Puppy Eats Yogurt With Spoon

Trying to get an infant or a toddler to eat can be a trying task. Between getting them to sit still and then convincing them that eating strained peas is a wonderful experience – meal time can easily take a full hour! We wish all the small children in our lives would take a page from the little dog in this video.

Wrapped up in a little blanket, just like a human infant, the dog in this video is all set for snack time. His guardian prepares a spoonful of food and the dog knows exactly what to do! There is no need for his guardian to even prompt him to “say ah!” He opens his little mouth and squeals as if he can’t wait to get a big heaping spoonful.





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Google Hires Camel For Desert Street View

It's given us robot cars and internet-enabled glasses -- but when it came to creating a "Street View" of a desert, Google hit on a low-tech solution.

It hired a camel.

The beast has become the first animal to carry Google's Trekker camera, which is typically hoisted by humans to capture 360-degree images of destinations inaccessible to its Street View cars.

Google spokeswoman Monica Baz says the camel, reportedly named Raffia, was an apt way of documenting the beautiful shifting sands of Abu Dhabi's Liwa Oasis.

"With every environment and every location, we try to customize the capture and how we do it for that part of the environment," she told The National newspaper.

"In the case of Liwa we fashioned it in a way so that it goes on a camel so that it can capture imagery in the best, most authentic and least damaging way," Baz said.

The Liwa Oasis is a 100 kilometer-wide (62-mile) scenic desert, southeast of the city of Abu Dhabi that includes some of the world's biggest sand dunes.

To read more on this story, click here: Google Hires Camel For Desert Street View


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Indianapolis Zoo: Male Lion Killed By Mother Of It’s Cubs

A lion at the Indianapolis Zoo was killed this week by another lion that it had cubs with, Zoo officials announced.

The zoo says a 10-year-old male African lion, Nyack, died Monday morning, after it was hurt by a female lion named Zuri. Zuri was OK.

Animal care staff heard "an unusual amount" of roaring from the outdoor lion yard, the zoo said in a news release. They responded and saw Zuri being aggressive with Nyack in the presence of the lions' 3-year-old daughter, Sukari.

To read more on this story, click here: Indianapolis Zoo: Male Lion Killed By Mother Of It’s Cubs


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An Extremely Rare Albino Raccoon Was Captured in Tennessee When Trappers Responded to a Memphis Home

Nashville, Tennessee - An extremely rare albino raccoon was captured in Tennessee when trappers responded to a Memphis home.

Alpha Wildlife, a company which specializes in animal trapping, prevention, and repairs, responded to a Collierville home to remove raccoons.

Co-owner Matt Caldwell says he was ready for the first raccoon trapped and removed but the second one was a surprise. "I was excited and taken aback at the same time," Caldwell says. "I've seen pictures online but never in person."

That's because it was a rare albino raccoon. Caldwell says biologists tell him finding an albino raccoon is a 1 in 750,000 chance. Caldwell and co-owner David Parrish took the raccoon to Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park as is protocol when releasing animals.

To put the rarity in perspective, the odds of being struck by lighting in your lifetime is 1 in 14,600 according to the NWS.

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200 Cats In Poor Health Seized From Spring Cat Sanctuary

SPRING, Texas (KTRK) -- We're getting our first look at more than 200 cats who authorities say were found in pretty bad shape at a Spring cat sanctuary.

But the owners of Dave and Faye's Cat Sanctuary tell Eyewitness News the entire raid and seizure was unjustified.

The Houston SPCA and law enforcement from Montgomery County seized the animals on Wednesday, and said they are in desperate need of veterinary care.

SPCA says many of the cats are suffering from various medical conditions, including upper respiratory infections.

To read more on this story, click here: 200 Cats In Poor Health Seized From Spring Cat Sanctuary


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Tropical Fish Diseases

A home aquarium can host a large variety of bacterial, fungal & parasitic infections. Early treatment is best but there are few things you can do to increase the chance everyone will heal quickly.

Most illnesses are contagious so medicating the entire tank is suggested. Even if the disease is not contagious, it’s not going to harm a healthy fish to give him a dose of treatment too.

If you have a large aquarium it’s advised to set up a hospital tank. Use a smaller 5 gallon aquarium with air pump to place infected fish. Treating a 5 gallon tank is much easier and cheaper then treating a 90 gallon, hence the popularity of hospital tanks for advanced hobbyists and fish breeders.

Always remove carbon for the duration of treatment. In a power filter, you will need to remove the entire cartridge (carbon is located inside). Carbon absorbs medication from the water rending the treatment ineffective.

Adding freshwater aquarium salt helps with healing. A general tonic with electrolytes promoting good health, salt also can counteract the harsh effect of medication by reducing stress. Dissolve some in a cup of water before adding to the aquarium. Follow directions on the box for the proper amount to add according to tank size.

 Most diseases are caused by stress & poor water quality. After the disease outbreak is cleared, you may want to increase the frequency of water changes and perhaps consider using a stronger filter or adding a second filter. Excellent filtration can help prevent disease by keeping water chemistry prime for living conditions.

To read more on this story, click here: Tropical Fish Diseases 

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Hamsters: From The Wild To Your Bedroom

Cheeks puffed, growling, and ready to pick a fight with a barn cat: The black-bellied hamster is a far cry from the domesticated hamster you might have as a pet. It’s a good thing these black-bellied hamsters are defending themselves, because in France, where only 500 to 1,000 remain in the wild, these courageous critters are literally fighting for survival.

In the December 2014/January 2015 issue of National Geographic Kids magazine, you can find out more about wild hamsters in France, their history, and what people are doing to help their populations recover. And read below to learn more about wild and pet hamsters.

Where Did Your Pet Hamster Come From?

One of the most popular species of pet hamsters in North America and Western Europe is the Syrian, or golden, hamster, which was discovered in the wild in 1797. So how did this hamster get from the Middle East all the way to your bedroom or classroom? Thank zoologist Israel Aharoni. During a 1930 expedition to look for these golden hamsters, he and local Sheikh El-Beled uncovered a golden hamster and her 11 young living 8 feet (2.4 meters) below a wheat field.

To read more on this story, click here: Hamsters: From The Wild To Your Bedroom

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Billionaire Trophy Hunter Kills Endangered Black Rhino With No Regrets, And U.S. Allows Him To Import Body Parts

Black rhinos are listed as critically endangered with less than 5,500 remaining in the world. The African rhino is poached for its horns. Aside from being poached, rhinos are targeted by trophy hunters as a rare hunt.

One American trophy hunter, Lacy Harber, headed to Namibia to hunt and kill a black rhino. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), “Two trophy hunting organizations, the Dallas Safari Club Foundation and Conservation Force, auctioned off the rhino hunt in December 2016 for $275,000. The auction was won by a Texas billionaire who hunted the animal on February 26, 2017, at the Veronica Game Lodge in Namibia. Conservation Force then filed the import permit application on April 12, 2017.”

Harber tells Herold Democrat, “He had turned into a rogue rhino and the Namibian game department had documented that he had killed two females and three babies,” Harber said. “If you don’t have a use for an animal, if it has no value, it’ll just disappear.”

To read more on this story, click here: Billionaire Trophy Hunter Kills Endangered Black Rhino With No Regrets, And U.S. Allows Him To Import Body Parts


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These Incredible Animal Photos Show Why Steve Irwin’s Son Is An Award Winning Photographer

Being part of the legacy that Steve Irwin left behind must be no easy task, but Robert Irwin, his 13-year-old son makes it seem smooth and oh-so-easy. Robert and his family have always been involved with nature, and even as a baby, his love for it was obvious. Now as a young teenager, he has actually traveled around the world with his family, capturing nature while at it and becoming an award-winning photographer – yes, at just 13-years-old!

Regardless of his age, there is no question why his work has been recognized in several contests: the images he captures are raw and pretty up-close, giving people a more intimate glance at nature and wildlife through his images.

To read more on this story, click here: These Incredible Animal Photos Show Why Steve Irwin’s Son Is An Award Winning Photographer



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Mummified Dog Found Embedded Inside Of Tree

Typical Loggers' Workday
The loggers of the Georgia Kraft Co., were experiencing a regular workday. The company is located in Jasper, Georgia, and as a paper mill machinery business, part of its work involves acquiring wood for paper pulp. So, one day in the year 1980, the loggers went out to a nearby forest to cut some trees. Little did they know that there was a secret hidden inside a tree that they were about to uncover.

Shocked
They realized something wasn't right as soon as they cut down that tree trunk. Unlike most chestnut tree trunks, this piece was light and hollow on the inside. And once the trunk was on the ground, they realized that in the middle was a black hole. But they weren't expecting to find what they did, which was a canine growling at them. And while they were shocked by this discovery, there was an intriguing story behind it all.

Not Your Average Wood
Given that they grow faster than oak trees, American chestnut trees have always been of great commercial valuable. In fact, surviving specimens remain throughout eastern North American regions like Nova Scotia, New Hampshire, Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, despite a fungal infection that nearly made this species of trees extinct in the early 20th century. Chestnut trees have a number of interesting characteristics, one of which resulted in this phenomenon, which stunned loggers.

Hollow interior
The loggers began to chop down all of the chestnut trees that they had selected to be cut. It was a grueling task, which would take all day. Then they prepared to cut down this chestnut tree. But they realized that it was hollow the moment their axes hit the trunk. But that didn't matter. As long as the wood came from a chestnut tree it would produce pulp that was high in quality. So, they continued to chop, not realizing what was within.

Something Was Off About That Tree
Once the tree trunk came down, the loggers prepared to start cutting it into logs that they could place on their truck. But then they saw something that caught their eye. Inside the hollowed-out trunk was something that was preventing the light from passing through. The loggers took a closer look and then they jumped back in shock and fear. Inside the trunk was a beast who was looking straight at them.

Was It A Pooch?
The mysterious creature was surprisingly, a dog. The loggers could tell because it had sharp canine teeth, a long snout, and paws that were near the trunk's top. But there was something really strange about this dog. It looked as if it was frozen. The loggers didn't understand how the dog wound up inside the tree trunk, or why it appeared the way that it did. But they had a job to complete, so they had to make a decision about what to do with this fast.

It Was Too Valuable
The loggers knew they'd lose money by not cutting up the tree trunk, but they decided that this interesting discovery was too incredible to chop down. So, they decided to set it aside in the hopes that they could find someone they could give it to who could investigate the origin of the dog inside the trunk. Fortunately, the trunk eventually found its way to the right place.

Southern Forest World
A year after the loggers discovered the dog inside the chestnut tree trunk, the Southern Forest World opened in 1981. The museum dedicated itself to the Southeastern United States' industry of forestry, which included wood production in colonial America to modern tree farming techniques. The loggers from the Georgia Kraft Co., knew that this was the right home for the tree trunk.

A Popular Exhibit
Southern Forest World received the tree trunk before it opened its doors. The staff knew it would be a popular exhibit despite the fact that its connection to the forestry industry was only due to the fact that a bunch of loggers had discovered it. But they wanted to learn more about the dog within the trunk, and that's when the truth behind the mysterious chestnut tree was discovered.

Bottom Of The Mystery
Southern Forest World sought out the help of biology experts to study the dog inside the trunk. The dog seemed to be mummified, but no one could figure out how that would have happened naturally without the help of human hands and the methods used back in ancient Egypt. But, biological anthropologist Kristina Killgrove from the University of West Florida discovered that this is exactly what had occurred to the dog.

Preservation
Killgrove analyzes tissue decay and explains how the putrefying process begins when microbes begin to eat the tissue shortly after death. “They grow, they reproduce, and they start taking over the body,” she explained. But a property within the chestnut tree prevented nature from taking its course. Chestnut trees contain tannin, an organic substance that acts as a desiccant and absorbs moisture. It was the lack of moisture that prevented microbes from beginning the decaying process. But what about scavengers living outside the tree?

Masking The Scent
When microbes begin to consume a deceased body, natural predators are lured by the smell and arrive to turn the body into a meal. But the chestnut tree prevented this from happening to the dog. In fact, it blew the air up through the hollow trunk like a chimney, which prevented other animals from smelling it. “Anything that would eat dead flesh would never know he was in the tree,” explained Bertha Sue Dixon, Southern Forest World's director. But one question about this mystery remained.

The Final Chase That Ended His Life
The question remained, how did the dog wind up inside the trunk of this tree? According to Dixon, “He’s a hunting dog, so we assumed that he was chasing something in the tree.” According to experts, the dog, who was 4 years old at the time, was probably chasing a raccoon or a squirrel around 1960. He may have followed his prey into the tree, but got stuck 28 feet in, where it likely died of starvation. But now he's preserved forever, and he's very popular.

Popular Attraction
The mummified dog has been extremely popular in the Southern Forest World. In fact, the attraction can be found prominently displayed in the central rotunda of the building. It's also surrounded by a variety of tree specimens like cypress, oak, and pine trees. He's such a star that his image is on promotional materials and even postcards. But ironically, it would be decades before the dog would get a name.

Meet Stuckie
The hound was called the "Mummified Dog" up until 2002. That's when the museum had a naming contest and some of the runner-up names included "Chipper," and "Dogwood." But the museum picked "Stuckie" as the winner. The person who came up with the dog's name said that the dog's trunk coffin was like "pecan logs," which are sold in Stuckey's convenience stores. Of course, to avoid trademark infringement, the museum had to change the spelling a bit. If you're interested, you can go to the Southern Forest World in Waycross, Georgia and pay Stuckie the Mummified Dog a visit.

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Doctors Suspect Man Died Of Extremely Rare Disease After Eating Squirrel Brains

(CBS Local) — A 61-year-old New York man developed an extremely rare and fatal brain disorder after he ate squirrel brains, according to a new report.

The unnamed victim was taken to a hospital in Rochester, New York in 2015 after his ability to think and was losing touch with reality. He also could no longer walk.

His family described him as an avid hunter who had dined on squirrel brains. However, it was not clear if the man had consumed the entire squirrel brain or just squirrel meat that was contaminated with parts of squirrel brain, according to Dr. Tara Chen, a medical resident at Rochester Regional Health and lead author of the report.

Chen presented the report October 4 at IDWeek, an annual meeting of infectious diseases professionals.

To read more on this story, click here: Doctors Suspect Man Died Of Extremely Rare Disease After Eating Squirrel Brains




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Cat Poisoning Advice: A Visual Guide to Keeping Your Pet Safe

There are a number of everyday household items that can be poisonous to cats, so as they are inquisitive animals it's important to keep them out of their reach. This visual guide lists some common cat poisons, explains what the symptoms of poisoning are and what to do:

Most importantly, if you suspect your cat has ingested poison, take them to a vet immediately.

COMMON CAT POISONS
Spot On dog flea treatments: Never use a dog treatment on a cat. Some dog flea treatments contain concentrated permethrin insecticide, which is highly toxic to cats. Cats can even be poisoned simply through contact with any dogs that have been recently treated with flea spot on products containing concentrated permethrin, so read labels and take care.

Human medicines: Common painkillers such as ibuprofen, aspirin and paracetamol can be deadly – just one paracetamol tablet can be enough to cause severe illness or even death.

Antifreeze: Antifreeze is lethal to cats – ingestion of just a small amount can lead to kidney failure and death.

Household chemicals: Disinfectants (particularly those containing phenol, which usually go cloudy when added to water) and decorating agents like white spirit are toxic to cats. Pest control such as slug pellets, insecticides, weed killers and rodent bait are also very dangerous.

Lilies: A number of plants can be toxic to cats, but lilies in particular can be lethal. Cats have been poisoned by simply brushing against toxic plants and then licking the pollen from their fur, so avoid them altogether. You can see a full list of plants that are dangerous to cats on International Cat Care’s website.

Human foods: Certain human foods including onions, raisins, coffee and chocolate can poison your cat. It’s also worth noting that although it’s not poisonous, a common food intolerance in cats is to lactose in milk.

To read more this story, click here: Cat Poisoning Advice: A Visual Guide to Keeping Your Pet Safe

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What To Do If You See a Pet Left Out in the Cold

It can be a crime to leave pets outside in extreme temperatures without food and shelter

Cold weather can be deadly for pets. As the temperature plummets in many parts of the country, The Humane Society of the United States sees a marked increase in the number of complaints about dogs and cats who have been left outside with no food or shelter.

We encourage you to contact local law enforcement agencies because pets left outside in extreme temperatures, especially without food and shelter, are at risk of hypothermia, frostbite and even death. Their owners are at risk of facing criminal charges.

The act of leaving a pet outside without food or adequate shelter often receives less attention than a violent attack against an animal, but neglect is a crime. "Especially in these cold months, it is important for people to bring their pets inside and for others to report neglected animals to law enforcement,” says Ashley Mauceri, HSUS manager for cruelty response, who fields these calls.

To read more on this story, click here: What To Do If You See a Pet Left Out in the Cold


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What Questions Should I Ask Before Adopting a Shelter Dog?

I am proud to be the owner of a former shelter dog who is a mutt (my PAL Buster might look and act just like a Black Lab, but I assure you, with pleasure, that he is a mutt). I am someone who will always own a dog, and I have decided that I will only own rescue or shelter dogs. Therefore I am a big fan of October, which is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.

Behavioral and lifestyle questions for yourself and shelter staff
The decision to adopt a shelter dog (or any dog) needs to be come from introspection. Shelters have dogs to suit any situation or lifestyle. What sort of dog do you desire? What sort of dog can you handle?

The latter question is the more important one. Human-canine relationships work only when the human is the leader. I do not subscribe to schools of thought that recommend humans be aggressive or domineering with dogs. However, dog owners must be sufficiently competent and confident to lead the relationship gently. This is for the safety of the dog and all of the people who meet the dog.

Unfortunately I have met many people who have misjudged their confidence and competence when adopting dogs. The result invariably is a bad relationship in which the dog does not respect its owner. A shy, fearful, hesitant, or inexperienced owner who adopts a spirited, challenging dog will probably suffer with behavior problems over time. These behavior problems can devolve into a situation that can be fatal for the dog; euthanasia for behavior problems unfortunately is common in this world.

If you are an experienced dog owner who enjoys the robustness of a relationship with a spirited dog, then by all means adopt one. If you are inexperienced or if you lack confidence, then you need to look for an easy going, easy-to-handle dog.

To read more on this story, click here: What Questions Should I Ask Before Adopting a Shelter Dog?


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