Having spent his entire working life at the Rotterdam’s Diergaarde Blijdorp Zoo, 54-year-old Mario just had one final request as he battled cancer. He wanted to see his friends one last time. With the help of the Ambulance Wish Foundation, Mario’s wish came true. Mario had committed 25 years to care for these majestic creatures, and now entered the zoo for the last time. After entering the giraffe enclosure, it only took a few minutes for the giraffes to recognize the man who had faithfully tended to them for years. To read more on this story, click here:Dying Zoo Keeper Receives Goodbye Kisses from Giraffes He Cared 25-Years For
Seeing siblings meet for the first time is always heartwarming, but this is just flat-out adorable. When this golden retriever meets his biological baby sister for the first time, he immediately starts to play with her and their interaction is all caught on video. There’s a reason this video went massively viral, you’ll watch it over and over again! To read more on this story and see the video, click here:Golden Retriever Meets New Baby Sister And His Precious Reaction Has Been Viewed By Over 9M
Veterinarians told Insider about some common pet-care mistakes many owners make. Giving your cat or dog medication that's meant for humans could be fatal. Letting your dog meet new dogs face-first may not always be appropriate. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Helping your pet live their best life isn't always easy. But there are a few ways you could unknowingly be making their life a bit more difficult or even be missing out key warning signs related to their health. Here are common mistakes pet owners make and how to fix them, according to veterinarians. You should never try to cut matted fur out of a pet's ear. If long-haired dogs and cats aren't regularly groomed the fur on their ears can become thickly matted — but that doesn't mean you should grab your scissors and chop it off. "Matts are difficult to brush or comb out, so sometimes pet owners decide to take matters into their own hands and cut them out with scissors," Christie Long, veterinarian and head of veterinary medicine at Modern Animal, told Insider. "This is a mistake. Because it can be difficult to determine where the matt ends and the ear itself begins, it's easy to cut the ear." The best way to deal with matted fur is to use a soft-bristled brush to gently comb out the matt. If this isn't possible — or you have an uncooperative pet — a trip a professional groomer may be in order. Socializing your new puppy early is vital. To read more on this story, click here:Veterinarians Reveal 10 Of The Most Common Mistakes Pet Owners Make
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A pet tortoise missing since 1982 was found by its owners 30 years later in a cluttered back room. You may have heard that tortoises live a very long time. What you may not know is how resilient, tenacious, and, well, sneaky they are! One such terrapin named Manuela may have just set the world record for a game of "Hide and Seek" The Almeida family of Realengo, Brazil found out just how long a red-footed tortoise can stay 'lost' when it really wants to. In early 2013 the family's father, Leonel, passed away and the family decided that it was time to clean out his cluttered back room. Since the father was known as something of a hoarder the room was filled with things like broken TV's, furniture, and many boxes. One such box was full of old records which one family member, son Leandro, was taking out to a dumpster. As he was about to leave it, one curious neighbor who was watching him asked if he was going to throw away the tortoise that was inside of it. Leandro said, "I put the trash bag on the floor and the neighbor just told me, 'Will (you) throw the turtle as well?' At that moment, I was white and did not believe." It was then that the Almeida family learned, amazingly, that their pet was still alive and kicking. Since termites are quite common in the region and so much furniture was left in the room, the family considered the possibility that the enterprising tortoise was using them as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Tortoises are known as very long-lived, albeit slow moving creatures and this one had a plan: live in the back room until the nice family that called him Manuela found him again. Now some 30 years into the future one tortoise can walk through the same house with a new generation of the family he once loved. Mission accomplished Manuela and welcome home!
When Hurricane Isaac hit, Jill was knocked out of her nest. Luckily for the young squirrel, she was rescued by a nice family, and though she’d only meant to stay until she was a little older and stronger, she ended up staying for life. Jill realized that life with her new family was pretty sweet. Now it’s been seven years since Jill moved in, and she is thriving. On her Instagram page, she treats followers from all over the world to snapshots of her day to day life. There’s a lot of whacky hijinks and an abundance of fabulous outfits. And when it comes down to laying down for a good night’s rest, Jill’s trusty teddy is bound to make an appearance. The tiny teddy is her permanent sleeping partner and she loves to snuggle up to it and clutch it tight to her chest. To read more on this story, click here:Squirrel Saved From Hurricane Has Her Own Mini Teddy Bear And Won’t Let Go Of It
Galapagos giant tortoise has so much sex he retires after saving his species originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A Galapagos giant tortoise estimated to be about 130 years old is returning home after having so much sex that he saved his species. Diego, part of the Chelonoidis hoodensis species that lives on the Galapagos island of Espanola, was one of the tortoises brought to the U.S. between 1928 and 1933 and was later placed into the Charles Darwin Research Station for protection after the species was declared critically endangered in the 1960s, according to the San Diego Zoo. To read more on this story, click here:Galapagos Giant Tortoise Has So Much Sex He Retires After Saving His Species
Australia has been facing an unprecedented national crisis with bushfires devastating rural communities across the country. And as residents of the threatened communities are forced to abandon their homes, many animals are too feeling the effects of the deadly fires, with more than 500 million animals estimated to have perished so far. As zoos and local charities scramble in an attempt to treat the effected wildlife, Bindi Irwin has revealed that the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, which is owned by her family, has opened its doors and has so far treated an estimated 90,000 animals. Bindi Irwin, 21, announced that the hospital is treating effected animals through her official Instagram account. To read more on this story, click here:Irwin Family Opens Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital’s Doors To Treat Over 90,000 Animals During Bushfire Emergency
Fortunately, this distress call turned out to be a false alarm! Police with Florida’s Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office were contacted by a concerned neighbor on Dec. 29, reporting that they heard a woman nearby calling out for help. However, after arriving at the house in question, the authorities found out that the woman in distress was actually just a pet parrot. “Our Deputies in Lake Worth Beach came to the help of someone screaming for help. Hilarity ensued,” the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook, alongside a video of the encounter. To read more on this story, click here:Police Respond to Report of Woman Screaming 'Let Me Out' to Discover It’s a Chatty Pet Parrot
Bei Bei is off to China but you can follow the plane every step of the way by using the link below. To stay updated on his flight, click here:BEI BEI’S PLANE
WASHINGTON — The giant panda Bei Bei was born at the National Zoo in 2015, and he's been captivating minds and capturing hearts ever since. "When he first got here he was so excited to come here. And I'm just going to miss him so much," Caris Counts said. Counts drove two hours on Sunday morning with her mother to catch Bei Bei before he heads on a 16 hour non-stop flight to China Tuesday. To read more on this story, click here: The Goodbye Celebration Continues for Bei Bei the Giant Panda
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Say goodbye to Bei Bei as he heads to Chengdu, China as part of the panda diplomacy program between the US and China.
WASHINGTON — Bei Bei, the District's beloved giant panda, will play in his outdoor habitat for the last time Tuesday before he heads to China. The Smithsonian National Zoo is sending the four-year-old panda to China as part of the panda diplomacy program. This program between the U.S. and China requires all pandas born at the Zoo be sent to China when they turn four. Bei Bei will make his way to Dulles Airport on Tuesday, and will be transported to Chengdu, China on a specially chartered FedEx cargo plane. He'll ride on a direct 16-hour flight with the National Zoo's animal care team, a panda keeper and a veterinarian. To read more on this story, click here:Here's How The National Zoo Will FedEex Bei Bei The Giant Panda
WASHINGTON – No cramped leg space and blah entertainment in coach for Bei Bei, the giant panda at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in DC. He's off to China this week -- and he's traveling in style. As if flying in his own Boeing 777F private plane dubbed the Panda Express is not enough, handlers will be feeding him his favorite treats during the trip. And the zoo is asking for song recommendations for a mixed tape for the long trip -- just change the title of the original from "baby" to "Bei Bei." To read more on this story, click here:Bye Bye, Bei Bei: Beloved Giant Panda Leaving DC for China in Private Jet
Join the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute “Bye Bye, Bei Bei” (BAY-BAY,) a series of online and on-site celebratory events to bid a fond farewell to giant panda Bei Bei before he departs for China from November 11 to November 18, 2019. Fans can pick up a postcard memento at the Zoo and write their own notes to Bei Bei that will travel with him to China. For fans joining the festivities remotely, Panda Cam 1 will show Bei Bei 24/7. Bei Bei will receive special treats and toys twice each day. All three of the Zoo’s giant pandas will receive ice cakes at 9am on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17 in honor of Bei Bei’s farewell. In addition, free hot chocolate will be served on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17. Click here for a detailed schedule of events. To learn more about this event, click here:Farewell Celebration for Giant Panda Bei Bei
Key West, Florida - Great white sharks are moving to Florida for the winter. A research group, OCEARCH, says the annual migration to warmer waters off the Florida and Carolinas coasts is underway. The Palm Beach Post reports that eight white sharks tagged by the Utah-based research group were spotted from New Jersey to Florida in the last week. Three other sharks that had been tagged were detected Wednesday in waters on North Carolina beaches, and two more sharks —Helena and the 2,076-pound Unama’ki —made their presence known with toothy grins just west of Key West in September. Unama’ki had been tagged off Nova Scotia in September. She’s a big girl —some 15-feet, 5-inches. It’s not unusual for great whites to call southern waters home during winter and sightings are common near popular fishing and diving spots in Florida through spring.
