MONTREAL (AP) - A community in Quebec's Far North is calling for outside help to free about a dozen killer whales trapped under a vast stretch of sea ice.
Locals in Inukjuak said the mammals have gathered around a single hole in the ice - slightly bigger than a pickup truck - in a desperate bid to get oxygen.
Mayor Peter Inukpuk urged the Canadian government Wednesday to send an icebreaker as soon as possible to crack open the ice and help them find open water. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans said it is sending officials to assess the situation.
'Fisheries and Oceans Canada is assessing the situation and are exploring every possible option, but will only be in a position to determine what - if anything - can be done once our specialists arrive on site,' spokesman Frank Stanek said in a statement.
A hunter first spotted the pod of about a dozen trapped whales Tuesday at the hole, which is on the eastern shore of the Hudson Bay. Inukjuak is about 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) north of Montreal.
Dozens of villagers made the one-hour snowmobile ride Tuesday to see the unusual spectacle. They snapped photos and shot video footage of the killer whales surfacing in the opening - and even thrusting themselves skyward while gasping for air.
One woman who made the journey to the gap in the ice said even a curious polar bear approached the hole amid the commotion. Siasie Kasudluak said the bear was shot by a local hunter for its meat.
The trapped orcas appeared to be in distress, but locals were ill-equipped to help out.
Kasudluak said the hole appeared to be shrinking in the freezing temperatures. Inukpuk believes the sudden drop in temperature recently caught the orcas off guard, leaving them boxed in under the ice.
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Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Underwater Robots Hear 9 Endangered Whales
Two underwater robots outfitted with equipment to detect whale song heard the calls of nine critically endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf of Maine last month, just east of New England.
The whales are thought to use the area to mate between November and January, according to a release from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, whose researchers led the project.
The finding was reported to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Services, which is charged with protecting these animals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The agency put in place a 'dynamic management area,' meaning mariners in the area were asked to slow their vessels to avoid striking the animals.
The robots also detected fin, sei and humpback whales in the area, the first time autonomous vehicles have recorded songs of multiple whale species. The animals were recorded about 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of Bar Harbor, Maine, according to the release. Besides listening for whale song, the robots also tested a number of variables to see why the area might be an appealing breeding ground, measuring water temperature and salinity, as well as samples of water to look for tiny animals called zookplankton upon which the whales feed.
Detecting whale song
The 6-foot-long (1.8 meters) underwater robots look like yellow torpedoes, and use a quiet motor to submerge themselves before surfacing every few hours to transmit data back to computers and researchers on land.
The information the robots provide is essential for understanding the whale's behavior in this area, which is little studied since the animals usually pass through in the late fall and winter when temperatures are freezing and weather is unforgiving, the release noted.
Detection of the whale song allowed researchers aboard the research vessel, Endeavor, to locate the whales and take photographs of them. This allowed scientists to identify four previously known right whales. The robots represent a large improvement of the previous methods used to find whales: the human eye.
'We've been doing visual based surveys for a long time - either from a plane or a boat,' said Sofie Van Parijs, a collaborating researcher, in the statement. 'They have a lot of value, but they are limited, especially at certain times of the year. These gliders provide a great complement to this system. Knowing where right whales are helps you manage interactions between an endangered species and the human activities that impact those species.'
North Atlantic right whales can weigh 140,000 pounds (63,500 kilograms) and grow up to 55 feet (16.7 m), according to NOAA. They are critically endangered, and only 300 to 400 of the animals remain, NOAA reports.
Reach Douglas Main at dmain@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @Douglas_Main. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter @OAPlanet. We're also on Facebook and Google+.
This article is brought to you by FREE PERSONALS.
The whales are thought to use the area to mate between November and January, according to a release from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, whose researchers led the project.
The finding was reported to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Services, which is charged with protecting these animals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The agency put in place a 'dynamic management area,' meaning mariners in the area were asked to slow their vessels to avoid striking the animals.
The robots also detected fin, sei and humpback whales in the area, the first time autonomous vehicles have recorded songs of multiple whale species. The animals were recorded about 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of Bar Harbor, Maine, according to the release. Besides listening for whale song, the robots also tested a number of variables to see why the area might be an appealing breeding ground, measuring water temperature and salinity, as well as samples of water to look for tiny animals called zookplankton upon which the whales feed.
Detecting whale song
The 6-foot-long (1.8 meters) underwater robots look like yellow torpedoes, and use a quiet motor to submerge themselves before surfacing every few hours to transmit data back to computers and researchers on land.
The information the robots provide is essential for understanding the whale's behavior in this area, which is little studied since the animals usually pass through in the late fall and winter when temperatures are freezing and weather is unforgiving, the release noted.
Detection of the whale song allowed researchers aboard the research vessel, Endeavor, to locate the whales and take photographs of them. This allowed scientists to identify four previously known right whales. The robots represent a large improvement of the previous methods used to find whales: the human eye.
'We've been doing visual based surveys for a long time - either from a plane or a boat,' said Sofie Van Parijs, a collaborating researcher, in the statement. 'They have a lot of value, but they are limited, especially at certain times of the year. These gliders provide a great complement to this system. Knowing where right whales are helps you manage interactions between an endangered species and the human activities that impact those species.'
North Atlantic right whales can weigh 140,000 pounds (63,500 kilograms) and grow up to 55 feet (16.7 m), according to NOAA. They are critically endangered, and only 300 to 400 of the animals remain, NOAA reports.
Reach Douglas Main at dmain@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @Douglas_Main. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter @OAPlanet. We're also on Facebook and Google+.
- Images: Sharks & Whales from Above
- Video: Humpback Whales Sing Their Tunes
- In Photos: Tracking Humpback Whales
This article is brought to you by FREE PERSONALS.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Owners say ferrets are pets, officials say pest
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The difference between owning a ferret in Hawaii and one in Pennsylvania can be up to three years in jail - and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
That's the penalty for ferret fans in the Aloha State, where the 3-pound members of the weasel and polecat family are banned amid concerns of the animals escaping and wreaking havoc on the islands' delicate ecosystems. Similar fears are behind a decades-old ban in California, which has one of the nation's most diverse ecosystems.
'The concern is that if these animals were released, like other non-native species have been, they would adapt and thrive and out-compete native species for food, and prey on native species,' said Adrianna Shea, deputy director of California's Fish and Game Commission.
States have had problems with feral animals in nonnative environments, creating problems for native species by eating them or ravaging their food supply. Feral cats, for example, have decimated bird populations. In Hawaii, the introduction of the mongoose to combat a rat problem 'was a very poor idea. Rats are nocturnal and mongooses are diurnal. They only saw each other for a short period between dusk and dawn,' said Minami Keevin, a land vertebrate specialist with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
But ferret fans argue that the foot-long domesticated creatures make excellent pets and shouldn't be regulated by wildlife agencies.
'Ferrets are really wonderful animals for those of us who are so inclined. They are messy, and they're expensive, and they're demanding, but they are full of personality, full of love and full of joy,' said Pat Wright, who lives in La Mesa, near San Diego, and has been fighting California's ban for nearly 20 years.
Keeping a ferret as a pet takes more time, care and money than owning a dog or cat. The American Veterinary Medical Association in Schaumburg, Ill., which recently posted a YouTube video on pet ferrets, noted that they need to be caged most of the time, require hours of exercise and emit a musky odor that many people find unpleasant. Large cages are expensive, but on the other hand, ferrets don't require as much medical or dental care as cats or dogs.
'They are wonderful little clowns that not only steal your heart but they will steal anything they deem is theirs. This includes your shoes, socks, pens, pencils, hairbrushes, potatoes, car keys, wallets and clothing. I had two ferrets that tried to take my notebook computer to what is called their hidey-hole,' said AmyJo Casner of Harrisville, Pa., who legally owns ferrets Manny, Marcuz, and Marylin.
Their antics are better than antidepressants, said Casner, whose pets inspired her to start a ferret clothing line that she sells online.
A count of ferret owners across the U.S. was unavailable, but the American Pet Products Association said that in 1992, 2 percent of people who owned a small animal like a mouse, rat, ferret, gerbil, rabbit, hamster or guinea pig said they had a ferret. In 2000, 10 percent of small-animal owners said they had a ferret, and 7 percent in 2010 had them. That's despite bans in the two states, plus a number of large cities including New York, and U.S. military bases.
In California, where having a ferret can net a $500 fine or six months in jail, Wright estimated between 50,000 and 500,000 pet ferrets live a clandestine existence. His guess is based on ferret-supply sales and a 5,000-member mailing list for his ferret legalization cause.
Shea, who said Fish and Game has never tried to verify those numbers, said California doesn't have enough game wardens to chase violators, so the ban is not strictly enforced. Billboards close to the borders of Arizona and Nevada point motorists in the direction of ferret sellers. And most pet stores in California carry ferret food and supplies.
But the issue is taken seriously in Hawaii, where every report of a ferret is checked. One captured last year in Hilo was turned over to the Hawaii Island Humane Society, flown to Honolulu and quarantined until it could be shipped out of state. The penalty for importing, selling or possessing a ferret in Hawaii is a fine up to $200,000 and as many as three years in jail.
Dr. Valarie Tynes, a veterinarian with the AVMA, said breeders who spay and neuter ferrets before selling them could allay states' concerns that the animals could escape and procreate.
'I think there have been concerns by some that if ferrets got loose, they might thrive in the wild in the United States and possibly be damaging to native populations,' she said. 'I think it's interesting, as long as they've been pets, I've never heard of any place that's happened.'
California's 80-year-old ban can be changed by commission vote or legislation, and there have been six attempts at a bill since 1994. A 2004 proposal came closest when it reached the desk of the governor - Arnold Schwarzenegger, who appeared with a ferret in 'Kindergarten Cop.' He vetoed it.
Wright is looking for another lawmaker willing to sponsor a new round of legislation, but conceded that task alone was difficult. With legislators facing issues like the budget, gun control and health care, he noted, anyone who goes to bat for ferrets will probably be mocked.
___
Online:
http://www.avma.org
This news article is brought to you by DATING AND RELATIONSHIP ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
That's the penalty for ferret fans in the Aloha State, where the 3-pound members of the weasel and polecat family are banned amid concerns of the animals escaping and wreaking havoc on the islands' delicate ecosystems. Similar fears are behind a decades-old ban in California, which has one of the nation's most diverse ecosystems.
'The concern is that if these animals were released, like other non-native species have been, they would adapt and thrive and out-compete native species for food, and prey on native species,' said Adrianna Shea, deputy director of California's Fish and Game Commission.
States have had problems with feral animals in nonnative environments, creating problems for native species by eating them or ravaging their food supply. Feral cats, for example, have decimated bird populations. In Hawaii, the introduction of the mongoose to combat a rat problem 'was a very poor idea. Rats are nocturnal and mongooses are diurnal. They only saw each other for a short period between dusk and dawn,' said Minami Keevin, a land vertebrate specialist with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
But ferret fans argue that the foot-long domesticated creatures make excellent pets and shouldn't be regulated by wildlife agencies.
'Ferrets are really wonderful animals for those of us who are so inclined. They are messy, and they're expensive, and they're demanding, but they are full of personality, full of love and full of joy,' said Pat Wright, who lives in La Mesa, near San Diego, and has been fighting California's ban for nearly 20 years.
Keeping a ferret as a pet takes more time, care and money than owning a dog or cat. The American Veterinary Medical Association in Schaumburg, Ill., which recently posted a YouTube video on pet ferrets, noted that they need to be caged most of the time, require hours of exercise and emit a musky odor that many people find unpleasant. Large cages are expensive, but on the other hand, ferrets don't require as much medical or dental care as cats or dogs.
'They are wonderful little clowns that not only steal your heart but they will steal anything they deem is theirs. This includes your shoes, socks, pens, pencils, hairbrushes, potatoes, car keys, wallets and clothing. I had two ferrets that tried to take my notebook computer to what is called their hidey-hole,' said AmyJo Casner of Harrisville, Pa., who legally owns ferrets Manny, Marcuz, and Marylin.
Their antics are better than antidepressants, said Casner, whose pets inspired her to start a ferret clothing line that she sells online.
A count of ferret owners across the U.S. was unavailable, but the American Pet Products Association said that in 1992, 2 percent of people who owned a small animal like a mouse, rat, ferret, gerbil, rabbit, hamster or guinea pig said they had a ferret. In 2000, 10 percent of small-animal owners said they had a ferret, and 7 percent in 2010 had them. That's despite bans in the two states, plus a number of large cities including New York, and U.S. military bases.
In California, where having a ferret can net a $500 fine or six months in jail, Wright estimated between 50,000 and 500,000 pet ferrets live a clandestine existence. His guess is based on ferret-supply sales and a 5,000-member mailing list for his ferret legalization cause.
Shea, who said Fish and Game has never tried to verify those numbers, said California doesn't have enough game wardens to chase violators, so the ban is not strictly enforced. Billboards close to the borders of Arizona and Nevada point motorists in the direction of ferret sellers. And most pet stores in California carry ferret food and supplies.
But the issue is taken seriously in Hawaii, where every report of a ferret is checked. One captured last year in Hilo was turned over to the Hawaii Island Humane Society, flown to Honolulu and quarantined until it could be shipped out of state. The penalty for importing, selling or possessing a ferret in Hawaii is a fine up to $200,000 and as many as three years in jail.
Dr. Valarie Tynes, a veterinarian with the AVMA, said breeders who spay and neuter ferrets before selling them could allay states' concerns that the animals could escape and procreate.
'I think there have been concerns by some that if ferrets got loose, they might thrive in the wild in the United States and possibly be damaging to native populations,' she said. 'I think it's interesting, as long as they've been pets, I've never heard of any place that's happened.'
California's 80-year-old ban can be changed by commission vote or legislation, and there have been six attempts at a bill since 1994. A 2004 proposal came closest when it reached the desk of the governor - Arnold Schwarzenegger, who appeared with a ferret in 'Kindergarten Cop.' He vetoed it.
Wright is looking for another lawmaker willing to sponsor a new round of legislation, but conceded that task alone was difficult. With legislators facing issues like the budget, gun control and health care, he noted, anyone who goes to bat for ferrets will probably be mocked.
___
Online:
http://www.avma.org
This news article is brought to you by DATING AND RELATIONSHIP ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Warner Bros. unveils animation think tank featuring teams behind "Cats & Dogs" and "The Muppets"
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Warner Bros. doesn't want rivals like Walt Disney Studios and 20th Century Fox to have a stranglehold on the lucrative animation market.
But the studio is trying a different approach in an effort to bolster its animated efforts. Instead of unveiling a new division, it's announcing an animation creative consortium, featuring the likes of John Requa and Glenn Ficarra ('Crazy, Stupid, Love.,' 'Cats & Dogs') and Nicholas Stoller ('The Muppets') that will help it develop its family offerings. Also on the team will be Phil Lord and Chris Miller ('Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs') and Jared Stern ('Mr. Popper's Penguins'). The approach is to bet on filmmakers who have a track record in family entertainment.
The consortium will not have any overhead costs associated with it, an individual with knowledge of its workings told TheWrap, but it has been given a mandate to develop and produce family-oriented works with broad appeal. The studio wants to release at least one animated film a year under the Warner Bros. Pictures banner.
'Warner Bros. has an extraordinary legacy in the world of animation, including some of the most enduring characters in cinema history,' Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, said in a statement. 'Looking to the future, we have now gathered some of the best and brightest talents in the industry to help us grow and broaden that legacy.'
In addition, Warner Bros. gave an indication of what its animated future might look like, announcing that the first feature in the pipeline is 'The LEGO Movie.' Lord and Miller wrote the screenplay inspired by the popular children's toy and will direct. The film will feature the voices of Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Will Arnett and Morgan Freeman and is slated for release on February 7, 2014.
Warner Bros. said that other projects include 'Storks' directed by Doug Sweetland, who helmed the Pixar short 'Presto'; and 'Smallfoot,' which will be written by Requa and Ficarra, from an original idea by 'Despicable Me's' Sergio Pablos. Pablos will direct 'Smallfoot.' Warner Bros. said that 'Storks' and 'Smallfoot' are being targeted for release in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
It's not that Warner Bros. has been devoid of animated hits. 'Happy Feet' grossed nearly $385 million globally for the studio in 2006. However, other films like 2010's 'Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole' ($180 million worldwide) and 'Happy Feet Two' ($150 million worldwide) did not earn enough to justify their sizable production budgets.
Moreover, Walt Disney has continued to hold sway over children's entertainment thanks to its acquisition of Pixar and Fox's Blue Sky Studios has become real player with its 'Ice Age' films. Moreover, the recent distribution pact between Fox and DreamWorks Animation threatens to turn that studio into an animation powerhouse. At the same time, Paramount has announced that it has its eye on the toon game and has launched its own in-house animation division.
The competition in the genre is pitched, but the allure is undeniable. Animated films tend to travel across cultural boundaries and are easily dubbed into other languages, making them essential to studios who recognize that any substantial growth in their overall box office take must come from aboard.
The development of animated features will be overseen at Warner Bros. by production executives Courtenay Valenti, Chris deFaria and Greg Silverman. Overall look, character design and the story reel process will be housed in Warner Bros.' Burbank offices, but the studio said it will look to partner with established animation studios for production of the films.
But the studio is trying a different approach in an effort to bolster its animated efforts. Instead of unveiling a new division, it's announcing an animation creative consortium, featuring the likes of John Requa and Glenn Ficarra ('Crazy, Stupid, Love.,' 'Cats & Dogs') and Nicholas Stoller ('The Muppets') that will help it develop its family offerings. Also on the team will be Phil Lord and Chris Miller ('Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs') and Jared Stern ('Mr. Popper's Penguins'). The approach is to bet on filmmakers who have a track record in family entertainment.
The consortium will not have any overhead costs associated with it, an individual with knowledge of its workings told TheWrap, but it has been given a mandate to develop and produce family-oriented works with broad appeal. The studio wants to release at least one animated film a year under the Warner Bros. Pictures banner.
'Warner Bros. has an extraordinary legacy in the world of animation, including some of the most enduring characters in cinema history,' Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, said in a statement. 'Looking to the future, we have now gathered some of the best and brightest talents in the industry to help us grow and broaden that legacy.'
In addition, Warner Bros. gave an indication of what its animated future might look like, announcing that the first feature in the pipeline is 'The LEGO Movie.' Lord and Miller wrote the screenplay inspired by the popular children's toy and will direct. The film will feature the voices of Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Will Arnett and Morgan Freeman and is slated for release on February 7, 2014.
Warner Bros. said that other projects include 'Storks' directed by Doug Sweetland, who helmed the Pixar short 'Presto'; and 'Smallfoot,' which will be written by Requa and Ficarra, from an original idea by 'Despicable Me's' Sergio Pablos. Pablos will direct 'Smallfoot.' Warner Bros. said that 'Storks' and 'Smallfoot' are being targeted for release in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
It's not that Warner Bros. has been devoid of animated hits. 'Happy Feet' grossed nearly $385 million globally for the studio in 2006. However, other films like 2010's 'Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole' ($180 million worldwide) and 'Happy Feet Two' ($150 million worldwide) did not earn enough to justify their sizable production budgets.
Moreover, Walt Disney has continued to hold sway over children's entertainment thanks to its acquisition of Pixar and Fox's Blue Sky Studios has become real player with its 'Ice Age' films. Moreover, the recent distribution pact between Fox and DreamWorks Animation threatens to turn that studio into an animation powerhouse. At the same time, Paramount has announced that it has its eye on the toon game and has launched its own in-house animation division.
The competition in the genre is pitched, but the allure is undeniable. Animated films tend to travel across cultural boundaries and are easily dubbed into other languages, making them essential to studios who recognize that any substantial growth in their overall box office take must come from aboard.
The development of animated features will be overseen at Warner Bros. by production executives Courtenay Valenti, Chris deFaria and Greg Silverman. Overall look, character design and the story reel process will be housed in Warner Bros.' Burbank offices, but the studio said it will look to partner with established animation studios for production of the films.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Sumatran Tigers Finally Mate at National Zoo
Fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers are left in the wild, and as their numbers continue to dwindle, zoos are turning to captive breeding as a way to conserve the critically endangered species.
But captive cats don't always approach mating as if the survival of their species depends on it. That's why the Smithsonian's National Zoo excitedly announced this week that its two Sumatran tigers, Kavi and Damai, finally bred.
Zoo officials have documented the careful courtship process on their Tiger Diary blog. They said the tigers first met in the fall of 2012, and were initially only given visual access to each other, kept physically separated by a door. The two were finally brought together in December when Damai, the female, went into heat, and zoo officials prepared for a potentially volatile conjugal visit.
'When we first do an introduction we have everyone available there with hoses and carbon dioxide fire extinguishers, as well as people manning the doors so that we can try and separate the cats if things turn ugly,' read a Tiger Diary entry last month. 'If you have ever heard house cats mating, you know that it can be difficult to tell between things going well and things going badly. This can be true with tigers as well, only much louder.'
But the meeting wasn't nearly so explosive. Instead, when the door opened, Damai abandoned her flirtatious behavior of the previous few weeks and hid under a bench. Over the next days, keepers brought the cats together while Damai wasn't in heat. [Fun Facts About Tigers]
'We feel that these 'soft' intros really helped Damai understand that Kavi had no intention of hurting her,' zoo officials wrote in a Jan. 2 post. 'We would wait until both cats had settled down in their respective enclosures and then open the door that separated them. Then we watched what appeared to be a whole lot of nothing. But in fact, over the course of a couple of weeks, there was a gradual easing of tension.'
By the time Damai went into heat again, she was more confident and relaxed with her partner, zookeepers said, and the two mated - though Kavi did not emerge totally unscathed.
'There were still a few false starts and . when the fur flew, it always seemed to be Kavi's fur, not Damai's,' a blog entry read. 'There was never any serious damage done, but still Kavi's patience and self control have been very impressive.'
Zoo officials explained that for tigers, the breeding itself causes the female's ovaries to release eggs. So they'll know that Damai is pregnant if she does not go into heat again.
Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
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But captive cats don't always approach mating as if the survival of their species depends on it. That's why the Smithsonian's National Zoo excitedly announced this week that its two Sumatran tigers, Kavi and Damai, finally bred.
Zoo officials have documented the careful courtship process on their Tiger Diary blog. They said the tigers first met in the fall of 2012, and were initially only given visual access to each other, kept physically separated by a door. The two were finally brought together in December when Damai, the female, went into heat, and zoo officials prepared for a potentially volatile conjugal visit.
'When we first do an introduction we have everyone available there with hoses and carbon dioxide fire extinguishers, as well as people manning the doors so that we can try and separate the cats if things turn ugly,' read a Tiger Diary entry last month. 'If you have ever heard house cats mating, you know that it can be difficult to tell between things going well and things going badly. This can be true with tigers as well, only much louder.'
But the meeting wasn't nearly so explosive. Instead, when the door opened, Damai abandoned her flirtatious behavior of the previous few weeks and hid under a bench. Over the next days, keepers brought the cats together while Damai wasn't in heat. [Fun Facts About Tigers]
'We feel that these 'soft' intros really helped Damai understand that Kavi had no intention of hurting her,' zoo officials wrote in a Jan. 2 post. 'We would wait until both cats had settled down in their respective enclosures and then open the door that separated them. Then we watched what appeared to be a whole lot of nothing. But in fact, over the course of a couple of weeks, there was a gradual easing of tension.'
By the time Damai went into heat again, she was more confident and relaxed with her partner, zookeepers said, and the two mated - though Kavi did not emerge totally unscathed.
'There were still a few false starts and . when the fur flew, it always seemed to be Kavi's fur, not Damai's,' a blog entry read. 'There was never any serious damage done, but still Kavi's patience and self control have been very impressive.'
Zoo officials explained that for tigers, the breeding itself causes the female's ovaries to release eggs. So they'll know that Damai is pregnant if she does not go into heat again.
Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
- Gallery: Tiger Species of the World
- Album: Bouncing Zoo Babies of 2012
- Here, Kitty, Kitty: 10 Facts for Cat Lovers
This article is brought to you by FREE DATING SITES.
France's Bardot threatens exile over elephants
PARIS (AP) - Sex symbol-turned-animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot is threatening to join actor Gerard Depardieu in Russian exile unless France halts the scheduled euthanasia of two sick circus elephants.
The 1960s screen diva says authorities have ignored her 'numerous proposals' to save Baby and Nepal, a pair of 42-year-old elephants dying of tuberculosis at a Lyon zoo.
In a statement on her foundation's website Bardot says that if the elephants are killed she will request Russian citizenship 'to flee this country that is now just a graveyard for animals.'
This week France was shocked to learn Depardieu, an Academy Award-winner and pillar of French cinema, had received Russian citizenship after he was called 'pathetic' by France's prime minister in a bust-up over the country's proposed 75 percent income tax for the superrich.
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY GOSSIP NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
The 1960s screen diva says authorities have ignored her 'numerous proposals' to save Baby and Nepal, a pair of 42-year-old elephants dying of tuberculosis at a Lyon zoo.
In a statement on her foundation's website Bardot says that if the elephants are killed she will request Russian citizenship 'to flee this country that is now just a graveyard for animals.'
This week France was shocked to learn Depardieu, an Academy Award-winner and pillar of French cinema, had received Russian citizenship after he was called 'pathetic' by France's prime minister in a bust-up over the country's proposed 75 percent income tax for the superrich.
This news article is brought to you by CELEBRITY GOSSIP NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
ASPCA Helps Sandy Victims Claim Pets
Three months after Superstorm Sandy made landfall, devastating parts of New York and New Jersey, thousands of victims still await aid from the government, while lost animals wait to be found by their owners.
Now, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is encouraging pet owners uprooted by the Oct. 29 storm to visit its temporary shelter in Brooklyn and reclaim their missing pets.
'After 45-plus days in an emergency shelter environment, these pets really need to get in a home,' said Tim Rickey, senior director of the ASPCA Field and Investigations Department. 'It's not healthy physically or mentally. We're trying to get these guys out of here and get them into forever homes.'
WATCH: Pets Displaced by Superstorm Sandy Find New Homes
At last count, there are 137 pets awaiting possible reunions with their owners. So far, the boarding facility has been successful in reuniting many of the pets displaced by Sandy.
Six weeks ago, the ASPCA opened the boarding facility as a temporary emergency shelter serving the needs of animals seven days a week in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. About 300 pets - mostly dogs and cats - were taken in. As the shelter prepares to close down its temporary operation, Rickey and his team are trying to find these pets permanent homes.
'We've talked to folks who have been struggling for the last month and a half and come and get their pet,' said Rickey. 'For some, tonight will be the first night their family has been complete since Superstorm Sandy hit.'
READ: Pets Lost and Found in Sandy's Wake
In the days after Sandy, when pet owners weren't walking through the doors, the not-for-profit corporation took a grassroots approach to connect owners and their pets by posting flyers, creating public service announcements and uploading photos of lost animals through the website Animal Care and Control of New York City's lost pets. As the ASPCA winds down its Brooklyn operations, it's also encouraging owners who are unable to come to the shelter to search online for their four-legged companions.
'We want to give residents every opportunity to be reunited with their pets,' said Rickey. 'We're hoping to see a lot of folks throughout the weekend.'
Through this large-scale effort, the ASPCA has been able to shelter 300 animals. Of that number, many dogs were treated for upper respiratory issues by close to 50 veterinarians from New York City Veterinary Emergency Response Team and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT).
The ASPCA ran field rescue operations in the earliest days post-Sandy, saving more then 300 pets from homes of evacuated owners in New Jersey and New York. The ASPCA set up mobile wellness clinics to some of the most severe areas, providing free vet services including flea medication, physical exams and vaccinations. It also distributed 40 tons of pet supplies to pet owners heavily affected by the storm. Overall, the ASPCA was able to help and provide care to 30,000 pets.
'We have everything from Labradors, Pit bulls to Poodles - any type of dog you could imagine,' said Rickey. 'These operations could not be done without a large medical presence.'
RELATED: Superstorm Sandy: Pets Displaced by Storm Get Help in California
Rickey, along with 500 volunteers from the organization and outside agencies from across the country, combed the hardest-hit areas of New Jersey and the outer city boroughs, starting in mid-November. Teams from Colorado, Florida, Missouri and Pennsylvania have worked around the clock to volunteer.
'We do this because we're compassionate about the animals and the human-animal bond,' said Rickey. 'It's important for us to provide that safe haven for pets.'
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