(via Clarissa's House Of Cats)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Bears on the attack in Russia
Russia’s bears have traditionally been a national symbol of pride and potency, mythologized in fairy tales and depicted in advertisements and on the flag of Russia’s top political party. They are as hallowed in Russia as the bald eagle is in the United States.
Today, however, Russia’s bears are on the attack.
Some thirty gigantic and ravenously hungry Kamchatka brown bears have already killed and eaten two men at a platinum mine in Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka region and appear to be hunting for more. People in the region have been forced to cower in their homes waiting for hunters to dispose of the animals, which can stand 10 feet tall and weigh up to 1,500 pounds.
The bears are generally peaceful and feed on salmon in Kamchatka's rivers. Environmentalists argue that widespread poaching has caused a fish shortage, prompting the starving bears to become aggressive as they seek out food close to human settlements.
Source: New York Times
How do you lose a 44-pound cat?
Meet Princess Chunk, a 44-pound hunk of feline flesh, a cat so big that she needs a bathtub for a litter box.
Volunteers at the Camden County Animal Shelter in New Jersey are trying to find a new home for the corpulent kitty - a really big home.
Officials at the shelter say they received the cat Saturday from Animal Control after she was found wandering around outdoors with no ID tags.
As hard as it is to fathom, volunteers think her owner might have lost her, which is as difficult a possibility to imagine as, well, as a 44-pound cat.
"I mean, how do you lose a 44-pound cat?" said shelter volunteer Deborah Wright.
Source: New York Post
Saudi religious police ban pet cats and dogs
Saudi Arabia's religious police have announced a ban on selling cats and dogs as pets, or walking them in public in the Saudi capital, because of men using them as a means of making passes at women, an official said on Wednesday.
Othman al-Othman, head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in Riyadh, known as the Muttawa, told the Saudi edition of al-Hayat daily that the commission has started enforcing an old religious edict.
The reason behind reinforcing the edict now was a rising fashion among some men using pets in public "to make passes on women and disturb families," he said, without giving more details.
The 5,000-strong religious police oversees the adherence to Wahabism -- a strict version of Sunni Islam, which also forces women to cover from head to toe when in public, and bans them from driving.
Graphic: Cartoon Stock
Source: AFP
A 400-year long wait
Captured on camera as they swim in a lake, drag pieces of wood to make their dens and play with one another, these are the first beavers to be born in Britain in 400 years.
The enchanting scene is a heartwarming sight for animal lovers as the species was previously extinct in Britain.
The 12 baby beaver ‘kits’ – all from the same mother – were born at the 550-acre Lower Mill Estate near Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
Jeremy Paxton, owner of the estate, brought three pairs of beavers – named Tony and Cherie, Gordon and Sarah and John and Pauline – from Bavaria in 2005.
He has spent almost £1million on the project.
He said: ‘I have always wanted to bring an extinct indigenous species back to Britain.
Source: The Daily Mail
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Cruel, cruel, cruel ...
but funny in a sadistic kind of way ...
Sarah Jessica Parker Looks Like a Horse
Crucified frog creates controversy
An ongoing row over a sculpture of a crucified frog on show in a Bolzano, Italy, museum gained momentum when a Catholic politician reported the work to the police for public obscenity.
The sculpture, which depicts a warty, pop-eyed amphibian nailed to a cross with a frothing mug of beer in one hand and an egg in the other, has been at the center of furious polemics ever since it went on display in May.
But the row has heated up after Pope Benedict XVI's arrival in the nearby town of Bressanone for his summer holiday.
Right-wing separatist party the Union for South Tyrol said Wednesday it had collected 10,000 signatures supporting the removal of the work, while the president of Trentino-Alto Adige regional council, Franz Pahl, entered his eighth day of a hunger strike in protest over the frog.
Local bishop Wilhelm Egger - a strong critic of the work from the start - said on Tuesday that he had discussed the sculpture with the pope, although he would not comment on the pontiff's views on the matter. "The crucified frog has shocked many visitors to the Museion and has hurt their religious feelings," Egger said.
Source:ANSA.it
New Rare Lemur Group Found
A new population of wrinkly-faced, bamboo-eating lemurs has been found in a swampy region of east-central Madagascar—more than 240 miles from the other only known group of the primates, listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union.
Scientists suspect that 30 to 40 of the lemurs—known for cracking open giant bamboo with their powerful jaws—live in the wetland, where bamboo is still their main staple.
The new group joins another population of about a hundred animals in the island's northern bamboo forests, which are under threat from illegal logging and habitat destruction, according to Conservation International.
Source: National Geographic
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Just hangin' around
These two-week-old triplet lemurs are the star attraction at Folly Farm, in Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire.
The gorgeous threesome are the second set of triplets born to resident lemur Kirindy, who is said to have bonded marvellously with her litter.
Source: The Sun
(via Zooillogix)
Monday, July 28, 2008
The pride of Britain
Six adorable white lion cubs – born to two different mothers – help form the world’s largest pride of this striking species in captivity. The cubs take the number of white lions at West Midland Safari Park in Worcestershire to 19.
The park’s white lion collection has grown from four animals who were introduced in 2004.
The lions are not albino but are a rare mutation of lion found in a 200-square-mile area called Timbavati, in South Africa’s bush country.
According to African folklore, once every hundred years, magical white lions will be born bringing joy to those who witness them.
Source: Mail online
Cute or not? Baby colobus monkey
This baby's mother, the Oregon Zoo's adult Colobus, Molly, was chosen as the 2008 mother of the year!
Watch the video
Elephants: traumatized by humanity
According to researcher Gay Bradshaw, "There are things about elephants that seem so similar to us. Their family life, their emotional life, the fact that they grieve. They stand out from other animals." Elephants are able to recognize themselves in a mirror, a trait shared with humans, apes and dolphins.
Field scientists have studied the special bonds of elephant herds for decades. Family members mourn their dead, even gently caressing the jawbones of their ancestors during grieving rituals.
"I think the real shock right now, in terms of the mirror self-recognition tests and their intelligence and their emotions is, they're like us. It's not that they're way up there. It's that they're on level footing with us," said Bradshaw.
But even as science holds a mirror to our similarities, in recent years researchers have observed a violent change in elephant-human relations after decades of peaceful coexistence.
"Humans are regarded as the enemy. You must never, ever be cruel to an elephant because they have an amazing memory. They will remember that for life. And they bear grudges," said Daphne Sheldrick, a renowned wild elephant expert and director of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
Creatures who seem to share the best of what makes us human are now revealing they are also capable of the worst.
Source: ABC News
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Sun protection for pets
Animals can and do get sunburned!
Animals with very little hair covering, light-colored animals, newly shorn sheep and other animals that are clipped can suffer from sunburn and the parts of animals that normally lack hair cover can be sunburned. The problem can be worsened because animals may be exposed to certain substances from their feed, medications such as antibiotics, and spores of certain molds, that can photo-sensitize them, making them more likely to burn; extreme sunburn and sometimes large open skin wounds can result.
Human sunscreens are not formulated nor are the prepared to be compatible with skin of pets.
Epi-Pet FDA Tested Sun Protector Sunscreen for Dogs and Horses blocks damaging UVA and UVB rays that cause cancer in the skin.
The Sun Protector spray is light and does not leave a thick oily residue on the skin and hair coat of the pet. It also leaves a pleasant vanilla fragrance. The can is designed with a unique bag on valve spray system which quietly releases a constant spray from any direction (even upside down) when pressed down. This spray system is environmentally safe since it releases no ozone depleting CFC's into the atmosphere.
$18.95 at VKRPets.com
Bow WOW! Great product for biker dogs
Road Hound pet carrier
For motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and bicycles. These trendy and durable pet crates are the perfect way to travel in comfort and style - for both you and your dog. Enjoy the great outdoors - and take your pet with you.
Priced from $299.00 to $399.00 at Moto-Pets Accessories, Inc.
(via Inventor's Spot)
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Don't squeeeeze too hard!
Did you ever wonder:
Why are humans born with eyes open and puppies are born with eyes closed?
Photo credit: custom875
Newspaper Won't Run Obituary
A grieving woman in Orange County, FL, says her loved one is being discriminated against by a local newspaper. She says the West Orange Times decided not to run an obituary after they saw the picture.
Kimberly DeWolf is so angry she is threatening to sue if Bailey is not given the proper farewell. She was preparing for a 13th birthday party next month.
"His birthday would've been August 18th. He's been the love of my life. My parents, their grandchild," she said.
But instead of a celebration, Kimberly was at a funeral service.
"He's actually buried at my parents house, has a gravesite," she said.
During a week off for bereavement, Kimberly wrote an obituary and wanted it placed in her local paper, the West Orange Times. But when editors saw the picture of Bailey, there was a problem in their eyes.
"He's not a dog, he's my child, he's never been a dog," Kimberly said. "They're discriminating against me because it's a dog in their eyes."
Source: WFTV.com
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Not for the weak stomached
Caution: Do not read this while eating lunch!
Guinea pig festival in Peru
An Andean woman holds a 'cuy' or guinea pig dressed as a miner during a fashion show at a guinea pig festival in Huacho, Peru.
The one-day festival includes an animal show and a food and fashion contest which features the guinea pig, native to the Andes.
The guinea pigs spend the day being dressed up...
... pampered...
... and fattened up.
Yes, fattened up. Many of us think of the guinea pig as a cute pet, but in parts of South America, it is a major source of food.
Warning ... you might want to stop reading here.
Guinea pigs can be served fried, roasted or in a casserole.
Those of a sensitive disposition should probably not view the next two pictures.
Around 65 million guinea pigs are eaten in Peru every year.
The meat tastes like rabbit or the dark meat of chicken, in case you were wondering.
Source: Telegraph
Penguins rescued off Scottish coast
Rescuers hunting for the site of a plane crash at sea off the coast of Scotland called off their search - after the casualties turned out to be two inflatable penguins.
Coastguard and lifeboat teams, along with a helicopter, were scrambled after an elderly man reported a light plane had ditched near Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.
He was convinced he saw wreckage glinting in the sun.
But rescuers discovered that what he had spotted were two massive balloons shaped like penguins.
The search was called off after the 4ft penguins, which were semi-inflated, were discovered .
The two penguins - whose source remains a mystery - have now been "adopted" by the lifeboat team.
Source: Daily Record
(via: Penguins!)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Dropping in for a coffee
Frightened by the noise of thunder from summer storms, a wild deer brought chaos in Bolzano, Italy.
The deer sent cafe patrons scrambling as it raced through the center of town. The deer leapt over tables, broke a window, and injured two people.
Several police officers, hunters and the local fire brigade tried for two hours to catch the animal, which was eventually shot dead in a car park by local forestry officials.
Source: Telegraph
Legs to spare
Veterinarians at a north Georgia college have been treating an odd-looking deer after it was attacked by a dog.
The deer, according to vets at Berry College, has six legs and was found over the weekend near Rome, GA. The animal is recovering from wounds it suffered in the attack.
Due to the injuries, one of its two tails had to be amputated. The fawn has two distinct pelvises and uses one leg from each pelvis to walk.
• Click here to watch video of the six-legged deer.
Source: Fox
the Dickin Medal
The Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 by Maria Dickin to honor the work of animals in war.
It is a large bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried on ribbon of striped green, dark brown and pale blue. Traditionally, the medal is presented by the Lord Mayor of the City of London. It has become recognized as "the animals' Victoria Cross". As of February 2008, it has been awarded 62 times. (wiki)
The Medal, which can only be considered on receipt of an official recommendation, was awarded 54 times between 1943 and 1949. The recipients comprised 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, three horses and one cat.
In October 2000 a Canadian dog called Gander was added to the Roll of Honor. Since then, a further six Dickin Medals have been awarded and all to dogs.
Tthe only cat to be awarded the Dickin Medal is Simon.
Awarded posthumously 1949, the record states that Simon “Served on HMS Amethyst during the Yangtze Incident, disposing of many rats though wounded by shell blast. Throughout the incident his behavior was of the highest order, although the blast was capable of making a hole over a foot in diameter in a steel plate.”
You can read the list of recipients at PDSA Dickin Medal: 'the animals' VC'. You can see more pictures of brave animals at BBC's World's Hero Pets.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Lincoln Park Zoo has flamingo eggs
10 potentially viable eggs have been laid by Lincoln Park Zoo's Chilean flamingos, with zoo experts expecting offspring to begin hatching in about two weeks.
Available records indicate that the zoo has been egg-less since at least the late 1950s. In 2003, the zoo swapped breeds, changing from the American species to the hardier Chilean type. Adding the vegetation helped make the population -- there are currently 48 of the birds -- seem denser, which flamingos prefer.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
FLAMINGO FACTS
Why are flamingos pink?
The color reflects the beta carotene in their diet of shrimp and shellfish.
Why do they stand on one foot?
Raising one foot helps them shift their weight to make themselves more comfortable. Folding one leg also can keep them warm by reducing the blood supply to the folded limb.
Do flamingos fly?
Yes, but they need a few paces to take off. Zoo flamingos either have their wings regularly clipped or are pinioned, having parts of their wings removed when they are young.
Source: Lincoln Park Zoo; Sea World
2nd photo: (via Mutts) Hanover Zoo's newest addition, who increases their flamingo family to an even 100 birds,
A fishy story
Ready for the latest in spa pampering? Prepare to dunk your tootsies in a tank of water and let tiny carp nibble away.
Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far.
The fish are called garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish. They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries.
Source: Boston.com
Monday, July 21, 2008
Hard to swallow?
An apparent set of conjoined twin birds -- an incredibly rare find -- has been discovered in Arkansas.
The bodies of the barn swallows, which are attached at the hip by skin and possibly muscle tissue, are being sent to the Smithsonian Institution for examination and confirmation, Arkansas wildlife officials said Friday.
The birds, found by a landowner in White County, fell out of a nest as a healthy sibling flew off to learn how to hunt with its parents, Rowe said. The birds first appeared to have only three legs, but further examination found a fourth leg tucked up underneath the skin connecting the pair.
Source: Boston.com
The best doggy shampoo & conditioner
Recently, I was fortunate to receive free samples of DERMagic - a dog shampoo, conditioner, and hot spot treatment.
I had planned on trying them on my son's new puppy, Hershey. Unfortunately, Hershey died of distemper just four weeks after we had adopted her from an animal rescue group.
My next thought was to use the shampoo and conditioner on our cats, Grace and Bandit. Well, Grace had spent a day of 
beauty at the spa, instead, which left only Bandit.
Luckily, I told Jennifer, the PR rep, about my plans and she stopped me just in time.
Good advice to pet owners - dog products are not always suitable for cats, nor vice-versa. DERMagic for dogs contains peppermint and tea tree oil which are not beneficial for cats.
My neighbor kindly let me borrow Bailey, a pug & boxer mix. Bailey loved coming over and getting pampered in my kitchen sink. The DERMagic shampoo smelled really nice and pepperminty, Bailey seemed to be enjoying the scent. It lathered great and rinsed off easily. The conditioner made Bailey's fur feel soft and silky.
It's been four days since I gave Bailey her bath. She still smells great! I would highly recommend DERMagic products. See their website to order online, or look for a salon in Oregon or Washington which carries the products.
Photos: corsi photo
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Dog Luggage Tags
Never miss your luggage at the airport with these ultra cute luggage tags.
Faux leather with applique and embroidery details. Approximately: 5" Wide x 5.5" High (not including strap)
$14.00 at Fluff
Bacon, bacon, bacon!
Dentists recommend flossing and we recommend bacon!
Now you can improve your dental hygiene while enjoying the amazing flavor of crispy fried bacon! Is there anything bacon can't improve?
Each 2" tall plastic dispenser contains 27.3 yards of waxed floss. Yummy.
$3.99 at Perpetual Kid
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
A duck in the city
Invariably, one of my treats each day is to read Cute Overload. It really is an overload of cuteness each day.
Read co's story, Duck Darwin Awards, a suspenseful tale of a confused mother duck in Downtown Spokane who laid ten eggs in a nest in the corner of a planter that is perched over 10 feet in the air.
As the ten ducklings hatched, the mother duck needed to get her brood to leap from a ten foot high ledge and negotiate 2 full blocks to walk across traffic, crosswalks, curbs, and pedestrians to get to the closest open water, the Spokane River.
Luckily, the heroic office staff of the Sterling Bank gave mama duck assistance all through the process.
Nice work, ladies and gentlemen. Give yourselves a hand. Or better yet, go out for several drinks after work today. You earned it.
Doggie wisdom
I LOVE this blog!
On Mackenzie Speaks, we get snippets of wisdom from the viewpoint of a very insightful dog.
Some of my favorite Mackenzie-isms:
"Chihuahua’s are adorable, except for the fact that they’re tiny and rat like."
"If I were invisible, would my poop also be invisible?"
"Being a dog is great. We can walk around carrying a tennis ball in our mouth and it’s no big deal. Humans, on the other paw, could never pull that off."
"If something called a ‘jalapeño’ ever falls on the kitchen floor, do not eat it. You must trust me on this."
Licked Toys
LickedToys is the first dog toy graveyard. You send in pictures of your pets' destroyed toys and they'll post them so that your toys may rest in pieces.
Time for new toys?
We suggest i-pets.com - they have excellent prices on canvas dog toys, plush dog toys, wooly dog toys, rope toys, floating toys, vinyl dog toys and heavy duty vinyl dog toys.
(via corsinet)
Lenore and Brutus, an unusual love story
John Katz has lived for some years with sheep, cows, steers, goats, barn cats, chickens—and dogs—on a farm in upstate New York, Bedlam Farm, but he had never encountered a situation where animals of different species have fallen in love, or even had much of a friendship.
In an article for Slate Magazine, "My Dog Has a Crush on My Ram," he writes about Lenore, a highly affectionate black lab, who is is utterly smitten with Brutus, a neutered ram.
Each day, the pair seems more companionable. Lenore looks for Brutus, and when she finds him, she sometimes challenges him to romp, occasionally rolling over and flirtatiously showing her belly. She isn't above giving his nose or ear a lick. Some days, they just graze side by side, Lenore also chomping down the grass.
The two of them are always together. She cleans his ear, he noses her or butts her gently. It's something to see.
(via: The Roanoke Times: The Happy Wag)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
How Far Should We Go to Save Our Pets?
This is a country in which 93 percent of we owners describe our pets as members of the family, where 70 percent of us sleep with our dogs and 78 percent with our cats, in which nearly three-quarters of married pet owners report greeting their pet before their spouse when they return home. It is a culture in which, according to one New York study, women report feeling "significantly" more intimacy with the closest pet than the closest person in their lives.
Given this remarkable relationship, how do we approach these life-and-death decisions? Is it as far as our credit cards will stretch? Is it the pet's quality of life? Or our own quality of life?
(Photo: Boswell, a 2-year-old goose undergoing cancer treatment at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton. Though he was an $8 purchase at the local feed store, his two major bouts with cancer - a tumor in his trachea and now osteosarcoma (a fast-moving and painful bone cancer) in his leg - have added up to perhaps $20,000 worth of surgeries and treatments.)
There are kidney transplants for cats, brain surgery for dogs. Cancer treatments - including operations, chemotherapy, and radiation - for all creatures, including rabbits, lizards, parakeets, fish, and ferrets. Pacemakers are routine, as are CAT scans, PET scans, and MRIs. Along with the cutting-edge equipment, the level of expertise and specialization among vets has grown, too.
So - how much would you spend?
Source: the Globe Magazine
Hair hats
Check out the "creations" at hair hats.
I think I would kill my hairdresser!
(via cute with chris)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Today's awwww
Five African hedgehogs, born June 18 at the San Diego Zoo.
They range from 1.1 ounces to a whopping 1.4 ounces. When full-grown, each may weigh a pound or two.
(via L.A. Unleashed)
Photo Credit: Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoological Society
Short-lived Chameleon
Scientists have discovered a chameleon species that spends a good two-thirds of its life inside an egg: Furcifer labordi lives about 8-9 months as an embryo, and has a post-hatching lifespan of just 4-5 months. As far as the scientists know, this strange life history is unique among all land vertebrates, and may help researchers better understand how certain ecological and hormonal factors influence life history evolution.
The small F. labordi lives in the extremely arid southwest region of Madagascar. The desert-like, spiny-forest area experiences a long dry season from March through November, and a rainy season between December and February. This harsh, variable environment may be one of the reasons for the odd life history of F. labordi.
Source: PhysOrg.com
(via A Welsh View)
Grace gets clipped
Our poor, sweet kitty, Grace, is getting on in years. We think she's close to being 19 years old now, but she could even be older. She's not as agile and flexible as she used to be, and not so diligent about grooming and bathing herself, either. Some days, Grace actually smells pretty bad. And the snarls! Uncombable! We try to get rid of at least one hair snarl each day, but she usually hides when she sees us get her brush.
We've been giving Grace a bath every two or three weeks. I spray on hair de-tangler made for babies, and we try to comb the knots out of her hair after she's dry. That wasn't working too well, either.
So, last resort - we took Grace to the vet for grooming.
Here's what we got:
Shaved!
Grace has been shaved!
Doesn't she look cute in a pathetic kind of way?
I thought she'd be traumatized and want to hide. But she's actually strutting around the house flaunting her new look. The shaved areas on her back feel like velvet! It's a pleasure to pet Grace again and not get our hands stuck in gobs of knotted hair.
Grace is asking to go outside.
Does she want to show off her new hairdo to the neighborhood cats? Or is she planning to run away because of what we've done to her?
all photos: corsi photo
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Today's awwww
A trio of white lion cubs born last month at the zoo in the German town of Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock. Two rare white lionesses gave birth simultaneously to seven cubs at the zoo.
Source: Daily Mail
Monday, July 14, 2008
State Insects
The Smithsonian has compiled a list of the 41 states in the United States which have officially designated State Insects.
Illinois has the Monarch Butterfly:
Most of the states who have an official State Insect have selected a butterfly of some sort, but New Mexico is very unusual.
The State Insect of New Mexico is the Tarantula Hawk Wasp:
Read more about the Tarantula Hawk Wasp at Durango Nature Studies
Get bugged in New Orleans
Since prehistoric times, insects have played invaluable roles: pollinating crops, decomposing waste and adding intrigue, color, texture and majesty to our world.
Located in the historic U.S. Custom House on Canal Street in downtown New Orleans, Audubon Insectarium will delight you with ‘up close and personal’ live insect encounters, the indelible story of the Crescent City and insects, and “Life Underground,” where you’ll be shrunk to insect size.
(via Intelligent Travel)
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Beautifully written
James Katz, at Bedlam Farm, writes:
"What can I say about the Love Dog? I lucked out. I call her The Light, The Hound of Love, the Love Dog. I sing love songs to her, and every night she crawls into my lap and and gnaws gently on my face. She is a viral love carrier, spreading pleasure to animals and humans, and bringing light and laughter everywhere she goes. She was ridiculously cute as a puppy, and is growing into a handsome young woman. She is a shameless flirt, hitting on all living things, and she is confident in her ability to generate love in return. So she is a love machine, giving love and sparking love. That is her work. Lenore is what dogs are meant to be."
Friday, July 11, 2008
Get Close to the World’s Deadliest Animals
They could crush or asphyxiate you, bite you in half or inject you with venom, but you want to see them anyway. Matador Trips presents 8 trips that bring you face-to-face with some of the world’s most dangerous animals in their natural environments.
Photo: Tut99 (Roger)
Incredible sand sculptures
The Daily Mail has a feature on the sand sculpture festival in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. Twelve experts in the medium are turning 360 tonnes of sand into iconic images. My favorite is the sleeping lion.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Cat adopts baby red panda
A newborn red panda rejected by its mother in Amsterdam's Artis zoo has been adopted by a domestic cat.
The cat is nursing the red panda, currently about the size of a kitten, along with her own four kittens, the zoo said.
The red panda was born on June 30 and rejected by its mother soon afterwards.
Red pandas look like raccoons and when fully grown are slightly larger than a domestic cat -- substantially smaller than the black and white giant panda.
Source: Reuters
Mice are not suitable for target practice
Fox News reports: A Mendocino County woman who was trying to kill mice in her trailer with a gun ended up shooting herself and another person.
The 43-year-old woman pulled out her .44-caliber Magnum revolver after she saw the mice scurrying across the floor of her trailer on Highway 20 in Potter Valley, sheriff's officials said.
But she accidentally dropped the gun, which went off as it struck the floor. The bullet went through the woman's kneecap, bounced off the keys sitting on the belt loop of a 42-year-old man in the trailer and grazed the man's groin before ending up in his coin pocket.
Authorities did not release the shooting victims' names.
The mice escaped the shooting unharmed.
What is cute?
The Continuum of Cute invites the viewer to arrange 100 pictures of different animals, all found on the Internet, in order of cuteness. A giant inter-species beauty contest, the project investigates both our individual and collective sense of the "cute" at the same time as it indulges the anthropomorphic qualities that are often embedded in our sense of the word.
(via corsinet)
Ban urged on horse-drawn carriages in Rome
Tourists love to view the Colosseum and other famous landmarks in Rome from the back of a horse-drawn carriage but animal rights activists said Tuesday it's time to ban the practice.
Traffic, pollution, heat and heavy carriages expose the horses to health risks, the activists said, adding that the animals rest in dark and humid stables.
The activists have appealed to Rome's city hall to stop the service, proposing that the coachmen be rehired as cab drivers.
The coachmen reject accusations that their horses are overworked or abused.
Source: AP
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Arkansas Mayor Arrested for Animal Cruelty
As we reported in a previous post, Animal management by morons, James Valley, the mayor of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, thought that an acceptable method of dealing with stray dogs was to drop them off in the national forest.
It looks as though what Valley did was not only stupid, but illegal, as well. He has been arrested for animal cruelty. Valley never went to jail and was release on his own recognizance with no bond. He is facing misdemeanor animal cruelty charges, which carry up to one year in jail or a $1000 fine.
Source: Eyewitness News
Man rescues drowning bear
It was a site you don't see everyday in the Panhandle in Florida. A man saved a bear from drowning last week. It all started after residents spotted a 375-pound black bear roaming through a neighborhood 40 miles south of Tallahassee. Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) found the bear underneath a beachfront home. They say it was probably trying to cool off. The goal was to lure it back into the wild.
So, officials used a tranquilizer dart on it. But, there was a problem. It did not work immediately. Biologist Adam Warwick, who struggled with the bear, said it tried to escaped and went into the Gulf of Mexico.
It was at that point Warwick said he could see the effects of the tranquilizer on the bear. He made a quick decision. Warwick went in after the animal.
The bear was about 25 yards from shore when it went into the water. Warwick said his adrenaline just kicked in. He didn't want the black bear to drown.
Source: Firstcoastnews
Thanks, Leslie!
Making way for the Planet of the Apes
In the 1968 science fiction film, Planet of the Apes
I can't help but flash onto scenes from this movie - animals are in power, animals have rights, but people don't - when I read about recent laws enacted by Spain's parliament.
Spain's parliamentary environmental committee approved resolutions urging Spain to comply with the Great Apes Project, devised by scientists and philosophers who say our closest genetic relatives deserve rights hitherto limited to humans.
The Spanish government is now committed to update the statute book within a year to outlaw harmful experiments on apes in Spain. Keeping apes for circuses, television commercials or filming will also be forbidden.
Philosophers Peter Singer and Paola Cavalieri founded the Great Ape Project in 1993, arguing that "non-human hominids" like chimpanzees, gorillas, orang-utans and bonobos should enjoy the right to life, freedom and not to be tortured.
Next, we'll be teaching them to talk.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Amazing mass migration of Golden Rays
Sandra Critelli, an amateur photographer, stumbled across the biannual mass migration of thousands of Golden Rays gathering off the coast of Mexico while looking for whale sharks.
She said: "It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind."
More photos of this phenomenon at the Telegraph
Tiki Totem
I think my patio needs one of these!
Jungle King Tiki
By Chris Magnotta
height: 32"
width: 12"
$180 at Tiki Hedz - Tiki Totem Poles
Rare births at the LA Zoo
Two male peninsular pronghorns were born at the L.A. Zoo on March 25, 2008. These fawns are the first of their kind ever born at a Zoo. According to Senior Animal Keeper Kelley Greene, “the brothers have been pulled for hand rearing to ensure that they are given every opportunity to thrive.” When the pair is old enough, they will be sent to the Living Desert in Coachella Valley, Calif.
The parents of these two healthy boys were just fawns themselves when they arrived at the L.A. Zoo in July of 2006. These pronghorns originally came here from a breeding center in Mexico and are the first of their species to be on exhibit outside of their home country. The older pronghorns are located in the North American section of the Zoo.
Typically, a pronghorn mother will have one or two fawns weighing in at around seven or eight pounds. When they reach adulthood, pronghorns weigh up to 125 pounds and reach a height of 35 inches. The females are usually 10 to 25 percent smaller then males.
Newborns take their first steps within 30 minutes of birth. By the time they are four days old, they can outrun humans. After just a week, fawns can run faster than dogs and horseback riders over short distances. They are the second fastest land mammal and the fastest ungulate (hoofed mammal), clocking in at anywhere from 40 to 60 miles per hour. They can maintain this speed, without showing any sign of distress, for an hour or longer.
In the wild the fawns will hide for the first three or four weeks of their lives. During these weeks, they come out only to nurse. The fawns will continue to conceal themselves until they are able to move with the rest of the heard.
These graceful animals are mostly active at dawn and dusk, which is when they graze on various plants including, shrubs, weeds, cacti, sagebrush and grasses. Although they will drink when water is available, they can go for weeks without water since they obtain moisture from their food.
The birth of these two pronghorns is a great leap for the conservation efforts of this critically endangered species. Native to Baja California Sur, Mexico, only about 200 of these species survive in the wild. Hunting, cattle ranching and agriculture have resulted in the significant decrease of this species.
In late 2005, seven years after a captive breeding facility was established in Mexico, the first 25 peninsular pronghorns were reintroduced to life in the wild.
The Los Angeles Zoo is partnered with the Vizcaino Desert Biosphere Reserve and the Mexican Government in the Peninsular Pronghorn Recovery Project (PPRP). Since 2000, the Zoo has provided both financial assistance as well as personnel support to the PPRP. The Zoo’s breeding herd is a part of nationwide Species Survival Plan for peninsular pronghorns.
Monday, July 7, 2008
How will your dog vote?
For the first time in history, the dogs will have their say.
It all started on a snowy January night. Two dogs and four friends watching the returns from the Iowa caucus. As the winter wore on and the primary season continued, it quickly became evident that this would be no ordinary election. With political participation at record levels across the nation, the desire for personal political expression has risen. Humans have countless outlets to convey their political opinions, but our canine companions, who watched every debate, primary, caucus and news show diligently with us, feel left out of the fun.
The Dog Vote is keeping a running tally of how the dogs are voting in this election by selling McCain and Obama pet bandanas. They also are working on an interactive map detailing the particulars surrounding the dog vote in the 2008 presidential election.
The fate of our nation lies in their paws.
Let your dog show political allegiance by ordering a bandana today for $9.95.
Cute or not? Baby white-naped mangabey
This is Conchita. She is only the second white-naped mangabey to be born in the UK.
Conchita was born at the London Zoo in April, 2008.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Don't squeeze too hard!
An African leopard carries its one-week-old cub inside its enclosure at Ghamadan zoo near Amman July 2, 2008.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Cute or not? Pet porcupine
Can't decide if this is cute or not? Here's another look.
via Cute with Chris
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