It’s common to see individuals with extraordinary heights featured in record books and media programs, celebrated for their impressive stature. However, one such individual, recognized as the tallest man in the world, became a national hero for his extraordinary act of saving two dolphins with his exceptionally long arms after they had ingested dangerous plastic fragments.

In December 2006, the Mongolian giant “Bao Xishun,” aged 55, known as “Mr. Bao,” and officially recorded as the tallest living man at 2.36 meters, was called upon to attempt a daring rescue. Two dolphins had swallowed plastic pieces in a pool at Fushun, northeastern China. Veterinary doctors had exhausted all conventional methods to extract the plastic due to the dolphins’ stomachs contracting, which caused a loss of appetite and depression, putting their lives at risk. The only solution, they determined, was long arms capable of reaching deep inside to retrieve the fragments.

Mr. Bao, who readily agreed to help, arrived and was immediately put to work. The dolphins’ heads were secured, and towels were wrapped around their mouths to prevent them from biting during the procedure. Mr. Bao extended his 1.06-meter-long arms into their stomachs, successfully removing the plastic pieces and saving the dolphins, which subsequently recovered their health. Local veterinarian Dr. Zhou Xiaoling told Xinhua News Agency that although some very small plastic pieces remained in the dolphins’ stomachs, they were expected to digest them and recover soon.

It is noteworthy that, according to the Guinness World Records, Mr. Bao’s height was normal until he was 16 years old. However, he then experienced a growth spurt that doctors could not explain, reaching his current height within just seven years. This rapid growth made him the tallest man in the world and a national hero for his country.