Yosemite hikers warned of health risk

Vacationers to Yosemite National Park, CA, are getting quite a scare this week. On Tuesday, 1,700 visitors were informed by officials that they may have been exposed to hantavirus and were at risk of developing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare rodent-borne illness that has already claimed the lives of two national park visitors.

 Around 1700 people were alerted by email that those who stayed in the “Signature Tent Cabins” in Yosemite’s Curry Village from mid-June through the end of August may be at risk for the disease that causes flu-like symptoms including fever, aches and chills. The virus, which is transmitted by rodents such as deer mice, is spread to people who inhale dust particles that have come in contact with  urine, saliva and feces of infected animals. So far, three cases of the disease have been confirmed and health officials are investigating a fourth probable case.

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Exposure to Pets Can Make Young Children Healthier

A new study published online from the journal Pediatrics found that children who had pets as part of their environment during the first year of their lives were on average healthier than children who did not have exposure to pets. The study specifically looked at the impact that the presence of cats and dogs had on the children, and found that when a pet was present during the child's first year, the child on average suffered fewer ear infections and colds, among other health benefits.

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New Jersey drivers can be fined for unseatbelted pets

New Jersey is cracking down on pets in transit — and says “click it or ticket” now applies to cats and dogs, too.

New Jersey is the only state where driving with pets loose in the car is a violation of animal cruelty law. Drivers cited for failing to properly secure their pet can face a ticket of between $250 and $1,000 and as much as six months in jail.

Pets hanging out the window, riding in the back of a truck or curling up on the driver’s lap are among ticketable offenses under the law.

 Only a few other states are cracking down on pets in vehicles. Arizona, Connecticut and Maine can charge a driver for an unrestrained pet under distracted driving laws. Hawaii specifically prohibits driving with a pet in your lap.

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Photo: Anthony DelMundo for New York Da

Rare white killer whale spotted off Russian coast

Scientists have glimpsed a white adult orca, or killer whale, while on a research expedition off the far eastern coast of Russia.

The sighting in waters off the Kamchatka peninsula is believed to be the first time such a whale has been spotted in the wild.

Researchers said the marine mammal, whom they nicknamed Iceberg, was swimming with its mother and siblings, and appeared to be fully accepted by its 12-strong family.

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How Iowa Made Laws to Cover Up Animal Abuse

Earlier this month, politicians in Iowa bowed to corporate pressure when they passed a law designed to stifle public debate and keep consumers in the dark. Instead of confronting animal cruelty on factory farms, the top egg- and pork-producing state is now in the business of covering it up.

HF 589 criminalizes investigative journalists and animal protection advocates who take entry-level jobs at factory farms in order to document the rampant food safety and animal welfare abuses within. In recent years, these undercover videos have spurred changes in our food system by showing consumers the disturbing truth about where most of today's meat, eggs, and dairy is produced. Undercover investigations have directly led to America's largest meat recalls, as well as to the closure of several slaughterhouses that had egregiously cruel animal handling practices. Iowa's Ag Gag law -- along with similar bills pending in other states -- illustrates just how desperate these industries are to keep this information from getting out.

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New frog species found in New York City

Amid the skyscrapers, sidewalks and subways of New York City, scientists have discovered a new species of frog within view of the Statue of Liberty. In fact, the researchers who discovered the frog say the center of its range is Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

The newly identified animal is among more than a dozen distinct leopard frog species. And, while it's fairly common to find new species of animals in the remote wildness or in rain forests, to discover one in marshes and ponds within an urban area such as New York is nothing short of amazing.

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Dolphin and beluga pregnant at Shedd

This year is shaping up to be the year of the big baby at the Shedd Aquarium.

Pacific white-sided dolphin Piquet, 24, who weighs about 200 pounds, and beluga whale Mauyak, 31, who weighs 1,200 pounds, both are pregnant, aquarium officials announced Tuesday.

First time mother Piquet (PEE-ket) is due in May. Mauyak (My-AK), who gave birth to Qannik (kah-NIK) and Miki (MEE-kee) at the Shedd, is due in October

Photo: BRENNA HERNANDEZ~SHEDD AQUARIUM

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Riot gear for Chicago police horses

Days after announcing that Chicago Police would get new riot gear, including 3,000 new face shields, in time for the NATO/G8 summits in May, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration has begun soliciting protective equipment for police horses, too.

Emanuel's camp is seeking bids for "police horse riot gear and training aids," including leather nose guards with "impact-absorbing foam," rear and front leg shields made of "high-impact plastic" and training tools to help prepare the horses for crowd-control operations, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The city plans to outfit all 30 horses in the CPD's mounted unit, in excess of their annual $2.7 million budget.

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Anybody want a peacock?

The Fox Hollow community in Boynton Beach, FL, is considering paying a trapper $6,000 to round up half the neighborhood population of peafowl and kill them.

“I want every one of them out of here,” said resident Dorothy Laswell. “They bang on my French doors, throw themselves at my windows, and wake me up every morning, jumping on my roof at 6 o’clock. And during mating season, they scream and holler.”

There are an estimated 400 peafowl living in Fox Hollow, and they have their defenders. So the homeowner’s association is considering a compromise of sorts: eliminating half the bird population.

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It's snipers vs. deer in Washington DC

The authorities managing Washington, DC's Rock Creek park could decide as early as this week whether to activate a deer management plan that calls for killing 80% of the white-tailed deer, or more than 300 of the animals living in the area, over a two to three-year period.

It's not exactly a comforting scenario: government sharpshooters, equipped with night-vision goggles and silencers, deployed in the dead of night in a favorite Washingtonian park for the express purpose of slaughtering hundreds of white-tailed deer.

Without such extreme steps, environmental experts say the forest would be eaten into oblivion in a matter of years. There are 80 deer per square mile of park; new shoots and delicate plants don't have a chance. The park is also experiencing severe erosion, because of the lack of regrowth.

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Johannesburg zoo worker killed by lion

On February 14, a lioness sprung at the throat of zoo worker Joe Ramonetha and killed him. Apparently, security gates were left open while Ramonetha was feeding the 11-year-old lioness or cleaning out her enclosure at the Johannesburg Zoo.

The 63-year-old was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. This is the zoo's first fatal animal attack in 50 years.

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4 arrested in hog theft ring

CELINA, Ohio – A sheriff in western Ohio said four family members have been operating a hog theft ring.

The Mercer County sheriff said the four have taken hogs from large farms in Ohio and transported them to Indiana, where they were trying to sell the animals.

Investigators said it’s not easy for farmers to notice when a few hogs are missing out of several thousand.

This reminds me of an old joke ...

Q: How did the farmers find out that the thefts were occurring?
    A:The pigs squealed!

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365 New Species Spotted in Peru

Hundreds of species never before seen in a Peruvian national park have been found during an inventory of the Amazonian forests there, according to a conservation group.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced the discovery of 365 species previously undocumented in Bahuaja Sonene National Park in southeastern Peru. More than a dozen researchers inventoried the park's plant life, insects, birds, mammals and reptiles. The species found are known to exist elsewhere, but have never been seen inside Bahuaja Sonene.

The discovery included 30 undocumented bird species, including the black-and-white hawk eagle, Wilson's phalarope and ash-colored cuckoo. The survey also found two undocumented mammals — Niceforo's big-eared bat and the Tricolored Bat — as well as 233 undocumented species of butterflies and moths. This expedition was the first time that research of this scale has been carried out in Bahuaja Sonene National Park since it was created in 1996, according to the WCS.

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Turtle gets fiberglass shell

A box turtle who had a tough time crossing the road in Aurora, Colo., has a new lease on life thanks to a local police officer, a clever vet and a new fiberglass shell. By the time an Aurora police officer found "Scorch," the turtle had been hit by a car, and was badly chewed by dogs along the side of the road. The sympathetic officer turned the mangled turtle over to Kevin Fitzgerald, an Aurora veternarian. The vet fashioned a fiberglass shell for Scorch which, he says, will eventually be pushed off after he develops his own new shell. Source

Best in show: Scottish deerhound

Hickory, a Scottish deerhound from Virginia, took top honors at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday night. She is the first member of her breed ever to win best in show at Westminster. The Scottish deerhound, a large sighthound originally used to hunt stags, has existed in much the same form since around the 16th century. A deerhound was once the prized pet of Sir Walter Scott, who described the breed as "the most perfect creature of heaven." Source

Rare New Guinea Singing Dogs Discovered in Pennsylvania

New Guinea Singing Dog is the name of an ancient, rare type of primitive canine that once inhabited all of the island of New Guinea. [wiki] Why are they called singing dogs? Listen Until one month ago, only 150 were known to exist in captivity -- most of those in world zoos. But last month, in a small town west of Harrisburg, Pa., about 80 of these unique dogs were discovered living with a hoarder. Randy A. Hammond, 58, obtained his first two NGSD at an Ohio flea market in 1995. A man gave him another pair shortly thereafter, and all the dogs found at his property are descendants from those two pairings of singing dogs. link via Digg

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

We've been away & need to catch up

Americans are extremely sensitive to the mistreatment of animals -- even those we intend to eat. An undercover video showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts has led to the largest beef recall in the United States and a scramble to find out if any of the meat is still destined for school children's lunches. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of beef from a Southern California slaughterhouse that is the subject of an animal-abuse investigation. The recall will affect beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006, that came from Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., the federal agency said. The company provided meat to various federal programs. Officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school programs, but they believe most of the meat probably has already been eaten. "We don't know how much product is out there right now. We don't think there is a health hazard, but we do have to take this action," said Dr. Dick Raymond, USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety. ***** The only breed consistently among the nation's most popular dogs for nearly 100 years, a beagle had never won in the 100 times the Westminster Kennel Club had chosen a winner. That changed when judge J. Donald Jones pointed to this nearly 3-year-old package of personality. Baying and barking to his heart's delight, Uno lived up every bit to his name, becoming the first beagle to win best in show at the nation's biggest canine competition, the 2008 Westminster Dog Show. Uno beat out two neatly primped poodles, a top Sealyham terrier, a sleek Weimaraner, a lively Australian shepherd and a sprightly Akita. "He's perfect, he was a 10," Jones said. "He does cuteness well." ***** I guess CBS is looking for a "can't lose" idea for a popular TV show ... Dogs are popular, right? And reality shows are popular, so why not combine the two and make a reality show featuring dogs? CBS was looking for the most extraordinary teams of dogs and owners across the nation to compete for the title of "America's top dog." From purebreds to mutts, show dogs to stunt dogs, Pugs to Great Danes and agility dogs to dogs who dance the Tango - they wanted all types of talented canines. The winning team will walk away with bragging rights and a significant cash prize! Sorry, the deadline for entries was February 15. I wonder if anyone will watch it, other than friends and families of the contestants.

Recent Doggie News

* Since 2001, Southwest Florida International has used a 9-year-old border collie named Radar to patrol the runways and chase away birds. Birds being sucked into aircraft engines is one of the most persistent safety problems at airports. Border collies scare the birds but don't harm them. * Grace Saenz-Lopez, the mayor of Alice, Texas, has been indicted after neighbors accused her of taking their dog, a 5-pound Shih Tzu, while she cared for it during their vacation. The day after her neighbors left with their kids for vacation, Saenz-Lopez called to tell them that their dog Puddles had died. But three months later, the same dog, now renamed Panchito, was spotted at a local dog groomer. When Saenz-Lopez refused to return the dog, the family filed a criminal complaint and a civil lawsuit against her. * Derick Phanord who killed his dog, Maximus, by pouring gasoline on the pit bull and setting it on fire, was sentenced Tuesday to 2 years in prison for animal cruelty. "I am not a monster. I am a good guy," a weeping Phanord, 22, said before his sentencing. "I am an animal lover," he said. * The Fort Worth City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday banning dog tethering. The new ordinance, which becomes effective this week, makes it illegal to use a chain, rope, tether, leash, cable or other device to attach an unattended dog to a stationary object or trolley system. A dog still must be confined within a secure enclosure at all times.

Some current cat news

The Associated Press reports that an Idaho cat entered an electrical substation, snuggled up to a warm transformer and contacted a live circuit, causing a short that blew out nine feeder lines. The cat died, but he also caused a power outage that blacked out more than 12,000 homes and businesses. Speaking of dead cats, a dog in Britain missed the family’s dead cat so much that he dug up his grave and brought the body back into the house. The Times on Line reports that Oscar's owners woke up the next morning to discover the dog curled up beside Arthur, the late cat, in his basket.