Pet Scoop: Clouded Leopard Cub Born in Nashville, Patriots Star Releases Seal

March 06, 2017 at 08:28PM by
>br> March 6, 2017: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Image: Clouded leopard cub nashville zoo

Adorable Cub Bottle Fed at Zoo

A clouded leopard cub, among the rarest cat species in the world, was born on March 1 at the Nashville Zoo to mom Tula. This special baby boy is the first of his species to be born from an artificial insemination procedure using sperm that had been frozen. The tiny cub is being bottle fed in the nursery. The zoo said her mom has a history of being aggressive toward her cubs, so the decision was made to hand-rear him immediately to ensure his safety. The zoo has given naming rights to the researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, who helped make this history-making birth possible. — Read it at Live Science

Why Are Pandas Black and White?

The scientists who answered why zebras have black and white stripes now have an explanation for the panda’s unique coloring. The study from the University of California-Davis found that most of the panda, including its face, neck, belly and behind, is white to help camouflage it in snow habitats. Its arms and legs are black to help it hide in the shade. The markings on the bear’s head are used to communicate. Dark ears, for example, may help convey a warning to predators. The study was published in the journal Behavioral Ecology. — Read it at Science Daily

Iditarod Route Changed Due to Lack of Snow

Alaska’s big sled dog race, the Iditarod, usually begins just north of Anchorage in Willow. But this year, it’s kicking off nearly 300 miles further north in Fairbanks due to lack of snow. It will avoid much of the Alaska Range and continue due west to the finish line in Nome. The race will start today, giving the mushers more time to travel to the new starting line. This is the second time in three years that officials have had to change the course. — Read it at CNN

Image: Trey Flowers seal release

Patriots Star Releases Namesake

After a pep talk from New England Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers, a rehabilitated seal who was named for the 23-year-old Super Bowl champ was released on a Rhode Island beach last week. “I told her that she was strong and could take over the world if she wants! I’m rooting for her,” Flowers said. He also snapped a selfie with his namesake while she waited in her crate. Trey the seal had been rescued from Rockaway, New York, in December. She was treated for several wounds at the Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Clinic and then spent time recovering there. The aquarium invited Flowers to help with the release and he quickly agreed. — Read it at People Pets

U.K. Cops Reunite Newborn Squirrel With Mom

A Hackney, England, police officer in northeast London was out on patrol when he spotted a newborn, furless squirrel from the sidewalk. “Not what you normally find on burglary patrols,” the Hackney Police said in a Twitter post last week with photos of the officer wearing gloves and rescuing the baby. Police believe the baby’s mom dropped it as she carried it to a new nest, and “safely reunited it with its mother,” the Tweet said. The department didn’t reveal how it tracked the mom down. — See photos at the Huffington Post



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Special-Needs Shelter Kitten Needs a Home

March 03, 2017 at 10:33PM by
>br> A Massachusetts animal shelter is searching far and wide to find the right home for a lovable and adorable special-needs kitten. Ivan, a 10-month-old tuxedo cat, was born without radial bones in his front legs. His left hind leg is also deformed, making it impossible for him to walk normally, so he does an army crawl to get around. This can make it hard for him to make it to the litter box, which is making the search for an adopter extra challenging. He’s been at the MSCPA adoption center in Boston for two weeks, since his previous owner surrendered him. “What Ivan lacks in mobility he more than makes up for in personality,” said adoption manager Alyssa Krieger. The center has had more than 300 email inquiries about Ivan since his story made headlines this week, and the staff is hopeful they’ll find the right fit. — Read it at MassLive




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Pet Scoop: Denver Giraffe Calf Steals the Spotlight, Disabled Kitten Needs a Home

March 03, 2017 at 08:43PM by
>br> March 3, 2017: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Image: Denver Zoo giraffe Dobby

Baby Giraffe Gets Critical Care

As thousands watch a live stream waiting for April the giraffe to give birth at a New York zoo, the Denver Zoo announced this week that its 23-year-old giraffe, Kipele, quietly had a baby of her own on Tuesday morning. When the zoo’s staff noticed Dobby wasn’t nursing initially, they quickly jumped in to feed him and provide critical care. Luckily, he has now started nursing and is doing well with his mom. Dobby was a surprise to the public — and to the zoo. His mom had been on birth control, and even when keepers suspected a pregnancy, they weren’t able to confirm it because she resisted attempts to do an ultrasound. But they’re thrilled to have this unexpected addition to the herd. — Read it at the Denver Post

Study: Elephants Only Sleep 2 Hours a Day

African elephants may be among the shortest-sleeping mammals on earth, new research finds. After observing two female matriarchs for a month, researchers found that the elephants slept an average of just two hours per day and often go for nearly two days with no sleep. “Elephants really don't sleep all that much, and this appears to be related to their large size,” said lead researcher Paul Manger, a professor in the School of Anatomical Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. The research confirmed Manger’s suspicion, based on what was already known about an elephant’s brain structure, that they would be very short sleepers. Some nights, when the elephants were disturbed by something, they didn’t sleep at all. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE. — Read it at Live Science

Rare Jaguar Sighting in Arizona

Wildlife officials are hopeful that the endangered jaguar is reestablishing itself in Arizona. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a photo Thursday from a trail camera that was taken in November and recently retrieved. The cat is seen wandering through the Dos Cabezas Mountains, about 60 miles north of the Arizona-Mexico border. That’s the farthest north of the border that a jaguar has been seen in decades. Two other jaguars have recently been spotted in Arizona. They were both male, but officials couldn’t tell from the photo whether this cat was male or female. — Read it at The Arizona Republic

Image: Ivan special needs kitten

Special-Needs Kitten Needs Home

A Massachusetts animal shelter is searching far and wide to find the right home for a lovable and adorable special-needs kitten. Ivan, a 10-month-old tuxedo cat, was born without radial bones in his front legs. His left hind leg is also deformed, making it impossible for him to walk normally, so he does an army crawl to get around. This can make it hard for him to make it to the litter box, which is making the search for an adopter extra challenging. He’s been at the MSCPA adoption center in Boston for two weeks, since his previous owner surrendered him. “What Ivan lacks in mobility he more than makes up for in personality,” said adoption manager Alyssa Krieger. The center has had more than 300 email inquiries about Ivan since his story made headlines this week, and the staff is hopeful they’ll find the right fit. — Read it at MassLive

New Interior Secretary Arrives on Horseback

It was an unusual scene for Washington. For his first day on the job as Interior Department secretary, Ryan Zinke, arrived for a welcoming reception on an Irish sport horse named Tonto. The Montana native was escorted a few blocks through the city by police, and was greeted by a drummer from his home state’s Northern Cheyenne tribe. In his new job, Zinke will oversee the country’s 500 million acres of public land, including the National Parks. — Watch it at The New York Times



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Dog Who Lost Puppies in Fire Becomes Surrogate to Orphaned Litter

March 02, 2017 at 10:12PM by
>br> Two sad situations have turned into one heartwarming story in Oregon. On Feb. 15, Lorna Murphy was devastated when her Border Collie, Chloe, died suddenly after giving birth to eight puppies. Murphy and her daughter were mourning and spending day and night feeding the puppies every two hours using syringes. But when they were 10 days old, she heard the sad story about a dog named Daisy, who’d lost her own puppies in a barn fire in a location that was about an hour away. Murphy reached out to the owner of the dog, Jessica Woodruff, who said Daisy was “so sad and so heartbroken.” They arranged for Daisy to meet Chloe’s puppies. “Daisy let them nurse right away,” Murphy recalls. “The puppies were so happy to have mama milk, they nursed and nursed and promptly fell asleep on her.” Daisy has taken to the pups, sweetly cleaning each of them as if they were her own. The puppies are now staying with Daisy until they’re old enough to wean. Then, Murphy will keep one to remember her Chloe, and will find homes for the other seven. — Read it at People Pets



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Pet Scoop: Cat Freed From Chimney, Mourning Mama Dog Adopts 8 Orphaned Puppies

March 02, 2017 at 08:22PM by
>br> March 2, 2017: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Image: Crystal the cat

Grateful Cat Pulled From Chimney

Firefighters in Harrisburg, North Carolina, came to the rescue of an orange tabby cat who found herself in a very tight spot on Wednesday. Officials think Crystal was chasing something at her home when she fell and got herself wedged in between the chimney and the decorative siding that surrounds it. Her meows helped lead firefighters to her location within the two-story chimney, and they had her out within an hour. “We used our best judgment on where we thought she could be and pulled the boards off the side of the house and cut a hole in there, and no sooner than we were sticking our hands in, her head was sticking out of that hole,” said the fire department’s public information officer, David Bradshaw. “Immediately she said, ‘Hey, I’m getting out of here.’ She climbed out right into the firefighter’s arms.” — Read it at ABC News

New Dwarf Primate Discovered in Africa

Researchers from the U.K. detected a new species of bush baby — a tiny, bug-eyed mammal — living deep in an African jungle. The team found the 6-inch mammal when it noticed one of the calls they were hearing didn’t sound anything like the 18 known species of bush baby, also known as a galago. The Angolan dwarf galago or Galagoides kumbirensis, is named for the forest where it was found. Unfortunately, the new species may already be endangered due to deforestation in its habitat. The species is described in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology. — Read it at National Geographic

Couple Postpones Wedding for Missing Dog

A Hollywood makeup artist and her fiancé, a Silicon Valley executive, are going all-out to try to find their beloved dog, who ran off from his pet sitter on Feb. 13. Trendee King and James Galley have put their wedding on hold as they search for Theo, a Brussels Griffon. They’ve hired a private investigator, passed out thousands of flyers, offered a $3,500 reward and taken to social media in their efforts to bring Theo home. King is still confident Theo will be found. “Theo is my best friend, we did everything together — grocery shopping, the dog park — we slept nose-to-nose,” King said. “There's something in me that knows he's alive and knows he's OK. All of this is happening for a reason.” — Read it at Fox News

Image: Daisy surrogate mom

Mourning Dog Becomes Surrogate

Two sad situations have turned into one heartwarming story in Oregon. On Feb. 15, Lorna Murphy was devastated when her Border Collie, Chloe, died suddenly after giving birth to eight puppies. Murphy and her daughter were mourning and spending day and night feeding the puppies every two hours using syringes. But when they were 10 days old, she heard the sad story about a dog named Daisy, who’d lost her own puppies in a barn fire in a location that was about an hour away. Murphy reached out to the owner of the dog, Jessica Woodruff, who said Daisy was “so sad and so heartbroken.” They arranged for Daisy to meet Chloe’s puppies. “Daisy let them nurse right away,” Murphy recalls. “The puppies were so happy to have mama milk, they nursed and nursed and promptly fell asleep on her.” Daisy has taken to the pups, sweetly cleaning each of them as if they were her own. The puppies are now staying with Daisy until they’re old enough to wean. Then, Murphy will keep one to remember her Chloe, and will find homes for the other seven. — Read it at People Pets and watch it at Oregon’s NBC 16

Hawk Rescued From SUV’s Grille

A red tail hawk got trapped in the grille of a Honda SUV after it was struck on a Massachusetts highway on Saturday. The driver pulled off at the next exit and stopped at a gas station, where she was shocked to discover that the bird had survived and was stuck in her car grille. Firefighters were able to quickly remove the hawk using a large blanket and gloves, and brought it to a local animal hospital. The bird is expected to recover from the ordeal. — Read it at UPI



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Students Connect With Therapy Dog

March 01, 2017 at 10:29PM by
>br> Victor is one of a growing number of four-legged school staff members. The 7-year-old Labrador Retriever mix, who’s a therapy dog, has been working with school counselor Marcella Holmes at Cumberland Elementary in West Lafayette, Indiana, this year. Any student is welcome to stop by Holmes’ office to cuddle with Victor. “If a child is angry, sad, upset in any way — he’s comforting,” Holmes said. “He’s nonjudgmental. He loves them without any kind of stipulation.” Second grader Owen Beaver said Victor often helps him with his emotions. “He’s helped me with my anger, my frustration,” Beaver said. “Pretty much any feeling, he’s helped me get through it.” — Read it at Indiana’s WLFI



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Pet Scoop: Stowaway Kitten Found on Oil Rig, Thousands Join Giraffe Baby Watch Online

March 01, 2017 at 08:40PM by
>br> March 1, 2017: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Image: Maui the kitten

Kitten Gets Helicoptered Off Rig

A 3-month-old kitten who was found on an oil rig about 30 miles off the coast of New Zealand was spoiled by the crew before being flown back to shore on a helicopter. It’s believed that the kitten, who the team named Maui after the name of the platform, stowed away in a shipping container that was delivered to the rig. The workers gave her milk and sardines — and lots of love. But animals aren’t allowed on the platform, so a helicopter was arranged to pick her up and bring her to a veterinary clinic. As soon as the vet determines she’s ready, Maui has a home waiting with one of the oil rig workers and his wife. — Read it at New Zealand’s Stuff

World Waits for Giraffe Calf on Live Stream

It’s been more than two weeks since the Animal Adventure Park in New York began a live stream of its 15-year-old giraffe, April, in the hopes of airing the impending birth of her calf. But, alas, there’s still no calf. Tens of thousands of viewers have been waiting for the big arrival, and they’re getting impatient. So April, who’s been pregnant for 15 months, had a word with them via a “first-person” essay published by Today.com on Tuesday. “Newsflash: Staring at me and demanding “Where’s that baby already??” is NOT helping,” April wrote. — Read it at Live Science

Cat Rescue Takes in Orphaned Otter Pup

An otter pup who was found alone on the side of a U.K. river after a storm and “calling for her mum” was taken in by an RSPCA cattery. The 6-week-old baby is being fed formula through a syringe five times a day. Rescuers are being careful not to interact with the pup too much, so she can be released back into the wild once she’s ready to live on her own, in about 12 months. They’ve named the baby Daffi after the daffodils starting to bloom in the area where she was found. “Daffi is very sweet,” said Lee Stewart, a manager at the shelter. “It is very cute watching her move her paws while she is eating.” — Watch it at Inside Edition

Image: Victor therapy dog

Students Connect With Therapy Dog

Victor is one of a growing number of 4-legged school staff members. The 7-year-old Labrador Retriever mix, who’s a therapy dog, has been working with school counselor Marcella Holmes at Cumberland Elementary in West Lafayette, Indiana, this year. Any student is welcome to stop by Holmes’ office to cuddle with Victor. “If a child is angry, sad, upset in any way — he’s comforting,” Holmes said. “He’s nonjudgmental. He loves them without any kind of stipulation.” Second grader Owen Beaver said Victor often helps him with his emotions. “He’s helped me with my anger, my frustration,” Beaver said. “Pretty much any feeling, he’s helped me get through it.” — Watch it at Indiana’s WLFI

Bulldogs Descend on Mexico City

In an effort to break a world record, 951 slobbery English Bulldogs paraded through Mexico City over the weekend. On leashes and in wagons, the panting pups turned out in droves. Caring owners cooled their pets with water and held umbrellas over them to protect them from the sun. The event’s organizer said this is the first time there’s been such a big gathering of the breed, and data from the event will be sent to Guinness World Records to go for an official title. — Watch it at Fox 5 Atlanta



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