Hal, the Central Park Coyote, Dies

Hal, the coyote who paid a visit to New York City and was captured as he loped around Central Park, died as he was being tagged for release in the wild, a state official said Friday.

The coyote stopped breathing Thursday night during the routine tagging procedure and biologists could not revive him, said Gabrielle DeMarco, spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Friday Cat Blog

Plato, NOT posing


Plato hates to pose for pictures. He's just too busy to sit still for any length of time. This photo was taken from an extreme distance. I like it because it looks like an oil painting.

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Go and see what other cats and dogs and sundry animals are up to at the Friday Ark.


On Sunday, visit the Carnival of the Cats, hosted this week at Pets Garden Blog.

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Rare Condors Found Nesting in Redwood

For the first time in more than a century, a pair of California condors has been spotted nesting in a hollowed-out redwood tree in the Big Sur region of northern California.

The Ventana Wildlife Society of Salinas, California, issued this undated image of the birds' nest yesterday. The nonprofit group has been releasing captive-bred condors into the wild since 1997 and now monitors 38 of the birds living in the central part of the state. But this is the first recorded sighting of condors nesting in the northern region in the past hundred years.

Lake Eola Park Infested with Bird Droppings

The area around Lake Eola has it all - a sparkling fountain, waterside cafe, swan boat rides and a bevy of bird droppings.

The foul smelling white film cakes lamp posts, covers sidewalks and park benches and stains the bushes and trees around a 100-foot stretch of the lake. Drivers who dare park their cars do so at their own risk. Within minutes, a car can turn from black to spotted along "bird poop alley," as residents call it.

Baby Walruses Stranded by Melting Arctic Ice

Melting Arctic ice may be putting walrus pups in peril, researchers say.

A team of scientists working in the Arctic Ocean in 2004 says it encountered nine Pacific walrus pups struggling alone in the water far from shore.

Typically walrus pups live on ice close to shore and are inseparable from their mothers.

Fat Cat Nears 50 Pounds, Has 33-Inch Waist

A cat in Missouri is a contender for the world's fattest feline.

Iggy the cat weighs more than 40 pounds.

"On the bathroom scale he weighs 50 pounds. We took him out to the hog scales and he weighed 46 pounds," said Joyce Kirk, Iggy's owner.

Iggy stands 14 inches tall, measures nearly 40 inches from whiskers to tail, and boasts a thickset 33-inch waistline. He is larger than most toddlers.

Man Crashes Car After Pet Snake Attacks Him

A man crashed his car after a pet snake he had wrapped around his neck began attacking him, authorities said.

Witnesses reported that Courtland Page Johnson, 30, of East Naples, was driving erratically and crashed his PT Cruiser into several barricades about 9 p.m. Tuesday. He got out of his car, wrestled with the snake and then drove off, reports said.

Cloned Piglets Produce Healthier Pork

A microscopic worm may possess the vital genetic spice to make heart-friendly bacon.

A team of geneticists announced Sunday they've mixed genetic material from the roundworm C. elegans with pigs to produce swine with significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which are normally found in salmon and other oily fish and believed to stave off heart disease.

Geese in Illinois are sitting ducks

When the goose hunting season opens later this year, Illinois probably will be without the quotas that have governed harvests for more than four decades, state officials said Tuesday.

The decision to end goose quotas has nothing to do with reducing the most prevalent species of Canada goose in Illinois--the giant--which has become the bane of picnickers at Chicago's Grant Park and of country club keepers.

Rather, it is a response to the changing migratory habits of the Mississippi Valley population (MVP), a species that for as long as anyone can remember has migrated in great numbers to Southern Illinois, a one-time mecca for goose hunters.

House arrest for attack cat

A ferocious feline terrorized a quiet Fairfield neighborhood, to the point that residents are seeking help from the law to stop the so-called "Terrorist of Sunset Circle."

Lewis, a 5-year-old, black-and-white longhaired cat, attacked at least a half-dozen people on the cul-de-sac and even took on the local Avon lady, neighbors say.

Designer Makes Brooches From Roaches

The latest thing in spring jewelry moves while you have it on.

A designer in Salt Lake City has come up with a brooch made from a roach.

The bejeweled insects are kept on a leash, giving them room to roam over your coordinated top.

The brooches cost $40 in the store and $80 if purchased online.

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Moose Lands In Front Seat Of Car

A driver in Leominster got an unexpected passenger when a moose landed in her front seat.

Julie McDowell hit the 500 pound moose while driving on Route 12. The moose landed inside the vehicle, alive, with its head sticking out through the windshield.

Mark Matley of Leominster witnessed the scene and recorded a short clip of video.

Nyokki Pets

Nyokki means grow in Japanese, and that's exactly what these Nyokki Pets do! These little pet plants are adorable and original and they are hand made in Japan from glazed ceramic. They are shaped like eggs with fabric legs. Filled with a growing media and rye grass seeds, these Nyokki pets are easy to grow - seeds germinate and grass grows to full height in less than two weeks.
(via)

Australians hunt down toxic toads

Residents in Australia's Northern Territory are staging a day of action to stop marauding cane toads.

They are being encouraged to hunt and destroy these toxic pests, which have spread in plague-like numbers across tropical Australia.

The cane toads were introduced from South America 70 years ago in a failed attempt to eradicate cane beetles.

Petting Zoos Can Breed Illness

Petting zoos may be fun for the kids, but they are breeding grounds for bacteria that can cause severe gastrointestinal illness, new research contends.

Most people aren't aware that simple prevention measures such as handwashing could prevent infection, and some do things that might increase their risk, according to three new studies being presented Monday at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases meeting, in Atlanta.

Bacterial infection can result from touching anything that has come into contact with animal feces, including the animals themselves and surfaces that people have touched after petting the animals, eating or drinking while petting or feeding the animals, the researchers noted.

In addition, feces carried away on shoes can be taken home and become a risk for infection.

Fifty whales die after beaching in Indonesia - Yahoo! News

Some 50 whales have died after beaching themselves in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province, police said.

A total of some 93 whales of between five and eight meters (16 and 26 feet) in length were beached but local villagers, alerted by fishermen, tried to save as many as they could by dragging them back to the open sea.

"The whales were first sighted along the coast late on Thursday evening and they began to beach themselves in Ponggeran early on the following morning," local police chief Ukas M. Kita, told AFP.

Murderous Meerkat Moms Contradict Caring Image

Meerkats seem to enjoy a peaceful way of life: everyone living in extended family groups, all pitching in to help raise the pups.

But new research into meerkat behavior reveals that this seemingly cooperative social order is riddled with violence.

Specifically, female meerkats have the blood of each other's offspring on their claws, according to biologists studying the creatures in the wild.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge in Great Britain found that, in the animals' strict hierarchical society, pregnant dominant females will often kill any litters born to subordinates.

Two-Headed Turtle Found in China

This unusual golden coin turtle, found in China, appears to be doing just fine. A businessman from the city of Qingdao says he bought the reptile at an animal market last year.

According to press reports, the turtle's two heads cooperate well and can even eat at the same time. Its owner says the reptile eats more than one-headed turtles do and has grown over the past year.

GoDogGo! The Automatic Fetch Machine

GoDogGo™ is the first, and still the only, Automatic Fetch Machine for dogs. Yes, now Fido can play fetch by himself. Really! The GoDogGo tennis ball launcher was designed to provide hours of healthy exercise and enjoyment for your dog. Think of GoDogGo as your dog's own personal playmate that's ready to play whenever he is!

Badger Pages

A website devoted to the study, protection and enjoyment of badgers.

Eurasian badgers, American badgers, hog badgers, ferret badgers, stink badgers, and honey badgers (ratels)- they're all here.
(via)

Friday Cat Blog

Quality Control Inspectors

Kimberly, at Music and Cats, wrote, "Cats! When you ask them to pose for photos, they decline. When you want to photograph something other than them, they become curious. They must see those things to which you a’re paying so much attention. And, if the objects in question are small, they may decide to rearrange them for you."

We've noticed the same "Curious cats and photography" phenomenon when trying to take pictures of some of the products we sell at i-pets.com.

Our cats are not doing this simply to interfere with the photography though - they're our quality control inspectors:


Smoke inspects packaging on the pet gift baskets.








Grace tests the plushness and comfort value of fabrics used for our pet blankets.







Buddy samples rawhide rolls for freshness and taste.








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Go and see what other cats and dogs and sundry animals are up to at the Friday Ark.


On Sunday, visit the Carnival of the Cats, hosted this week at Music and Cats.

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The Most Dangerous Bacteria

Many common bacteria and fungi have evolved into being resistant to the drugs that have kept them at bay for a half-century. Doctors are trying to get more attention for the problem, hoping that comprehensive legislation could stimulate drug firms to put more effort into developing new antibiotics.


Click here for a list of the six scariest germs.

Polar Bear Triplets Born in Zoo -- A First?

They say good things happen in threes, and for this polar bear mom good luck descended in one fell swoop.

The three cubs pictured left are believed to be the first set of polar bear triplets born in captivity. The trio made their public debut last Friday at the Ouwehands Zoo in the Netherlands city of Rhenen.

In the wild, polar bears frequently give birth to more than one cub at a time, although triplets are far less common than twins. What's more, cubs compete for access to mother's milk. In a set of three, stronger siblings often force the runt of a litter to die of starvation within its first year.

Some relocated bears just won't stay put in the woods

In December, a couple of bears that were getting too close to their human neighbors in a Longwood subdivision called The Springs were captured and carted away to the Ocala National Forest. Researchers hoped the bears would return to the ways of the wild.

Instead, the bears have returned to other neighborhoods, where they're foraging through garbage and doggie bowls.

Rat-Squirrel Not Extinct After All

It has the face of a rat and the tail of a skinny squirrel — and scientists say this creature discovered living in central Laos is pretty special: It's a species believed to have been extinct for 11 million years.

The long-whiskered rodent made international headlines last spring when biologists declared they'd discovered a brand new species, nicknamed the Laotian rock rat.

It turns out the little guy isn't new after all, but a rare kind of survivor: a member of a family until now known only from fossils.

50 Years Crawls By For Ant Farm Maker

It has been half a century since Milton Levine began selling his Uncle Milton Ant Farm.

In an age when the hottest new toys are usually electronic devices, Levine's ant farms keep kids interested in something that fascinated their grandparents.

Levine said more than 20 million of his ant farms have been sold, and more than 1 billion ants shipped to customers.

Treehugger: The Tofu Bear: Bean Curd's Best Ambassador

The Tofu Bear's fabric, called SOYSILK(R), is made from waste produced during soy processing. Who wouldn't trade in synthetic petroleum-based bears for some nontoxic cashmere-like softness?

Caught On Tape: Panda Babies

Just like typical youngsters, a group of giant panda cubs is having a grand time in its local playground. The fluffy babies live and play together at a research facility in China's Sichuan Province.

The babies were separated from their mothers soon after birth and grouped together at the center, also known as the panda kindergarten. It comes complete with its own little playground, where the pandas play on the swings and slides and do a lot of wrestling.

Texas Town Welcomes Rattlesnakes, Handlers

James Wells and his 1,200 pounds of rattlesnakes were first in line for the annual Rattlesnake Roundup in this small West Texas town.

Wells, from nearby Roscoe, has been collecting Western Diamondback rattlesnakes for 25 of the roundup's 48 years and was waiting before 7 a.m. Friday to garner premium prices — $5 per pound — for the first 2,000 pounds of rattlers turned in.

Police Rescue Moose Tangled in Swingset

It was a tempting green hedgerow for the hungry young moose. Somehow, a child's swingset got in the way. The moose, who was trying to snack on a backyard hedge Thursday, got tangled in the swingset's chains. The homeowner called police for help.
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Giraffe Manor, Nairobi

The Giraffe Manor, built in 1932 by Sir David Duncan, is situated on 120 acres of land just a few miles from the centre of Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. In 1974 Jock Leslie-Melville, grandson of a Scottish earl, and his wife Betty, who also founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW), bought the Manor. They then moved five babies of the highly endangered Rothschild giraffe to their property where they have been successfully reared and they now have their own babies.

Exclusive, spacious and elegant, it is the only place in the world that you can feed giraffe from your second floor bedroom window, over the lunch table, and at the front door.

Sushi Pups

Sushi Pups is a new line of sushi-shaped dog toys inspired by love for our pups and yummy sushi! We know your dogs will drool over these plush tuna, salmon, uni, and tuna bone maki. Now all you sushi-lovers can treat your pups to these toys too!
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Handspinning Dog Hair

Dog hair. There must be some use for it. How often have you wondered what could be done with all the excess fluff you've been combing out of your dog?

Turning your pet's hair into something beautiful is surprisingly easy. First, you turn the hair into yarn through the age-old process of hand spinning.
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Live in purr-fect harmony with your cat

Cats can now have their homes made purr-fect - by a feng shui expert.

Sarah McAllister, 33, of Muswell Hill, has been practising the ancient Chinese art, which attempts to achieve harmony with the environment through placement and arrangement, since 1999.

But it was still something of a surprise when she was approached by pet company Purina to give advice to cat owners on arranging their homes to suit their cats.
(via)

Insect Borne Diseases

Of the many diseases spread by insects, very few are actually caused by the insects themselves but rather, by other organisms passed on when they feed or bite.

Insects are capable of spreading diseases caused by many different types of micro-organisms including bacteria, viruses, protozoans, etc. In these instances it is the micro-organism that is the pathogen (disease causer) and the insect involved is known as the vector.
(via)

Friday Cat Blog

A few of my favorite things



This is what I see each morning when I stumble down to the kitchen for that first lovely cup of coffee.

The sun rising, shining into the kitchen window, which contains a Juniper Breeze candle from White Barn, a Sage and Citrus candle from Yankee Candle, an ivy topiary, purchased from Trader Joe's, Smoke, soaking up the sun, an orchid growing in lava rock which I've had for about 5 years, a bowl of olive shells from Sanibel Island and a calla lily growing in lava rock.

The view is also a favorite. The window looks out onto a cedar deck which my sons and husband built two years ago.

Spring is coming - soon! Can life be any more beautiful?

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Two more of my favorite things are the Friday Ark, a gallimaufry of animal related blog posts, and the Sunday Carnival of the Cats, hosted this week at Justin's Random Thoughts.

The Brevard White Squirrel Festival

2nd Annual White Squirrel Festival
Saturday and Sunday May 27th & 28th, 2006
Brevard, North Carolina

The true mecca of White Squirrels is Brevard, NC where each year homage is paid to them in the form of a White Squirrel Festival. It's the only one in existence and it draws from all over the southeast. (About 10-15,000 people each year.)

About 25% of the town's squirrels are white squirrels and they are not albinos, but truly a unique variant of some sort. There's a professor here that studies them and conducts a count each year.

This year's there's also a ton of free music. (Not that the squirrels care).

British beef back on the menu

Europe's veterinary experts have unanimously approved the ending of the worldwide ban on British beef exports imposed 10 years ago because of mad cow disease (BSE).

The European Commission is now expected to endorse the lifting of the embargo on UK exports of live cattle, beef and beef products, in about six weeks.

The EU's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health decreed that the UK has fulfilled all the necessary conditions for the ban to be lifted.

New Animal Resembling Furry Lobster Found

A team of American-led divers has discovered a new crustacean in the South Pacific that resembles a lobster and is covered with what looks like silky, blond fur, French researchers said Tuesday.

Scientists said the animal, which they named Kiwa hirsuta, was so distinct from other species that they created a new family and genus for it.
(via)

Streaker Honeybees Direct Bee Swarms

Enormous bee swarms containing as many as 15,000 bees are guided by "streaker" scout bees that fly super fast and lead the swarm to its destination, according to a new study published in the latest journal Animal Behavior.

The study negates a prior theory that scout bees released smelly chemicals that informed the other bees where to go. The discovery of streaking scout bees indicates the other bees simply look up to the speedy flyers that zip along with a "Follow me!" visual cue.

(via)

Fish follow their noses

Freshwater fish remember where they live and find their way home by sniffing out the smells left on the substrate by members of their species.

Scientists had believed that marine fishes probably used the same method of using their sense of smell to detect chemical cues in the water, and now new research has shown that this is right.

Horse sold in Florida auction for $16 million

A nameless, Florida-born colt shattered a world record Tuesday for the most expensive horse sold at auction, selling for $16 million after an electrifying 10 minutes of bidding at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens.

The previous record of $13.1 million was set in 1985 for Seattle Dancer, whose lineage included Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, according to industry publication BloodHorse.com.

The 2-year-old, which has never raced but boasts two Derby winners in its bloodline, scored the fastest workout time among the 154 racehorses sold Tuesday, wowing prospective buyers by running an eighth of a mile in under 10 seconds.

Bird flu spreads to Poland, infects cats in Austria

Bird flu spreads to Poland, infects cats in Austria: Avian flu extended its spread across Europe as Poland confirmed on Monday that two dead swans had the virulent H5N1 virus and Austria reported that several cats had been infected.

Experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), meeting in Geneva, said the spread of bird flu was unprecedented and the threat of a human pandemic would not go away.

Bird flu spreads to Poland, infects cats in Austria

Avian flu extended its spread across Europe as Poland confirmed on Monday that two dead swans had the virulent H5N1 virus and Austria reported that several cats had been infected.

Experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), meeting in Geneva, said the spread of bird flu was unprecedented and the threat of a human pandemic would not go away.

'Hippie Chimps' Fast Disappearing in Congo

Even as Congolese villagers devise novel ways to snare the fast-disappearing bonobo, scientists are racing to save the gentle "hippie chimp" from extinction.

The bonobo, or pan paniscus, is closely related to man and known for resolving squabbles through sex rather than violence. It's also prized by some Congolese for its tasty meat. The wiry, wizened-faced chimps are being killed in treetop nests in Congo's vast rain forest, their only natural habitat in the world, by villagers who do not seem to know how fast their prey is disappearing.

Read more about bonobo chimps.

Chimpanzee cooperators

In the animal kingdom cooperation is crucial for survival. Predators hunt in prides and prey band together to protect themselves.

In a new study shows that our close relatives, chimpanzees, are much better cooperators than we thought.

‘We’ve never seen this level of understanding during cooperation in any other animals except humans,’ says Melis. Cooperation happens all the time in the animal kingdom. A pride of lions cooperates to hunt down a gazelle. A herd of elephants band together to protect themselves from predators. But there may not be much thinking going on behind this kind of cooperation. It could be that by each animal wanting the same thing and working at the same time, success happens by accident.

Easter Baskets for Pets

Does the Easter Bunny visit your house?

The creative i-pets.com staff suggested Easter Baskets for pets this year. Ok, we thought, let's give it a try:

Our new 17 piece Rawhide Gift Basket is a 6 1/2" wide x 7" high, totally edible rawhide basket, filled with a selection of rawhide bones, chips, and munchy rawhides, bagged and tied with a pretty pink bow. What a great way to sample a variety of i-pets.com treats.

Our shipping manager, in a generous mood, said he will include a FREE TOY with every 3rd basket ordered! It's the "luck of the draw." Will your order include the free toy? Of course, if you order 3 baskets, you're guaranteed to get that free toy surprise.

We know that some of our customers are a lot more creative than we are, so we are offering an Empty Rawhide Basket to be filled as you like. We provide the plastic bag, just add your own treats or toys.

The Holiday Gift Basket is still available - the same edible rawhide basket, filled with rawhide munchies - no bones or chips. It comes with a red bow, just replace it with one of your own.

Of course, these baskets aren't just for Easter. We'll carry them until they last - what great gifts they will be for your own pet, or to surprise friendswith pets.

Woman Enters Exhibit, Elephant Smacks Her

A 25-year-old woman climbed past barriers and into an elephant's zoo exhibit, then crawled out with minor injuries after the 6,000-pound animal smacked her with its trunk.

"That's how an elephant reacts to something they would perceive as a threat," said Cameron Park Zoo director Jim Fleshman.

After saying she wanted to play with the elephant, the woman climbed over a 3-feet-high wood-and-wire fence, scaled an 8-foot-tall artificial rock structure and bypassed an electric wire before jumping into the exhibit.

Feisty Rooster Rules Punta Gorda City Hall

A rooster, believed to be an orphan of Hurricane Charley, now rules the roost at Punta Gorda city hall. The feisty copper-colored fowl has interrupted city meetings and prompted neighbors to call animal control after he woke them at 5 a.m.

But mostly he's won the hearts of city employees.

"He's our mascot," city Clerk Sue Foster told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune for Friday's editions. "My staff, we think he's pretty cool."

Animal control officers have tried to catch him, but he's too quick. Mostly he hangs out in the flower beds outside city council chambers.

Secret Service dogs live it up

While US President George W Bush was checking into the presidential suite at one of Delhi's top hotels, a group of canines belonging to his security detail were enjoying similar comfort nearby.

Some 17 dogs belonging the K-9 squad of the US Secret Service have also been put up at top Delhi five-star hotels, Indian media reports say.

Special rooms have apparently been booked in the Sheraton hotel, where Mr Bush is staying, and at the equally plush Le Meridien hotel.

Amber Reveals Ecology Of 30 Million Year Old Spiders

Scientists at The University of Manchester and the Manchester Metropolitan University have carried out the first comparative scientific study of ancient spiders trapped in amber more than 30 millions years ago.

The study of fossilised spiders from the Baltic (Poland) and the Dominican (Caribbean) regions has revealed new insights into the ecologies of spiders dating back to the Cenozoic period.

It is the first time ancient spiders from different parts of the world have been compared on such a large scale. 671 species of spiders were compared in the study.

Friday Cat Blog

This one's just right!



" After she'd eaten the three bears' breakfasts she decided she was feeling a little tired. So, she walked into the living room where she saw three chairs. Goldilocks sat in the first chair to rest her feet.

"This chair is too big!" she exclaimed.

So she sat in the second chair.

"This chair is too big, too!" she whined.

So she tried the last and smallest chair.

"Ahhh, this chair is just right," she sighed. "

If your "baby" needs a chair, they're available at Amazon.com
Malawi Chair

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Take a look at all the other cute critters at Friday Ark.

On Sunday, there will be lots of other kitties at Carnival of the Cats, this week at Catcall.