Residents in a Washington, D.C. Community Say Dog Feces and Urine Are Dripping Down onto Their Balconies

Washington, DC -  Residents in a D.C. community say dog feces and urine are dripping down onto their balconies from the neighbor upstairs.

Keita Vanterpool says the disgusting situation is ruining her quality of life.

"I'll smell the stench of the urine and feces. It's unbelievable," said Keita Vanterpool.

"It's limited my capacity to even open my door and enjoy fresh air. I can't have my nieces and nephews over to play because the balcony is always contaminated."

Norma Brooks said her balcony is contaminated too.

"I don't want that! You know that's horrible," she said.

WUSA9's Stephanie Gailhard went two floors up to talk to Vanterpool's neighbor about the droppings.

Paul Travis admitted to Stephanie he washed dog feces and urine off his balcony at least once.

Vanterpool said the problem has been on-going for the last six months. She even took her concerns to city officials.

"I presented the information to authorities and they said we have to be out here when he does it."

She said he pours the animal feces and urine off his balcony around midnight when authorities are off the clock. She said she has pleaded with property management to do something.

"They have this attitude of we will get to it when we get to it and we will do it at the last minute so we are not cited and fined."

Vanterpool is taking Travis to court next month. She hopes he gets the message.

"You need to stop this. It is not right you would not like someone pouring animal excrement onto you and causing you extra stress. It is just not right."

WUSA9 reached out to city officials and property management at Marbury plaza, to ask them about the neighbors concerns. So far no one has called us back.

San Diego Zoo Global Releases New Video of the Largest Cheetah Litter Delivered at the Zoo

Get ready for more cheetah cubs than usual as San Diego Zoo Global releases new video of the largest cheetah litter delivered at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s off-exhibit breeding center.

Addison, an 8-year-old cheetah, gave birth to the six cubs in November. The litter is above average for cheetahs, according to zoo officials, and it was a surprise for Addison’s keepers.

Officials say they spotted three or maybe four cubs in the mother’s womb so after the cubs arrived, they were surprised to count six cubs in the birthing center.

Addison has had successful litters before. Her most recent one was four cubs.

These cubs will stay with her for a year. After that, zoo officials said they may go to other sites to help bolster the population of cheetahs.

Currently, it’s estimated that there are 10,000 cheetahs in the world today. That’s down from 100,000 in 1900, according to San Diego Zoo Global.

A Callous Exotic Pet Keeper Dumped His Chameleon in a Garden Bin on One of the Coldest Nights this Year

A callous exotic pet keeper deserves bad karma for dumping a chameleon on one of the coldest nights of the year.

Throwing the strikingly beautiful reptiles away inside a bag was effectively a death sentence for the cold-blooded creature.

RSPCA inspector Zoe Ballard took the veiled chameleon to a specialist vets for treatment but there was nothing they could do and it had to be put to sleep.

The animal welfare charity is now appealing for information to track down the cruel reptile owner who left the animal in garden rubbish in Hastings at the weekend.

“The poor little chap was clearly very unwell and to be dumped in a bag in this cold weather is completely unreasonable and inhumane,” said Inspector Ballard.

“Like many other reptiles, chameleons cannot regulate their own body temperature so rely on the environment they are in to keep at the correct body temperature.

"They are also very susceptible to infection and they are more at risk when placed into a dank environment.”

The RSPCA is witnessing a rapid rise in the number exotic creatures such as snakes and lizards being neglected and abandoned.

Last year, it received 4,990 calls about reptiles, a 37 per cent increase over the last decade and a result of more flamboyant and fascinating creatures being offered for sale, particularly over the internet.

Sadly, for the animals, naïve owners quickly find out caring for snakes, lizards and other unusual animals is both expensive and requires thorough research and expertise.

“It is a possibility that the owners took on this animal but were unable to provide the care he needs and decided to dump him,” added Inspector Ballard.

“This poor chameleon was dumped outside in freezing temperatures and left for dead.

"This is a terrible thing to do to any animal but it is particularly harmful for a chameleon as they are very sensitive and will suffer when placed in an incorrect environment.

The fact that he could not be saved is evidence of that.”

Anyone with information about this chameleon or how he came to be dumped in the garden is urged to contact the RSPCA Inspectorate Appeal Line in confidence on 0300 123 8018 and leave a message for inspector Ballard.

                      The beautiful reptile was thrown into a garden bin.

      The chameleon was dumped on one of the coldest nights of the year.

               Chameleons cannot regulate their own body temperature.

There was nothing vets could do and the chameleon had to be put to sleep.

Drunk Monkey Chases Men at Brazilian Bar After Drinking Leftover Rum

This is the bizarre moment a drunk monkey picked up a kitchen knife and began terrorizing men in a bar.

The capuchin became aggressive after drinking leftover rum at the venue in Paraiba, Brazil.

It grabbed a foot-long knife and began chasing the male drinkers – but not the women.

The bar owner was forced to call the fire brigade as the monkey rampaged out of control.

Fire chief Lt. Col Saul Laurentino said: “It was a bar staff oversight that ended with the monkey drinking some rum and taking the knife.”

A video posted on YouTube shows the animal scraping the roof tiles with the blade before it dashed off.

Firefighters eventually managed to capture the animal after the incident earlier this month and released it into a nature reserve, it was reported by Ninemsn, which cited a Rede.

But the feisty capuchin had to be caught once again after it began terrorizing nearby residents.

Officials are now trying to decide whether to release it into the wild again or place it in captivity.

A recent study found that capuchin monkeys can have quite a temper and will punish others who get more than their fair share.

Researchers found they will yank on a rope to collapse a table that is holding another's food.

Chimpanzees, meanwhile, will only do so if they feel a crime has been committed by another monkey, such as stealing the food.

A video last year also showed a capuchin lashing out in anger at being filmed.

This is the dramatic moment a drunk monkey picks up a kitchen knife and begins terrorizing men in a bar.

Monkeying around: The capuchin became aggressive after drinking leftover rum at the bar in Paraiba, Brazil.

Locals managed to film the animal scraping the roof tiles with the blade before it dashed off.

Not Everyone is into Chocolates for Valentine's Day: Oddities Shop Sells Dead Puppies for Valentine's Day

Some might prefer, say, a dead puppy preserved in a jar.

Jason Haack, owner of Bonez by Dezign Custom Lamps and More, in Sioux Falls, S.D., said the romance-themed weekend brought several customers into his Sioux Falls oddities shop.

"You've got to have a little bit of a morbid side to you," Haack said, as he sat in the corner of his shop between a shelf of bones and a wall of taxidermied animals.

The business started in the back room of his mother's flower shop and has expanded to the front room with a section of collectibles for sale in one area of the shop.

Haack sells various animal bones, skulls and skeletons. He also has a shelf of wet specimens, meaning animals preserved in jars.

That's where the puppies are kept, in jars that look like in another life they could have held jam.

The puppies come from different breeders. They are all stillborn. None of them lived outside the womb, and none of them were killed for purposes of making collectors items.

"It's never been somebody's baby," Haack's mother Jodie Haack said.

But Haack has seen his fair share of criticism. When he posted a picture on Facebook of the puppies in jars, he received death threats, his mother said.

He saw another wave of criticism on social media after he posted a Valentine's ad for the puppies. Some commenters raised question as to the legality of Haack's operation.

It's all legal, though, Haack said.

"Just because somebody doesn't like it doesn't mean it's wrong or illegal," Haack said.

Customer Ashely Nielson became interested in collecting wet specimens after seeing the TV show "Oddities." She has purchased a puppy, a kitten, a bat and a scorpion from Haack's shop.

She's also heard people call her hobby "weird" or "gross," but she replies, "To each their own."

"I don't think people should judge other people's hobbies and what they like," Nielson said.

Nielson views her collection as a chance to give love and attention to these animals who never had a chance at life.

She said she would love to receive a wet specimen for Valentine's Day.

"That would be better to me than roses or jewelry or anything like that."

Jason Haack is the owner of Bonez By Dezign in Sioux Falls, S.D., Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. Haack buys, sells and trades unidque and odd items.

A puppy is preserved in a jar at Bonez By Dezign in Sioux Falls, S.D., Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. The puppy was stillborn.

Carson Damiata, 14, shows a snake, puppy and calf preserved in a jar at Bonez By Dezign in Sioux Falls, S.D., Monday, Feb. 15, 2016.

A snake is preserved in a jar at Bonez By Dezign in Sioux Falls, S.D., Monday, Feb. 15, 2016.

Carson Damiata, 14, shows various animals bones, skulls and skeletons for sale at Bonez By Dezign in Sioux Falls, S.D., Monday, Feb. 15, 2016.

Bonez By Dezign buys, sells and trades unidque and odd items in Sioux Falls, S.D., Monday, Feb. 15, 2016.

Carson Damiata, 14, shows a skull from 1895 at Bonez By Dezign in Sioux Falls, S.D., Monday, Feb. 15, 2016.

A zebra lamp at Bonez By Dezign in Sioux Falls, S.D., Monday, Feb. 15, 2016.

Sacramento Zoo - Two Endangered Tigers Were Placed Inside of an Enclosure in Mating Attempt: Male Tiger Kills Female

Sacramento Zoo officials said they had high hopes that two rare Sumatran tigers would begin courting this week.

Mohan, a 12-year-old male, already had plenty of visual contact with 15-year-old female tiger Baha since his arrival at the zoo in December.

The idea was to get Mohan and Baha to reproduce as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan. Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered, with fewer than 400 still alive today, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

“Both tigers’ behavior indicated that this was the proper time for physical introductions,” the Sacramento Zoo said in a statement. “Based on knowledge and experience from past successful introductions, staff decided to physically introduce the tigers on Wednesday morning.”

The two tigers were placed inside of an enclosure, and staff watched from outside as what was supposed to be one more step to keeping the species alive ended in tragedy.

Mohan became “aggressive,” according to the zoo, and attacked Baha within a matter of minutes, the Sacramento Bee reported. Staff used a water hose and fire extinguishers to intercede, the Associated Press reported, and secured Mohan elsewhere.

But by the time veterinarians got to Baha and tried to resuscitate her, it was too late: She had already died from the attack, according to the zoo.

“We are truly devastated at the passing of Baha,” the zoo’s animal collection director, Matt McKim, said in a statement. “Not only was she a wonderful ambassador and a truly attentive mother, she was also a one-of-a-kind tiger that inspired many.”

Sacramento Zoo’s director and chief executive officer Kyle Burks told the Bee that although it’s rare, aggression between tigers does happen in captivity.

Mohan has since been removed from public viewing, the paper reported.

Baha had been living at the Sacramento Zoo since 2002 and leaves behind five living offspring, all bred through successful zoo introductions, according to the zoo.

Female Malayan tiger Tiga Tahun, was killed as a result of "aggressive behavior" by her intended mate during a breeding session Saturday morning. Photo: Ken Bohn

                                           Mohan (left) and Baha (right)

Troops Betrayed as Army Dumps Hundreds of Heroic War Dogs

By then, Daniel had been in Afghanistan two months. It was July 2012, his third tour of duty and his first with Oogie, his military working dog. They were leading their platoon on yet another patrol, clearing a no-name village with maybe 15 houses and one mosque, when they began taking fire.

“The first thing that went through my mind,” he says, “was, ‘S- -t. My dog’s gonna get shot.’ ”

It was a perfect L-shaped ambush, bullets coming from the front and the right, the platoon pinned down in a flat, open landscape. Along the road were shallow trenches, no more than 14 inches deep. Daniel grabbed ­Oogie, squeezed him in a hole, then threw himself over his dog.

It went against all his Army training. “They tell us it’s better for a dog to step on a bomb than a US soldier,” he says. The truth is Daniel, like just about every other dog handler in the armed forces, would rather take the hit himself.

Five weeks into their training, Daniel and Oogie were inseparable. They showered together. They went to the bathroom together. When Daniel ran on the treadmill, Oogie was on the one right next to him, running along.

That week, Daniel got Oogie’s paw print tattooed on his chest.

“The few times you safeguard your dog are slim compared to what he does every time you go outside the wire,” Daniel says. “That’s your dog. The dog saves you and saves your team. You’re walking behind this dog in known IED hot spots. In a firefight, the dog doesn’t understand.”

Bullets were coming closer now; the enemy had long ago picked up on how important the dogs were to the Americans, how successful they were at sniffing out bombs. “I know there were three separate incidents where they shot at ­Oogie,” Daniel says. And as he lay on top of his dog, he stroked him and whispered and kept him calm.

To read more on this story, click here: Troops Betrayed as Army Dumps Hundreds of Heroic War Dogs

Researchers Witnessed a Couple of Four-Year-Old Gorillas Working Together Dismantling Poachers’ Traps

Not long after a poacher’s trap killed a young mountain gorilla in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, researchers actually witnessed a couple of four-year-old gorillas working together to take apart other traps in the area. Large gorillas are able to use their strength to do this, but the younger ones aren’t.

“This is absolutely the first time that we’ve seen juveniles doing that . . . I don’t know of any other reports in the world of juveniles destroying snares. We are the largest database and observer of wild gorillas . . . so I would be very surprised if somebody else has seen that.” – Veronica Vecellio from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Karisoke Research Centre in Rwanda

It’s sad to think that thousands of snares are set up in these areas, leaving many animals to be caught and left to die.

As Science Alert Points Out:

While adult gorillas are large and strong enough to extract themselves, young gorillas often are not, and if they don’t die from being stuck in the trap, they run a very real risk of dying from injuries sustained during their escape, such as dislocated bones and gangrenous cuts.

Here is the brief version of how the events unfolded from National Geographic:

On Tuesday tracker John Ndayambaje spotted a trap very close to the Kuryama gorilla clan. He moved in to deactivate the snare, but a silverback named Vubu grunted, cautioning Ndayambaje to stay away, Vecellio said.

Suddenly two juveniles—Rwema, a male; and Dukore, a female; both about four years old—ran toward the trap.

As Ndayambaje and a few tourists watched, Rwema jumped on the bent tree branch and broke it, while Dukore freed the noose.

The pair then spied another snare nearby—one the tracker himself had missed—and raced for it. Joined by a third gorilla, a teenager named Tetero, Rwema and Dukore destroyed that trap as well.

Humans have strayed far from the teachings of our ancestors. We once knew the importance of preserving and respecting all living things on this planet. Now, with the rise of today’s consumerist culture, we focus instead on acquiring material possessions, only to discard them and acquire even more, newer versions of these possessions. Worse still, much of what we purchase today has its roots in child labor and animal cruelty/suffering, and all of this is done for the sake of economic growth and globalization.

As a result, as studies have recently shown, the Earth has entered into a mass extinction phase. Vertebrates are disappearing at a rate 114 times faster than normal. These include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and there are several reasons for this decline. For example, an acre of land is cleared every second to graze animals and grow their food crops, resulting in the loss of over one hundred plant, animal, and insect species. Climate change, pollution, and deforestation seem to be the main culprits.

At the rate we are going, it seems unlikely that humans will be able to survive on this planet as close as one hundred years from now.

This entire experience, however, has served us in a way like no other. More and more people are starting to become aware of what is really happening on this planet and are starting to feel the urge to change. This is a good sign, and something that’s desperately needed at this time. I personally feel that our planet is actually shifting itself in the right direction, but it seems likely that it will be a challenging, if worthwhile, process for us all.