Cute, Stinky and Beached, Seals Cause a Squabble

Cute, Stinky and Beached, Seals Cause a Squabble

The beachcombers lie belly down on the sand, enjoying the cool breeze and calm waters of a small beach in La Jolla, a rocky outcropping here flush with mansions and money.

But these lollygags have not left in more than a decade. At least 100 and sometimes upward of 200 sprawl out like, well, beached whales, pretty much taking over the sand and water like those infamous beach bums of Tom Wolfe’s “The Pump House Gang,” which is set here.

It is generally agreed that the intruders, being harbor seals and all, are cute, and that they do not seem to be going anywhere. But their antics — including females giving birth right there on the sand — are driving some people crazy. And into court.

In Texas, Conditions Lead to a Rabble of Butterflies

South Texas is under siege from swarms of airborne migrants: tens of millions of Libytheana bachmanii larvata — snout butterflies to y’all — along with Kricogonia lysides, or yellow sulfurs, that have taken advantage of an unusual drought-and-deluge cycle to breed in spectacular if not record profusion.

The smallish, dull-colored snouts take their name from an appendage they attach to branches to disguise themselves as leaves.

Blinded drivers who have to pick the literally low-down critters off their grilles to avoid dangerous engine overheating are less than enthralled, as are the mottephobes, who fear butterflies and moths. But lepidopterists are thrilled with the spectacle, which they predict may be only the beginning of a population explosion of snouts.

I Do Dog Tricks

This Dog Does Tricks

Bubblesnaps

Bubblesnaps

Hemingway cat caretakers fight with USDA

The caretakers of Ernest Hemingway's Key West home want a federal judge to intervene in their dispute with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture over the six-toed cats that roam the property.

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum disputes the USDA's claim that it is an "exhibitor" of cats and needs to have a USDA Animal Welfare License, according to a complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Miami.

"What they're comparing the Hemingway house to is a circus or a zoo because there are cats on the premises," Cara Higgins, the home's attorney, said Friday. "This is not a traveling circus. These cats have been on the premises forever."

Pigeon Repellers

Repel pigeons with a vinyl inflatable predator that frightens bird pests away!

Huge 2-foot hanging ball has menacing, moving eyes on front and back that strike fear in birds!

Doggie Driver

The Doggie Driver allows you to work on your golf swing, have fun with your dog and give him a great work out.

Jasper Dog

He is not the best dog in the world. On a warm summer night when his friends are dashing through the tall grass, running for the creek, heading for the deep cool water, he will not heed my request to stop and return.

Look what I caught!

Nasty thing! Eating all the leaves on my Moonflower.

Ionic Pet Air Purifier

# Reduces airborne allergens for pets including pet dander
# Helps to eliminate bad odors, airborne viruses, germs, and bacteria
# Greatly improves the quality of pets breathable air
# Maintain a healthier lifestyle for your pet
# Diminishes pet odor

The Fabulous Kakapo Parrot

The ancient, flightless Kakapo is the world's rarest and strangest parrot. It the only flightless and nocturnal parrot, as well as being the heaviest in the world, weighing up to 3.5 kilograms (8 lbs).

The birds live in New Zealand, an island country which had virtually no mammals living on it for millions of years. It was a place inhabited by birds and reptiles. The only types of mammal were two species of bats. The Kakapo did not learn the defense mechanisms to combat or escape mammalian predators. This made the parrot very vulnerable when new animals started showing up.

Protest over beer-drinking pigs

A pair of beer-swilling pigs has embroiled an Australian pub in an animal cruelty debate.

Visitors to "Pub in the Paddock" in the island-state of Tasmania are invited to pour bottles of beer down the willing throats of resident pigs Priscilla and P.B.

Pub owner Anne Free said Wednesday she was outraged that the tourist attraction had been attacked as cruel in the latest edition of a magazine published by animal welfare group Choose Cruelty Free.

Coats for Cubs: Donate Your Old Furs to Wildlife

Do you have an old fur coat in your closet? Is your grandmother's mink stole stored in the attic? Many of us have fur apparel that we no longer want or that was left to us by a family member. Some aren't comfortable selling it or giving it to charity, because they feel people should not wear animal fur. So what should people do with it?

Give it back to the animals. If you would like to see that old fur put to a good use, donate it to The Humane Society of the United States' Coats for Cubs program. The fur will aid and comfort wildlife.

Saving Rwanda's Gorilla

The mountain gorillas of Rwanda live in a fragile and shrinking ecosystem, one that if compromised further will lead to the extinction of this species so closely related to our own. Yet because the humans in this mountainous region are suffering from inadequate farmland and insufficient water to support their growing numbers, they venture into gorilla territory to cut down the forest for farmland and collect the water needed to survive.

Fisherman speared by blue marlin off Bermuda - Jul 24, 2006

A fisherman was recovering from surgery after he was speared in the chest and knocked into the Atlantic Ocean by a blue marlin during a fishing competition off Bermuda's coast.

Ian Card, 32, was in stable condition at King Edward VII Hospital in the British Island territory from a wound that his doctor said could have been fatal.

"He was very lucky," said Dr. Christian Wilmsmeier. "It was a very serious injury."

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Tagging Success Boosts Hopes For Arabian Phoenix

An international mission to save the rarest bird in the Middle East has cleared its first hurdle.

Satellite tags have been attached to three of the remaining seven, adult, northern bald ibis in Syria, a species thought extinct in the region until four years ago.

Scientists from the RSPB and BirdLife Middle East will track the trio's migration as it leaves breeding sites near Palmyra in south-east Syria this month.

Bedouin nomads and Syrian government rangers have been watching over the nests of Zenobia, named after Palmyra's third century warrior queen, Sultan and Salam. Scientists hope to locate their winter base and discover why so few birds are returning.

Frog "Juice" May Be Next Big Bug Repellent

Although the chemical known as deet currently dominates the mosquito-repellent market, nature is full of bug-banishing strategies.

Native Americans once smeared goldenseal root on their bodies to ward off bites. And today candles made with oil from citronella grass help keep the bugs away from backyard barbecues.

Now a team of Australian researchers has isolated one of the most effective natural mosquito repellents yet from an unlikely source: smelly frog skin.

Velvet Worm Brains Reveal Secret Sisterhood With Spiders

Onychophora (Velvet Worms) live in groups, defend territories and subdue their prey with sticky goo. The small, sometimes brightly colored, worm-like carnivorous creatures have lobed appendages and live in leaf litter in tropical areas.

"They are very difficult to approach with a pair of forceps because they squirt out this gluey substance that bungs up one's dissection tools. In the wild they use it to immobilize their prey," Strausfeld said of the 2-inch-long critters. "They're really quite extraordinary."

Strausfeld and his colleagues compared the brain architecture of onychophorans with a range of arthropods, including spiders, scorpions, dragonflies, bees, crabs, shrimps and centipedes.

Chicago: Fido, beware. You're next.

No longer content to confine themselves to demands that potholes be filled and streets clean and safe, Chicago aldermen seem increasingly eager to dabble in non-traditional territory.

Council members have floated proposals to ban restaurant chains from using cooking oils that contain trans fats, require cigarette vendors to display photos of diseased lungs prominently and outlaw the existence of pit bulls within city limits.

Now, a City Council ordinance likely to face a Wednesday vote would require dog owners to have a microchip implanted in the scruff of a pet's neck for identification purposes.

Cyclist Hits Bear During Triathlon

Triathlete Sabrina Oei was speeding downhill at nearly 40 mph, cycling through the Colorado foothills during a race, when something brought her to a sudden, painful stop: a bear.

Oei, 31, slammed broadside into a black bear when it wandered onto the race course Sunday. She went airborne, then slid on her back across the pavement.

She wasn't seriously injured and even finished the triathlon. The bear didn't seem to be hurt, either, scampering back into the woods.

Libertyville Rotary Club Goose Dropping

THE GOOSE DROPPING CONTEST
August 26, 2006

The Goose Dropping Contest will have 3,000 toy geese attached to a parachute.

The 3,000 geese will be dropped from approximately 100 feet above the ground.
Designated golf greens at the Libertyville Sports Complex driving range will be marked with a designated cash prize, with the top prize of $50,000. There will be nine prizes in all.

The goose that comes to rest closest to each designated target as determined by an independent judge will be declared the winner and will receive the indicated cash prize.

Goose Entries may be purchased online (“Purchase Tickets”) or in-person at Libertyville Village Hall during business hours, at Mainstreet Libertyville’s “Out to Lunch” (Fridays; 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.; Cook Park) or at any regular Sunrise Rotary meeting (Wednesdays; 7:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.; Lamb’s Farm).

Proteus Anguinus - the "Human Fish"

Proteus looks like a salamander, but because of the pink skin and the small arms and legs, it looks also a little bit like a small human. This is the reason, why it is also called Human Fish. Other names of Proteus anguinus are Olm and White Salamander.

The Olm has no eyes and no pigments in the skin, if grown in the darkness of a cave. A very interesting fact is, that olms grown up in daylight, get eyes and a brown skin. This are the remains of the evolution before the caves! But the eyes are not complete, some important parts of the optic nerve are missing, and so this olms have eyes but are still blind.

Dog thong for flatulent dogs

The Dogone - Dog Gas Neutralizing Pad is a comfortable and least intrusive means for deodorizing gassy discharges in a thong design. This will eliminate pet odors and dog odors from flatus or flatulence.

The Stinkbird Enigma

One of the peculiarities of the hoatzin is that the bird has an unpleasant manure-like smell, which serves to drive off predators, including humans. Despite their resemblance to game birds and their slow, awkward flight, the hoatzin remains largely unmolested because it makes extremely unappetizing eating. Only during times of famine will locals consider hunting it for food, and even then reluctantly.

Beware of Cat Sign

Let the world know about your cat with this fantastic sign! This warning sign can be taken seriously or not so seriously depending on your kitty!

Made in the USA, this durable aluminum sign measures 6" x 12".

Wordy Birdy Speech Trainer

This digital speech training device will teach your bird to talk w/revolutionary micro-chip technology.

Record in your own voice whatever you wish your bird to learn. A simple push of the button & "Wordy Birdy" will repeat your words or phrases over & over again at an adjustable training interval of 30 seconds to 20 minutes until you turn it off.


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Dog Toys for Active Dogs: Bubble Buddy

The original Scented Bubble Blowing Dog Toy! Includes one 4 fluid ounce bottle of Sizzlin ’Bacon scented bubbles for hours of chompin ’fun.

Easy to use for kids and adults, simply pull on the trigger operated air-bellows mechanism and watch the bubbles stream out.

Video: Monkey with a Deathwish

This monkey proves that tiger cubs are fun to play with.

Video: Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey

Whiplash is a border collie riding, sheep wrangling, monkey.

Video: Leapin' Lizards

When Lizards Attack!! You will believe a man can come unglued.

Video: Ninja Chipmunk

A chipmunk takes on a cat in a fierce ninja battle to live another day. The chipmunk wins!

(I have personal experience with this - except my cats bring them INTO the house to play with.)

And why not? It looks like a lot of fun.

Feline felon suspected in glove thefts

As if the gardeners of Pelham don't have enough to worry about, with the rocky soil and the slugs and the big trees casting too much shade, a feline felon has been sneaking into their back yards and carrying off gardening gloves.

There's a clothesline full of gloves that's strung across the front fence at Willy's home, which he shares with Jennifer and Dan Pifer, their 19-month-old son Hudson and a mutt named Peanut Chew.

Above the line is a sign that says, in words and pictures, "Our cat is a glove snatcher. Please take these if yours."

Homeopathic Remedy Study in Dogs

Dogs with a common allergic skin disease, canine atopic dermatitis, will be taking part in a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies as conventional meets complementary at Bristol University's School of Veterinary Science.

Dr Peter Hill, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Dermatology at Bristol's Vet School is embarking on the trial that aims to settle some of the arguments about the practice of homeopathy.

Doggie hotel opens -- 23 dollars a night, television optional

Washingtonians can now drop their pooches off at a pet hotel that cares for their friendly canines in a five-star environment -- pet-themed television shows optional.

In the mahogany paneled lobby of the PetSmart PetHotel, which just opened in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, the pets' human "parents" line up to plunk down 23 dollars plus tax for each night their pooch stays.

Snake wrangler: Trainer to slithery stars

The sign reads "Trespassers will be poisoned." Outside the front door, more than 100 black grasshoppers, each the size of a small rat, are pinned onto a plastic foam sheet, drying in the sun. Inside, hundreds of snakes, scorpions, lizards, leeches, tarantulas, beetles and cockroaches crawl about in clear plastic cages.

This is the office of Jules Sylvester, Hollywood snake wrangler and behind-the-scenes star of the upcoming movie "Snakes on a Plane."

Photo Contest: Dog Days of Summer

House Pet Magazine is having a photo contest.

Just email them your favorite SUMMER pictures of your doggies. You will enter to win a basket of perfect goodies, and also gain a big exposure through their li'l online magazine!

Freaky Fish Caught in Texas

A fish caught in Lubbock, Texas, with teeth that look like they belong to a human has baffled wildlife officials in the area, according to a report.

Fisherman Scott Curry reeled in the 20-pound fish on Buffalo Springs Lake and immediately noticed the catch had human-like teeth.

A game warden photographed the fish and is attempting to identify it.

Thai arrests on behalf of Tibetan antelopes

Police arrested four dealers and seized hundreds of shawls made from the wool of endangered Tibetan antelopes after raiding shops in the Thai capital, wildlife officials said Tuesday.

More than 250 shahtoosh shawls, the wool for which can only be obtained by killing the animals, were seized in three separate raids Monday in the heart of Bangkok's business district, said Schwann Tunhikorn, deputy director of Thailand's National Parks Wildlife and Plants Department.

Alligator has God on his side

Michael Wilk was tossing back a few beers with friends when he saw God on the side of his 4-foot-long pet alligator.

Without even squinting, Wilk noticed white markings pop out against a backdrop of black scales to form the letters G-O-D.

"When I first saw it, my jaw dropped," said Wilk, 25. "It's just sort of like a phenomenon on it."

Python gulps queen-size electric blanket

It took surgery to save a 12-foot Burmese python after it swallowed an entire queen-size electric blanket — with the electrical cord and control box.

The blanket must have gotten tangled up in the snake's rabbit dinner, owner Karl Beznoska said. He kept the blanket in the cage to keep the 60-pound reptile, named Houdini, warm.

"Somehow, he was able to unplug the electric cord," Beznoska said Wednesday. "He at least wasn't hooked up to the power. It might have been pretty warm there."

Caught On Tape: Baby Beluga Whale Birth

A baby beluga whale was born at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium on Monday, and the whole thing was caught on tape.

The aquarium's beluga, Puiji, gave birth to a male calf at 6 p.m., according to a news release.

Shortly after the birth, the calf swam to the surface, took its first breath and began to swim and bond with its mother.

Man charged for putting boa in mailbox

A man's idea of a joke, putting a pet 6-foot boa constrictor in his mailbox to startle a mail carrier, could bring him time behind bars.

"It was an incredibly stupid practical joke that wasn't funny," said James R. Mell, 31, an auto mechanic from the Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills.

Puppies Behind Bars

Puppies Behind Bars trains prison inmates to raise puppies to become guide dogs for the blind and explosive detection canines for law enforcement.

Parrots 'no birdbrains'

THE image of parrots as mindless mimics has been challenged by a 30-year study that has found they can add up, recognise shapes and colours and identify up to 100 different objects.

The scientist publishing the research says it shows that parrots, whose brains are almost the size of walnuts, compare with chimpanzees and dolphins in having a level of intelligence similar to that of small children.

"Their communication skills are similar to those of a two-year-old child, but their adding and ability with colours and shapes are more like a five or six-year-old," said Irene Pepperberg, associate professor of psychology at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Maine Lobsterman Pulls Up Rare Lobster

An eastern Maine lobsterman caught a lobster this week that looks like it's half-cooked.

The lobster caught by Alan Robinson in Dyer's Bay that is a typical mottled green on one side; the other side is a shade of orange that looks cooked.

Robinson, of Steuben, donated the lobster to the Mount Desert Oceanarium. Staff members say the odds or finding a half-and-half lobster are 1 in 50 million to 100 million. By comparison, the odds of finding a blue lobster are about 1 in a million.

Queen's Staff Begins Census of Thames Swans

Monday saw the start of Swan Upping, a five-day annual census of River Thames swans that mixes science and ceremony.

Since the 12th century _ when the graceful birds were served as a delicacy at royal feasts _ the monarch has had ownership rights over all mute swans on British waterways.

"In reality, these days we only claim swans on the River Thames," said David Barber, an official who bears a scarlet tunic, a captain's hat crowned with a white feather and the splendid title of Queen's Swan Marker.

The purpose of the census has changed as well. Once, it was used to identify food. Now, Barber says, "it is a conservation and education exercise."

Fla. Authorities Begin Gator-Feeding Sting

Crusty's days are numbered. The well-known 8-foot alligator has become so accustomed to people feeding him that his demise is certain. Because state wildlife managers worry all his snacks will make him aggressive, they will have to remove him from a canal along Florida's Alligator Alley in the Everglades and euthanize him.

To keep from having to kill even more alligators, officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission launched a three-day undercover sting operation in Broward County on Friday aimed at catching gator feeders in the act.

It's a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by a fine and up to 60 days in jail.

Tiny Woolly Adelgid Insect Threatens Hemlock Forests

Within the serene forests that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to southern Appalachia every year, a quiet massacre is under way.

A tiny pest small enough to float on the breeze _ a bug called the hemlock woolly adelgid _ is slowly poisoning the majestic hemlock trees that make up much of the green canopy in the rugged region, threatening the scenery that visitors admire from the overlooks of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the cliffs of Chimney Rock Park.

"They may never have noticed the hemlocks when they were alive, but they sure notice them when they're dead," Chimney Rock naturalist Ron Lance said during a recent hike to check on adelgid damage.

Rainbow kitten patches

RAINBOW KITTEN PATCHES

Because rainbow kittens are totally taking us into the next century...

• rainbow screenprint on pink felt
• sew 'em on to your bag, jacket... anything!
• approximately 11cm x 5cm

Kitty Eye Pillow

Use chilled to soothe tired eyes and reduce eye puffiness. Warm slightly to use as a dream pillow or relieve sinus pressure.

For Meerkats, Life Lessons Come With Demos

Meerkats have been observed actively teaching their young, something not often seen in animals in the wild.

While the young of many species learn by observing older members of their group, it's less common for adults to take direct actions with the only goal being teaching.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge in England observed meerkats gradually introducing cubs to prey, showing them how to handle captured insects and even removing the stingers from scorpions before giving them to youngsters.

Mountain Lions and Fear Growing Out West

More and more, people out West stay inside their houses, while mountain lions roam free.

Reports of mountain lions roaming neighborhoods and devouring family pets have cropped up from suburban Denver to Fort Collins, one of the most heavily populated stretches in the Rockies.

Louis Wain

To entertain his dying wife on her sickbed, Louis Wain started drawing their cat, Peter.

Wain continued drawing cats for newspapers and children’s books until he fell victim to schizophrenia in 1917 at the age of 57.

His work allows us a unique insight into the delusions and course of illness in a late onset schizophrenic.

Bovine Blasphemy

The "CowParade" - that quaint public art spectacle involving lots of customized fiberglass cows - has finally arrived in Budapest.

And just like you might suspect, no sooner had all the cows found their temporary homes on the sidewalks and parks of the city than the whole thing was marred by an ugly, and highly politicized, tiff.

At issue is one particular cow that ended up in front of the landmark Szent István Bazilika.

Kitten Born With Two Faces, One Body

A bizarre act of nature was found in Grove City Wednesday -- a kitten was born with two faces.

The kitten was born Wednesday morning. It has two mouths that meow in unison, two noses and four eyes that have not opened yet, NBC 4's Mike Bowersock reported.

Baby otter makes splash at Chicago's Shedd

Rubbing his furry stomach with his paws today, sea otter pup Capers showed off the grooming skills he's learned at the Shedd Aquarium.

The pup, about eight weeks old, is learning how to be an otter with the help of the aquarium staff because his mother died when he was only two weeks old, Shedd trainer Lyssa McGurren said.

Shedd officials introduced Capers to the media today and explained how he was saved from likely death in the wild.

Cat heads a cast of brave animals at war

THE most highly decorated cat in military history was remembered yesterday at the opening of an exhibition celebrating courageous animal acts in times of war.

Simon, the rat-catcher aboard HMS Amethyst when she was attacked on the Yangtze River by Chinese communists in 1949, is the only cat to have been awarded the Dickin Medal, described as the “animals’ Victoria Cross”, by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals.

Bear voluntarily returns to enclosure

Boo the runaway grizzly bear has returned on his own to his enclosure at a resort, apparently because of the ease of getting food and the end to the mating season, officials said.

After nearly three weeks on the lam after busting out of confinement, the 4-year-old bear ambled back into the 22-acre artificial enclosure Saturday.