There is nothing better than waking up to a warm, sunny morning and hearing the sound of baby birds happily tweeting away in their nests. During the first few weeks of spring, these baby birds will spend the majority of their time safely huddled in their nests until they learn to fly. Unfortunately, however, the time when baby birds are most reliant on their nests often coincides with spring landscaping season for humans. This can spell disaster for a new family of birds if the tree or bush where their nest is hidden is recklessly trimmed or pruned. For WildCare, a California-based animal rescue organization, springtime means an influx of orphaned baby songbirds who have sadly become the victims of irresponsible landscaping. Successfully rescuing and rehabilitating these little birds until they can be released requires an incredible amount of expertise and experience. These newborn birds require a highly specific diet and environment to thrive. To care for the hundreds of birds who end up at the sanctuary, WildCare started making tiny, knit nests to house the newborns.
As you can see in the photo below, most baby birds are no bigger than the size of a paperclip and need the nests to help keep them warm.
Depending on the species, these babies need to be fed every 25-45 minutes.
While they do require a lot of intensive care, these little guys can fledge over the course of one to three weeks and be released back into the wild shortly thereafter.
If you have a knack for knitting, you can help WildCare rescue orphaned songbirds by making one of these precious nests. For the instructions on how to do so, CLICK HERE
And remember, if you’re doing some yard work this spring, be sure to check your trees and shrubs for hidden birds’ nests before you start trimming! If you come across any orphaned or injured fledglings, be sure to contact a professional before trying to move or help the birds in any way. WildCare runs a 24-hour “Living with Wildlife” hotline that can help instruct you on the appropriate steps to take. If you are not located in California, you can also check out one of these hotlines for help. For more information on songbirds, visit the website below: Songbirds A Colorful Chorus
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St. Paul, Minn. - There's an adorable little teacup poodle, name Nala that loves all of the residents at the Lyngblomsten Care Center. "She's an angel," 90-year-old Ruth New says, as Nala climbs up on her bed and nuzzles in beside her. "I love her and she loves me," says New softly. Nala has never had any formal training in either pet therapy, or elevator operations, but manages to make her rounds daily from room-to-room, in the four story nursing home. "There's something about her," says Nala's owner Doug Dawson, a trained medications assistant at Lyngblomsten. He brings Nala to work each morning and puts her on the elevator. He goes his way, and off goes Nala to visit the residents. "She'd rather ride it alone than with people, because she knows where she's going," Dawson smiles. "If she could, she would push the button herself." Nala sets her own agenda, visiting residents who return her kindness by holding her in their laps and gently praising her. "Grandma loves her little girl," Carmen Flaherty tells Nala, as the poodle tucks in with her in bed. "I just love her," she says. "She knows where to come." Ironically, Nala washed out doing therapy work at another nursing home where Dawson used to work. "They said, 'You can have her,'" Dawson says. He blames Nala's previous failure on youth, and too much time spent in a kennel, that left her "whiny and neurotic." Now five-years-old and kennel-free, Nala has more than redeemed herself at Lyngblomsten. "If you put her down she'll pick out the person with Alzheimer's," says Dawson. She has a way of picking the sick." Nala also seems to sense when people are at life's end. Several people mentioned Izez Gugisberg's recent passing and the way Nala remained by her side. "She had died earlier in the morning, but Nala knew and went and sat with her," said Sandy Glomski, a Lyngblomsten staffer. "It was wonderful and we were all in tears." Dawson says he's constantly amazed, by both Nala's compassion and her ability to navigate the nursing home's floors on her own. "Where did this little being come from," he asks rhetorically. "She's here for a purpose. She really is doing God's work."
Auckland, New Zealand - If you've ever stopped by an octopus habitat at an aquarium, you'll often see objects such as jars or balls at the bottom of their tanks, partially to keep the cephalopods from getting bored and attempting a an escape. One octopus has been given a new toy that turns her into the world's first professional octophotographer: a waterproof Sony Cyber-shot DSC TX30. The octopus, named Rambo, has been trained to use the camera to take photos of visitors who stop by to see her at Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium in Auckland, New Zealand. "When we first tried to get her to take a photo, it only took three attempts for her to understand the process. That's faster than a dog," Rambo's trainer, Mark Vette, told Cult of Mac. "Actually, it's faster than a human in some instances." The camera is placed in a special casing in Rambo's tank, with a red plunger over the camera's shutter button. When Rambo wants to take a photo, she makes her way over to the casing, and pushes the plunger with her tentacle. Visitors can line up against a backdrop placed opposite the camera. What makes Rambo a professional photographer is that she -- or at least the aquarium -- gets paid for the photos, at NZ$2 a shot. A rotation of toys is necessary to keep octopuses stimulated -- it's only a matter of time before Rambo grows bored with her camera and seeks something new to play with. Perhaps she'd be interested in an underwater video camera to document her ennui?
The scene was Creve Coeur Lake outside of St. Louis, and the Washington University of rowing team, were out practicing on the lake. As the boat got near the dock, the splashing started, and suddenly a swarm of Asian Carp emerged from the water and went on the attack, some even got into the boat. One member Devin Patel, described the moment of terror: "The fish was flopping on my legs. They were so slippery that I couldn't get a grip on them." He screamed to a teammate, Yoni David, "get them off me!" Fortunately, no one was hurt during the ordeal, but the strong smell of fish lingered afterward.
Studio City, CA - Former "CHiPs" star Erik Estrada is still protecting and serving, except now he's doing it for a pair of adorable dogs. The owner of Wylder's Holistic Pet Center & Rescue, says that Erik's teenage daughter stopped in this week and instantly fell in love with two terrier mixes. She quickly phoned dad, and talked him into paying for the adoptions. Erik loved the pups so much, he actually wanted to adopt three other dogs, but his wife talked him down to just the two dogs, who they named Nike and Shadow. While filling out the paperwork, Erik donated an additional $1,000 to the shelter.
Having photographed for National Geographic for the last 20 years, you learn never to promise someone that they will “make it” into the magazine. After seeing the story about exotic pets in the April issue, some of the folks represented in this post were happy not to be included in our coverage, feeling that the tone of the story would have cast them in an unflattering light. I spent the better part of 2013 photographing this world for the cover story that appears in the April edition of National Geographic magazine about Wild Pets. Exotic pet ownership is a very complicated and often controversial relationship that is often portrayed and understood in a narrow and simplistic way. The animals photographed were far from wild. Captive-bred for many generations, these animals can commonly be found in the homes and backyards of places like Indiana, Ohio, Florida, and Texas. I met committed and caring people who owned monkeys, chimpanzees, lions, tigers, cougar, venomous reptiles, bears, lemurs, kangaroos, bobcats, alligators, hedgehogs, and one with a capybara, a 130-pound rodent found commonly in Brazil. Surprisingly to me, very few of the people I met were advocates for owning an exotic pet, in fact, most said their best advice would be to tell people not to get an exotic pet. This wasn’t based in regret but issued as a cautionary note for potential owners about the extraordinary responsibility and commitment required to care for these animals. Each of these people came to be with these animals in different ways, and their relationships to these animals are just as different. Albert Killian, a gentle man fascinated by snakes, lives side by side with king cobras, Egyptian cobras and other extremely venomous snakes. His bedroom, where he keeps them, looks more like an exhibit in a zoo. He adores and respects an animal that doesn’t really give or receive affection. He has been bitten over 100 times. Conversely, for the last 33 years, Alison Pascoe Freedman was rarely more than an arms-length away from Amelia, her precocious and affectionate capuchin monkey. Amelia was a small animal and a large part of Alison’s life. The two went everywhere together as Alison often carried Amelia around in her pocket. I was really interested in the differences but also the similarities of these relationships. Were all monkey people like Alison? Was there such a thing as monkey person? I certainly knew that all monkeys were not Amelia. Enter Skunk Fest, the labor-of-love brainchild of Deborah Cipriani who lives with and cares for more than 50 skunks at her Ohio home. For the past 12 years it’s been a community event that connects skunk owners with each other and a curious public. To read more on this story, click here:Skunk Lovers Unite: A Look at Pets and Their People
Many photos of dogs go viral online, but one adoption agency hopes professional quality photos will make the pups even more appealing to potential adopters. Instead of snapping photos of dogs in their shelter pens, the Humane Society of Utah’s social-media coordinator Guinnevere Shuster decided to portray the animals in the popular photo booth format. “I was hoping that it would help change people’s options and perceptions of shelter dogs. Showing off the individual personalities of the dogs, instead of the sad ‘behind bars’ images that have become associated with shelter animals,” she told TIME. The agency says using social media has spurred a record-breaking number of adoptions, placing over 10,000 animals in homes in 2014. The group says the doggie photo booth campaign is set to break the record, just four months into 2015. The images are being shared on the Humane Society of Utah’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
The need to train a cat to eliminate in the right area arises in many situations, including when adopting a new cat, bringing an outdoor cat inside and getting a new kitten. Training a cat to eliminate in a litterbox sounds easy, and for many cat owners litterbox training is hassle free. But for those who face the challenge of their cats going in places such as carpeting and bedding, teaching them to use the proper area can seem like a monumental feat. Here are some quick tips for training your feline, from kitten to mature adult, to eliminate in the litterbox. 1. The first thing to do if you cat isn't using the litterbox is visit your veterinarian. There are numerous reasons cats may resist going to the litterbox, which are medically related. Your veterinarian can be a valuable resource in helping ensure that your cat eliminates in the right areas. 2. Keep the litterbox in an area separate from your cat's food and water, since cat's are naturally clean and unlikely to use the bathroom where they eat and drink. Ensure litterboxes are in easily accessible locations, such as rooms the cat freguents. The more out of the way litterboxes are such as in the basement, laundry room or garage, the less likely they will be used. Keep boxes on the ground for easy access, rather than high up and hidden. 3. Try different litterboxes. In general, most cats prefer uncovered boxes. The optimal size for a litterbox is at least as long as the cat from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. Most cats prefer unscented, clumping litter as opposed to highly scented versions. 4. If your cat has an accident, use a pet-safe cleaner with enzyme-eating properties on the area to destroy the scent, which can prompt your cat to eliminate in the same place in the future. If your feline leaves only small amounts of urine, lower in volume than his normal elimination, or if he marks on vertical surfaces, the behavior may be linked to spraying. Spraying is different from inappropriate elimination outside the litterbox, and specific techniques, including reducing stress for the feline, need to be used to end the behavior. 5. Feline pheromones spritzed around your cat's living area can help calm your cat when you are adopting a new cat or during the transition from outdoors to indoors, further e encouraging proper litterbox use. Feliway is a synthetic pheromones that simulates the cheek pheromones in a cat that provide the feline with a sense of well-being and safety. The less stress a cat feels, the less likely he is to express stress through inappropriate elimination.
