Sonar use may be linked to deaths of hundreds of dolphins

Scientists don't have any answers yet as they struggle to find out why hundreds of dead dolphins washed up on a tourist beach in Tanzania.

But some marine biologists are pointing to the use of sonar by the U.S. Navy as a factor in the deaths.

Prison for puppy killer

Lucky the cocker spaniel puppy's admitted killer got a hefty 15-month sentence behind bars Thursday, after a Will County [Illinois] judge overrode a plea agreement that punished him with probation.

Czernik, 41, pleaded guilty last month to kidnapping Lucky and throwing the golden-haired puppy into his Peotone back yard where his pit bull and Chesapeake Bay retriever mauled him last Fourth of July. Before Lucky died, Czernik made a threatening call demanding $10,000 ransom from the pooch's family, prosecutors said.

Video: Cat Lies Down

This cat proves that any position is comfortable for a cat.

Make Your Windows Safer for Birds

The transparent quality of windows makes them virtually invisible to birds, often until it is too late to stop short. It is difficult for a bird in flight to distinguish between glass and open space. It may see reflected vegetation in the window, but not the glass itself.

Bolognese Dogs

One of the few true Italian breeds, the Bolognese was the favorite companion dog of nobility during the Renaissance (and a popular court gift among the royal families of Spain, Russia, Italy and France), but became nearly extinct by the end of the 19 century. These small (up to 2.5 kg /5 lbs) hardy dogs, are keenly intelligent, friendly, alert, affectionate and are a totally dedicated family member!

Captive-Bred Panda Released in China -- A First

Updated April 28, 2006—At 10 a.m. local time today a four-year-old panda in China became the first captive-bred giant panda released into the wild.

Pictured yesterday being carried away from the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in Sichuan Province, Xiang Xiang weighs 176 pounds (80 kilograms) and is 3.6 feet (1.1 meter) tall.

The male giant panda has been fitted with a collar containing a satellite tracking device.

Spain urged to grant rights to apes

The Spanish Socialist Party will introduce a bill in the Congress of Deputies calling for "the immediate inclusion of (simians) in the category of persons, and that they be given the moral and legal protection that currently are only enjoyed by human beings." The PSOE's justification is that humans share 98.4% of our genes with chimpanzees, 97.7% with gorillas, and 96.4% with orangutans.

Cutest Pet Photo Contest, Win $1000!

Do you have the cutest pet?
Find out by submitting your pet's photo.

Restaurant fined for lobster abuse

A restaurant operator in Italy has been fined 688 euros for allegedly mistreating lobsters which were on display for potential customers, the local press reported.

The fine was the result of a complaint filed in March 2002 by a former activist from Italy's animal protection agency ENPA.

The 34-year restaurant operator was accused of keeping the lobsters on ice rather than in a water tank.

The Designer Dog breed quiz--can you tell which is which?

7 pairs of the most popular designer dogs around today. One of each pair is directly from a breeder. The other is a rescue or shelter dog of completely unknown origin. Try it out. Pick out which is which. I dare you.

Songbirds May Be Able To Learn Grammar

A remarkable discovery was revealed today by researchers from the University of Chicago and the University of California San Diego: the capacity of recognising and distinguishing between patterns of language organisation in Sturnus vulgaris, the common European starling.

In the April 27, 2006, issue of Nature, the researchers show that these starlings, long known as virtuoso songbirds and expert mimics, can be trained to reliably discriminate between two different patterns of organizing the sounds they use to communicate.

Cat survives 8 days in wall of Dallas home

Mike and Joanna Brown said they weren't sure if they should nickname their cat "Bunny" or "Sheetrock" after she was found two weeks after vanishing inside a neighboring home's walls.

Miss Kitty was returned to the couple on Easter, hence the nickname "Bunny."

Foie Gras Banned In Chicago

The bird liver delicacy foie gras was banned from restaurants Wednesday in a measure approved by the Chicago City Council after members decided it was inhumane to force-feed the birds.

The state of California and over a dozen countries have banned production of foie gras on the grounds that the way it is made – force-feeding ducks and geese with metal tubes - is a form of animal cruelty.

Most Beautiful Bulldog

To those who know her best, Hannah is the ultimate girly girl. She enjoys socializing in the neighborhood, wearing fancy outfits and pursuing a shoe fetish that would rival any Hollywood starlet.

But Hannah doesn't wear shoes _ she eats them. Still, that didn't stop this 2-year old English bulldog from beating out 49 others to claim top prize in the 27th annual "Beautiful Bulldog" contest.
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Jumping Fish Lands Florida Boater In The Hospital

A Florida woman, in the wrong place at the wrong time, is seriously hurt when she was hit in the face by a fish.

31 year old Dawn Poirier and her fiancee were cruising down the Suwannee River near Bell, in Gilchrist County, when she was knocked off her feet, apparently after a 3-foot-long Gulf sturgeon jumped into the boat, hitting her in the face, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Recent Bear Attacks Are "Freak Occurrences," Experts Say

A hunter was attacked and seriously injured by a black bear Saturday on a road just outside Olympic National Park in Washington State.

The incident follows a black bear attack nine days earlier that killed a six-year-old girl in the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee.

Some experts say the bear attacks may be a sign of a growing clash between humans and the wild.

"I think it is probably just a matter of there being more bears and more people in bear range than ever before," Joe Clark, an ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, told the Associated Press.

Ancient DNA Provides Clues To The Evolution Of Social Behavior

A rare Patagonian rodent known as the colonial tuco-tuco fascinates biologists because it seems to defy all odds. This threatened species has so little genetic diversity that the slightest whiff of climate change or disease should have wiped it off the face of the earth long ago. Yet the hearty gopher-like creature has not only managed to survive for thousands of years in the harsh climate of the Argentine highlands, it has evolved a complex social structure that's unique among the more than 50 closely related tuco-tuco species.

Fish Tank Can Be a Haven for Salmonella

Tropical fish seem the tidiest of pets: they never lick your face, leap from the cat box to the kitchen counter or take pleasure in rolling around in some wad of mysterious rot.

But recent findings from Australia confirm that fish owners should nonetheless take care when cleaning an aquarium or otherwise interacting with finned friends or the water they swim in.

(via)

Remote Control Rat

Send it dashing across the floor and watch everyone jump. Furry evil-looking rodent scurries forward and runs in circles as its beady little eyes beam with an eerie red light.

Bird Flu Might Come But Not To Pigeons

City folks, don't worry. Nobody expects pigeons, more common than manhole covers, will bring the deadly bird flu virus.

Pigeons are not immune from the virus. But tests indicate the birds pick it up only when they are exposed to very high doses, do not always become infected under those conditions and are carriers only briefly.

Police Hunt for Chimps After Fatal Attack

Police hunted Monday for chimpanzees that escaped from a Sierra Leone preserve and mauled a group of American and local sightseers, killing one man and injuring four people.

The U.S. Embassy warned Americans against traveling to the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, where the chimps escaped before Sunday's attack on a taxicab.

The Sierra Leonean driver died as the chimps ripped his body apart, and three Americans were treated at a hospital for minor injuries, said Oliver Somasa, a top police official.

Billboards that eat and bleat?

Early this month, Hotels.nl, a Dutch online reservations company, began displaying its corporate logo on blue waterproof blankets worn by sheep.

The company spends €1 ($A1.66) a day per sheep, and it sponsors about 144 sheep in flocks throughout the Netherlands. But the commercially branded sheep have prompted a reaction.

The town of Skarsterlan has started fining Hotels.nl €1000 a day because advertising on livestock violates its ban on advertising along highways.

Wildlife defies Chernobyl radiation

It contains some of the most contaminated land in the world, yet it has become a haven for wildlife - a nature reserve in all but name.

The exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power station is teeming with life.

As humans were evacuated from the area 20 years ago, animals moved in. Existing populations multiplied and species not seen for decades, such as the lynx and eagle owl, began to return.

China Plans Sanctuary for Rare White Dolphins

In an effort to protect its rare white dolphins, the government of China plans to create a dolphin reserve in the Pearl River Delta.

The official Xinhua news agency said construction of the sanctuary, to measure 178 square miles (460 square kilometers), will begin later this year near Qi'ao Island. Initial efforts will focus on an emergency dolphin rescue center.

Choosing the right pet health insurance

“From 1994 to 2003, expenditures for veterinary services rose 76 percent,” says Carol McConnell, manager of veterinary education and services for Veterinary Pet Insurance, in Brea, Calif.

That rise may correlate with higher disposable incomes and the elevation of pets to "family member" status, along with longer animal life expectancies. But McConnell also notes that owners of ailing pets now have more options as veterinarians have added many diagnostic and treatment capabilities borrowed from human medicine. Taking advantage of those new options can quickly run vet bills up into the thousands of dollars, making insurance premiums of a few hundred dollars a year a good investment for some pet owners.

Bird Feedings Spark Protests

Hollywood officials say they want to stop a mysterious bird lady who hauls 25-pound sacks of feed and draws flocks of messy pigeons whose droppings have fouled cars, sidewalks and buildings.

Friday Cat Blog

Butters, the cat rug



Here's what he really looks like:



The second picture was taken shortly after we found him - lost or abandoned - beat up, dirty, tangled and malnourished. He's an official family member now and looking much better.

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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 My Animal Family.

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First Aid Kit for Dogs

Friends of Greyhounds Rescue has developed an excellent canine first aid kit designed to address the real problems with dogs - overheating and bleeding/cuts. It's NOT a people kit just relabeled. They sell on the internet and at the little adoption group shop (Sat & Sun) The price on there includes freight and muzzle which would only work for greyhounds.

Two-Legged Snake Fossil Found

A fossil find in Argentina has revealed a two-legged creature that's the most primitive snake known, a discovery that promises to fire up the scientific debate about whether snakes evolved on land or in the sea.

The snake's anatomy and the location of the fossil show it lived on land, researchers said, adding evidence to the argument that snakes evolved on land.

Snakes are thought to have evolved from four-legged lizards, losing their legs over time. But scientists have long debated whether those ancestral lizards were land-based or marine creatures.

Kidnapping Penguins May Be High on Hormone

Raging hormones might help explain why female emperor penguins that have lost a baby sometimes kidnap the chick of another.

"The kidnapping lasts for a few hours or a week at most," said Olivier Chastel, a biologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research in Villiers en Bois.

After this time the seemingly distraught parent loses interest and abandons her stolen baby.

Purina Animal Hall of Fame

Jellie Jill, a Cairn Terrier who alerted her owner to a fire in the apartment is joining 122 other animals – 99 dogs, 22 cats, and one horse – that have been recognized by the Purina Animal Hall of Fame since 1968.

The 38th annual awards will be handed out in Toronto next Monday.

Vote for the World's Ugliest Dog

Vote for the World's Ugliest Dog
Select your choice for Ugliest Dog and click the "Submit Vote" button.

Scores of Dead Pigs Found in China

Scores of dead pigs have been found in a river in eastern China, but the cause of the deaths was unclear, a Hong Kong newspaper said Tuesday.

Some 161 pigs were found in two areas in the Fujiang river in Zhejiang, the newspaper said. Health authorities in Hangzhou, the provincial capital, were investigating where the pigs came from and what caused their deaths, it said.

Officials were also worried the pigs might contaminate the river, which is a water source for several cities, it said.

New pet inventions may help protect your pet

After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina, it's no wonder more pet owners are thinking of ways to protect their pets in case of an emergency. Last Year, the Knoxville based company PetSafe held a contest online for new pet invention.

The first place winning invention is the new PetSafe Micro ID Collar. In an emergency, it can help reconnect you with your pet. It feels like a regular dog collar, but your pet will have no idea that it's stored with all kinds of helpful information just in case they get lost.

"The way the collar works is it has a built in water proof flash memory card which is a sub port," PetSafe's Doug Grindstaff says. "It simply opens up and connects to any standard computer with USB"

Then it's easy to access your pet's emergency contact information and instructions on how someone should care for your pet.

Third Annual Russian Pig Olympics Held

An unusual event took place in Russia on Saturday, the Pig Olympics.
Russian piglets trained to run, swim and play football took part in the third annual Pig Olympics, held during the 'ZooRussia 2005' exhibition at an exhibition centre near Moscow.

The first event was a short-distance running race.

It seemed that piglets are not natural athletes - their coaches had to run behind them to keep them on track, clapping their hands and stamping their feet in an effort to make the piglets run faster.

A Visit from the Easter Bunny

Happy Easter!

Florida Has Big Problem: Snakes The Size Of Phone Poles

Florida's newest problem is a creepy one, and it is roughly the circumference of a telephone pole. It has no toes. It snacks on rabbits.

And it's growing in number and in feet: the Burmese python.

Florida Everglades National Park biologist Skip Snow said last year they caught 95 pythons.

Pets Tooth Brush

PetsToothBrush is the best solution to your pet's dental needs. The PetsToothBrush features gentle spiky pads on the thumb and index finger of a surgical glove to help clean your pet's teeth and gums, prevent the buildup of plaque and tartar, as well as help decrease the risk of advanced dental disease.

Mr. Lonely

Poor Fred



For the past four or five years, a pair of ducks has been making their annual stop at our little back yard koi pond. Their arrival each year tells us the long, cold, winter is over, and it's really Spring!

Fred and Ethel came again this year, but something seemed wrong with Ethel. In past years, she would spend an hour or so at the pond, then fly off to wherever it was that she was nesting. This year, she laid an egg in the water. The next day, still in the water, she seemed to be straining and struggling to lay more eggs.

I found her dead one morning. Fred was sitting calmy next to her body. He would nudge her now and then with his beak, but she just floated with her head underwater.

I removed her, but Fred is still sitting and waiting. It's been more than a week, and he's still keeping his vigil.

Our whole neighborhood is pulling for Fred. We hope a cute little unattached girl duck flies by one day and catches his eye.

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Go and see what other bloggers write about animals at the Friday Ark.

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Friday Cat Blog

Let us out!



Bandit and Smoke are not "outside" cats, but they like to pretend that they are. They stand at the front door, anticipating the opportunity to dash outside the instant the door is openened.

What do they do out there?

Smoke looks for chipmunks. There's a perfect spot next to the rain gutter. Wait long enough and a dumb chipmunk is bound to come and stumble across Smoke's feet. Bring the chipmunk into the house and it's good for several hours of fun play.

Bandit hangs out right by the door. He walks out to roll on the sidewalk now and then, but dashes back into the house at the slightest wind or noise.

Where's Grace, you ask? She's the queen of the household. It is beneath her to stand at the door and beg. When the door is propped open, she'll mosey outside when she's good and ready.

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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 Begin Each Day.

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Flesh-Eating Baby "Worm" Feasts on Mom's Skin

The doting mom of a wormlike amphibian found in Africa lets her babies devour her own flesh, scientists have found.

The tropical creature transforms its skin into a nourishing, fat-rich meal for its newborns to eat, researchers say.

This bizarre form of parental care was uncovered in Kenya, where a team of biologists observed the young of a caecilian, a type of limbless amphibian, feasting on their mother.

Tarzan's chimp Cheeta reaches 74

Cheeta the chimpanzee, who appeared in the Tarzan movies, has attended a party to celebrate his 74th birthday.

The chimp, who appeared opposite Johnny Weissmuller in 12 films, is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest chimp.

Goose Attacks Toy Store Shoppers

Police in Cherry Hill, N.J., were forced to tape off a section of a sidewalk outside of a toy store after residents reported being attacked by a goose.

Local 6 News showed video of the goose chasing a shopper outside of the Cherry Hill Toys R Us store. The goose also attacked a reporter.

Since the goose has begun sitting on the toy store's roof, employees have been escorting customers to their cars.

Maine Adds PetsTo Protection Orders - CBS News

Spurred by growing evidence of a link between domestic violence and animal abuse, Maine has enacted a first-in-the-nation law that allows judges to include pets in protection orders for spouses and partners leaving abusive relationships.

In helping pets, advocates hope to help battered women and others who aren't willing to abandon their animals to be saved themselves.

Litter Box Enclosure

Litter Box Enclosure
Need a place to hide the litter box? Tired of the sight of litter on the floor? We have the solution! Our litterbox enclosure has plenty of room for any litter box, and the removable top offers makes scooping and cleaning a snap! The entrance has a raised lip which catches a lot of the litter that normally gets tracked out, helping to keep that litterbox under control! The flat top doubles as a sleeping spot or sundeck, and lifts off for easy access. No assembly required.

"Lazy Slob" Mole Rats Are Key to Colony Growth

Damaraland mole rats, along with the closely related naked mole rats, are the only known mammals that are eusocial—that is, they live in social colonies with a division of labor among members.

Between 60 and 75 percent of a population of Damaraland mole rats (Cryptomys damarensis)— rodents native to southern Africa — are "frequent workers."

These industrious rats perform 95 percent of the work, while the remaining "infrequent workers" enjoy the results, new research shows.

130-pound Komodo dragon aquarium show centerpiece

He's huge, he can be vicious and sometimes he stinks. His oral hygiene is so poor that if he bites you, you're pretty much guaranteed a life-threatening infection. He's going to be very popular.

He's Faust, the 8-foot, 130-pound Komodo dragon who's the centerpiece of "Lizards and the Komodo King," a new special show that opens Saturday and runs through next February at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

Fossil fish with a crocodile-like head discovered

Researchers have found a fossil fish with a crocodile-like head that apparently moved on land like a seal - an important discovery for understanding how fish evolved into land animals with four limbs and a backbone.

Scientists have long known that these land animals evolved from fish, but the details of that transformation have been a mystery. The new discovery isn't the first fossil fish from that time period, but "it's the best one," said one expert.

Beaver goes to college to get new teeth

If a beaver needed dental work, where would it go? In this case, a beaver who lost her four front teeth in an encounter with a car has been checked into Washington State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital to recuperate.

The 41-pound animal, nicknamed Bailey, lost her chewing teeth when struck by a car last week near Lewiston, Idaho, about 30 miles southeast of Pullman. A retired Idaho Fish and Game agent brought the injured beaver to the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine.

Bengal tiger kills owner in Minn

A Bengal tiger attacked and killed its owner at a former animal breeding business, the latest in a series of recent maulings involving captive exotic animals in the state.

Cynthia Lee Gamble, 52, was found in an area connected to the 500-pound tiger's cage by a small, open gate, Pine County Sheriff Mark Mansavage said Friday. He said a man who had gone to work on the property Thursday found the woman's body.

Friday Cat Blog

A little skritch





I've never had an aloe plant that bloomed, until this one.

Bandit, too, is impressed.

And the spiky leaves are great for a face scritch.





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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 KT Cat.

***

Cell Phone for Dogs

A mobile phone has been invented for dogs. The bone-shaped device, called Petscell, will fit on the animal's collar and is scheduled to go on sale next year.

A U.S. company has developed a device in a bid to reduce those feelings of despair, by inventing a cell phone so that dogs and their owners can communicate when they are away from each other.

Wheeled carts and wheelchairs for pets

It is not uncommon for elderly, injured, or handicapped animals to lose the use of their back or front legs. Nerve damage, DM (Degenerative Myelopathy), cancer, arthritis, injury, accident and more can result in this condition. Fortunately, this does not need to be the end of a dog's life. A dog cart or dog wheelchair can offer an animal a wholesome, healthy, quality life.

Parrots' behaviors mirror human mental disorders

A study of abnormal repetitive behaviors practiced by Orange-winged Amazon parrots indicates that environment plays a role in two types of behavior that the caged birds perform. One of the behaviors, feather picking, closely mirrors compulsive behaviors in humans, according to Purdue University and University of California at Davis researchers. The study also helped debunk a time-worn belief that parrots teach each other feather picking.