Mara The Ex-Circus Elephant Retires To Brazil

Brasília (AFP) - Mara, an Indian elephant rescued from an Argentine circus, arrived at an animal sanctuary in Brazil Wednesday to start a new life at 50-something -- beginning with a celebratory frolic in the dirt.

Mara, who weighs around 5,500 kilograms (more than 12,000 pounds), spent much of her life as a circus attraction, then was brought to the Buenos Aires Zoo in 1995.

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Koko, The Famous Gorilla Who Learned Sign Language, to Be Laid to Rest at Animal Sanctuary

Koko, the gorilla who mastered sign language and became a pop-culture phenomenon, will be laid to rest Saturday in a ceremony at an animal sanctuary in Northern California where she lived for decades.

The western lowland gorilla died in her sleep Tuesday morning at the age of 46, according to the Gorilla Foundation, which is headed by animal psychologist Francine "Penny" Patterson, who worked with and cared for Koko since the primate was a year old.

Koko was renowned as one of the most intellectual apes in history, beloved by millions of people around the world. Under Patterson's tutelage, she learned more than 1,000 words in sign language and came to understand over 2,000 words spoken to her in English.

"She taught me more than I taught her, for sure," Patterson, 71, told ABC News in a telephone interview Thursday. "She had opportunities to show her brilliance and that’s what we saw. We saw a person, really. She had all the attributes of a person and then some."

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Wildlife Photographer of the Year Winner Captures the Magic of Animal Rescue

The photo that won Jo-Anne McArthur the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award, speaks to anyone who has rescued an animal, whether it be a cat, dog or baby gorilla.

The winning shot, which beat out more than 50,000 others photos submitted to the National History Museum or London, shows a rescuer moving a orphaned baby gorilla named Pikin from her old animal sanctuary to a new, larger one full of fellow ape friends.

McArthur took the black-and-white photo in Cameroon while volunteering with the rescue group Ape Action Africa. According to the National History Museum of London, the photo was chosen by the public from a shortlist of 24 photos curated by the museum from over 50,000 entries submitted for the competition, now in its 53rd year.

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Two Families of Endangered Monkeys Were Stolen from a Zoo in Central France Over the Weekend

Saint-Aignan (France) - Two families of endangered monkeys were stolen from a zoo in central France over the weekend, the sanctuary's director told AFP late on Monday.

Rodolphe Delord said the thieves broke in to the zoo in Beauval on Saturday night, avoiding security cameras and patrols, and took seven golden lion tamarins and 10 silver marmosets.

"These are extremely rare, extremely fragile monkeys that are part of an international breeding programme," he told AFP, adding that the golden lion tamarins belong to the Brazilian government.

"We have absolutely no idea how such a thing could have happened," he said. "The thieves were experts. They knew exactly which to take."

The zoo is currently looking through CCTV footage and the French police and veterinary services have been informed, Delord said.

Concerns are now mounting for the health of the monkeys, which require a strict diet and are only allowed to be owned and sold by specialists. One of the golden lion tamarins also has an injury on its tail which needs daily attention.

"It is essential that we find these animals very quickly," said the zoo director. "They are very difficult to feed and should be looked after by specialists. We hope to find them very soon."