(Reuters) - The Detroit Tigers avoided a four game sweep with a 7-3 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday.
The Tigers had lost the last seven games in Boston but they ended that run with Max Scherzer pitching into the seventh inning and retiring nine consecutive batters.
Boston pitcher Josh Beckett allowed four runs on 10 hits in seven innings pitched with one walk and just one strikeout.
Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, with a solo home run, and Scott Podsednik put Boston 2-0 ahead at the bottom of the second.
Three runs at the top of the third, though, shifted the momentum to Detroit although another RBI from Saltalamacchia tied the game at three.
An RBI single for Miguel Cabrera in the fifth and a Delmon Young home run in the eighth put Detroit ahead, however.
Prince Fielder produced an a RBI triple in the top of the ninth inning off reliever Rich Hill to make it 6-3 and then a RBI single from Young wrapped up the win.
The Tigers now have three games at home against the New York Yankees this weekend.
(Reporting By Simon Evans,; Editing by Nick Mulvenney)
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Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Vintage Zoo Pamphlets Feature Odd Exhibits & Extinct Animals
Multi-person elephant rides, orangutans eating from fine china, and carnivores on display before becoming extinct are just some of the scenes from an online exhibit of vintage zoo pamphlets being featured by the Smithsonian Institution.
The pamphlets, photos and zoo maps, available from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, come from zoos in more than 30 U.S. states and 40 countries. They show elephants in Australia ferrying schoolchildren on their backs, close-up looks at tigers in Prague, and illustrations from 1891 of a thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, a carnivorous marsupial on display at the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London. The last known thylacine died in captivity in 1936.
The vintage materials reveal how much zoos have changed from amusement-park-like attractions to more educational, conservation-minded institutions. A guide to Great Britain's Clifton Zoological Gardens from 1912, for example, shows prison-like animal enclosures encased in heavy bars. Primates were often posed doing human-like activities. One Minnesota zoo guide from 1928 shows a chimpanzee in a stroller. The New York Zoological Park guide, published in 1905, has photographs of orangutans sitting around a table draped with a white tablecloth, mimicking a family dinner.
'Some of the photographs of animal enclosures, restraint devices and mock theatrics, while unsettling to some, are an important part of the history of human-animal relations,' wrote Alvin Hutchinson, the head of information services at Smithsonian Libraries, in an introduction to the collection.
These days zoos are focused increasingly on conservation and research rather than on anthropomorphized chimps. Smithsonian's National Zoo, for example, recently live-tweeted an attempt to artificially inseminate its giant panda Mei Xiang. There are only about 1,600 pandas left in the wild, and captive-breeding programs are part of an effort to save the species.
In turn, zoo residents give researchers a glimpse at the cognitive capabilities of wild animals. Recently, for example, Santino, a chimpanzee at Furuvik Zoo in Sweden, showed evidence of a sneaky streak. The territorial chimp was already known to throw rocks at zoo visitors as part of his dominance displays. (He always missed.) Now scientists have observed Santino hiding his weapons behind logs and boulders in his enclosure, even maintaining an innocent, nonchalant air in order to get closer to visitors before launching his attack. The chimp's behavior shows a capacity to make complex plans, researchers told LiveScience.
You can follow LiveScience senior writer Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITES.
The pamphlets, photos and zoo maps, available from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, come from zoos in more than 30 U.S. states and 40 countries. They show elephants in Australia ferrying schoolchildren on their backs, close-up looks at tigers in Prague, and illustrations from 1891 of a thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, a carnivorous marsupial on display at the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London. The last known thylacine died in captivity in 1936.
The vintage materials reveal how much zoos have changed from amusement-park-like attractions to more educational, conservation-minded institutions. A guide to Great Britain's Clifton Zoological Gardens from 1912, for example, shows prison-like animal enclosures encased in heavy bars. Primates were often posed doing human-like activities. One Minnesota zoo guide from 1928 shows a chimpanzee in a stroller. The New York Zoological Park guide, published in 1905, has photographs of orangutans sitting around a table draped with a white tablecloth, mimicking a family dinner.
'Some of the photographs of animal enclosures, restraint devices and mock theatrics, while unsettling to some, are an important part of the history of human-animal relations,' wrote Alvin Hutchinson, the head of information services at Smithsonian Libraries, in an introduction to the collection.
These days zoos are focused increasingly on conservation and research rather than on anthropomorphized chimps. Smithsonian's National Zoo, for example, recently live-tweeted an attempt to artificially inseminate its giant panda Mei Xiang. There are only about 1,600 pandas left in the wild, and captive-breeding programs are part of an effort to save the species.
In turn, zoo residents give researchers a glimpse at the cognitive capabilities of wild animals. Recently, for example, Santino, a chimpanzee at Furuvik Zoo in Sweden, showed evidence of a sneaky streak. The territorial chimp was already known to throw rocks at zoo visitors as part of his dominance displays. (He always missed.) Now scientists have observed Santino hiding his weapons behind logs and boulders in his enclosure, even maintaining an innocent, nonchalant air in order to get closer to visitors before launching his attack. The chimp's behavior shows a capacity to make complex plans, researchers told LiveScience.
You can follow LiveScience senior writer Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.
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Livestock house video draws animal cruelty charges
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - Prosecutors have filed animal cruelty charges against the owner and seven employees at a Southern California livestock auction house after undercover video shot by an animal rights group showed workers kicking, hitting and tossing the animals as they were readied for sale.
The grainy video, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press and shot by the Los Angeles-based group Mercy for Animals, shows workers at Ontario Livestock Sales in Ontario, Calif., kicking and stomping on pigs to get them to move through a narrow chute, hitting emus with a baton and slinging baby goats by the neck and hind legs. In one shot, two workers drag a sick sheep that can't walk by its ears and heave it into the back of a van.
Prosecutors have filed a total of 21 misdemeanor counts against the owner, Horacio Santorsola, and seven employees after conducting further investigation with the help of the Inland Valley Humane Society, said Reza Daghbandan, a prosecutor with the San Bernardino County district attorney's office.
The defendants, who are not in custody, have a July 20 court date and face a maximum of a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted, he said.
Santorsola, 73, said the case was exaggerated and he and his employees had done nothing wrong.
He has not been cited once in the 18 years he's owned the business, he said, and grabbing animals by their necks and legs is necessary because they are not tame.
'I think it's a bunch of crap,' Santorsola said. 'How are you going to pick them up? They don't have a leash. They run, believe me, they do run.'
The video was taken earlier this year over a seven-week period by an undercover investigator using a buttonhole camera, said Matt Rice, director of investigations at Mercy for Animals.
Prosecutors relied on the help of veterinarians to determine which actions crossed the line into criminal behavior, Daghbandan said.
'This isn't the same standard of care as a house pet would get ... but we felt comfortable that these instances went too far,' he said.
Animal handling experts who reviewed the footage called the treatment of the animals, which include emus, pigs, goats, sheep and cows, 'brutally improper.'
'If they were to do this to a companion animal like a dog or a cat, everyone would jump up in outrage,' said Holly Cheever, a veterinarian and expert witness in animal cruelty cases who is also vice president of New York State Humane Association.
Cheever said in one shot, a cow appears to be suffering from a prolapsed uterus and is bleeding.
'Even food animals are supposed to be given proper care and protection from abuse and this is very clear cut abuse,' she said. 'The dragging of the downed animals, the tossing of the baby animals onto the floor, leaving them gasping and dying: It's hard to choose any one aspect because it's pretty unpleasant from beginning to end.'
A website for Ontario Livestock Sales says the family-owned business 40 miles east of Los Angeles holds auctions every Tuesday and handles horses, cattle, goats, hogs and exotic animals. The facility, which was founded in 1936, sells 1,000 to 1,300 animals every week, according to its website.
Mercy for Animals has filmed at livestock facilities around the U.S., including footage at a poultry farm that last year led Target and McDonald's to drop their egg supplier after undercover footage showed hens packed into cramped cages, male chicks being tossed into plastic bags to suffocate and workers cutting off the tips of chicks' beaks.
___
Online:
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/auction/
This news article is brought to you by SPECIAL-EDUCATION - where latest news are our top priority.
The grainy video, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press and shot by the Los Angeles-based group Mercy for Animals, shows workers at Ontario Livestock Sales in Ontario, Calif., kicking and stomping on pigs to get them to move through a narrow chute, hitting emus with a baton and slinging baby goats by the neck and hind legs. In one shot, two workers drag a sick sheep that can't walk by its ears and heave it into the back of a van.
Prosecutors have filed a total of 21 misdemeanor counts against the owner, Horacio Santorsola, and seven employees after conducting further investigation with the help of the Inland Valley Humane Society, said Reza Daghbandan, a prosecutor with the San Bernardino County district attorney's office.
The defendants, who are not in custody, have a July 20 court date and face a maximum of a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted, he said.
Santorsola, 73, said the case was exaggerated and he and his employees had done nothing wrong.
He has not been cited once in the 18 years he's owned the business, he said, and grabbing animals by their necks and legs is necessary because they are not tame.
'I think it's a bunch of crap,' Santorsola said. 'How are you going to pick them up? They don't have a leash. They run, believe me, they do run.'
The video was taken earlier this year over a seven-week period by an undercover investigator using a buttonhole camera, said Matt Rice, director of investigations at Mercy for Animals.
Prosecutors relied on the help of veterinarians to determine which actions crossed the line into criminal behavior, Daghbandan said.
'This isn't the same standard of care as a house pet would get ... but we felt comfortable that these instances went too far,' he said.
Animal handling experts who reviewed the footage called the treatment of the animals, which include emus, pigs, goats, sheep and cows, 'brutally improper.'
'If they were to do this to a companion animal like a dog or a cat, everyone would jump up in outrage,' said Holly Cheever, a veterinarian and expert witness in animal cruelty cases who is also vice president of New York State Humane Association.
Cheever said in one shot, a cow appears to be suffering from a prolapsed uterus and is bleeding.
'Even food animals are supposed to be given proper care and protection from abuse and this is very clear cut abuse,' she said. 'The dragging of the downed animals, the tossing of the baby animals onto the floor, leaving them gasping and dying: It's hard to choose any one aspect because it's pretty unpleasant from beginning to end.'
A website for Ontario Livestock Sales says the family-owned business 40 miles east of Los Angeles holds auctions every Tuesday and handles horses, cattle, goats, hogs and exotic animals. The facility, which was founded in 1936, sells 1,000 to 1,300 animals every week, according to its website.
Mercy for Animals has filmed at livestock facilities around the U.S., including footage at a poultry farm that last year led Target and McDonald's to drop their egg supplier after undercover footage showed hens packed into cramped cages, male chicks being tossed into plastic bags to suffocate and workers cutting off the tips of chicks' beaks.
___
Online:
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/auction/
This news article is brought to you by SPECIAL-EDUCATION - where latest news are our top priority.
AP Exclusive: Video draws animal cruelty charges
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - Prosecutors have filed animal cruelty charges against the owner and seven employees at a Southern California livestock auction house after undercover video shot by an animal rights group showed workers kicking, hitting and tossing the animals as they were readied for sale.
The grainy video, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press and shot by the Los Angeles-based group Mercy for Animals, shows workers at Ontario Livestock Sales in Ontario, Calif., kicking and stomping on pigs to get them to move through a narrow chute, hitting emus with a baton and slinging baby goats by the neck and hind legs. In one shot, two workers drag a sick sheep that can't walk by its ears and heave it into the back of a van.
Prosecutors have filed a total of 21 misdemeanor counts against the owner, Horacio Santorsola, and seven employees after conducting further investigation with the help of the Inland Valley Humane Society, said Reza Daghbandan, a prosecutor with the San Bernardino County district attorney's office.
The defendants, who are not in custody, have a July 20 court date and face a maximum of a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted, he said.
Santorsola, 73, said the case was exaggerated and he and his employees had done nothing wrong.
He has not been cited once in the 18 years he's owned the business, he said, and grabbing animals by their necks and legs is necessary because they are not tame.
'I think it's a bunch of crap,' Santorsola said. 'How are you going to pick them up? They don't have a leash. They run, believe me, they do run.'
The video was taken earlier this year over a seven-week period by an undercover investigator using a buttonhole camera, said Matt Rice, director of investigations at Mercy for Animals.
Prosecutors relied on the help of veterinarians to determine which actions crossed the line into criminal behavior, Daghbandan said.
'This isn't the same standard of care as a house pet would get ... but we felt comfortable that these instances went too far,' he said.
Animal handling experts who reviewed the footage called the treatment of the animals, which include emus, pigs, goats, sheep and cows, 'brutally improper.'
'If they were to do this to a companion animal like a dog or a cat, everyone would jump up in outrage,' said Holly Cheever, a veterinarian and expert witness in animal cruelty cases who is also vice president of New York State Humane Association.
Cheever said in one shot, a cow appears to be suffering from a prolapsed uterus and is bleeding.
'Even food animals are supposed to be given proper care and protection from abuse and this is very clear cut abuse,' she said. 'The dragging of the downed animals, the tossing of the baby animals onto the floor, leaving them gasping and dying: It's hard to choose any one aspect because it's pretty unpleasant from beginning to end.'
A website for Ontario Livestock Sales says the family-owned business 40 miles east of Los Angeles holds auctions every Tuesday and handles horses, cattle, goats, hogs and exotic animals. The facility, which was founded in 1936, sells 1,000 to 1,300 animals every week, according to its website.
Mercy for Animals has filmed at livestock facilities around the U.S., including footage at a poultry farm that last year led Target and McDonald's to drop their egg supplier after undercover footage showed hens packed into cramped cages, male chicks being tossed into plastic bags to suffocate and workers cutting off the tips of chicks' beaks.
___
Online:
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/auction/
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY MUSIC NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
The grainy video, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press and shot by the Los Angeles-based group Mercy for Animals, shows workers at Ontario Livestock Sales in Ontario, Calif., kicking and stomping on pigs to get them to move through a narrow chute, hitting emus with a baton and slinging baby goats by the neck and hind legs. In one shot, two workers drag a sick sheep that can't walk by its ears and heave it into the back of a van.
Prosecutors have filed a total of 21 misdemeanor counts against the owner, Horacio Santorsola, and seven employees after conducting further investigation with the help of the Inland Valley Humane Society, said Reza Daghbandan, a prosecutor with the San Bernardino County district attorney's office.
The defendants, who are not in custody, have a July 20 court date and face a maximum of a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted, he said.
Santorsola, 73, said the case was exaggerated and he and his employees had done nothing wrong.
He has not been cited once in the 18 years he's owned the business, he said, and grabbing animals by their necks and legs is necessary because they are not tame.
'I think it's a bunch of crap,' Santorsola said. 'How are you going to pick them up? They don't have a leash. They run, believe me, they do run.'
The video was taken earlier this year over a seven-week period by an undercover investigator using a buttonhole camera, said Matt Rice, director of investigations at Mercy for Animals.
Prosecutors relied on the help of veterinarians to determine which actions crossed the line into criminal behavior, Daghbandan said.
'This isn't the same standard of care as a house pet would get ... but we felt comfortable that these instances went too far,' he said.
Animal handling experts who reviewed the footage called the treatment of the animals, which include emus, pigs, goats, sheep and cows, 'brutally improper.'
'If they were to do this to a companion animal like a dog or a cat, everyone would jump up in outrage,' said Holly Cheever, a veterinarian and expert witness in animal cruelty cases who is also vice president of New York State Humane Association.
Cheever said in one shot, a cow appears to be suffering from a prolapsed uterus and is bleeding.
'Even food animals are supposed to be given proper care and protection from abuse and this is very clear cut abuse,' she said. 'The dragging of the downed animals, the tossing of the baby animals onto the floor, leaving them gasping and dying: It's hard to choose any one aspect because it's pretty unpleasant from beginning to end.'
A website for Ontario Livestock Sales says the family-owned business 40 miles east of Los Angeles holds auctions every Tuesday and handles horses, cattle, goats, hogs and exotic animals. The facility, which was founded in 1936, sells 1,000 to 1,300 animals every week, according to its website.
Mercy for Animals has filmed at livestock facilities around the U.S., including footage at a poultry farm that last year led Target and McDonald's to drop their egg supplier after undercover footage showed hens packed into cramped cages, male chicks being tossed into plastic bags to suffocate and workers cutting off the tips of chicks' beaks.
___
Online:
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/auction/
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY MUSIC NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Devastating disease found in endangered Tennessee bats
(Reuters) - A disease that has killed millions of hibernating bats in the United States has been detected for the first time in endangered gray bats in Tennessee, a finding that government scientists on Tuesday described as 'devastating.'
White-nose syndrome, a disease named for the fungal residue left on the muzzles of infected bats, does not appear to have killed any gray bats so far. But federal biologists said the latest emergence of the disease constitutes a grave threat to the cave-dwelling winged mammals added to the U.S. endangered species list in 1976.
The gray bat is now the second federally protected species, and the seventh species in all, documented with the fungus in 19 states east of the Rocky Mountains. White-nose syndrome, first discovered in New York state in 2006, has killed an estimated 5.5 million bats that hibernate in caves and mines.
'The news that another federally endangered bat species, the gray bat, has been confirmed with white-nose syndrome is devastating for anyone who cares about bats and the benefits they provide to people,' U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe said in a statement.
Insect-devouring bats save agricultural industries billions of dollars each year in pest-control costs, one reason the sharp drop in bat populations across the Northeast and in mid-Atlantic states is alarming scientists
The disease causes bats to fly outdoors in daylight in winter months, when they should be hibernating and when no insect prey is available.
Gray bats are found in only a few limestone caves in the southeastern United States, where their droppings, called guano, are a critical source of nutrition for other cave-dwelling creatures, said Paul McKenzie, an endangered species coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Scientists on Tuesday confirmed the presence of white-nose syndrome in gray bats in two counties in northern Tennessee.
The killer fungus is mostly transmitted from bat to bat, but scientists say it also can be carried by spores that attach to clothes, boots and equipment of humans who explore caves inhabited, or formerly inhabited, by sickened bats.
Government land managers have closed caves and abandoned mines to the public in many states but have been unable to check the spread of the disease.
Environmentalists have pressed the U.S. government to close caves on public lands across the West, where the disease has not yet been detected. Such closures are strongly opposed by caving enthusiasts.
The Center for Biological Diversity on May 16 filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service demanding the agency more fully disclose its plans to protect bats in the Northern Rockies.
That came the same day officials overseeing national forests in Montana and northern Idaho and some grasslands in the Dakotas said they were seeking closures of caves and mines except by permit.
Under the plan, permit holders could explore caves if they agreed to decontamination and other measures designed to protect bats.
(Editing by Steve Gorman and Eric Beech)
This news article is brought to you by RADIO - where latest news are our top priority.
White-nose syndrome, a disease named for the fungal residue left on the muzzles of infected bats, does not appear to have killed any gray bats so far. But federal biologists said the latest emergence of the disease constitutes a grave threat to the cave-dwelling winged mammals added to the U.S. endangered species list in 1976.
The gray bat is now the second federally protected species, and the seventh species in all, documented with the fungus in 19 states east of the Rocky Mountains. White-nose syndrome, first discovered in New York state in 2006, has killed an estimated 5.5 million bats that hibernate in caves and mines.
'The news that another federally endangered bat species, the gray bat, has been confirmed with white-nose syndrome is devastating for anyone who cares about bats and the benefits they provide to people,' U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe said in a statement.
Insect-devouring bats save agricultural industries billions of dollars each year in pest-control costs, one reason the sharp drop in bat populations across the Northeast and in mid-Atlantic states is alarming scientists
The disease causes bats to fly outdoors in daylight in winter months, when they should be hibernating and when no insect prey is available.
Gray bats are found in only a few limestone caves in the southeastern United States, where their droppings, called guano, are a critical source of nutrition for other cave-dwelling creatures, said Paul McKenzie, an endangered species coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Scientists on Tuesday confirmed the presence of white-nose syndrome in gray bats in two counties in northern Tennessee.
The killer fungus is mostly transmitted from bat to bat, but scientists say it also can be carried by spores that attach to clothes, boots and equipment of humans who explore caves inhabited, or formerly inhabited, by sickened bats.
Government land managers have closed caves and abandoned mines to the public in many states but have been unable to check the spread of the disease.
Environmentalists have pressed the U.S. government to close caves on public lands across the West, where the disease has not yet been detected. Such closures are strongly opposed by caving enthusiasts.
The Center for Biological Diversity on May 16 filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service demanding the agency more fully disclose its plans to protect bats in the Northern Rockies.
That came the same day officials overseeing national forests in Montana and northern Idaho and some grasslands in the Dakotas said they were seeking closures of caves and mines except by permit.
Under the plan, permit holders could explore caves if they agreed to decontamination and other measures designed to protect bats.
(Editing by Steve Gorman and Eric Beech)
This news article is brought to you by RADIO - where latest news are our top priority.
TV cameras trained on dogs during summer 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Summer television used to mean reruns. This year it's gone to the dogs.
Several new shows star dogs and their owners in need of help. CBS has the lone network show in 'Dogs in the City,' starring comic, dog trainer and businessman Justin Silver. It's joined by documentaries on PBS and HBO and a series in the works for the Disney Channel, among others.
Each Wednesday at 8 p.m., beginning May 30, Silver will try to help hound and human tackle unsettling problems like joint custody after divorce or dealing with significant others who just moved in.
Is man or mutt usually to blame for problems? It's 50-50, he said, but 'a dog's behavior is shaped by the people in its life.'
Silver says he won't be the one solving problems, even though he jokes that he speaks dog. Instead he will provide techniques and experiences so owners can fix their own problems.
'It's that old adage: Give a man a fish and you'll fill his belly. Teach him how to fish and he'll never starve. I am teaching you how to fish. But no one learns how to fish perfectly in one hour. It takes constant practice.'
If intervention is needed, he will call on his own pit bulls, Chiquita and Pacino. 'I use my dogs as much as possible because the thing that influences dogs most is other balanced dogs,' he said.
'Dogs in the City' seems to have a lot in common with 'The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan' on the National Geographic Channel and 'It's Me or the Dog' with Victoria Stilwell on Animal Planet. 'Bad Dog!' is another Animal Planet show, although it uses videotape to capture misbehavior in a test of sorts to see how far an owner's love will stretch.
Documentaries airing in May and June explore the rewards and redemption of shelter dogs. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says between 5 million and 7 million companion animals enter shelters every year and between 3 million and 4 million of them are euthanized.
'Shelter Me,' a PBS documentary, is narrated by actress Katherine Heigl and is sponsored by the pet food company co-owned by Ellen DeGeneres.
It follows an animal control officer, adoption workers, female inmates who train rescue dogs, and vets who acquire former shelter dogs.
''Shelter Me' is about the lives that are changed when shelter pets are given a second chance,' Heigl said.
Andrew J. Trotto, an Army veteran from Mission Viejo, was teamed up with Teka, a black Lab rescued from a Wyoming shelter by Freedom Service Dogs in Englewood, Colo.
'If it wasn't for her, I'd be dead right now,' Trotto says in the film.
'I was an evil person. I hated you or wanted to kill you,' he said, describing the PTSD demons that haunted him. 'People say suicide is selfish. But when you are in the zone, you're not thinking about that. The terror in your head drives you insane. She (Teka) will wake me up out of my night terrors.'
'Shelter Me' will air across the country in late May and June.
HBO will premiere a documentary called 'One Nation Under Dog: Stories of Fear, Loss & Betrayal' on June 18 at 9 p.m.
The film looks at America's obsession with dogs, how far individuals will go for their pets and what it will take for people across the country to treat all dogs humanely.
The 73-minute documentary looks at the odds stacked against shelter dogs, spay and neuter education, puppy mills, dog bite victims and how some owners respond when their dog attacks.
The Disney Channel also has a new dog show in the works for the fall and while it does involve a rescue dog, that's where reality ends.
The live-action, multi-camera series called 'Dog With A Blog' and revolves around a dog named Stan (who is really a 4-year-old named Kuma).
In real life, Kuma is a husky, golden retriever and border collie mix who was rescued from a shelter. In the show, he is adopted to tame a pair of feuding stepbrothers. Turns out Stan can read, write and blog.
___
CBS is a division of CBS Corp.; HBO is owned by Time Warner Inc.; Disney Channel is a unit of The Walt Disney Co.; Animal Planet is owned by Discovery Communications Inc.
This article is brought to you by PERSONALS.
Several new shows star dogs and their owners in need of help. CBS has the lone network show in 'Dogs in the City,' starring comic, dog trainer and businessman Justin Silver. It's joined by documentaries on PBS and HBO and a series in the works for the Disney Channel, among others.
Each Wednesday at 8 p.m., beginning May 30, Silver will try to help hound and human tackle unsettling problems like joint custody after divorce or dealing with significant others who just moved in.
Is man or mutt usually to blame for problems? It's 50-50, he said, but 'a dog's behavior is shaped by the people in its life.'
Silver says he won't be the one solving problems, even though he jokes that he speaks dog. Instead he will provide techniques and experiences so owners can fix their own problems.
'It's that old adage: Give a man a fish and you'll fill his belly. Teach him how to fish and he'll never starve. I am teaching you how to fish. But no one learns how to fish perfectly in one hour. It takes constant practice.'
If intervention is needed, he will call on his own pit bulls, Chiquita and Pacino. 'I use my dogs as much as possible because the thing that influences dogs most is other balanced dogs,' he said.
'Dogs in the City' seems to have a lot in common with 'The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan' on the National Geographic Channel and 'It's Me or the Dog' with Victoria Stilwell on Animal Planet. 'Bad Dog!' is another Animal Planet show, although it uses videotape to capture misbehavior in a test of sorts to see how far an owner's love will stretch.
Documentaries airing in May and June explore the rewards and redemption of shelter dogs. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says between 5 million and 7 million companion animals enter shelters every year and between 3 million and 4 million of them are euthanized.
'Shelter Me,' a PBS documentary, is narrated by actress Katherine Heigl and is sponsored by the pet food company co-owned by Ellen DeGeneres.
It follows an animal control officer, adoption workers, female inmates who train rescue dogs, and vets who acquire former shelter dogs.
''Shelter Me' is about the lives that are changed when shelter pets are given a second chance,' Heigl said.
Andrew J. Trotto, an Army veteran from Mission Viejo, was teamed up with Teka, a black Lab rescued from a Wyoming shelter by Freedom Service Dogs in Englewood, Colo.
'If it wasn't for her, I'd be dead right now,' Trotto says in the film.
'I was an evil person. I hated you or wanted to kill you,' he said, describing the PTSD demons that haunted him. 'People say suicide is selfish. But when you are in the zone, you're not thinking about that. The terror in your head drives you insane. She (Teka) will wake me up out of my night terrors.'
'Shelter Me' will air across the country in late May and June.
HBO will premiere a documentary called 'One Nation Under Dog: Stories of Fear, Loss & Betrayal' on June 18 at 9 p.m.
The film looks at America's obsession with dogs, how far individuals will go for their pets and what it will take for people across the country to treat all dogs humanely.
The 73-minute documentary looks at the odds stacked against shelter dogs, spay and neuter education, puppy mills, dog bite victims and how some owners respond when their dog attacks.
The Disney Channel also has a new dog show in the works for the fall and while it does involve a rescue dog, that's where reality ends.
The live-action, multi-camera series called 'Dog With A Blog' and revolves around a dog named Stan (who is really a 4-year-old named Kuma).
In real life, Kuma is a husky, golden retriever and border collie mix who was rescued from a shelter. In the show, he is adopted to tame a pair of feuding stepbrothers. Turns out Stan can read, write and blog.
___
CBS is a division of CBS Corp.; HBO is owned by Time Warner Inc.; Disney Channel is a unit of The Walt Disney Co.; Animal Planet is owned by Discovery Communications Inc.
This article is brought to you by PERSONALS.
Friday, May 25, 2012
India Declares Open Season on Tiger Poachers
The world's 'most dangerous game' is on. A state in western India has given its forest rangers permission to shoot poachers on sight in an effort to curb poaching of tigers and other endangered wildlife.
Forest guards in the state of Maharashtra should not be 'booked for human rights violations when they have taken action against poachers,' Maharashtra Forest Minister Patangrao Kadam said Tuesday, the Associated Press reports. The state even plans to send more rangers and trucks into the forest, and will offer secret payments to informers who give tips about poachers and animal smugglers, Kadam said.
Although no tiger poachers have ever been shot in Maharashtra before, conservationists believe the threat could significantly deter wildlife criminals. A similar measure permitting guards to shoot poachers in Assam, a state in northeastern India, has facilitated the recovery of the local population of endangered one-horned rhinos.
India's wildlife reserves are home to half of the world's estimated 3,200 tigers, and though tiger hunting is banned there, illegal poaching remains a serious issue thanks to demand for tiger parts driven by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Fourteen tigers have been killed by poachers in India so far this year - one more than in all of 2011 - and eight of the poaching deaths occurred in Maharashtra.
'These poachers have lost all fear. They just go in and poach what they want because they know the risks are low,' said Divyabhanusinh Chavda, who heads the World Wildlife Fund in India. In many of the country's reserves, guards are armed with little more than sticks.
Permission to kill poachers with impunity as well as the state's offer to pay informers could change the game.
This news article is brought to you by ECONOMY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Forest guards in the state of Maharashtra should not be 'booked for human rights violations when they have taken action against poachers,' Maharashtra Forest Minister Patangrao Kadam said Tuesday, the Associated Press reports. The state even plans to send more rangers and trucks into the forest, and will offer secret payments to informers who give tips about poachers and animal smugglers, Kadam said.
Although no tiger poachers have ever been shot in Maharashtra before, conservationists believe the threat could significantly deter wildlife criminals. A similar measure permitting guards to shoot poachers in Assam, a state in northeastern India, has facilitated the recovery of the local population of endangered one-horned rhinos.
India's wildlife reserves are home to half of the world's estimated 3,200 tigers, and though tiger hunting is banned there, illegal poaching remains a serious issue thanks to demand for tiger parts driven by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Fourteen tigers have been killed by poachers in India so far this year - one more than in all of 2011 - and eight of the poaching deaths occurred in Maharashtra.
'These poachers have lost all fear. They just go in and poach what they want because they know the risks are low,' said Divyabhanusinh Chavda, who heads the World Wildlife Fund in India. In many of the country's reserves, guards are armed with little more than sticks.
Permission to kill poachers with impunity as well as the state's offer to pay informers could change the game.
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This news article is brought to you by ECONOMY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
'Sleeping Dogs' trailer offers 101 in triad infiltration
Cars, money, fashion and kung-fu about in the latest trailer for Sleeping Dogs, Square Enix's August release for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC.
Set in Hong Kong with its mix of eastern and western traditions, Sleeping Dogs follows undercover cop Wei Shen, who is sent to join the Triads as part of a police effort to take them down.
As a fighter, Shen is proficient in martial arts, but won't shy away from using the objects around him to great effect, be they spades, blades, or fire extinguishers -- the sort of thing one might find in Splinter Cell: Conviction or the Yakuza series.
Added to that he's got a nifty slow motion trick, recognizable to those familiar with John Woo's films or the Max Payne trilogy.
Fresh threads can confer special benefits to Shen as he makes his way around town, and the trailer shows homages to Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, and Bruce Lee among other things.
Clubs, bars, gambling dens and cock fights await as he blends in with his fellow gangsters -- again, the sort of amusements seen in the Yakuza series, whose fifth entry isn't expected outside of Japan until 2013 -- while Sleeping Dogs adds street racing to the mix.
'Sleeping Dogs 101' trailer: youtu.be/vYG8moUy_rM
Official website: sleepingdogs.net
This article is brought to you by MATCH.
Set in Hong Kong with its mix of eastern and western traditions, Sleeping Dogs follows undercover cop Wei Shen, who is sent to join the Triads as part of a police effort to take them down.
As a fighter, Shen is proficient in martial arts, but won't shy away from using the objects around him to great effect, be they spades, blades, or fire extinguishers -- the sort of thing one might find in Splinter Cell: Conviction or the Yakuza series.
Added to that he's got a nifty slow motion trick, recognizable to those familiar with John Woo's films or the Max Payne trilogy.
Fresh threads can confer special benefits to Shen as he makes his way around town, and the trailer shows homages to Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, and Bruce Lee among other things.
Clubs, bars, gambling dens and cock fights await as he blends in with his fellow gangsters -- again, the sort of amusements seen in the Yakuza series, whose fifth entry isn't expected outside of Japan until 2013 -- while Sleeping Dogs adds street racing to the mix.
'Sleeping Dogs 101' trailer: youtu.be/vYG8moUy_rM
Official website: sleepingdogs.net
This article is brought to you by MATCH.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
A Brief History of Popular Culture's Bad Idea Pets
A story going this week about hundreds of Harry Potter fans abandoning the pet owls they foolishly adopted provides us with opportunity to revisit an important lesson: Stop adopting animals because they looked cute in a movie! Just don't do it. Owls, as it turns out, are just the latest animals to be victim to over-eager fans of a pop culture craze. We've assembled a brief history of the pet-flings that went wrong over the years, leading to mass pet abandonment. It's a tragic history, comic only for its revelations into the astounding ignorance mankind exhibits for obvious signs that certain animals wouldn't make a good pet. Raccoons? Really? What were you thinking, Japan?
RELATED: Last Harry Potter Has Already Raised More Money Than Obama
Owls
RELATED: 'Tis the Season of the Titanic Trend Story
Why we wanted them: Harry Potter and his trusty owl, Hedwig! Sure if you had a wand and magical powers, you could almost certainly devise a more efficient system for mail delivery than a nocturnal bird that poops pellets of rodent bones. But this is fiction, and it seemed romantic, and wouldn't it be so fun to have your very own?
RELATED: An Even Better Invisibility Cloak; Crime Is Genetic
Why we no longer want them: As it turns out -- who saw this coming? -- owls are quite high maintenance. "They are quite costly to look after. Ideally you need a 20ft aviary, and that costs about £900," Pam Toothill, of the Owlcentre in Corwen, North Wales, tells the Daily Mirror. Also they can live for decades! The article tells of owls kept in bedorooms and cages, and eventually released into the wild.
RELATED: The 10 Most Ridiculous-Sounding Gourmet Pet Foods
What to get instead: Canaries are often recommended as good beginner birds. They're colorful! They sing! They don't get chest infections in the absence of a 20-foot-high aviary! And they die sometime before you do.
RELATED: Scenes from 'Harry Potter's Record-Shattering Opening Weekend
Racoons
RELATED: Last Harry Potter Has Already Raised More Money Than Obama
Owls
RELATED: 'Tis the Season of the Titanic Trend Story
Why we wanted them: Harry Potter and his trusty owl, Hedwig! Sure if you had a wand and magical powers, you could almost certainly devise a more efficient system for mail delivery than a nocturnal bird that poops pellets of rodent bones. But this is fiction, and it seemed romantic, and wouldn't it be so fun to have your very own?
RELATED: An Even Better Invisibility Cloak; Crime Is Genetic
Why we no longer want them: As it turns out -- who saw this coming? -- owls are quite high maintenance. "They are quite costly to look after. Ideally you need a 20ft aviary, and that costs about £900," Pam Toothill, of the Owlcentre in Corwen, North Wales, tells the Daily Mirror. Also they can live for decades! The article tells of owls kept in bedorooms and cages, and eventually released into the wild.
RELATED: The 10 Most Ridiculous-Sounding Gourmet Pet Foods
What to get instead: Canaries are often recommended as good beginner birds. They're colorful! They sing! They don't get chest infections in the absence of a 20-foot-high aviary! And they die sometime before you do.
RELATED: Scenes from 'Harry Potter's Record-Shattering Opening Weekend
Racoons
Why we wanted them: A Japanese anime cartooncalled Rascal the Raccoon, which aired in 1977, about an American boy befriending a raccoon is apparently responsible for the entire raccoon population of Japan. And who could blame the Japanese? The American boy looked happy with his American pet. Import away!
Why we no longer want them: Do you have to ask? They're raccoons! The Japan Times reported in 2004: "Owners, fed up with trying to tame the wild species to be cute little critters like the one in the cartoon, dumped them in the wild -- where, lacking a natural predator -- they have proliferated and are now perceived as pests, occasionally damaging crops and bothering people." Some, though, protested a Japanese law that allowed local governments to hunt and kill them. "Some people feel certain animals are cute, and because of this, argue that they should be spared," Kunio Iwatsuki, a professor at University of the Air, told the paper. Will we never learn?
What to get instead: A cat. Or a ferret. Really anything else.
Why we no longer want them: Do you have to ask? They're raccoons! The Japan Times reported in 2004: "Owners, fed up with trying to tame the wild species to be cute little critters like the one in the cartoon, dumped them in the wild -- where, lacking a natural predator -- they have proliferated and are now perceived as pests, occasionally damaging crops and bothering people." Some, though, protested a Japanese law that allowed local governments to hunt and kill them. "Some people feel certain animals are cute, and because of this, argue that they should be spared," Kunio Iwatsuki, a professor at University of the Air, told the paper. Will we never learn?
What to get instead: A cat. Or a ferret. Really anything else.
Turtles
This news article is brought to you by EVERYTHING ABOUT COFFEE - where latest news are our top priority.
This news article is brought to you by EVERYTHING ABOUT COFFEE - where latest news are our top priority.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Scientists find new sensory organ in whales
Biologists on Wednesday reported they had discovered a new sensory organ on blue, humpback, minke and fin whales that helps explain why these mammals are so huge.
In a study appearing in the journal Nature, researchers in the United States and Canada said the organ is located at the tip of the whale's chin, in a niche of fibrous tissue that connects the lower jaw bones.
Comprising a node of nerves, the organ orchestrates dramatic changes in jaw position that are essential for 'lunge' feeding by the rorqual family of whales, Earth's biggest vertebrates.
These whales plunge into banks of krill, gulping up tonnes of water at one go and filtering it in seconds to get the tiny crustaceans needed for food.
A 50-tonne fin whale, the second-longest whale on the planet, can swoosh through 80 tonnes of water in one operation, netting 10 kilos (22 pounds) of krill in the process.
The lunge requires 'hyper-expandable' throat pleats, a Y-shaped cartilage structure connecting the chin and a lower jaw, made of two separate bones that move independently.
'In terms of evolution, the innovation of this sensory organ has a fundamental role in one of the most extreme feeding methods of aquatic creatures,' said Bob Shadwick of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
'Because the physical features required to carry to carry out lunge-feeding evolved before the extremely large body sizes observed in today's rorquals, it's likely that this sensory organ -- and its role in coordinating successful lunging -- is responsible for rorquals claiming the largest-animals-on-Earth status.'
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITE.
In a study appearing in the journal Nature, researchers in the United States and Canada said the organ is located at the tip of the whale's chin, in a niche of fibrous tissue that connects the lower jaw bones.
Comprising a node of nerves, the organ orchestrates dramatic changes in jaw position that are essential for 'lunge' feeding by the rorqual family of whales, Earth's biggest vertebrates.
These whales plunge into banks of krill, gulping up tonnes of water at one go and filtering it in seconds to get the tiny crustaceans needed for food.
A 50-tonne fin whale, the second-longest whale on the planet, can swoosh through 80 tonnes of water in one operation, netting 10 kilos (22 pounds) of krill in the process.
The lunge requires 'hyper-expandable' throat pleats, a Y-shaped cartilage structure connecting the chin and a lower jaw, made of two separate bones that move independently.
'In terms of evolution, the innovation of this sensory organ has a fundamental role in one of the most extreme feeding methods of aquatic creatures,' said Bob Shadwick of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
'Because the physical features required to carry to carry out lunge-feeding evolved before the extremely large body sizes observed in today's rorquals, it's likely that this sensory organ -- and its role in coordinating successful lunging -- is responsible for rorquals claiming the largest-animals-on-Earth status.'
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITE.
Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd Win Dancing With The Stars
They called it 'the most competitive season' ever on 'Dancing with the Stars,' but on Tuesday night, just one pair was good enough for Season 14 mirrorball glory.
Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver is going to have to clear some space in his trophy cabinet, as he and professional partner Peta Murgatroyd were crowned the winners on 'Dancing' on Tuesday night, beating out Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas (who came in second), and William Levy and Cheryl Burke (who took third).
PLAY IT NOW: Donald Driver Brings Down The House On Dancing Finals
The athlete erupted in a fit of joy after learning he'd scooped the top prize, jumping up and down, before falling on the floor and rolling around with pure glee. His partner quickly ran over to him and the two embraced.
Speaking to co-host Tom Bergeron just a moment later, Donald was a man of few words.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Dancing With The Stars, Season 14: The Finals
'Amazing,' the champ said of the win. 'Oh! This is awesome. Thank you so much.'
It was judge Bruno Tonioli, after Donald's final competition dance on Tuesday -- a cha cha he and Peta had just 24 hours to prepare, who may have summed up the reason why the sports star took the top prize.
'You've been so smart,' Bruno said. 'You really had the strategy of [a] champion. You improved week after week, after week... and you peaked at the right time.'
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Donald Driver's Dancing With The Stars Journey
In fact, Donald knew he had done something special after Monday night's country-flavored freestyle, the kind of number that won over the judges, and the fans.
'They say, 'Freestyle wins the competition.' I worked my butt off to nail the routine. We [nailed] it, the crowd erupts... Millions of fans at home were probably going 'Oh, yes! Oh, yes!' But at the end of the day, they say, 'Freestyle wins.' Give us the mirrorball,' Donald told Access after the broadcast on Monday night.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: They Came, They Danced, They Conquered: 'Dancing's' Mirrorball Winners
And clearly, they did.
Just one judges' point separated Katherine and Mark -- who had actually topped the leaderboard on Tuesday with a full 90 out of 90 (they earned another perfect 30 for their jive) -- and the other two couples (who both earned an overall 89 out of 90), so it was the viewers' votes that were influential in awarding the big prize.
AH Nation Poll: Did the right pair win 'Dancing with the Stars'? Click HERE to vote!
Missing out on the mirrorball didn't seem to affect Katherine, who graciously thanked just about everyone.
'Thank you so much, Mark. I can't put it into words how much I've loved this,' the singer, who was getting over a romantic breakup when she entered the competition, said. 'And thank you to everybody for having me on the show. It's been an absolute dream.'
As for William, who took third (he and Cheryl also earned 30 for their final number on Tuesday - a salsa), he too was thankful, and proved himself a standup competitor, wishing both Katherine and Donald luck after he was eliminated first.
'It was an amazing experience,' William said, as the cameras panned to his young son, who turned away, heartbroken. 'I thank you guys for all you have done for us.'
Beyond the competition, the evening was full of encores of some of the most memorable dances of the season, as the eliminated celebrities once again hit the dance floor with their partners.
Melissa Gilbert recreated her 'trio dance' samba with the Chmerkovskiy brothers - her Season 14 partner Maksim, and his younger sibling, Val. After shaking their way across the ballroom, the group threw in a twist as the number ended. Instead of Melissa, once again grabbing their bottoms, they grabbed hers, delighting the audience.
But Melissa wasn't the only one who indulged in a Chmerkovskiy dance sandwich during the finale.
'The View's' Sherri Shepherd, who went out in Week 3, with her partner, Val, came back to the ballroom, dancing to 'It's Raining Men,' with Val, Maks and four other pros.
Another highlight of the night was down to Disney star Roshon Fegan and partner Chelsie Hightower, who churned out the freestyle they would have done if they would have made it to the finals. The young man thrilled the packed house by showing off some of the street-style moves he's known for outside of 'DWTS.'
'Dancing with the Stars' returns this fall on ABC.
Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This news article is brought to you by ADDICTIONS - where latest news are our top priority.
Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver is going to have to clear some space in his trophy cabinet, as he and professional partner Peta Murgatroyd were crowned the winners on 'Dancing' on Tuesday night, beating out Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas (who came in second), and William Levy and Cheryl Burke (who took third).
PLAY IT NOW: Donald Driver Brings Down The House On Dancing Finals
The athlete erupted in a fit of joy after learning he'd scooped the top prize, jumping up and down, before falling on the floor and rolling around with pure glee. His partner quickly ran over to him and the two embraced.
Speaking to co-host Tom Bergeron just a moment later, Donald was a man of few words.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Dancing With The Stars, Season 14: The Finals
'Amazing,' the champ said of the win. 'Oh! This is awesome. Thank you so much.'
It was judge Bruno Tonioli, after Donald's final competition dance on Tuesday -- a cha cha he and Peta had just 24 hours to prepare, who may have summed up the reason why the sports star took the top prize.
'You've been so smart,' Bruno said. 'You really had the strategy of [a] champion. You improved week after week, after week... and you peaked at the right time.'
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Donald Driver's Dancing With The Stars Journey
In fact, Donald knew he had done something special after Monday night's country-flavored freestyle, the kind of number that won over the judges, and the fans.
'They say, 'Freestyle wins the competition.' I worked my butt off to nail the routine. We [nailed] it, the crowd erupts... Millions of fans at home were probably going 'Oh, yes! Oh, yes!' But at the end of the day, they say, 'Freestyle wins.' Give us the mirrorball,' Donald told Access after the broadcast on Monday night.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: They Came, They Danced, They Conquered: 'Dancing's' Mirrorball Winners
And clearly, they did.
Just one judges' point separated Katherine and Mark -- who had actually topped the leaderboard on Tuesday with a full 90 out of 90 (they earned another perfect 30 for their jive) -- and the other two couples (who both earned an overall 89 out of 90), so it was the viewers' votes that were influential in awarding the big prize.
AH Nation Poll: Did the right pair win 'Dancing with the Stars'? Click HERE to vote!
Missing out on the mirrorball didn't seem to affect Katherine, who graciously thanked just about everyone.
'Thank you so much, Mark. I can't put it into words how much I've loved this,' the singer, who was getting over a romantic breakup when she entered the competition, said. 'And thank you to everybody for having me on the show. It's been an absolute dream.'
As for William, who took third (he and Cheryl also earned 30 for their final number on Tuesday - a salsa), he too was thankful, and proved himself a standup competitor, wishing both Katherine and Donald luck after he was eliminated first.
'It was an amazing experience,' William said, as the cameras panned to his young son, who turned away, heartbroken. 'I thank you guys for all you have done for us.'
Beyond the competition, the evening was full of encores of some of the most memorable dances of the season, as the eliminated celebrities once again hit the dance floor with their partners.
Melissa Gilbert recreated her 'trio dance' samba with the Chmerkovskiy brothers - her Season 14 partner Maksim, and his younger sibling, Val. After shaking their way across the ballroom, the group threw in a twist as the number ended. Instead of Melissa, once again grabbing their bottoms, they grabbed hers, delighting the audience.
But Melissa wasn't the only one who indulged in a Chmerkovskiy dance sandwich during the finale.
'The View's' Sherri Shepherd, who went out in Week 3, with her partner, Val, came back to the ballroom, dancing to 'It's Raining Men,' with Val, Maks and four other pros.
Another highlight of the night was down to Disney star Roshon Fegan and partner Chelsie Hightower, who churned out the freestyle they would have done if they would have made it to the finals. The young man thrilled the packed house by showing off some of the street-style moves he's known for outside of 'DWTS.'
'Dancing with the Stars' returns this fall on ABC.
Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This news article is brought to you by ADDICTIONS - where latest news are our top priority.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Doggy couch surfing? Website has lodging for dogs
LOS ANGELES (AP) - When you travel and have to leave your dog behind, you can call a kennel, hire a pet sitter - or find him a new friend online.
The website DogVacay debuted in New York and Los Angeles in March and, just in time for the summer travel season, is now available throughout the United States and Canada.
The site lets pet owners look up hosts in the area who will care for a dog in their own homes, giving a pet the food, exercise and attention you would give if you stayed home - sort of a doggy version of couch-surfing, for an average price of $25 to $30 a day.
Hosts are checked out and interviewed by DogVacay and every owner and dog is encouraged to meet the host.
The Santa Monica-based company was founded by Aaron and Karine Nissim Hirschhorn. In two months it has grown to over 4,000 hosts in two countries and from five employees to 13, Hirschhorn said.
Valerie Steiger's Shih Tzu mix named Joey was just 3 months old when she had to leave for a two-week Thailand trip in February. Joey has been back four or five times since, said Steiger, whose job as a life coach keeps her on the road.
Her host has a couple of dogs and Joey enjoyed them so much, he was depressed when he got home and didn't have any playmates, Steiger said.
'She was wonderful. I was talking to Joey (through a cell phone app) from Thailand. She took pictures of Joey on an iPhone, she took a video of him zipping around with his buddy. I didn't ask for any of that. She just did it,' Steiger said.
Steiger has used kennels in the past. And there are good ones, she said, but dogs are still kept in crates or cages for several hours each day. 'It's like they are in jail.'
Knowing where her dog is and what he's doing is important to her because 'this is my baby. I'm leaving my baby behind,' Steiger said.
Hirschhorn and his fiance went on a trip to visit family in 2010 and left their dogs Rocky and Rambo in a kennel. 'Rocky came back a little off. She was not acting herself. She was sheepish and hiding under the desk. She is normally a happy, happy dog,' he said.
There had to be something better, they said. They let everyone know they were going to start dog sitting. 'Business was booming. We got multiple calls a day,' he said. They watched more than 100 dogs during eight months.
At the end of their experiment, they had two things: enough money to pay for their 2011 wedding and a business model. They quit their day jobs, joined forces with former MySpace CEO Mike Jones to create an online community and raised $1 million in venture capital.
The company's website provides host bios, location, home photos, prices, availability, notes on what they can handle and reviews.
DogVacay provides insurance (up to $25,000 per animal) for emergencies, the company has a partnership with VCA Animal Hospitals and owners can rent GPS-enabled dog collars if they want to track their pets constantly. Most hosts will email, text or telephone owners once a day with updates on their dogs, Hirschhorn said.
About a third of the hosts are professional pet care providers while two-thirds are casual dog lovers who might be retired, unemployed, stay-at-home moms or veterans, Hirschhorn said. Nine out of 10 hosts have their own dogs.
Hirschhorn wouldn't divulge the number of stays logged in the first two months, but said about half of all boarders are repeat customers.
DogVacay takes credit cards for payment when reservations are made, then pays the hosts.
Interviews and security checks by DogVacay and meet-and-greets with host and owner are designed to overcome concerns about adjusting to the new environment.
'If they don't want to check me out, it means they don't care about their dog very much,' said host Lauren Meyer.
Meyer has a 2,500 square-foot home in a quiet neighborhood in Los Angeles and charges $38 a night. She has always had older, larger dogs with medical problems, so she's not afraid to keep dogs with special needs, she said.
The biggest problem for the Hirschhorns is keeping up with demand and updating the website with new features, he said.
DogVacay has a concierge, a customer service representative who can help if there is a problem or if someone can't navigate the website.
Personal dog chef Danielle Rapin of Brooklyn, N.Y., has been hosting for three months for $40 a night. She has had four boarders so far, but has six meet-and-greets lined up in the next two weeks as people prepare for summer vacations.
DogVacay has been good for her 4-year-old mini-Greyhound mix too, she said. A 12-pound rescue, Baci once had to fend for herself on the streets, so didn't have much time for socialization.
But she has turned into a remarkable hostess. 'It's been rewarding to see her develop,' Rapin said.
For the Hirschhorns, dogs may be just the beginning. They own the domain names for a variety of vacays, including pet, animal, cat, iguana, bird, hamster, rabbit and snake.
___
Online:
- http://dogvacay.com/
The website DogVacay debuted in New York and Los Angeles in March and, just in time for the summer travel season, is now available throughout the United States and Canada.
The site lets pet owners look up hosts in the area who will care for a dog in their own homes, giving a pet the food, exercise and attention you would give if you stayed home - sort of a doggy version of couch-surfing, for an average price of $25 to $30 a day.
Hosts are checked out and interviewed by DogVacay and every owner and dog is encouraged to meet the host.
The Santa Monica-based company was founded by Aaron and Karine Nissim Hirschhorn. In two months it has grown to over 4,000 hosts in two countries and from five employees to 13, Hirschhorn said.
Valerie Steiger's Shih Tzu mix named Joey was just 3 months old when she had to leave for a two-week Thailand trip in February. Joey has been back four or five times since, said Steiger, whose job as a life coach keeps her on the road.
Her host has a couple of dogs and Joey enjoyed them so much, he was depressed when he got home and didn't have any playmates, Steiger said.
'She was wonderful. I was talking to Joey (through a cell phone app) from Thailand. She took pictures of Joey on an iPhone, she took a video of him zipping around with his buddy. I didn't ask for any of that. She just did it,' Steiger said.
Steiger has used kennels in the past. And there are good ones, she said, but dogs are still kept in crates or cages for several hours each day. 'It's like they are in jail.'
Knowing where her dog is and what he's doing is important to her because 'this is my baby. I'm leaving my baby behind,' Steiger said.
Hirschhorn and his fiance went on a trip to visit family in 2010 and left their dogs Rocky and Rambo in a kennel. 'Rocky came back a little off. She was not acting herself. She was sheepish and hiding under the desk. She is normally a happy, happy dog,' he said.
There had to be something better, they said. They let everyone know they were going to start dog sitting. 'Business was booming. We got multiple calls a day,' he said. They watched more than 100 dogs during eight months.
At the end of their experiment, they had two things: enough money to pay for their 2011 wedding and a business model. They quit their day jobs, joined forces with former MySpace CEO Mike Jones to create an online community and raised $1 million in venture capital.
The company's website provides host bios, location, home photos, prices, availability, notes on what they can handle and reviews.
DogVacay provides insurance (up to $25,000 per animal) for emergencies, the company has a partnership with VCA Animal Hospitals and owners can rent GPS-enabled dog collars if they want to track their pets constantly. Most hosts will email, text or telephone owners once a day with updates on their dogs, Hirschhorn said.
About a third of the hosts are professional pet care providers while two-thirds are casual dog lovers who might be retired, unemployed, stay-at-home moms or veterans, Hirschhorn said. Nine out of 10 hosts have their own dogs.
Hirschhorn wouldn't divulge the number of stays logged in the first two months, but said about half of all boarders are repeat customers.
DogVacay takes credit cards for payment when reservations are made, then pays the hosts.
Interviews and security checks by DogVacay and meet-and-greets with host and owner are designed to overcome concerns about adjusting to the new environment.
'If they don't want to check me out, it means they don't care about their dog very much,' said host Lauren Meyer.
Meyer has a 2,500 square-foot home in a quiet neighborhood in Los Angeles and charges $38 a night. She has always had older, larger dogs with medical problems, so she's not afraid to keep dogs with special needs, she said.
The biggest problem for the Hirschhorns is keeping up with demand and updating the website with new features, he said.
DogVacay has a concierge, a customer service representative who can help if there is a problem or if someone can't navigate the website.
Personal dog chef Danielle Rapin of Brooklyn, N.Y., has been hosting for three months for $40 a night. She has had four boarders so far, but has six meet-and-greets lined up in the next two weeks as people prepare for summer vacations.
DogVacay has been good for her 4-year-old mini-Greyhound mix too, she said. A 12-pound rescue, Baci once had to fend for herself on the streets, so didn't have much time for socialization.
But she has turned into a remarkable hostess. 'It's been rewarding to see her develop,' Rapin said.
For the Hirschhorns, dogs may be just the beginning. They own the domain names for a variety of vacays, including pet, animal, cat, iguana, bird, hamster, rabbit and snake.
___
Online:
- http://dogvacay.com/
Rights group aims to stop killing of Canada GMO pigs
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - A U.S. animal rights group hopes to save a herd of genetically modified pigs from early deaths after funding dried up for a Canadian research project that has stoked controversy about altering animal genes to produce food.
Possible euthanization of the nine so-called Enviropigs, descendants of swine first bred 13 years ago by the University of Guelph in Ontario to lessen the environmental impact of pig waste, has drawn opposition from Farm Sanctuary, a New York state-based group that places abused animals in new homes.
'For the same reason, the university wouldn't be euthanizing healthy puppies or kittens, they shouldn't be killing these pigs,' said Bruce Friedrich, a senior official with Farm Sanctuary. 'They have a moral responsibility to see that these animals lead out their lives being pigs.'
The Enviropig is one of a handful of research projects around the world that could engineer the first genetically modified animal for human consumption. But GMO plants and animals face tough scrutiny from regulators, with some consumers leery about unproven long-term health effects.
Trade repercussions could be considerable if genetically modified meat entered the food supply chain without government approval. Canada is the world's third largest pork exporter.
'It would represent an unacceptable and irresponsible risk for the university to allow these transgenic animals to be under anyone else's control ... with the possibility that they could intermix with either feral or domesticated pigs, or even end up in the human food chain by accident,' wrote University of Guelph spokeswoman Lori Bona Hunt in a statement to Reuters. The university is located 90 km west (56 miles) of Toronto.
The university may not euthanize the pigs if it can find a new partner in the Enviropig project, Bona Hunt said, after an Ontario hog farmer group pulled its funding in March.
If it does terminate the pigs, the university has said it would put their genetic material in cold storage and continue research by analyzing data it has already collected.
Enviropig's researchers applied several years ago for approval for human food consumption from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada. Those regulators have not announced decisions.
Finding new homes for GMO pigs would violate Canadian government policies, Bona Hunt said. An official with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency could not immediately comment.
With the university not budging, the next step for Farm Sanctuary, which says it has 250,000 paid members and supporters in North America, is to mobilize a campaign of emails and letters urging Guelph to save the pigs, Friedrich said.
'These pigs have been born into Guelph's research labs and have probably not yet had the chance to take mud baths and bask in the sun and root in the soil, and be pigs.
'Guelph owes them that.'
Environmentalists have cheered the setback for the Enviropig project and are also closely watching applications by AquaBounty Technologies Inc's engineered Atlantic salmon, which contain a gene from another fish species, the Chinook salmon, to help it grow twice as fast as normal.
(Editing by Frank McGurty)
This news article is brought to you by AFFAIRS - where latest news are our top priority.
Possible euthanization of the nine so-called Enviropigs, descendants of swine first bred 13 years ago by the University of Guelph in Ontario to lessen the environmental impact of pig waste, has drawn opposition from Farm Sanctuary, a New York state-based group that places abused animals in new homes.
'For the same reason, the university wouldn't be euthanizing healthy puppies or kittens, they shouldn't be killing these pigs,' said Bruce Friedrich, a senior official with Farm Sanctuary. 'They have a moral responsibility to see that these animals lead out their lives being pigs.'
The Enviropig is one of a handful of research projects around the world that could engineer the first genetically modified animal for human consumption. But GMO plants and animals face tough scrutiny from regulators, with some consumers leery about unproven long-term health effects.
Trade repercussions could be considerable if genetically modified meat entered the food supply chain without government approval. Canada is the world's third largest pork exporter.
'It would represent an unacceptable and irresponsible risk for the university to allow these transgenic animals to be under anyone else's control ... with the possibility that they could intermix with either feral or domesticated pigs, or even end up in the human food chain by accident,' wrote University of Guelph spokeswoman Lori Bona Hunt in a statement to Reuters. The university is located 90 km west (56 miles) of Toronto.
The university may not euthanize the pigs if it can find a new partner in the Enviropig project, Bona Hunt said, after an Ontario hog farmer group pulled its funding in March.
If it does terminate the pigs, the university has said it would put their genetic material in cold storage and continue research by analyzing data it has already collected.
Enviropig's researchers applied several years ago for approval for human food consumption from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada. Those regulators have not announced decisions.
Finding new homes for GMO pigs would violate Canadian government policies, Bona Hunt said. An official with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency could not immediately comment.
With the university not budging, the next step for Farm Sanctuary, which says it has 250,000 paid members and supporters in North America, is to mobilize a campaign of emails and letters urging Guelph to save the pigs, Friedrich said.
'These pigs have been born into Guelph's research labs and have probably not yet had the chance to take mud baths and bask in the sun and root in the soil, and be pigs.
'Guelph owes them that.'
Environmentalists have cheered the setback for the Enviropig project and are also closely watching applications by AquaBounty Technologies Inc's engineered Atlantic salmon, which contain a gene from another fish species, the Chinook salmon, to help it grow twice as fast as normal.
(Editing by Frank McGurty)
This news article is brought to you by AFFAIRS - where latest news are our top priority.
Why Dogs' Origins Are Still Mysterious
Humans' close relationship to dogs has so far obscured their history so much that it's not yet possible to use genetic data to tease out the details of their domestication, new research indicates.
Their complicated history involves being interbred, as well as transported around the world.
'There's a central irony here which is that because we love them so much, we've completely obliterated their early history and made it more difficult to understand their origins,' researcher Greger Larson, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom, told LiveScience in an email.
Dogs were the first domesticated animal; however, many major questions about their domestication remain. For instance, it's still not clear how many times they were domesticated, where in the Old World this happened, and how many different wolf populations contributed to the modern global population of dogs.
Using genetic data taken from modern breeds so far, it's not yet possible to look back more than about 150 years ago, past the time when Victorians began establishing the tightly defined breeds we know today, Larson said. [What Your Dog's Breed Says About You]
For the previous 15,000 years or so, the genetic history of dogs is a 'big blurred mess,' he said, explaining that while some selective breeding took place since dogs were defined by their jobs, dogs also breed on their own. In addition, humans transported them around the world and certain varieties even disappeared.
However, some breeds of modern dogs, including Akitas, Afghan hounds, Chinese Shar-Peis, Basenjis, and Salukis, appear to have deeper genetic roots. But the recent analysis indicates that even these 'ancient dog breeds' don't trace back more than a couple thousand years and are no closer to the first domesticated dogs than are more modern breeds.
The team analyzed genetic material from 1,375 dogs representing 35 breeds, including six of the 'ancient' breeds.
They also mapped out the locations of these breeds in relation to archaeological evidence of ancient domesticated dogs, as well as the ranges of wolves. They found the majority of 'ancient' breeds did not derive from regions where the oldest archaeological remainshave been found, and three of them came from ranges outside those of wolves, dogs' wild ancestor.
It follows that the only reason these 'ancient' dogs appear different from other modern breeds is they somehow avoided the most recent round of hybridization in the mid-19th century, he said.
However, advanced genetic sequencing technology and techniques to analyze the shapes of fossils, as well as the anatomy of contemporary dogs, are opening up the possibility of answering some of the questions that haven't yet been possible to broach, he said.
The study was detailed online today (May 21) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
You can follow LiveScience senior writer Wynne Parry on Twitter @Wynne_Parry. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.
This news article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS - where latest news are our top priority.
Their complicated history involves being interbred, as well as transported around the world.
'There's a central irony here which is that because we love them so much, we've completely obliterated their early history and made it more difficult to understand their origins,' researcher Greger Larson, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom, told LiveScience in an email.
Dogs were the first domesticated animal; however, many major questions about their domestication remain. For instance, it's still not clear how many times they were domesticated, where in the Old World this happened, and how many different wolf populations contributed to the modern global population of dogs.
Using genetic data taken from modern breeds so far, it's not yet possible to look back more than about 150 years ago, past the time when Victorians began establishing the tightly defined breeds we know today, Larson said. [What Your Dog's Breed Says About You]
For the previous 15,000 years or so, the genetic history of dogs is a 'big blurred mess,' he said, explaining that while some selective breeding took place since dogs were defined by their jobs, dogs also breed on their own. In addition, humans transported them around the world and certain varieties even disappeared.
However, some breeds of modern dogs, including Akitas, Afghan hounds, Chinese Shar-Peis, Basenjis, and Salukis, appear to have deeper genetic roots. But the recent analysis indicates that even these 'ancient dog breeds' don't trace back more than a couple thousand years and are no closer to the first domesticated dogs than are more modern breeds.
The team analyzed genetic material from 1,375 dogs representing 35 breeds, including six of the 'ancient' breeds.
They also mapped out the locations of these breeds in relation to archaeological evidence of ancient domesticated dogs, as well as the ranges of wolves. They found the majority of 'ancient' breeds did not derive from regions where the oldest archaeological remainshave been found, and three of them came from ranges outside those of wolves, dogs' wild ancestor.
It follows that the only reason these 'ancient' dogs appear different from other modern breeds is they somehow avoided the most recent round of hybridization in the mid-19th century, he said.
However, advanced genetic sequencing technology and techniques to analyze the shapes of fossils, as well as the anatomy of contemporary dogs, are opening up the possibility of answering some of the questions that haven't yet been possible to broach, he said.
The study was detailed online today (May 21) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
You can follow LiveScience senior writer Wynne Parry on Twitter @Wynne_Parry. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.
- 10 Things You Didn't Know About Dogs
- The 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds
- 7 Health Benefits of Dog Ownership
This news article is brought to you by RELATIONSHIPS - where latest news are our top priority.
'Grandpa' fights for Bulgarian zoo's survival
'Come babe, come to grandpa. Don't be afraid,' Behcet Ali coos as he handfeeds two eight-month-old lion cubs at his tiny zoo in the sleepy northeastern Bulgarian town of Razgrad.
At 82, Bai (Granddad) Behcet, as he is known locally, is Bulgaria's oldest zookeeper, famous for raising over 15 lion cubs during his 33 years of work and the only one to be in full contact with the predators.
Bai Behcet's unwavering devotion to saving the little 52-year-old zoo, spread over only 2,000 square metres (about 21,000 square feet), earned him the title of honorary citizen of Razgrad in 2007.
His prime concern now are the two cubs -- one male and the other female -- of six-year-old lioness Raya, who already weigh over 50 kilos (110 pounds).
'I haven't named them yet. I call them 'babies' and they understand,' the zookeeper says, patting them on their backs and rubbing them behind the ears under the attentive look of their mother in the adjoining enclosure.
'To become friends with animals, as with people, you need to have a knack, to show them that you love them.'
'And if people sometimes do not respond in kind when you do them good, an animal always understands and returns kindness,' Bai Behcet explains.
The cubs love an iron ball he brought for them to play, tackling it with their oversized paws.
But it is quickly forgotten when he lets Raya back into the enclosure and the cubs rub against her sides, purring.
The father killed Raya's first litter but she is a very caring mother, Bai Behcet says.
'She is jealous that I love them so much but sees that I do not harm them and would not hurt me,' he says, while ordering to the trio to stand still for a photo shoot.
Bai Behcet, who used to work at the local veterinary clinic before coming to the zoo in 1979, has been clawed by lions as well as bears, which he also used to raise here, but says he has never feared his charges.
And he won't even think of retiring despite several entreaties by his family.
'It never crossed my mind to give up as that would be the end of it.'
'The animals give me joy, I am happy that I can bring them up, raise them. What more can you want?'
Besides the three lions, Bai Behcet tends to over a dozen other animals all by himself, including lamas, goats, mouflons or a subspecies group of wild sheep, a pony, pigeons, pheasants, racoons and guinea pigs.
But lack of space -- which the environment ministry has found a serious problem in all 11 zoos in Bulgaria -- forced the zookeeper to send his bear away to another establishment.
Municipality funds in this small town, about 350 kilometres (217 miles) from the capital Sofia and dominated by ethnic Turks, are also scarce and the zoo does not make visitors pay for admission either.
Still, Bai Behcet's fridge is full of meat and three small mountains of stale bread can be seen piled up in a shed -- all donations from local companies.
'All this I get myself by going around town, asking, convincing... without having to pay out money.'
'Everyone wonders how I manage... But there's a saying that if you do it yourself, it will be done better,' he says.
Through the years he tried to recruit several workers as well as his son-in-law but Bai Behcet says learning such an uncommon trade has proven difficult.
His 24-year-old grandson helps when he needs to be away on errands.
'People are used to having working hours. I don't. And my wife knows that when I am here I decide when I'll be going home. She is cross but that's the way I am -- uncontrollable,' he says impishly, winking behind his thick spectacles.
Skinny but energetic, he carries around buckets of chicken feet to feed the lions and still rides the short distance home every day on his motorbike, despite an accident that left him limping.
'He's legendary for never giving up. This is the old generation but few people like him are left nowadays,' Mihail Baltadzhiev, who oversees the town's animal facilities, including the zoo, told AFP.
'Everyone here knows and respects Bai Behcet,' 54-year-old Sultana Mehmet added as her grandsons Iray, 6, and Berg, 7, roared at the animals through the fence.
'How else would the kids be able to see a lion?'
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
At 82, Bai (Granddad) Behcet, as he is known locally, is Bulgaria's oldest zookeeper, famous for raising over 15 lion cubs during his 33 years of work and the only one to be in full contact with the predators.
Bai Behcet's unwavering devotion to saving the little 52-year-old zoo, spread over only 2,000 square metres (about 21,000 square feet), earned him the title of honorary citizen of Razgrad in 2007.
His prime concern now are the two cubs -- one male and the other female -- of six-year-old lioness Raya, who already weigh over 50 kilos (110 pounds).
'I haven't named them yet. I call them 'babies' and they understand,' the zookeeper says, patting them on their backs and rubbing them behind the ears under the attentive look of their mother in the adjoining enclosure.
'To become friends with animals, as with people, you need to have a knack, to show them that you love them.'
'And if people sometimes do not respond in kind when you do them good, an animal always understands and returns kindness,' Bai Behcet explains.
The cubs love an iron ball he brought for them to play, tackling it with their oversized paws.
But it is quickly forgotten when he lets Raya back into the enclosure and the cubs rub against her sides, purring.
The father killed Raya's first litter but she is a very caring mother, Bai Behcet says.
'She is jealous that I love them so much but sees that I do not harm them and would not hurt me,' he says, while ordering to the trio to stand still for a photo shoot.
Bai Behcet, who used to work at the local veterinary clinic before coming to the zoo in 1979, has been clawed by lions as well as bears, which he also used to raise here, but says he has never feared his charges.
And he won't even think of retiring despite several entreaties by his family.
'It never crossed my mind to give up as that would be the end of it.'
'The animals give me joy, I am happy that I can bring them up, raise them. What more can you want?'
Besides the three lions, Bai Behcet tends to over a dozen other animals all by himself, including lamas, goats, mouflons or a subspecies group of wild sheep, a pony, pigeons, pheasants, racoons and guinea pigs.
But lack of space -- which the environment ministry has found a serious problem in all 11 zoos in Bulgaria -- forced the zookeeper to send his bear away to another establishment.
Municipality funds in this small town, about 350 kilometres (217 miles) from the capital Sofia and dominated by ethnic Turks, are also scarce and the zoo does not make visitors pay for admission either.
Still, Bai Behcet's fridge is full of meat and three small mountains of stale bread can be seen piled up in a shed -- all donations from local companies.
'All this I get myself by going around town, asking, convincing... without having to pay out money.'
'Everyone wonders how I manage... But there's a saying that if you do it yourself, it will be done better,' he says.
Through the years he tried to recruit several workers as well as his son-in-law but Bai Behcet says learning such an uncommon trade has proven difficult.
His 24-year-old grandson helps when he needs to be away on errands.
'People are used to having working hours. I don't. And my wife knows that when I am here I decide when I'll be going home. She is cross but that's the way I am -- uncontrollable,' he says impishly, winking behind his thick spectacles.
Skinny but energetic, he carries around buckets of chicken feet to feed the lions and still rides the short distance home every day on his motorbike, despite an accident that left him limping.
'He's legendary for never giving up. This is the old generation but few people like him are left nowadays,' Mihail Baltadzhiev, who oversees the town's animal facilities, including the zoo, told AFP.
'Everyone here knows and respects Bai Behcet,' 54-year-old Sultana Mehmet added as her grandsons Iray, 6, and Berg, 7, roared at the animals through the fence.
'How else would the kids be able to see a lion?'
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Unmanned Aircraft Could Help Solve Sea Lion Decline Mystery
Since the 1970s, populations of Steller sea lions have dramatically declined in the western Aleutian Islands of Alaska, where they are protected under the Endangered Species Act. What exactly is responsible for the downturn is unknown, and is especially confounding given that sea lion populations to the southeast and in Russia are on the rise.
'Is it due to changes in climate? Is something eating them? What is causing all the animals to go away?' asked Greg Walker, a researcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 'Nobody knows for sure.'
Pinpointing the cause of the Steller sea lion decline isn't solely an academic concern, as declines have helped lead to closing off fishing areas that cost local people millions of dollars, Walker said.
To find out what factors might have affected the species, Walker and a team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)researchers set out in March on a three-week cruise, using two unmanned aircraft for the first time to collect aerial data on the creatures. One, the Aeryon Scout, is a small, battery-powered, four-bladed helicopterlike aircraft with an on-board, sophisticated camera and video system.
The other is called the AreoVironment Puma AE and is a fixed-wing plane with a 10-foot (3 meters) wingspan, equipped with real-time video plus infrared and visual still photo capability.
Eleven scientists, engineers, pilots and NOAA Corps officers boarded the 108-foot (33 m) research vessel Norseman in Adak, Alaska, and embarked on a mission to study the winter diet of Steller sea lions, and used the unmanned craft at 54 sites, counting about 3,000 Steller sea lions over the course of the trip. [Images: Endangered Wildlife]
These craft can get closer to the animals and take better pictures than manned flights, which researchers have used throughout the animals' territory to take stock of various populations, from southeast Alaska along the Alaska Peninsula and west to Attu, the westernmost Aleutian island.
The Scout can fly for 25 minutes at a time, and during the March cruise, it made 30 flights over 14 sea lion sites, taking thousands of photos of sea lions and was able to take enough overlapping photos at one summer breeding location to produce a three-dimensional map.
The Puma can fly for up to two hours and made nine flights over nine sea lion sites. Researchers launched the aircraft from boats, and the fully waterproof Puma landed multiple times in the Bering Sea. During flights, the aircraft generally flew at around 300 feet (90 m) in altitude above sites where the sea lions rest and socialize.
Although they haven't yet figured out what's causing the drop-off, the scientists have gathered valuable clues, they said, and they will be evaluating the data and conducting more studies to learn what is plaguing this sea lion population.
Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter @OAPlanet and on Facebook.
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
'Is it due to changes in climate? Is something eating them? What is causing all the animals to go away?' asked Greg Walker, a researcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 'Nobody knows for sure.'
Pinpointing the cause of the Steller sea lion decline isn't solely an academic concern, as declines have helped lead to closing off fishing areas that cost local people millions of dollars, Walker said.
To find out what factors might have affected the species, Walker and a team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)researchers set out in March on a three-week cruise, using two unmanned aircraft for the first time to collect aerial data on the creatures. One, the Aeryon Scout, is a small, battery-powered, four-bladed helicopterlike aircraft with an on-board, sophisticated camera and video system.
The other is called the AreoVironment Puma AE and is a fixed-wing plane with a 10-foot (3 meters) wingspan, equipped with real-time video plus infrared and visual still photo capability.
Eleven scientists, engineers, pilots and NOAA Corps officers boarded the 108-foot (33 m) research vessel Norseman in Adak, Alaska, and embarked on a mission to study the winter diet of Steller sea lions, and used the unmanned craft at 54 sites, counting about 3,000 Steller sea lions over the course of the trip. [Images: Endangered Wildlife]
These craft can get closer to the animals and take better pictures than manned flights, which researchers have used throughout the animals' territory to take stock of various populations, from southeast Alaska along the Alaska Peninsula and west to Attu, the westernmost Aleutian island.
The Scout can fly for 25 minutes at a time, and during the March cruise, it made 30 flights over 14 sea lion sites, taking thousands of photos of sea lions and was able to take enough overlapping photos at one summer breeding location to produce a three-dimensional map.
The Puma can fly for up to two hours and made nine flights over nine sea lion sites. Researchers launched the aircraft from boats, and the fully waterproof Puma landed multiple times in the Bering Sea. During flights, the aircraft generally flew at around 300 feet (90 m) in altitude above sites where the sea lions rest and socialize.
Although they haven't yet figured out what's causing the drop-off, the scientists have gathered valuable clues, they said, and they will be evaluating the data and conducting more studies to learn what is plaguing this sea lion population.
Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter @OAPlanet and on Facebook.
- Gallery: Creatures from the Census of Marine Life
- World's Cutest Sea Creatures
- 10 Species You Can Kiss Goodbye
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Gorilla patriarch of Columbus Zoo surrogacy program dies
CLEVELAND (Reuters) - A gorilla known for being the patriarch of a renowned gorilla surrogacy program at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio died on Friday at an estimated age of 47, the zoo said.
The popular gorilla, Mumbah, was eating breakfast with his family when he collapsed, the zoo said in a statement. The animal care team was unable to resuscitate him.
Mumbah was born in equatorial Africa around 1965 and brought to the Columbus zoo from England in 1984. He was well past a male gorilla's average life expectancy of 31 years.
The Columbus zoo is one of the leading facilities in gorilla breeding, with 30 gorillas born there since 1956.
The zoo currently houses 15 gorillas, including 55-year-old Colo, the first captive-born gorilla and the oldest gorilla in captivity.
Mumbah was a fundamental component of the zoo's gorilla surrogacy program, the zoo said. He acted as a father figure to young gorillas unable to be cared for by their birth mothers.
'He was a gentle giant who readily accepted youngsters into his family,' the zoo president, Dale Schmidt, said in a statement. 'He was patient but effective at teaching them how to be vital members of a gorilla social group. His legacy will live on through all of the gorillas he helped to raise.'
The zoo's Facebook page has received more than 300 comments mourning Mumbah's death.
(Editing by Mary Slosson and Peter Cooney)
This article is brought to you by DATING SERVICE.
The popular gorilla, Mumbah, was eating breakfast with his family when he collapsed, the zoo said in a statement. The animal care team was unable to resuscitate him.
Mumbah was born in equatorial Africa around 1965 and brought to the Columbus zoo from England in 1984. He was well past a male gorilla's average life expectancy of 31 years.
The Columbus zoo is one of the leading facilities in gorilla breeding, with 30 gorillas born there since 1956.
The zoo currently houses 15 gorillas, including 55-year-old Colo, the first captive-born gorilla and the oldest gorilla in captivity.
Mumbah was a fundamental component of the zoo's gorilla surrogacy program, the zoo said. He acted as a father figure to young gorillas unable to be cared for by their birth mothers.
'He was a gentle giant who readily accepted youngsters into his family,' the zoo president, Dale Schmidt, said in a statement. 'He was patient but effective at teaching them how to be vital members of a gorilla social group. His legacy will live on through all of the gorillas he helped to raise.'
The zoo's Facebook page has received more than 300 comments mourning Mumbah's death.
(Editing by Mary Slosson and Peter Cooney)
This article is brought to you by DATING SERVICE.
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