses that we do not. I don't know how that explains the bridge, but there must be an explanation.

I don't know what Puce sensed on your walk, but I think you were wise to listen to him.

[Tobi]

Yes animals are aware of many things humans are not aware of. Not only through the five senses. Many animals can sense (see?) things from subtler dimensions.

I also am dubious about the idea that the smell of Mink is attracting/confusing the dogs so much that they leap over. That would imply that the scent of Mink has been on the parapet of the bridge in a similar place, for many years. Do Mink behave like that? I know Badgers do have traditional trackways which are used for decades....but do Mink?


The "ghost theory" is a possibility. Apparently the bridge (and manor house) is said to be haunted by Lady Overtoun, who wandered up and down the bridge in despair after the death of her husband. It is said they 'dabbled in Alchemy' (though I cannot find the link where I read that yesterday.)

The house has been used for many purposes since....a maternity hospital...a Christian centre for Scottish youth....
But in the Wikipedia history of Overtoun House, it also says: "In 1975 the British government decided to use the house as a base for its Quality of Life Experiment."
(whatever that may mean.....)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overtoun_House

I don't blame Puce! Some places just give me the creeps. I can tell by looking at it that Overtoun bridge is one of those places. I would have felt that even if I didn't know its story. That used to happen more often when I was a child that it does nowadays. Sometimes we would go somewhere which would just 'creep me out' for no apparent reason, and the feeling was hard to shake off. I used to ride my bike very fast to try to shake off the 'creepy feeling' if we had ever been anywhere like that. I remember that clearly

[Catherine]

Wikipedia also lists a man throwing his 2 week old baby off the bridge. It seems that the place has a creepy history.
I don't know what is causing it. The mink scent does seem a bit weak as an explanation. How about a nice high suicide prevention barrier.
Better yet, get rid of the bridge altogether.

The whole place seems odd.
Something called "Quality of Life Experiment" that took place in the 70's is going to be the stuff of horror films. If anywhere on the planet should have ghosts this would be the place.

[LPC]

I don't know where you read about the story, Tobi, but I just googled your phrases as "Lady Overtoun"+"dabbled in alchemy" and got lots of links, but the top one on the search was http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...eaths.html

Regarding the Quality of Life experiment, I found this after a search of Google: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2...6983&hl=en

[Tobi]

Oh, the "Quality of Life Experiment" sounds pretty benign then, and was intended to be helpful to the community. Thanks LPC.

[Catherine]

The quality of life experiment is nothing like its name implies.
It seems to have been a recreation program. I was expecting something more medical.

Just as a thought, this bridge is well known and its danger to dogs is well known. So why do people still walk their dogs there? In particular, why do they walk them there off the lead?

Maybe we will never know why dogs jump from the bridge.