It doesn’t take long for Hello Kitty fanatics to take a bad idea of the Hello Kitty cat and make it even worse. When it comes to Hello Kittifying, no pet is safe, even if you’re a dog:
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Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Hello Kitty Dog
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Romania confronts huge meat pile
Yuck!
A Romanian company is accused of dumping 47 tonnes of animal carcasses on the outskirts of Bucharest.
The firm, Protan, could be fined up to £10,000 ($20,000) and those found responsible could face jail terms.
The carcasses are rotting amid heat of 38C (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), just meters from a main road. Piles of black plastic bags are stacked around the dump, with bits of chicken and even horse carcasses poking through.
A strong wind is blowing the stench in all directions, but more worrying is the danger to human health.
The abandoned ducklings raised in a teacup
A pair of tiny abandoned ducklings found battling against waves after being washed out to sea are being nursed back to health - in a teacup.
Their rescuer, canoeist Chris Murray, is nursing them back to health.
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The Pet Economy
Americans spend an astonishing $41 billion a year on their furry friends
Americans now spend $41 billion a year on their pets—more than the gross domestic product of all but 64 countries in the world. That's double the amount shelled out on pets a decade ago, with annual spending expected to hit $52 billion in the next two years. That puts the yearly cost of buying, feeding, and caring for pets in excess of what Americans spend on the movies ($10.8 billion), playing video games ($11.6 billion), and listening to recorded music ($10.6 billion) combined.
42% of dogs now sleep in the same bed as their owners, up from 34% in 1998. Their menu reflects every fad in human food—from locally sourced organic meat and vegan snacks to gourmet meals bolstered by, say, glucosamine to ward off stiff joints. Half of all dog owners say they consider their pet's comfort when buying a car, and almost a third buy gifts for their dogs' birthdays. About 77% of dogs and 52% of cats have been medicated in the past year, an increase of about 20 percentage points from 1996.
About 63% of U.S. households, or 71 million homes, now own at least one pet, up from 64 million just five years ago. After consumer electronics, pet care is the fastest-growing category in retail, expanding about 6% a year. More new pet products were launched in the first six months of last year than in all of 2005.
Pet products now aim to make people feel they're being extra good to their little ones—much as toy makers have long encouraged parents to spoil kids. Along with doggie spas, there are mobile pet-grooming vans, pedicure services, professional dog walkers, and massage therapy for animals. And for some pet lovers, no medical procedure is too extreme. Plastic surgeons offer rhinoplasty, eye lifts, and other cosmetic procedures to help tone down certain doggy features, from droopy eyes to puggish noses. Root canals, braces, and even crowns for chipped teeth are also becoming more popular.
Lost love bird found inside plane from Bangkok
An African love bird caused a commotion inside a Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight from Bangkok upon landing in Manila Sunday evening after it was seen fluttering through the passenger cabin as the last passengers disembarked from the aircraft.
The airline could not say how the bird ended up inside the jet, but an unidentified passenger might have sneaked the bird into the aircraft during boarding back in Bangkok.
Doctor Simeon Amurao, officer-in-charge of the airport Veterinary Quarantine Service, said the bird died due to extreme stress, just before it was supposed to be euthanized per routine procedure.
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Monday, July 30, 2007
Boozy bird banned after sticking beak in beer
An alcoholic crow that sticks his beak in people's pints of lager has been banned from his favourite pub.
According to the UK's The Sun, the boozy bird, nicknamed Carling by drinkers, swoops on customers' pints whenever they turn their backs.
Sarah Wyatt, manager of the David Protheroe pub in Neath, South Wales, told the newspaper: "At first everyone thought it was funny. Then a bird expert pointed out he's a carrion crow which feeds off dead animals."
"I'm glad he's been banned. You never know where his beak's been."
Hollywood pigeons to be put on the pill
Hollywood residents believe they’ve found a humane way to reduce their pigeon population and the messes the birds make: the pill.
Over the next few months a birth control product called OvoControl P, which interferes with egg development, will be placed in bird food in new rooftop feeders.
“We think we’ve got a good solution to a bad situation,” said Laura Dodson, president of the Argyle Civic Association, the group leading the effort to try the new contraceptive. “The poop problem has become unmanageable and this could be the answer.”
Romeo guinea pig causes baby boom
A guinea pig called Sooty enjoyed a night of passion with 24 females after fooling his way into their cage in south Wales.
Sooty wooed the lady guinea pigs, one by one, and has now become the proud father of 42 baby guinea pigs from his two nights of passion.
His endeavours left staff at Little Friend's Farm, Hopkinstown, Pontypridd, amazed at his stamina.
Park owner Carol Feehan, 42, said: "I'm sure a lot of men will be looking at Sooty with envy.
Plane Diverted By Dog On Runway
A US Airways jet was diverted as it came in for landing at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix on Thursday because a dog was running loose on the runway.
The dog, which appeared to be a stray, turned up on the runway on the south side of the airport around 5:45 a.m.
The dog ran across both runways, eluding airport security workers for 30-minutes, as they chased it in vehicles and on foot.
Cute Owston's Palm Civets
A zoo-bred Owston's Palm Civet cub (L), the first artificially bred civet in the Hanoi Zoo is seen with its mother at the zoo in Hanoi, Viet Nam, July 23, 2007. The Owston's Palm Civet is an extremely rare species which is only found in northern Viet Nam, northern Laos, and southwestern China. (Xinhua Photo)
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Experiments on animals soar
Animal testing in Britain has reached a 15-year high and is set to go on rising.
The growing use of genetically-modified mice in scientific research last year pushed the total number of animals used in laboratory testing to more than three million for the first time since 1991.
More than two-thirds of all the animals used in scientific testing were mice. Another 406,000 procedures were carried out on rats.
But the use of larger, more controversial species continued. Some 4,200 "non-human primates", including monkeys and marmosets, were used in British labs. That figure was a 10 per cent fall from 2005.
And among the large mammals used last year were 36,377 sheep, 8,821 horses, 7,402 dogs, 5,334 cattle and 4,675 pigs.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Fish Condo
Fish Condo
Doesn't your fish deserve to live as stylishly as you do? This fish condo not only breaks up the monotony of one-bowl swimming, it makes your fish the envy of his friends. 3 interconnected globes create a 3-room living space.
Owl Pin
Owl Pin
This Cute Owl Pin is all HandMade with Polymer Clay. He is about 1 1/2 inches high, with a basic pin back on his back.
He sure is a Hoot! :)
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Video: Penguin Drama Unfolds as Antarctica Heats Up
Recent temperature increases in the icy continent are impacting some penguins' abilities to feed and breed, creating population dips in species that can't handle the heat.
Go into the field with researchers studying Antarctica's wildlife, and find out which of the penguin protagonists are adapting to a warming world—and which are suffering.
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Video: Pit Bull and Chicks
Sharky the pit bull makes friends with some chicks.
Just to prove they weren't his dinner, here they are 2 months later
Friday, July 27, 2007
Time runs out for Hindu temple's sacred bull
A sacred bull seized from a Hindu monastery in Wales because he tested positive for tuberculosis has been slaughtered.
The plight of Shambo the bull had attracted international attention since his diagnosis this spring and prompted an Internet campaign by the Skanda Vale monastery to save him. Hindus revere cattle and said killing the bull would violate their religious rights.
More than 100 devout Hindus and their supporters prayed and chanted outside the bull's paddock throughout Thursday, but animal health officials and police led Shambo from the monastery to a trailer about 7:30 p.m. A Webcam site, dubbed Moo Tube, which the monastery set up to show the flower-garlanded bull in his paddock, broadcast images of an empty, hay-lined shrine.
Swami Suryananda, one of Shambo's caretakers, said officials had “committed the most violent and ignorant act of desecration of our temple and destroyed an innocent life.
“The perpetrators of this act will suffer the consequences of their actions for generations to come."
Rare Siberian tiger cubs born at zoo
Lenuta and Costel, two tiger cubs from one of the world's most endangered species, the Siberian tiger, were born in a Romanian zoo this year.
The Siberian tiger, native to northern China, southern Russia and parts of North Korea is on the brink of extinction in the wild, decimated by poaching and loss of habitat. Scientists believe only a few hundred now live outside captivity.
The cubs, now weighing 3 kilos (6.6 lb) each, were born on May 21 to six-year-old Gina and her mate, six-year-old Geo.
VapoRub helps warring meerkats become best of friends
To prevent the animals from attacking the newcomers - which is the usual instinct for meerkats - the keepers came up with the ingenious idea of using Vicks VapoRub.
The novel solution involves rubbing Vicks on the animals' noses, under their tails and around their enclosure to block their scent for a couple of days.
It has been such a success they are now recommending it to other animal keepers.
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Dog sniffs out mold problem
When Paul Hewitt wants to check whether mold exists in a home or building, he brings along his two-year old beagle, Kody.
That's important because Kody does the work.
When Hewitt says "show me," she sniffs out the mold by pointing her nose at the spot and sits patiently at the spot, nodding her head up and down, until the spot is marked.
Kody has been trained for up to 1,000 hours on detecting 18 different types of mold.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Blogathon '07
Blogathon '07 will be on July 28th this year.
Jill, at Jilbean, says,
"Of course I am participating! I will stay up for 24 hours and post a cute animal picture every 1/2 hour for the day! I choose to post animal pictures - as animal photography is a huge hobby of mine, and it is wonderful on the eyes in the wee hours of the night/morning!
I will be blogging for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Connecticut Chapter.
I am blogging in honor of my aunt Ina - who currently lives with Multiple Sclerosis in Connecticut and in memory of my Aunts Paula and Eudice - who both had MS and have passed away.
To sponsor me - please click the following link and you can choose to sponsor an hourly sum or a lump sum. Last year I raised over $900 - I am hoping to beat that number this year!"
Sponsor Jill by Clicking Here!
Hummingbird Feast
I thank my Bee Balm for attracting hummingbirds to my garden. They are such a delight to watch and such a surprise for many visitors who have never seen a hummingbird before, or even believe that we have them in the Chicago area. Then, when I tell them that these beautiful little creatures fly to Mexico for the winter, they're really amazed. Supposedly, hummingbirds will return to the same flower beds year after year. Well, ours seem to be pretty comfortable with having us around. The birds will fly within a foot of us and especially enjoy flying through the water spray when we're sprinkling the flowers.
The Bee Balm, or Monarda, are an easy to grow perennial. They grow about three feet tall, and from a distance, look like clouds of red in the garden. Close up, you notice their nice, spicy scent. Even closer, and you see massive, fat, bumblebees harvesting nectar, and of course, the hummingbirds.
In this article, Nancy Newfield describes the bee balm and twelve other plants that attract hummingbirds.
Oscar the Cat Predicts Patients' Deaths
Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.
The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.
After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would wind up dying in a few hours.
Poor, traveling baby siamang
Sungai, an 11-month-old siamang at the San Francisco Zoo who was rejected by her parents in Albuquerque and then by her fellow apes in Houston, will be moving to Kentucky soon in her ongoing search for a family.
Three human foster parents at the zoo had been hand-rearing Sungai while gradually introducing her to adults Mindy and Storm, with the hope they'd bond with her. It didn't happen. So, in the next few weeks, she'll leave for the Louisville Zoo, where she'll join her 8-week-old brother Zain -- freshly snubbed by their parents in New Mexico -- and Zoli, a 4-month-old male whose mother and father died unexpectedly.
"The hope is that all three, who are showing signs of not accepting adult company, can be reared together and learn natural behaviors," Garcia said. "All three are considered important to the siamang species survival plan breeding program."
[See earlier photos of Sungai at the San Francisco Zoo.]
A honking pile of poop
In California, downtown Oakland's bucolic nature reserve has such a serious overpopulation of Canada geese -- which drop about a ton of poop a week on the 122-acre park -- that the city is considering introducing dogs to herd the geese into fenced enclosures, buying a goose poop Zamboni and spraying the goose eggs with mineral oil to prevent them from hatching.
"No one's talking about shooting the geese -- we don't need more gunshots in Oakland," said Jennie Gerard, chief of staff to Oakland City Councilwoman Pat Kernighan. "But people cannot lie down on the lawn because there's so much poop. It's an aesthetic issue. It's gross."
They're so well adapted to city living that their population throughout the U.S. is expected to double by 2010, from 220,000 to nearly half a million, according to Oakland's Canada Goose Management Study.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Horny Hedgehogs Spark Police Callout
Two hedgehogs triggered a nocturnal police operation in Germany this week after the spiky little mammals awoke neighbors with their loud, shameless mating. They went on fornicating even as a crowd gathered to watch them. In fact the attention made them even more vigorous.
"The hedgehogs were loud and uninhibited in their actions last night. Neither the owners of the house nor the police officers called to the scene were able to put a stop to their passionate fornication," Bremen police said in a statement.
Voracious Jumbo Squid Invade California
Jumbo squid that can grow up to 7 feet long and weigh more than 110 pounds are invading central California waters and preying on local anchovy, hake and other commercial fish populations.
An aggressive predator, the Humboldt squid—or Dosidicus gigas—can change its eating habits to consume the food supply favored by tuna and sharks.
Before the 1970s, the giant squid were typically found in the Eastern Pacific, and in coastal waters spanning from Peru to Costa Rica. But as the populations of its natural predators—like large tuna, sharks and swordfish—declined because of fishing, the squids moved northward and started eating different species that thrive in colder waters.
Rats and cats work to sniff out Colombia mines
Colombia is home to the world's largest number of land mine victims. Last year, there were 1,108 victims, or about one every eight hours, the government says. Nearly a quarter of the victims die from their injuries.
For the past year, a special Colombian police unit has been locking rats in cages with cats as part of a project to train the rodents to sniff out the more than 100,000 land mines planted mostly by leftist rebels across this conflict-wracked Andean country.
Bringing the rats face to face with an enemy allows them to stay more focused once they are released.
Octopus unearths 900-year-old hidden treasure
It is a story that combines all the great mysteries and exciting discoveries of the sea – an octopus hauled onto a fishing boat with valuable ancient pottery attached to its suckers.
The discovery is being hailed as one of the great undersea treasure discoveries of modern times.
Officials at the National Maritime Museum in Seoul say the pottery dates back to 12th century, when the Koryo Dynasty ruled the Korean peninsula.
The adventure began when Korean fisherman Kim Yong-Chul cast out a long line, felt a familiar tug and hauled up his first octopus of the day. He was puzzled by several blue objects attached to its suckers and thought at first they were shells.
But when he examined them, he realized they were pieces of pottery. Not realizing he was on the point of making an incredible discovery, he cast out his line again and again, bringing in more octopus with shards of pottery attached.
Although other ships have been found and pottery recovered, this is the first time a family of octopus have found a wreck for the museum.
Counting Swans
Volunteers have been taking part in one of the most popular wildlife events of the British summer - the bi-annual count-up of hundreds of swans at a Dorset swannery.
A colony of the birds has lived at Abbotsbury sanctuary since medieval times and keeping track of their numbers has become an annual tradition.
Between 600 and 1,000 flying swans breed, nest and hatch there every year.
They provide feathers for the helmets of the Gentlemen at Arms, the Queen's bodyguard. in addition, Lloyds of London use quills from Abbotsbury swan feathers to register insurance losses in their 'Doom' book.
Prehistoric mastodon found in northern Greece
The remains of a prehistoric mastodon - a mammoth-like animal - have been found in northern Greece, including intact long tusks.
The mastodon's tusks measure 5m (16.5ft) and 4m. They are the longest tusks ever found on a prehistoric elephant-like animal.
The animals were similar to woolly mammoths, but had tusks that pointed forwards, rather than spiralling upwards. Their teeth were also different.
'Goose Whisperer' Bonds With Park Birds
Martin Hof has become a minor celebrity here, in part for his ability to communicate with fowl, which some say borders on the magical. And while there's something special, and a little comical, about watching him talking, humming, and yes, whispering to the birds, there's more to this than meets the eye.
At age 23, Hof has developed an unusual approach to managing urban geese populations that is gaining adherents in the animal-friendly Netherlands - the first country in the world with an animal rights party in parliament.
"It's all about respect for the geese," he says.
The main problem at the Hof van Delft and most parks is that the birds have been allowed to overbreed and are clashing with the humans whose territory they share. But rather than destroying them, Hof finds new homes for the geese, dividing them along family lines to reduce the trauma of the move.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Scientists map elephant evolution
Scientists say they have calculated the date at which the African and the Asian elephant went their separate ways.
The two elephant species diverged from a common ancestor some 7.6 million years ago, experts working in the US, Germany and Switzerland say.
They came to their conclusion after comparing a genetic analysis of the two species with material derived from the extinct woolly mammoth and mastodon.
