A Devastating New Video Has Emerged of a Baby Elephant Without a Trunk

A devastating new video has emerged of a baby elephant without a trunk. There are fears the little one won’t survive after it was seen wandering around with its herd in South Africa. Experts say it is unlikely the elephant was born this way and a predator could have ripped off the trunk.

It could have been torn off by a crocodile as it drank from a watering hole or the baby could have been attacked by a lion. A visitor to the Kruger National Park came across the animal and posted the footage. He is seen saying: ‘A baby elephant without a trunk? Poor thing. This is unreal, I have never seen anything like this. ‘I don’t think it is going to make it.’

A trunk is crucial to an elephant’s survival as it is used for eating, drinking, communicating and sensing danger through smell. The trunk is a fusion of the upper lip and nose and filled with more than 100,000 muscles. It is used to rip food from trees while an elephant will use the trunk to suck up water and then blow it into its mouth. Elephants have one of the best sense of smells in all animals and can detect water 12 miles away. They can also sniff out danger such as approaching predators and storms.

Elephants also communicate through their trunks as they make noises by changing the size and shape of their nostrils. Losing a trunk, therefore, is potentially life-threatening to this animal, especially at such a young age. It is unclear if the animal can be helped by Safari workers who can intervene if they are worried about an animal in their care. It could be removed and placed in a sanctuary away from harm. In 2016, an elephant calf called Mosha was fitted with a prosthetic limb after she stepped on a landmine on the Thai and Myanmar border.



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13 Facts Most People Don't Know About The Coconut Crab, The Biggest Arthropod

Although most people don't think about crabs as bone crushing, kitten-eating, mastadons of the tropics, most people have never met this terrestrial hermit crab. About the size of a small dog, the coconut crab - otherwise known as the robber crab or palm thief - is the biggest arthropod in the world, often weighing up to nine pounds. These nightmare crabs look more like an alien from outer space than a species of Earth, and their look isn't the only crazy thing about them.

There are plenty of creepy coconut crab facts. These guys can use their four-foot long legs to scuttle quickly from place to place; burrow into dark holes in the ground; and even climb soaring coconut trees. Sometimes known to take down a small mammal, the coconut crab is a true marvel of nature and one that continues to frighten and titillate anyone nearby. But while some believe they are harmless beach combers, others have suspected them of much greater crimes. If you love crabs that are scary, look no further than the coconut crab.

Life is good for the coconut crab. Found on tropical islands around the Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific, these terrestrial critters can live anywhere from 30 to 60 years. Their days consists of napping in shady corners, looking for shiny object, and of course, finding coconuts to eat, which is their favorite food. They are the world's largest arthropods, a phylum of joint-legged creatures that also includes spiders, crustaceans, and other insects. Although the Japanese spider crab is technically larger, it lives underwater where it's weight is supported.

To read more on this story, click here: 13 Facts Most People Don't Know About The Coconut Crab, The Biggest Arthropod

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There is a Lizard Sex Satellite Floating in Space, and Russia No Longer Has it Under Control

At this very moment, a Russian satellite full of geckos -- (possibly) having sex -- is floating around in space -- and mission control has lost the ability to control it.

The Foton-M4 research satellite launched on July 19 with five geckos on board. The plan: To observe their mating activities in the zero-gravity conditions of Earth orbit. Several other earthly creatures, including plants and insects, were also placed on board for experiments.

But shortly after the satellite made its first few orbits, it stopped responding to commands from mission control. The equipment on board, however, is still sending scientific data back to earth, a spokesman for Russia's Institute of Biomedical Problems said.

"The biological experiments started as soon as the satellite was launched," Institute press secretary Oleg Voloshin told RIA Novosti on Thursday. "The scientific equipment used for the experiments operates properly. We receive the telemetry data from the spacecraft and analyze it. … The current tasks have so far been fulfilled."

Teams of experts are working to reestablish a connection to the satellite, according to the company that built Foton-M.

"Specialists of the main mission control group are currently working to establish sustainable contact with the satellite and implement the planned program for the flight," the Progress company said on its Web site, according to Interfax.

In the meantime, those lizards are being left more or less alone, to do as nature intended for the rest of the 60 days mission.


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8 Species of Birds Have Possibly Gone Extinct Over Past Few Decades

A new study has found that eight species of birds are likely to have completely disappeared in the past couple of decades.

Researchers recommend that three species currently listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List be reclassified as extinct, while one be treated as extinct in the wild.

Four more bird species are dangerously close to extinction, if not already there, and should be re-classified as critically endangered (possibly extinct), researchers say.

Eight species of birds may have completely disappeared over the past couple of decades, a new study has found. Among these is the Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), a bird that inspired the character of Blu in the 2011 animated film Rio. Found only in Brazil, the bird has not seen in the wild since 2000.

Like the Spix’s macaw, several other bird species are believed to have become extinct in recent years. To pinpoint the ones that may already be gone, researchers from BirdLife International, a global partnership of conservation organizations focusing on bird conservation, looked at 51 species of birds with a “reasonable possibility of being extinct.” These are species that have either not been seen in the wild for more than 10 years despite exhaustive surveys, or species that have been seen within the last 10 years, but whose tiny population has suffered well-documented decline.

To read more on this story, click here: 8 Species of Birds Have Possibly Gone Extinct Over Past Few Decades

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Cat Film Festival Organizer Combs Through Nearly 20,000 Videos to Find the Purr-fect Picks

The Internet is brimming with cat videos, but only the best will make the cut at CatVideoFest Opens a New Window. .

Will Braden is the organizer of the event, and he watches nearly 20,000 cat videos for each year’s installment of the annual kitty-themed film festival.

“We have a submission form on our website, so we get thousands and thousands that way. But as you can imagine, not all of them are solid gold,” he tells the Chicago Tribune Opens a New Window. . “Reddit is another good resource, there are so many subreddits about cats. And beyond that, learning how to type ‘funny cat’ and other search terms in other languages is another good way to find videos.”

To read more on this story, click here: Cat Film Festival Organizer Combs Through Nearly 20,000 Videos to Find the Purr-fect Picks



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ALERT: If You Purchased a Horse in Weld County, a Horse Tested Positive for EIA

WELD COUNTY, Colo. (The CO Dept. of Agriculture) - The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s State Veterinarian’s Office is continuing their investigation into a Weld County horse that tested positive for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) in late August. With the help of records from CDA’s Brands Division and Rocky Mountain Regional Animal Health Laboratory, the State Veterinarian’s Office has determined that approximately 240 horses have been on the quarantined premises during the same time as the index positive animal. Approximately 100 of these horses were sent to 20 other states across the country and steps are being taken to locate, quarantine, and re-test those horses. At this time, no other horses have tested positive for EIA.

“We are working to locate approximately 140 horses that went to different premises across Colorado. We are asking horse owners to contact us if they purchased horses in Weld County between July 18 to August 20, 2018,” said State Veterinarian, Dr. Keith Roehr. “We will work with owners to see if their horses came from the quarantined property. This is an important step in the disease investigation.”

So far, the investigation has resulted in:

The index premises in Weld County is under a quarantine order; two associated premises are also under hold orders. There is no cure or treatment for EIA. Therefore, horse that tested positive in the index case has been euthanized.

Fifteen premises are under hold orders in nine Colorado counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Crowley, Delta, Douglas, El Paso, Mesa, Montrose, and Weld.

Thirty-seven exposed horses have been located in Colorado.

To read more on this story, click here: ALERT: If You Purchased a Horse in Weld County, a Horse Tested Positive for EIA


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Why Do Pet Cats Attack Their Owners?

The danger of pet cats?
Cats are one of the most popular pets in the world and are savagely beloved by millions, although the dangers present from their razor sharp claws and teeth, such as serious infection, are largely not taken seriously. But how much of a threat do they really pose to human health? Have domesticated cats ever killed a person?

In this article...
Can cats cause human fatalities or severe injury?
Overlooked dangers of pet and feral cats
Why might a cat become aggressive?
A list of reported cat attacks and aggression, plus video
Human fatalities

Cats are too small to kill a human by force with the exception of human babies, although there are no reported cat-related deaths involving infants in recent U.S. history. Domesticated cats are also the subjects of various folklore, including the old wives tale that they can suck the breath from an infant, which might lead some people to believe that they are dangerous with small children.

However, cats typically have little incentive to attack a helpless child. They are predators of small animals like mice and birds, and have territorial tendencies directed towards competing animals and predators, therefore babies are relatively safe. The recipients of reported cat attacks have largely been adults, although aggression toward infants has occurred. You won't find statistics about cat bite incidences like you will dogs and exotic pets, because people don't really care.

To read more on this story, click here: Why Do Pet Cats Attack Their Owners?

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Service Dog Patiently Guides Blind Dog Down Steep Stairs

This Cocker Spaniel, named Kimchi, is the only blind dog in the Philippines with his own guide dog!

Kimchi, now estimated to be between 10 and 12 years old, was found abandoned in the streets by CARA Welfare Philippines. He was thin, mangy, weak, with flea-infested matted fur, and already blind. He was later adopted by a family with a Golden Retriever mix called Ginger, who is now almost 13 years old. Since then, a very special bond has developed between the two.

In the clip, captured on August 26 in Quezon City, Ginger can be seen patiently leading Kimchi as they go down the steep stairs, and out of a hotel.

He walked one step once then he stopped to wait for Kimchi. He was so caring and wise dog.

The two dogs are so attached to each other. They walk along the beach, across the street, go to shopping malls...

To read more on this story, click here: Service Dog Patiently Guides Blind Dog Down Steep Stairs


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