Indonesia returns rare kangaroos to wild

Indonesia is returning 17 rare pygmy kangaroos to the Papuan rain forest after rescuing and acquiring them in recent years from illegal traders and private zoos, officials said Monday. It is unknown how many of the mammals, which can grow up to three-feet long and weigh 25 pounds, still survive in the wild. The animals being released were born to six males and females cared for by the Cikananga Animal Rescue Center on West Java where they have been reared to survive in their natural habitat, said spokesman Resit Sozer. They are to be released on Tuesday into the forest, where they will face predators such as giant pythons and local poachers who eat their meat or sell their hides.

Cane toads cannibalise their young

Cane toads wiggle their toes to lure their young, then eat them up in an act of cannibalism, Australian researchers say. They say the young toads move towards the adults, possibly mistaking the wiggling toes for a tasty morsel, like an insect. Instead the youngsters themselves end up as the tasty morsel. But harnessing this cannibalistic behaviour may have some benefits, at least in Australia, where cane toads are an invasive pest. Scientists say it could be the key to getting cane toads to eat themselves out of existence.

Mule Deer Moms Rescue Other Fawns

A new study from the University of Alberta and the University of Lethbridge shows that mule deer females, even those who are not mothers, respond to the recorded distress calls of other fawn species, as well as their own. An intriguing study of mule deer and whitetail deer showed that both species responded to the recorded distress calls of fawns, similar to the responses elicited when coyotes attack fawns, with mule deer mothers responding to both whitetail and mule deer calls, even when their own fawn stood next to them. In contrast, the whitetail mothers responded only to their own species' call, and only when they could not see their own fawn.

Bird-watching Myths

What sociologists call urban myths, persistent stories that fill a cultural need, have always been with us, but with the Internet moving "information" around the world at the speed of light, they have taken on new life. Bird watching has its own set of myths. Eirik A.T. Blom has a great list of Bird-watching Myths at Bird Watcher's Digest. I must admit that I've believed at least a couple of these: "You should take down your bird feeders in the fall because they keep birds from migrating and these birds will freeze to death," and "Parent birds will abandon a nestling if it has been touched by humans."

Cicadas are a tasty, and healthy, treat for animals at Illinois' Brookfield Zoo

At the Brookfield Zoo, cicadas are a lot more than just really noisy insects: They're delicious treats. These days, a host of animals from bearded dragon lizards to African wild dogs to white-crested laughing thrush birds are enjoying cicadas. Although the cicadas emerging this month after spending 17 years underground may seem like candy to the animals -- crunchy on the outside and soft in the center -- they're actually health food. "They're extremely nutritious and won't impact their (animals') diets because they don't have a lot of fat in them," Tim Sullivan, the zoo's behavioral husbandry manager, said Friday.

Pampered Pets: Have Americans Gone Too Far?

As the demographics of America have changed, so too has the nature of pet ownership. It used to be that most pets were bought by families. Now, the majority of pet owners, 61 percent, are childless—singles, unmarried couples waiting to have kids, gay couples, empty-nesters. Invariably, these owners tend to treat their pets like surrogate babies, and they spoil them accordingly. To help these childless pet-parents spend their disposable income, the pet products industry has mushroomed in the past decade. This year we’ll shell out more than $40 billion to keep our furry friends fed, adorned, amused and healthy—the latter a huge growth category, with more and more owners paying top dollar for elaborate medical treatments to forestall that inevitable last visit to the vet. By the end of the decade, we’ll be spending $50 billion on pet products, according to the APPMA. Walk the aisles of Petco or PetSmart, past the Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses for your dog and the $140 Catnip Chaise Lounge for your cat, and you’ll discover just how well-trained we Americans have become.

Predator vultures eat Spanish farm animals alive

For as long as anyone can remember, Spanish griffon vultures have swooped down on carcasses of dead cattle or other animals lying on fields or forests. Yet now, in a dramatic change of behaviour, the bald-headed and broad-winged scavengers are making savage attacks on live cows, sheep and even horses, literally eating them alive. The phenomenon has surprised officials some of whom refuse to believe it, saying the birds only attack sick or moribund animals. Farmers, however, maintain that the vultures also set upon healthy animals, mostly mares or cows which have just given birth and their newborn.

New Limbless Lizard Species Found

It may look like a snake and live like a snake. But a tiny reptile found recently in India is something else entirely, an Indian zoologist announced today. The 7-inch (18-centimeter) creature is not a serpent at all, but actually a completely new species of limbless lizard, said Sushil Kumar Dutta of North Orissa University. "The lizard is new to science and is an important discovery. It is not found anywhere else in the world," Dutta told the Associated Press. "It prefers to live in a cool retreat, soft soil, and below stones," he added. Though limbless lizards are rare, a number of such species have been found throughout the world, including elsewhere in India.

Studying a Koala Mystery in Eastern Australia

One of the best places in the world to learn about koalas is St. Bees Island off the coast of Queensland in eastern Australia. Decades ago, koalas were imported there to enhance tourism at a local resort. The resort is long gone, but the koalas stayed, and their presence has led to a new kind of visitor: research biologists such as Alistair Melzer. Melzer is studying the island's koalas, trying to understand why the iconic animal is thriving there, while on the verge of extinction in many other parts of Australia.

Goose Dropping in Liberttyville, IL

You could win $50,000!

i-pets.com is proud to be a sponsor of the Libertyville Sunrise Rotary Club's 2007 Goose Dropping.

During the early evening of August 25, 2007 at the Goose is Loose Festival presented by The Village of Libertyville & The Libertyville Sunrise Rotary Club at The Libertyville Sports Complex – 3,000 toy geese attached to parachutes will drop from approximately 100 feet to a designated target.

The goose resting closest to the target will win $50,000 !

Seven other $1,000 cash prizes will be awarded to the goose closest to additional designated prize targets.

Only 3,000 geese will be sold.

This contest is subject to the rules of the event. See Rules.

The Libertyville Illinois Sunrise Rotary Club has been part of the local community since 1987. All proceeds of the contest will be used to support Local Community Projects.

BUY A GOOSE NOW!

Baby hedgehogs rescued after they are born too early

Britain's mild spring weather has caused females hedgehogs to come out of hibernation and give birth around a month early. This means that animal rescue centres are dealing with the inevitable orphaned offspring weeks earlier than expected.

Police: Man used pigs to trash house

Police were looking for an Oregon man who allegedly locked three pigs in his home hoping they would trash it after the house went into foreclosure. Shane Lovett had been distraught about the foreclosure and joked to neighbors he had locked the pigs in his home more than a week ago without any food or water.

Edmonton zoo appeals for French speakers to soothe Siberian Tiger named Boris

Edmonton's Valley Zoo is inviting the public to say "bonjour" to its newest Siberian tiger. Staff at the zoo have discovered that while Boris, a seven-year-old male cat, has lived at the zoo for about a year, French remains his language of choice. When the Quebec-born tiger arrived in May 2006, staff found him unresponsive to the English commands of staff. Ginette Heppelle, a French-speaking zookeeper from Saskatchewan, was then asked to try a few lines in French. "I said, 'Bonjour, Boris,' " said Heppelle, 29, who started work at the zoo around the same time Boris arrived. "I started to speak to him in French and he got up and came to see me."

The Scottish wildcat kitten saving its species from extinction

A rare Scottish wildcat kitten carries the hopes of its species on its tiny shoulders. The unnamed male kitten was born to two pure bred Scottish wildcats, said to be Britain's rarest mammal, at Wildwood Discovery Park, near Canterbury, Kent. Its parents, Hamish and Flora, are among only 400 Scottish wildcats left in the world and scientists warn they could become extinct within our lifetime. Wildcats have been resident in Britain for more than two million years, sharing the land with the mammoth, cave bear and cave lion long before humans found their way through Europe's forests.

e-Bay auction to name cheetah cub

The winner of this e-Bay auction will be able to name one female cheetah cub. (Look for the male name on ebay beginning June 5.) She was born Easter Sunday in a litter of 4 at Wildlife Safari. Cheetahs are extremely endangered and may be extinct in as little as 20 years. Breeding programs like the one at Wildlife Safari may be the only hope to keep cheetahs on earth. Wildlife Safari is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity. All bids will be treated as a donation and are tax deductible. The winning cheetah name will appear in the International Cheetah Studbook, and be posted at Wildlife Safari. In addition to naming the cheetah cub, the winner will receive an 8X10 photo of the cub, a certificate with the cub’s paw prints, 2 tickets to drive through the park, a plush cheetah stuffed toy, and next time you visit Wildlife Safari we invite you to come meet our ambassador cheetah, Taini, up close and personal. Wildlife Safari currently houses 26 cheetahs. The cost of keeping and managing these cats is close to $600/day. Any bid or other contribution to this program goes directly for the daily care of these animals.

Irish eagle chick is first in century

A wild golden eagle has been hatched in Ireland for the first time in nearly a century. Two chicks were hatched in a remote area of the Glenveagh National Park in County Donegal but one of the young birds died after five days. There will be a further nervous wait to see if the remaining chick can continue to grow and fledge in late July. Golden eagles last bred in Glenveagh back in 1910. The bird had become extinct in Ireland but was reintroduced at Glenveagh six years ago in an effort to reintroduce the bird to Ireland.

Rare albino barking deer

Bangkok's Dusit Zoo unveiled a rare baby albino common barking deer, the world's second all white barking deer, born from a common barking deer mother and an albino common barking deer father. Zoological Park Organization director-general Sophon Dumnui said the albino baby was born at Dusit Zoo on April 7 but that the zookeepers were closely caring for the unusual infant until they were confident that he was in good health and ready to meet the public.

Four white lions born in French zoo

Four white lions were born in a zoo in western France, providing a welcome boost for the species whose population is teetering at about 30 worldwide, a zoo official said Wednesday. The male and three female cubs, white as snow and weighing about 1.5 kilos (3.3 pounds), were separated from their mother at birth because she appeared to lack parenting skills.

Tigers cubs play with chicks

Tiger cubs play with chicks at a zoo in Wenling, Zhejiang Province. The chicks, who were not harmed by the cubs, were feeding at a nearby river before entering the tigers' cage. It is the first time zoo staff have witnessed such an occurrence, China Daily reported. (Source: REUTERS/China Daily)

Pampa, the white tiger

Pampa, a one-year-old male white tiger, yawns at the Metropolitan Zoo in Santiago. The white tiger is one of the most endangered species in the world with an estimated of 240 in existence. Pampa arrived form the Argentina's Temaiken zoo. (AP Photo/Santiago Llanquin)