Animal-Saving Volunteer Pilot Flies Shelter Dogs to Safety Each Weekend

Pilot Julian Javor doesn’t just fly the friendly skies—he makes the skies friendlier by volunteering to transport dogs from high kill shelters to safety. Whether it’s to a rescue shelter, foster home, or permanent home, the man who works in construction and property management during the week, dons his wings for the weekend to help dogs in need.

Those flying skills and his dedication to helping animals came in handy this past June when Javor received a Facebook plea from Debbie Newton of RSQ209, a Valley Springs, CA-based animal rescue group.

To read more on this story, click here: Animal-Saving Volunteer Pilot Flies Shelter Dogs to Safety Each Weekend

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Feral Cats: The Neighbors You May Never See

It is estimated that the feral cats living on the streets of the United States number in the tens of millions. What are feral cats? They are distinct from stray cats—“domesticated pet cats who have been raised among humans but became lost or were abandoned. These stray cats are accustomed to, and in many senses depend upon, human society; they therefore can and should be returned to their owners or adopted into a new home.

Feral cats, on the other hand, are cats of the domesticated species who have been raised apart from humans or separated too long from human company and have returned to “wild” ways. They cannot be socialized and are not adoptable as pets, although kittens born to feral cats, if taken before about the age of eight to 10 weeks, can be socialized and adopted. Some people attempt to “tame” feral cats in order to make them adoptable, but this has been shown to be virtually impossible, as a feral cat’s nature is to live independently among other cats and to range freely outdoors, avoiding strangers and escaping from confinement. A feral cat may rarely learn to accept human companionship and live inside a house, but it is not the cat’s natural home, and the situation is far more stressful for the cat than living outside in its colony. Further, the amount of resources spent on trying to make a few feral cats adoptable could be better used in other ways, such as spay and neuter services.

To read more on this story, click here: Feral Cats: The Neighbors You May Never See

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Florida Black Bear Cub Poaching Incident is a Reminder of the Need to Coexist with Wildlife

Last month, so many Floridians were shocked when the decaying body of a yearling bear cub, fondly nicknamed Bailey by members of the sprawling community that he sometimes visited, was discovered. This was an unlawful killing on its face, one that violated Florida regulations, but what was even more shocking was the manner in which Bailey had died: he had been killed with bird shot and left to bleed to a slow, agonizing death.

Bailey’s shooter, it turns out, was an experienced hunter who should have known that killing Bailey was illegal. At the very least he should have notified authorities right away after shooting the animal, which he didn’t. Among other things, his act made him a poacher.

To read more on this story, click here: Florida Black Bear Cub Poaching Incident is a Reminder of the Need to Coexist with Wildlife

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Researchers Trained Dogs To Sniff out COVID-19 Infections In Just A Few Days

After just a few days of training, dogs in Germany proved capable of identifying people infected with COVID-19, according to researchers. The dogs, part of a study by a veterinary university in Germany, were able to sniff out the coronavirus with stunning accuracy.

To read more on this story, click here: Researchers Trained Dogs To Sniff out COVID-19 Infections In Just A Few Days

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Rare Blue Lobster Spotted at Red Lobster Before Being Cooked Finds Home At Ohio Zoo

AKRON, Ohio — The newest resident to call the Akron Zoo home is a blue lobster from Red Lobster.

The crustacean was saved from being the catch of the day at an Ohio Red Lobster restaurant when sharp-eyed workers noticed its rare blue color among the live lobster delivery.

The University of Maine Lobster Institute says the likelihood of catching a blue lobster is 1 in 200 million. The bluish color of the shell is the result of a genetic anomaly.

The restaurant reached out to the Akron Zoo on Friday to place a take-out order to donate the rare find.

To read more on this story, click here: Rare Blue Lobster Spotted at Red Lobster Before Being Cooked Finds Home At Ohio Zoo

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Bored And Lonely Zoo Penguins Gifted A Bubble Machine

Newquay Zoo decided to cheer up its penguins with some bubbles.

The lockdown restrictions in Cornwall prevented the penguins from keeping up their usual routine. Staff wanted to keep the birds entertained when someone donated a bubble machine to the zoo.

“Things have had to change a little bit during lockdown,” zookeeper Dan Trevelyan told Cornwall Live. “The animals’ routines has changed a little bit on a daily basis and we’ve had to cut out some of the experiences and things they would receive throughout the day.”

A brief clip shows the penguins captivated by the steady stream of flowing bubbles in their habitat. The reason why the species enjoys chasing the bubbles so much is that it triggers their instincts as predators.

To read more on this story, click here: Bored And Lonely Zoo Penguins Gifted A Bubble Machine

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Little Shih Tzu-Poodle Leads Firefighters In Wild Chase On Washington D.C. Highway

WASHINGTON D.C. - There was a wildly adorable chase down a busy highway in Maryland, but the culprit was no human. It was a little dog.

"Astro," a Shih Tzu-poodle mix who is a year and half old, led firefighters in a game of cat-and-mouse on a closed portion of Interstate 495 in Washington D.C. Officials said the ordeal started when they responded to a multi-vehicle crash on the highway Friday.

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Hubert and Kalisa, Longtime African Lion Partners at the L.A. Zoo, Are Euthanized

After living long lives, the L.A. Zoo’s African lion companions Hubert and Kalisa have died, zoo officials said Thursday.

The lions, both 21 years old, were euthanized after age-related health problems began diminishing their quality of life, the L.A. Zoo said in a news release.

Hubert and Kalisa shared a strong bond that was visible to guests and staff over the past six years of their companionship at the L.A. Zoo, said animal programs director Beth Schaefer.

“These lions were charismatic both together as partners and separately, but they were hardly ever apart from one another,” she said. “Their undivided attention was always on the other as they rested together, cuddled and nuzzled often.”

To read more on this story, click here: Hubert and Kalisa, Longtime African Lion Partners at the L.A. Zoo, Are Euthanized

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