Su Lin, a 2-year-old giant panda at the San Diego Zoo, enjoyed the cool feel of snow on an unusually hot day in San Diego on April 27, 2008. The San Diego Zoo's Giant Panda Research Station was covered in 15 tons of snow on Sunday. In two weeks, on May 10, the Zoo's polar bear exhibit will be blanketed with snow as part of Bear Awareness Days, presented by Mission Federal Credit Union. The fun and educational four-day event discusses bear conservation efforts.
(UPI Photo/Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Snow much fun!
Why dogs are good for kids
Children run less risk of being sensitive to allergens if there is a dog in the house in the early years of their lives, scientists have found.
The conclusion, based on a six-year study of 9,000 children, adds weight to the theory that growing up with a pet trains the immune system to be less sensitive to potential triggers for allergies such as asthma, eczema and hay fever.
The “hygiene theory” of allergy holds that modern life has simply become too clean, meaning that babies’ immune systems are not exposed to enough germs to develop normally.
Having a dog provides enough dirt of the right kind.
Source: Times Online
Need a dog to walk?
One of the benefits of owning a dog is getting exercise while talking it for a walk. But what if you don't want all the responsibilities of owning a real dog?
Just get yourself a walking dog balloon! They come in three heart warming varieties – a pretty pug, a darling dachshund and a remarkable retriever.
They have been balanced perfectly so that when filled with helium they float just above the ground with their little feet dangling to the floor. When you gently walk with them, pulling the lead, their little legs and feet appear to walk giving a super fun, realistic K9 look.
Guaranteed to convince everyone you meet that you are totally crazy.
(via nerd approved)
Dull Dog?
With Fairy Tail Dust Body Bling for Dogs your dog can now glimmer in the moonlight or glitter while she's greeting you at your front door - or hide under the bed in shame because of what her goofy owner is subjecting her to.
Under no circumstances should you apply this stuff to a cat, not if you ever want a peaceful night's sleep afterwards.
(via Dog Bliss)
Dog to Unicorn Transformation Kit
This is not a costume. This is a kit to completely transform your beloved pug or beagle from a cute canine to the ultimate unicorn. It includes screw-in horn, hoof attachments, medical grade glue, peroxide, mane fur, a tail and a handful of glitter! Just peroxide the color out of your dogs hair and attach the fur and accessories with glue. Once you have the horn in place (Dremel not included) your beloved pooch will be ready to accompany you to fairyland. Please specify size of dog when ordering. Not legal in California, New Mexico and part of Maine.
Dog to Unicorn Transformation Kit
(via the Presurfer)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Natalie Port-a-potty
She may be an international movie star, but this impudent pooch can't tell the difference between Natalie Portman and a fire hydrant.
NYPost
Okefenokee Swamp gator to live on in display
Visitors loved Oscar, the Okefenokee Swamp Park's resident 13-foot, 5-inch, 1,000-pound, alligator, who often slumbered on the freshly mowed grass and sometimes the concrete walkways in the park.
But sometime during his long life, someone must have wanted his hide.
Oscar survived a shotgun blast to the face, at least three bullet wounds to the head, turf wars, multiple broken bones and crippling arthritis. Officials know that now because the beloved old gator died last July and the evidence is visible in his bones.
Oscar died about a year ago, but within a few months, visitors will be able to view him once again, or at least his skeleton, which is being mounted like that of a museum dinosaur. The contents of Oscar's stomach at death will also be included in the display: a plastic dog collar, a dog's tag, a penny, pieces of plastic, rocks and the top section of a flagpole.
Source: Jacksonville.com
Feds sued for taking gray wolves off endangered list
Wolves in 1974 almost disappeared as a species in 48 US states -- excluding Alaska and Hawaii -- except for some isolated packs in Minnesota and Michigan.
In 1995, 66 wolves were released by the government in Idaho and in the nearby Yellowstone National Park with the hope they would propagate and multiply.
The program was successful. Currently, an estimated 1,200 wolves roam Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
But now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has removed the region’s 1,500 wolves from the endangered list in March, turning over management responsibilities to state officials in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.
Defenders of Wildlife said in a statement that Wyoming and Idaho authorities had given their residents a blank check for the "senseless and indiscriminate killing of wolves."
Source: CANOE
Competition?
This is Mondex, a 5-year-old Chihuahua, posing as he walks the aisle dressed as a scuba diver during a dog show at a mall in suburban Manila on Sunday April 27, 2008. Mondex bagged first place during the fashion show category.
Was he trying to compete with that penguin?
AP Photo/Aaron Favila
Monday, April 28, 2008
Is your pet a Boomer?
New studies and statistics about the "Baby Boomer" generation dominate the headlines almost daily, but there is another population, the nation's 45 million "Pet Boomers", which is quietly slipping into its senior years.
On average, pets age seven times faster than humans. Consequently, the potential for age-related disease also progresses seven times as fast. Unfortunately, many pet owners are unaware of the signs of animal aging which may actually indicate treatable health problems.
Certain health conditions can occur more often in aging pets. Below are five common health conditions that every pet owner should monitor in their pets.
* Weight Gain
* Tooth Decay and Gum Disease
* Stiff Joints and Slower Movement
* Changes in Coat and Skin
* Eye Abnormalities
Is your pet a boomer?
PetBoomers.com is a great new web resource for all pet owners. It offers quizzes, facts, statistics on the aging pet population and is a terrific for pet owners dealing with traveling with a pet, pet poisons and emergencies.
This short video segment from Marty Becker, DVM, a nationally recognized pet expert, author and Good Morning America contributor, features five common health conditions in aging pets.
Photo from Flickr by Corsi_photo
Cutest cupcakes
This is one of the finalists in the Martha Stewart Cutest Cupcake Contest. Chicken Cupcakes by Dustin Nakamura
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Video: Orcas hunt sea lions
Exhibiting a rare hunting method, some Orcas whales off the coast of Argentina's Valdes Peninsula capture their prey of baby sea lions by approaching the beach and then retreating.
Watch video
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Squirrel battle brewing in Britain
A pack of mutant testosterone-charged black squirrels is rampaging through parks and woodlands of Britain. This gang of beasts is faster and more fiercely competitive than both reds or grays.
Britain's native squirrels are red. The gray squirrels were introduced to Britain from America in the 1870s, and for years they held sway - driving their red cousin into the remotest corners of the country. The upstarts are genetic mutations of grays, but have a darker fur and higher levels of the male sex hormone testosterone - making them more aggressive and more successful. Sex selection is also boosting their numbers because female grays appear to prefer them as mates.
The rise of the black is the biggest change in squirrel demographics since the indigenous red squirrels almost disappeared 50 years ago from most of England.
Source: Daily Mail
Friday, April 25, 2008
Your dog ate WHAT?
Josie, a bassett hound mix, ate some gorilla glue that formed a large mass in her stomach and required life-saving surgery. Watch video for more information.
We use Gorilla Glue around our house but I never thought to taste it. Must be yummy.
3D Anatomic Puzzle Animals
Put your traditional puzzles out to pasture and take a chance on these amazing 3-D anatomical animal puzzles. Challenging, educational and entertaining, these highly detailed puzzles come with organs, bones and muscles so you can build your animal from the inside out. Available in horse (26 pieces), cow (29 pieces) or pig (19 pieces).
$28.00 - $40.00 at unCommon goods
via Random Good Stuff
Fun tees for dog lovers
Shawn, Jason and Hannah think dogs are the most charming and intelligent and perfectly formed creatures on the planet.
While sporting the original skeledox t-shirt around town, they caught the eye of many closeted hipster dog lovers. People who are semi-religious about design but still get caught eskimo-kissing their rottweilers and baby-talking their pugs. These people demand fine tees! So they started drawing all kind of skeledogs, so everyone can worship the fine form of their pooch without feeling like a dork.
Skeledog t-shirts are $25 and come in a wide variety of breeds..
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Rare Chinese animal born at Minnesota Zoo
The Sichuan takin, an unusual-looking relative of the musk ox, looks like a small moose, climbs like a mountain goat, has short curved horns like a gnu, and snorts. Takin stand 3 to 4 feet tall. The animals eat grasses, shrubs, and leaves. They are able to stand on their hind legs and reach branches 10 feet off the ground. Takin are rare in North American zoos. Only 50 takin are found in 12 zoos in North America.
The baby takin was born on exhibit Wednesday morning at the zoo. Zookeepers knew the animal was pregnant, but didn't know when the calf was going to be born.
Source: StarTribune
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Show biz grissly kills trainer
Rocky, the grizzly bear which appeared in a recent Will Ferrell movie, "Semi-Pro," killed a 39-year-old trainer with a bite to his neck Tuesday April 22, 2008.
For unknown reasons, the 700-pound bear lunged at 39-year-old Stephan Miller, a trainer at Randy Miller's Predators in Action. Two other trainers subdued the 5-year-old, 7 1/2 -foot-tall grizzly with pepper spray and were unhurt.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Monkeys Escape From Wildlife Facility
A troupe of African monkeys are on the loose after escaping from a remote wildlife facility north of Tampa.
Officials at Safari Wild say it may take more than a week to round up all the patas monkeys that ran away on Saturday.
The monkeys live on a one-acre island that is surrounded by an eight-foot-deep moat. Officials say one female monkey with a baby on her back swam across the moat Saturday, and the other monkeys followed.
The animals arrived Thursday from Puerto Rico, by Saturday, they had vanished.
Photo from Flickr, by alyyxphoto
Source: St. Petersburg Times
Uninvited guest crawls into kitchen
Hearing strange noises at about 10:30 p.m., Sandra Frosti, 69, called 911. Frosti had an 8-foot alligator in her kitchen.
The whole thing apparently started when Poe the cat was prowling outside and the big alligator followed it home.
When Poe slipped onto the back porch, the 220-pound gator came along, crashing through a screen and passing a potted ficus tree and litter box.
Tailing Poe, the 8-foot, 8-inch reptile crawled over the blue carpeting, through an open sliding glass door and past the green suede sofa in the living room.
The gator likely emerged from one of the many ponds, lakes and creeks in Eastlake Woodlands in north Pinellas, where they are a common sight.
Source: St. Petersburg Times
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Pet Memorial Keepsake Pendants
Peternity.com, a website devoted to helping people honor the lives of their pets, has added a new line of Pet Keepsake Jewelry to their product offering. The new jewelry line is a collection of Pet Ash Pendants. These beautifully hand carved wooden pendants are created from 8 different precious woods. Each pendant contains a small glass vial inside to hold a small portion of pet or human ashes.
The pendants are made in Seattle, WA by a company called River Dreams and sell for $75.00
Rare turtle discovered in Viet Nam
Researchers from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo have discovered a rare giant turtle in northern Vietnam, giving scientists hope for the species they believed was extinct in the wild.
The scientists from the Cleveland Zoo discovered the Swinhoe's soft-shelled turtle when they followed up reports from villagers of a mythical creature living in a lake. Vietnamese legend tells of a huge turtle that helped the country fight off Chinese invaders in the 16th century. "This is one of those mythical species that people always talked about but no one ever saw," said the zoo's curator.
Only three other specimens of this turtle are known of by scientists: there are two in Chinese zoos and one in Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi.
Scientists refused to provide the name of the lake or other details about the position of this turtle because of concerns the turtle would be illegally hunted.
Source: The National Register
Monday, April 21, 2008
Koreans clone drug-sniffer dogs
Six white male dogs collectively named Toppy reported for duty at a training facility for sniffer dogs run by the Korea Customs Service in Yeongjongdo.
Chase, the father of the dogs, and his six sons look exactly the same -- because the sons were cloned, born to surrogate mothers via the transfer of the nucleui of Chase’s somatic cells.
“Toppy” is a compound name meaning “tomorrow’s puppy”; the Toppies are numbered one to seven to tell them apart. The Korea Customs Service commissioned the cloning project because they thought that training clones of an effective sniffer dog would be easier than training ordinary dogs, which may or may not have the right genetic makeup for the job.
Source: English chosun
Officer wrestles python in pet store attack
A Eugene police officer can now add snake wrestler to his list of skills after an attack on a pet store worker Thursday.
Police said they were called to the pet store on Elmira around 3:30 p.m. on a report that a 12-foot Burmese Python had latched onto the woman and wrapped itself around her.
Police Sergeant Ryan Nelson was about to use his knife to get the snake free, but the victim pleaded for the snake’s life.
Nelson and another firefighter were finally able to pry the snake’s mouth open and uncoil it after a struggle, freeing the woman. After Nelson got the snake into its cage, the huge reptile escaped and tried to attack Nelson.
The snake lost a couple of teeth in the ordeal, but no one suffered any serious injuries.
Photo from Flickr, by DashTapper
LEGO birdhouse
My sons loved LEGO blocks while they were younger. We had LEGO creations all over the house. And we also had loose blocks all over the house. Very sharp when you stepped on them barefoot, uncomfortable when you sat on them on the couch. One time, when we had a blocked toilet, guess what we found? LEGO blocks!
Hopefully, Dave doesn't have pieces all over his house to step on. I'm sure he doesn't, he's way too creative for that. Dave e-mailed me to show me his LEGO cat birdhouse creation:
Dave's kitty, Simon, approves of the birdhouse.
Although Dave designed his birdhouse to be a functional birdhouse, he never intended to put it outside and let the elements destroy good LEGO bricks. This made him a little sad because the birdhouse would never really have any birds as visitors.
So Dave built a LEGO bird for the LEGO birdhouse!
Very creative, Dave!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Charley Chick Wall Clock
Charley Chick Wall Clock
Rise and shine or back to slumberland? Charley Chick, or at least his beak, always shows the right time. The chick can flap its wings as they can be attached and detached thanks to hook and loop strips.
$59.99 at Oompatoys
The City Chicken
If you've ever had dreams of keeping a flock of chickens in your own back yard, the City Chicken website might inspire you to bring a little country into your city life.
You might want to check your local ordinances before you start hatching those eggs.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Humanity messing with nature
A federal agency has authorized the killing of some California sea lions that prey on migrating salmon and steelhead at the base of Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River.
By some estimates, the sea lions at the base of the dam take up to 4 percent of the spring chinook run headed upriver to spawn.
Opponents of the kill have said sea lions are a highly visible and politically convenient target when the real problem lies elsewhere, such as the hydroelectric dams. The Humane Society of the United States and other groups also cite other hurdles facing fish, such as the deterioration of spawning grounds, bird predation of salmon smolts headed to the ocean and agricultural runoff and other pollution.
Nonlethal attempts to keep the sea lions away from the dam, such as rubber buckshot, loud noises and pyrotechnics, generally were deemed failures. Some sea lions trapped and taken to the mouth of the Columbia River 140 miles downriver returned to the dam in two or three days.
The authorization is valid until June 30, 2012, and can be extended for five years; it can be also revoked by the National Marine Fisheries Service with 72 hours notice.
Source: Los Angeles Times
via: L.A. Unleashed
Prickly pets are the latest fad
Busy British pet lovers have been buying hedgehogs, whose nocturnal habits make them appealing to the modern worker because they wake in the evening when their owners arrive home after a day in the office.
Although Britain has its own wild breed of hedgehogs, the latest pet craze focuses on African pygmy hedgehogs -- a cross between Algerian and white-bellied hedgehogs.
"They are unbelievably pretty little creatures, the way they bumble along, the way they poke their noses into everything," British hedgehog breeder Bonnie Martin told Reuters.
Initial costs for the animal and accompanying equipment can run to 300 pounds ($591).
"spike200503b" uploaded by kschinchillas
Source: Reuters
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Saving lives with venom
There are thousands of venomous animal species on Earth. Just a few of the most lethal are the Gila monster, the death adder, the fugu puffer fish and the Sydney funnel web spider.
Medical researchers are finding a positive side to these dangerous creatures: the complex and highly sophisticated poisons produced by these creatures have components that might save lives rather than kill.
The PBS show, Nature, Victims of Venom, illustrates how some of the animals we fear most may one day soon be helping us solve or alleviate a wide range of life-threatening medical problems.
Venomous animals use their toxins to capture prey or defend themselves. They inflict their poisons by biting, stinging, and, in the case of some marine animals, by emitting venom into the water so it can be absorbed through the skin. The venom itself typically comprises many different substances that have various effects on their victims.
The film introduces us to carefully trained researchers around the world who are risking harm - even death - to themselves by "milking" the venom of live animals so that the various components of these poisons can be studied in great detail and better understood, perhaps preparing the way for clinical trials against a variety of diseases and medical conditions. It's not only a dangerous job but a laborious one, since only tiny amounts of venom can be extracted at a time.
Heart disease, stroke, various cancers, and the management of chronic and severe pain are other potential targets of the chemicals that comprise venom.
Komodo Dragon's Deadly Bite
Komodo dragons may have a wimpy bite for their size, but somehow the giant lizards manage to take down prey as large as water buffalos.
A new study reveals that a few dozen razor-sharp teeth combined with beefy neck muscles make up for the reptile's dainty chomp.
The Komodo displays a unique hold-and-pull feeding technique. The lizard nabs prey with 60 perilous teeth, although its bite is weak. To make up for the lack of biting power, strong throat muscles drag the meal through the razor-sharp jowls and into the stomach.
Once a Komodo dragon maims its prey, which can weigh nearly as much as the lizard, it is swallowed whole and later regurgitated in a foul-smelling pellet of hair, bone and other indigestible remains. The lizards are also known for their infectious bites and parthenogenesis, or the ability to reproduce without mating.
Source: Yahoo News
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Feline CSI
This is Mary.
Mary has a problem: the hair around her rectum is missing. That area is very pink and a little bloody, but not swollen.
What's wrong with Mary?
Read Cat Care, Breeds and Resources Blog for the answer.
Not welcome in Chicago
A cougar ran loose in Chicago on Monday for the first time since the city's founding in the 19th Century. But by day's end, the animal lay dead in a back alley on the North Side, shot by police who said they feared it was turning to attack.
No one knew where the 5-foot long, 150-pound cat came from, though on Saturday Wilmette police had received four reports of a cougar roaming that suburb, roughly 15 miles from the site of Monday's shooting.
Source: Chicago Tribune
A close second?
The Daily Mail has printed photos of Orazi, the ginger tom cat who weighs in at a whopping 35.2 lb. Orazi lives in Eupilio, Italy.
I think Monty, who lives with my friends Christina and Luke, is almost as large as Orazi. I'm not sure how much Monte weighs - they probably can't lift him up to weigh him.
What do you think? Close?
Cindy: the queen of doggy tricks
Meet Cindy, the Cavalier King Charles who’s the queen of doggy-balancing.
Cindy the Cavalier King Charles is able to carry out a dazzling display of tricks taught to her by Wolverhampton owner Ron Bucknall.
Watch the video of Cindy performing. via: Ursi's Blog
Source: expressandstar.com
Monday, April 14, 2008
African Wild Dogs Debut at the LA Zoo
African wild dogs, native to the vast and beautiful sub-Saharan Africa, are making the Los Angeles Zoo their home for the first time in nearly 40 years.
The African wild dog is an endangered species. It is estimated that the total population is fewer than 5,000 dogs.
L.A. Zoo's pair of dogs, courtesy of New York’s Bronx Zoo, is two of just under 150 African wild dogs in zoos across the United States.
These dogs are part of an aggressive plan to try and preserve the species. A number of zoos, including the L.A. Zoo, are looking to help wild dog conservation efforts by participating in the Species Survival Plan Program (SSP) established in 1981 by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The program tracks a species’ genetic ancestry so that appropriate mates can be found for the animal in question. For example, the L.A. Zoo has two wild dogs, but since they are brother and sister, it would be inappropriate to breed them. In the future, if the Zoo were to receive a breeding recommendation, the Zoo would work with the AZA to locate suitable mates for the dogs. A zoo that has a compatible mate would then exchange that animal with the L.A. Zoo so that the quality breeding programs could continue.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Rat wars in India
India's armed forces, which have been battling insurgents in the northeast for over six decades, are now engaged with another enemy - rats.
The rat population in the northeastern states of Mizoram and Manipur - the two states bordering Myanmar - has witnessed a massive growth. With rats destroying crops and devouring grain, the threat of famine looms over the region. Soldiers deployed in the area to fight insurgents are being called in to help the civilian administration tackle the impending crisis.
The explosion in the rat population has been triggered by the flowering of a certain species of bamboo (Melocanna baccifera) that grows mainly in Mizoram but in other neighboring states as well. Thirty percent of Mizoram is covered by wild bamboo forests.
The flowering of this bamboo results in millions of seeds being dropped. Rats devour these seeds. The high protein content of the seeds is believed to either dramatically increase fertility rates among the rats or provide them with the nutrition to enhance survival rates of the entire litter. Litters of over a dozen rats survive and within three months are ready to reproduce themselves. This has resulted in a major rat population explosion.
Some experts say that the rat population in Mizoram is perhaps ten times that of humans in the state.
Source: Asia Times Online
Rat catching in UK
With rat infestations estimated to be up by nearly 40 per cent in the past six years, a group of rugby players who started ratting on a Sunday morning to exercise their dogs now have more invitations to farms than they can cope with.
The Malton & Norton Rugby Ratcatchers, who set off most Sunday mornings from the Spotted Cow pub in Malton, North Yorkshire, enjoy bacon sandwiches and mugs of tea before getting out their terriers, the wisest among them tucking trousers into socks to stop any rodent making a run for freedom up their legs.
David Harrison, who farms 300 acres on the Yorkshire Wolds, was constantly out poisoning rats. He says catching the rats with terriers is safer for his livestock - there are no longer any worries about the pigs picking up any of the poison - and for wildlife.
At Harrison's farm, the terriers set a new record, killing 103 rats in two hours.
Source: Telegraph
Rats!
Michele Diller, 64, of Rochester, WA, bought rats as food for her pet snakes but eventually came to think of them as ''friends'' and allowed them to breed and overrun her house.
The rats have gnawed through wiring, walls, cupboards and drawers, and have begun turning up in neighbors' yards.
When Animal Control officials entered the house, they saw that rat feces covered table tops, floors, chairs - virtually every flat surface in the house. In addition, the carpets were saturated with rat urine, and the air inside the home was heavy with odors and moisture. There was no electricity in most rooms of the house because the rats had chewed through the wiring. In addition, the sewage had backed up and there was no running water or heat in the home.
The sound of rats chewing in the walls and floors was a "constant undertone."
Souce: KOMO-TV
Friday, April 11, 2008
Fish sounds
I never knew fish made sounds. It's hard to believe that they do, but when you think about it, why not? Most other animals make noises, so why not fish?
In "Run Noisy, Run Deep," the New York Times samples of some of the sounds made by five species of fish.
My favorite is the clownfish which are prolific "singers" that produce a wide variety of sounds, described as "chirps" and "pops" in both reproductive and agonistic behavioral contexts. Clownfish sounds were recorded as early as 1930, but it was just recently that scientists discovered the unusual ligament that allows this fish to pull its jaws together quickly to produce the sounds.
The accompanying article, "What’s Making That Awful Racket? Surprisingly, It May Be Fish," tells an interesting story about Cape Coral, FL, where residents were pushing the City Council to pay an engineering firm more than $47,000 to eliminate the nightly noise reverberating through their homes.
James Locascio, a doctoral student in marine science at the University of South Florida, rescued the city from financial folly.
He explained that at 100 to 500 hertz, black drum mating calls travel at a low enough frequency and long enough wavelength to carry through sea walls, into the ground and through the construction of waterfront homes like the throbbing beat in a passing car.
How cool.
Lawsuit blames sick hamster for 3 deaths
A woman whose husband died after receiving a liver transplant claims a diseased hamster purchased at a pet store is to blame.
Nancy Magee, 51, of Whitman, Mass., is suing PetSmart for negligence.
Thomas J. Magee was one of three people who died after receiving organs donated by a woman who had contracted lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV) from a hamster she bought at a PetSmart in Warwick, R.I., according to a law suit Magee has filed in federal court.
The organ donor later died of an unrelated stroke and the transplants were done by hospitals which had no knowledge of her disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control Web site, lymphocytic choriomeningitis is a rodent-borne viral infectious disease with symptoms similar to meningitis.
Thomas Magee’s liver transplant was performed at Massachusetts General Hospital in April 2005. Five days later, the suit says, he “was exhibiting high blood pressure and a fever.”
Weeks later he died and according to the suit, the virus was the cause of death. “The immediate cause of” Thomas Magee’s death was “determined to have been the dissemination of LCMV in the liver he received.”
Source: the Boston Channel
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Book review: Businesses for Pet Lovers
101 Best Businesses for Pet Lovers
The money spent on pets has more than doubled since 1994, creating a multi-billion-dollar industry that is even more lucrative than the human toy industry. 101 Best Businesses for Pet Lovers lists a wide variety of moneymaking opportunities from something as simple as dog walking, to careers which require education and training such as pet grooming and pet masseuse.
Authors Joseph Nigro and Nicholas Nigro are well qualified to write about this subject. Joseph began his entrepreneurial career with pet shops which he was eventually able to sell to the Petco Company in 1996 for $19.1 million.
101 Best Businesses for Pet Lovers interested me on a personal level because I am one of those people who turned my love of animals into a business - Internet Pet Supplies - Internet Pet Supplies has been selling pet treats and pet supplies on the Internet since 1998. i-pets.com does not have a physical store, we sell only on the internet. I started very cautiously, selling only a few items, mainly USA rawhide treats, and have increased the products carried because of customer feedback.
I would recommend this book, it is well researched, well written, and offers some very imaginative ways of making money.
Mason bee house
Boost your garden's productivity by providing a happy home for peaceful, non-stinging Mason bees. Slightly smaller than honeybees, Mason bees are incredible pollinators. Each one visits as many as 1000 blooms per day — 20 times as many as a honeybee! Hang this natural bamboo house against a tree or wall where it will get morning sun and attract bees. Female bees fill the bamboo tubes with their eggs, and nectar and pollen for the young to eat.
$14.95 at Gardener's Supply
via: the Green Head
Putting Turin's sheep to work
For the second year in a row, sheep are being used to trim the lawns of Turin, Italy's parks.
The first herd of sheep arrived Thursday at the Meisino park, a vast area of land along the Po River on the city's eastern outskirts, while a second herd will be brought to the Sangone park on Monday.
The two herds will graze in the parks for two months and officials believe this will save the city some 30,000 euros in gardeners' fees.
Last year, in addition to sheep, cattle were used in the Maddalena park. This year it was decided not to use cattle because they produced significantly more manure that sheep.
Source: ANSA
via: eternally cool
The perfect pet?
Mary Holstad creates realistic dogs and cats out of mohair.
Each creation is made with thick lush premium imported faux fur that is so soft to the touch. They have hand-embroidered lacquered noses, and premium hand-painted dark brown glass eyes. The face and feet are meticulously hand-trimmed, have hand-embroidered claws and hand-apliqued felt toes and pads. They are fully 5 way jointed, have sturdy armatures for posing and are stuffed with polyfill and plastic pellets for a nice weight.
via: neatorama
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Mystery creature in Utah pond
When a pond in Brigham City, Utah, froze over, over 4,000 fish turned up dead - caused either due to the pond being poisoned or lack of oxygen due to the thick ice. The strange, fanged creature was found amid the carp and goldfish which the pond had been stocked with.
Biologists said they are not sure what the creature is and that it could be a type of trout whose tissue decomposed rapidly, making its teeth more prominent.
Aquatic biologists said if they can't figure it out, they'll let the fish decompose fully and then examine the bone structure to determine the species.
Source: Local6.com
via: A Fiend's Folio
Does your pet watch TV?
Submit a photo of your pet watching TV to All American Dish and have a chance to win a Toshiba 32" 720p LCD HD TV.
To submit an entry:
- Take a photo of your pet watching TV.
- Visit http://www.allamericandish.com/funandgames/contest.php to upload your photo.
- Only one entry per household per month.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Seahorses in London
Short-snouted seahorses have set up residence in the recovering River Thames, which had been declared biologically dead in the 1950s. Various groups have worked to rehabilitate the river for the past two decades. Seals, dolphins, salmon, and sea lampreys have also recently been seen swimming in the healthier river.
via: National Geographic
Heart disease hits zoo gorillas
Gorillas in zoos around the nation, particularly males and those in their 20s and 30s, have been falling ill - and sometimes dying suddenly - of heart disease.
The stunning deaths of otherwise healthy apes have zookeepers scrambling to understand what factors may be causing the illnesses and what might be done to save the 368 lowland gorillas that now reside in 52 zoos across North America.
Ape experts have established the Gorilla Health Project, looking to track rates of heart disease and death among gorillas in captivity.
Read the excellent article at Monkeys in the News.
Cute or not? Baby Oposum
Why Opossum Has A Bare Tail
Native American Legend: Creek/Muscogee Tribe
One day, Opossum was walking in the woods around sunset when he spied Raccoon. Now Opossum had always admired Raccoon because he had a beautiful tail with rings all around it.
So Opossum went up to Raccoon and said: "How did you get those pretty rings on your tail?"
Raccoon stroked his fluffy long tail fondly and said: "Well, I wrapped bark around the tail here and here and here," he pointed. "Then I stuck my tail into the fire. The fur between the strips of bark turned black and the places underneath the bark remained white, just as you see!"
Opossum thanked the Raccoon and hurried away to gather some bark. He wrapped the bark around his furry tail, built a big bonfire, and stuck his tail into the flames. Only the bonfire was too hot and too fierce. It instantly burned all of the hair off the Opossum's tail, leaving it entirely bare.
Opossum wailed and moaned when he saw his poor tail, but there was nothing he could do but wait for the fur to grow back. Opossum waited and waited and waited. But the tail was too badly burnt by the fire and the fur did not grow back. Opossum's tail remained bare for the rest of his life.
Opossum tails have been bare ever since.
Photo: USDA
Monday, April 7, 2008
First it was dogs; now . . . turkeys?
While rain and snow may not deter the postal service, wild turkeys are a bird of a different feather.
Between five and 10 large male turkeys, or toms -- apparently a little giddy with the onset of turkey breeding season -- have been bullying postal workers as they make their rounds, pecking at them and even trying to rough them up with the sharp spurs on their legs. One of the birds launched itself through the open door of a mail truck and scratched the driver.
Eric Lobner, regional wildlife program supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, is on the case, investigating the turkey gang.
Source: Wisconsin State Journal
Couldn't find any rocks
A New Zealand man could face five years in prison if convicted after being accused of using a hedgehog as a weapon.
According to police, the man threw the hedgehog to hit a 15-year-old boy last month. Police say the hedgehog "hit the victim in the leg, causing a large red welt and several puncture marks."
It's not known if the hedgehog was dead or alive when it was thrown, but it was dead when police collected it as evidence.
Source: abc2news
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Build your own birdhouse
Andy's Free Birdhouse Plans contains instructions on how to make a bird house suitable for the different kinds of birds known to use them or likely to do so. It is designed to encourage the protection and study of birds in all sections of the United States.
Traffic light birdhouse
Control the bird traffic in your backyard with this charming wooden traffic light birdhouse. This traffic-sign yellow birdhouse includes an entrance in each "light," three shelves for nesting and openings at the back for easy cleaning. Bird-safe paint. Hanging wire included. Made in China.
$40.00 at Uncommon Goods
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Flying Cat Birdhouse
Christopher Blake grew up in a traveling circus. He learned his craft from his grandfather, a carousel horse carver in Germany.
These delightful birdhouses are true American folk art ~ whimsical, fun and guaranteed show-stoppers. Christopher Blake creates these unique works by carving a mold which is then used to make each hand-finished piece. A variety of ingredients are used, from crushed walnuts and limestone to wood dust and sea shells, then finished with his own unique blend of paints. Each piece is signed by the artist.
$74.95 at Fat Finch
Book birdhouses
Since birds haven't shown much appreciation for literature, these imaginative birdhouses will do much better decorating the inside of your house than serving as theirs.
$120.00 at Uncommon Goods
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Video: Extremely Rare Lion Baby Born
Raja, the rare Asiatic lion cub born at a Japanese zoo is one of only about 300 left in the world.
Link to video
Friday, April 4, 2008
Cedric - savior of Tasmanian devils
Scientists are one step closer to a vaccine because of a Tasmanian devil by the name of Cedric who may hold the key to future of his species.
He is an extraordinary devil, guinea pig and possible savior, who is naturally resistant to the contagious facial tumors which have already killed half the devil population in Tasmania.
Scientists have discovered it is Cedric's genes that are protecting him from the cancer and hope to create a vaccine to save other devils.
Source: ABC News
Another rare monkey baby birth
Only the 12th of its species in a zoo in the United States, this crested capuchin was born last week at the Santa Ana Zoo.
Zookeepers don't know the baby's sex yet - but it sure is a little cutie!
Source: OC Register
Yes, it's news: Woman bites dog!
A Minneapolis woman bit a pit bull that was attacking her dog.
Amy Rice says she bit the pit bull on the nose while trying to separate the pit bull from her Labrador retriever, Ella.
The dog had jumped a fence to get into Rice's yard, and she feared the pit bull would kill Ella.
Source: AP
Wild Octopuses Have Complex Lives
Marine biologists studying wild octopuses have found a kinky and violent society of jealous murders and gender-bending tricks.
The new study was conducted by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, who journeyed off the coast of Indonesia. They found that wild octopuses are far from the shy, unromantic loners their captive brethren appear to be.
The scientists saw picky, macho males carefully select a mate, then guard their newly domesticated digs so jealously that they would occasionally use their 8-to-10-inch tentacles to strangle a romantic rival to death.
Source: National Geographic
Thursday, April 3, 2008
The Dog Did It: Woman Gets $300K Deal
A police dog in Ogden, UT, put a pickup truck into gear, injuring a woman on her way to the mailbox in an incident that has ended with a $300,000 settlement.
Mary Frances Stone, 43, was walking to her mailbox in July 2006 when she was hit by a 1990 Ford pickup truck assigned to Officer Taylor Finder.
Ranger, a German shepherd, was in the bed of the idling truck but jumped into the front seat through a sliding door and somehow knocked the automatic transmission into gear, police said.
Stone, who had a broken pelvis, had asked for $580,000 but settled with the city's insurer for $300,000.
Source: AP
Because the women are covered
Ten thousand camels will be fluttering their long eyelashes in a unique international beauty pageant being held in the United Arab Emirates.
The contest in Abu Dhabi is one of the richest and biggest events of its kind, with more than $9m and 100 cars in prizes up for grabs.
A panel of expert camel appreciators will choose the best animals for each age group.
Entry is open to anyone who can prove ownership of a pedigree camel, and the animals must be free from contagious diseases, and without any serious defects.
Source: BBC News
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Rare monkey born at the Houston Zoo
A Schmidt's red-tailed guenon was born at the Houston Zoo. It's the first birth of the species at the zoo in 29 years.
According to the zoo, there are only 37 of the monkeys living in ten zoos in the United States.
via: Animal Attraction
A show to watch
Oprah Winfrey plans to dedicate a show investigating abuses at puppy mills to her cocker spaniel, Sophie, who died last month from kidney failure.
"Sophie gave me 13 years of unconditional love. She was a true love in my life," Winfrey says on the broadcast scheduled to air Friday, April 4.
The show features special correspondent Lisa Ling investigating puppy mills, which Ling calls "horrific" and "haunting."
Winfrey says the show is "for anybody anywhere who loves a dog, has ever loved a dog, or just cares about their basic right to humane treatment."
Facts about puppy mills
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
BMW unveils dog-proof car
BMW, manufacturers of luxury cars, are proud to unveil a new model, guaranteed to have a longer lasting, cleaner, body because dogs will find it unpleasant to urinate on.
Dr Hans Zoff, the inventor of Canine Repellent Alloy Protection system, said: 'Research shows that most BMW customers love to keep their cars clean – but dog fouling is a constant irritant.'
A pet who relieves itself over the new model's wheels will get quite a buzz out of it – as an unpleasant 200 volts shoots through its body.
(By the way, Happy April 1)
Source: Metro.uk
Flying penguins caught on film
Camera crews discovered an unusual colony of Adélie penguins while filming on King George Island, some 750 miles south of the Falkland Islands.
When the weather took a turn for the worse, rather than getting together in a huddle to protect themselves from the cold, they did something quite unexpected, that no other penguins can do.
These penguins not only take flight from the Antarctic wastes, but fly thousands of miles to the Amazonian rain forest to find winter sun.
(By the way, Happy April 1)
Source: Telegraph
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