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Blackmarket elephant trade = bastardy.
Sep. 4th, 2008 10:37 amhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7597835.stm
Treating heroin addiction in an elephant = nifty.
Treating heroin addiction in an elephant = nifty.
Well, he had the right idea.
Jan. 30th, 2006 11:12 pmShould have run away faster though.
'Little Birdy' Jumps Wall, Injures Bullfight Fans
MEXICO CITY -- Bullfight spectators in Mexico City got a lot closer to the action than they intended.
Several were injured when a 1,000-pound bull nicknamed "Little Birdy" jumped into the stands Sunday. At least two people were hospitalized.
Television images showed the bull jumping from the ring and spectators trying to scatter as the animal roared through the aisles.
One of the bullfighters eventually stabbed and killed the bull.
The incident didn't stop the event for long. The bullfighting resumed 30 minutes later.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
I find it entertaining that the bull had the same name as my horse.
'Little Birdy' Jumps Wall, Injures Bullfight Fans
MEXICO CITY -- Bullfight spectators in Mexico City got a lot closer to the action than they intended.
Several were injured when a 1,000-pound bull nicknamed "Little Birdy" jumped into the stands Sunday. At least two people were hospitalized.
Television images showed the bull jumping from the ring and spectators trying to scatter as the animal roared through the aisles.
One of the bullfighters eventually stabbed and killed the bull.
The incident didn't stop the event for long. The bullfighting resumed 30 minutes later.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
I find it entertaining that the bull had the same name as my horse.
And on a happier note...
Jan. 25th, 2006 09:05 pmhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/25/AR2006012501967.html
Blind baby spider picture...how cute! (ok, yes, i'm odd. i do actually think spiders are cute.)
Blind baby spider picture...how cute! (ok, yes, i'm odd. i do actually think spiders are cute.)
Why does the cat only get a "perhaps"?
Jan. 11th, 2006 08:26 pmhttp://www.wesh.com/family/5998305/detail.html
"Perhaps a cat that saved her family from a house fire on Monday night was a hero..."
Doesn't saving several people typically qualify a critter for hero-ness? (We're just assuming that saving people is a good thing here.)
"Perhaps a cat that saved her family from a house fire on Monday night was a hero..."
Doesn't saving several people typically qualify a critter for hero-ness? (We're just assuming that saving people is a good thing here.)
FORT SUMNER, New Mexico (AP) -- A mouse got its revenge against a homeowner who tried to dispose of it in a pile of burning leaves. The blazing creature ran back to the man's house and set it on fire.
Rest of article at: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/08/mouse.fire.ap/index.html
Hopefully that'll teach the bloke to be nicer to the wee beasties. Sucks that the mouse most likely didn't make it back out of the house.
Rest of article at: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/08/mouse.fire.ap/index.html
Hopefully that'll teach the bloke to be nicer to the wee beasties. Sucks that the mouse most likely didn't make it back out of the house.
Cat calls 911 to help owner, police say
Jan. 2nd, 2006 06:45 pmJan 2, 6:39 AM EST
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Police aren't sure how else to explain it. But when an officer walked into an apartment Thursday night to answer a 911 call, an orange-and-tan striped cat was lying by a telephone on the living room floor. The cat's owner, Gary Rosheisen, was on the ground near his bed having fallen out of his wheelchair.
Full Article:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/9/911_CAT_CALL?SITE=KING&TEMPLATE=STRANGEHEADS.html&SECTION=HOME
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Police aren't sure how else to explain it. But when an officer walked into an apartment Thursday night to answer a 911 call, an orange-and-tan striped cat was lying by a telephone on the living room floor. The cat's owner, Gary Rosheisen, was on the ground near his bed having fallen out of his wheelchair.
Full Article:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/9/911_CAT_CALL?SITE=KING&TEMPLATE=STRANGEHEADS.html&SECTION=HOME
Alzheimer's aid dogs
Sep. 11th, 2005 11:37 pmFrom AKC Family Dog
By Leslie Crane Rugg
Assume all typos are my fault, but don't blame me for the grammar.
For the wide majority of the elderly coping with Alzheimer's, their home remains a familiar anchor and their daily routines provide secure comfort. But the distraction of new stimuli or even too much of the familiar at one time can produce anxiety that only exacerbates the symptoms. Couple this with the fact that Alzheimer's patients don't necessarily feel physically ill, so ensuring some degree of independence and the ability to leave home, if only for a walk, is vital to balancing the mental and emotional fallout of this disease.
Taking all these factors into consideration, a resourceful dog trainer based in Israel came up with the concept of an Alzheimer's aid dog. Having trained assistance and service dogs for people with a variety of physical challenges, Yariv Ben-Yossef challenged himself to use the canine-human bond in improving the welfare of people in the early to middle stages of Alzheimer's disease. To put his theories into practice, Ben-Yossef gathered experts from the worlds of human medicine, scientific technology, and dog breeding.
Contrary to the custom of using Labrador or Golden retrievers as sevice dogs, Ben-Yossef had a different breed in mind. "The basic qualities that I looked for in a female dog of a certain size were well-developed drives, maternal instinct, ability to function under pressure, and stability regardless of changes in routine or variability of lifestyle," he says. What he wanted was the smooth Collie--the short-haired version of Lassie.
With help from an Israeli Collie breeer, Ben-Yossef contaced Eva and Leslie Rappaport, an Oregon-based mother-daughter team, who have bred and trained their Kings Valley Collies for 34 years. Their dogs have earned championships and titles in conformation, obedience, agility, herding, tracking, and rally, and have been used for protection, wilderness rescue, therapy, guide dogs for the blind, and assistance dogs for other handicaps. Now Alzheimer's aid dog has been added to this impressive list of accomplishments.
The Rappaports' philosophy about breeding meshed perfectly with Ben-Yossef's. The Rappaports have strived to create Collies who, as Leslie notes, are "sound in mind and body, resilient in personality, physical sturdiness, and good health." While this statement may apply to all breeds of dogs, both Ben-Yossef and the Rappaports agree that the Collie brings a special instinct to service work, traceable to the breed's ancient relationship to the shepherd and his family as well as its channeled drive to care for vulnerable creatures.
Leslie and Eva have taken that instinct a step further, breeding for and training Collies to trust their own common sense, wisdom, and decision-making ability. The Rappaports look for dogs not just capapble of performing a particular kind of task, but ones who can adapt to new situations and, as Leslie describes it, "can apply what they learn in one setting to new and changing environments."
When selecting a puppy for Ben-Yossef to train as the first American-bred Alzheimer's aid dog, the Rappaports found an ideal candidate named Kings Valley Wonder of Wonders. When Ben-Yossef began working with her, he gave her the call name Sunshine and she's living up to everyone's expectations.
At the completion of Sunshine's training, Ben-Yossef and the Rappaports hope to place her with an Alzheimer's patient here in the United States to demonstrate the profound and positive value an Alzheimer's aid dog can have. Ben-Yossef and the Rappaports also hope to establish a center for training and placement of Alzheimer's aid dogs in the US, so that the impressive work begun in one small corner of the world can benefit many more.
Sunshine will learn to respond to an electronic homing device, equipped with a type of global positioning system, which indicates the need to bring her patient home as well as their location. Similarly, her bark will signal a communication device, alerting the family that the patient is in need of special assistance. Most importantly, Sunshine's Alzheimer's patient will never feel lonely or alone again, not as long as this smooth-coated Lassie is present, bringing a sense of life, joy, and purpose with each light step, meaningful bark, playful glance, and gentle kiss.
Ok, flowery descriptions and clunky grammar aside, I threw this article up here mostly for the last paragraph. I find it incredibly neat that they are using two-way communication technology with a dog. And I cannot explain my fascination any better than that, because exhaustion and caffiene overdosing are causing my English to fail.
By Leslie Crane Rugg
Assume all typos are my fault, but don't blame me for the grammar.
For the wide majority of the elderly coping with Alzheimer's, their home remains a familiar anchor and their daily routines provide secure comfort. But the distraction of new stimuli or even too much of the familiar at one time can produce anxiety that only exacerbates the symptoms. Couple this with the fact that Alzheimer's patients don't necessarily feel physically ill, so ensuring some degree of independence and the ability to leave home, if only for a walk, is vital to balancing the mental and emotional fallout of this disease.
Taking all these factors into consideration, a resourceful dog trainer based in Israel came up with the concept of an Alzheimer's aid dog. Having trained assistance and service dogs for people with a variety of physical challenges, Yariv Ben-Yossef challenged himself to use the canine-human bond in improving the welfare of people in the early to middle stages of Alzheimer's disease. To put his theories into practice, Ben-Yossef gathered experts from the worlds of human medicine, scientific technology, and dog breeding.
Contrary to the custom of using Labrador or Golden retrievers as sevice dogs, Ben-Yossef had a different breed in mind. "The basic qualities that I looked for in a female dog of a certain size were well-developed drives, maternal instinct, ability to function under pressure, and stability regardless of changes in routine or variability of lifestyle," he says. What he wanted was the smooth Collie--the short-haired version of Lassie.
With help from an Israeli Collie breeer, Ben-Yossef contaced Eva and Leslie Rappaport, an Oregon-based mother-daughter team, who have bred and trained their Kings Valley Collies for 34 years. Their dogs have earned championships and titles in conformation, obedience, agility, herding, tracking, and rally, and have been used for protection, wilderness rescue, therapy, guide dogs for the blind, and assistance dogs for other handicaps. Now Alzheimer's aid dog has been added to this impressive list of accomplishments.
The Rappaports' philosophy about breeding meshed perfectly with Ben-Yossef's. The Rappaports have strived to create Collies who, as Leslie notes, are "sound in mind and body, resilient in personality, physical sturdiness, and good health." While this statement may apply to all breeds of dogs, both Ben-Yossef and the Rappaports agree that the Collie brings a special instinct to service work, traceable to the breed's ancient relationship to the shepherd and his family as well as its channeled drive to care for vulnerable creatures.
Leslie and Eva have taken that instinct a step further, breeding for and training Collies to trust their own common sense, wisdom, and decision-making ability. The Rappaports look for dogs not just capapble of performing a particular kind of task, but ones who can adapt to new situations and, as Leslie describes it, "can apply what they learn in one setting to new and changing environments."
When selecting a puppy for Ben-Yossef to train as the first American-bred Alzheimer's aid dog, the Rappaports found an ideal candidate named Kings Valley Wonder of Wonders. When Ben-Yossef began working with her, he gave her the call name Sunshine and she's living up to everyone's expectations.
At the completion of Sunshine's training, Ben-Yossef and the Rappaports hope to place her with an Alzheimer's patient here in the United States to demonstrate the profound and positive value an Alzheimer's aid dog can have. Ben-Yossef and the Rappaports also hope to establish a center for training and placement of Alzheimer's aid dogs in the US, so that the impressive work begun in one small corner of the world can benefit many more.
Sunshine will learn to respond to an electronic homing device, equipped with a type of global positioning system, which indicates the need to bring her patient home as well as their location. Similarly, her bark will signal a communication device, alerting the family that the patient is in need of special assistance. Most importantly, Sunshine's Alzheimer's patient will never feel lonely or alone again, not as long as this smooth-coated Lassie is present, bringing a sense of life, joy, and purpose with each light step, meaningful bark, playful glance, and gentle kiss.
Ok, flowery descriptions and clunky grammar aside, I threw this article up here mostly for the last paragraph. I find it incredibly neat that they are using two-way communication technology with a dog. And I cannot explain my fascination any better than that, because exhaustion and caffiene overdosing are causing my English to fail.
Lions free kidnapped girl
Jun. 24th, 2005 12:43 pmFrom: http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/06/21/ethiopia.lions.ap/index.html
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 Posted: 1556 GMT (2356 HKT)
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Police say three lions rescued a 12-year-old girl kidnapped by men who wanted to force her into marriage, chasing off her abductors and guarding her until police and relatives tracked her down in a remote corner of Ethiopia.
The men had held the girl for seven days, repeatedly beating her, before the lions chased them away and guarded her for half a day before her family and police found her, Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo said Tuesday by telephone from the provincial capital of Bita Genet, some 560 kilometers (348 miles) west of the capital, Addis Ababa.
"They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest," Wondimu said, adding he did not know whether the lions were male or female.
News of the June 9 rescue was slow to filter out from Kefa Zone in southwestern Ethiopia.
"If the lions had not come to her rescue then it could have been much worse. Often these young girls are raped and severely beaten to force them to accept the marriage," he said.
"Everyone ... thinks this is some kind of miracle, because normally the lions would attack people," Wondimu said.
Stuart Williams, a wildlife expert with the rural development ministry, said that it was likely that the young girl was saved because she was crying from the trauma of her attack.
"A young girl whimpering could be mistaken for the mewing sound from a lion cub, which in turn could explain why they (the lions) didn't eat her," Williams said. "Otherwise they probably would have done."
The girl, the youngest of four brothers and sisters, was "shocked and terrified" and had to be treated for the cuts from her beatings, Wondimu said.
He said that police had caught four of the men, but were still looking for three others.
In Ethiopia, kidnapping has long been part of the marriage custom, a tradition of sorrow and violence whose origins are murky.
The United Nations estimates that more than 70 percent of marriages in Ethiopia are by abduction, practiced in rural areas where the majority of the country's 71 million people live.
Ethiopia's lions, famous for their large black manes, are the country's national symbol and adorn statues and the local currency. Former emperor Haile Selassie kept a pride in the royal palace in Addis Ababa.
Despite their integral place in Ethiopia culture, their numbers have been falling, according to experts, as farmers encroach on bush land.
Hunters also kill the animals for their skins, which can fetch $1,000, despite a recent crackdown against illegal animal trading across the country. Williams said that at most only 1,000 Ethiopian lions remain in the wild.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005 Posted: 1556 GMT (2356 HKT)
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Police say three lions rescued a 12-year-old girl kidnapped by men who wanted to force her into marriage, chasing off her abductors and guarding her until police and relatives tracked her down in a remote corner of Ethiopia.
The men had held the girl for seven days, repeatedly beating her, before the lions chased them away and guarded her for half a day before her family and police found her, Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo said Tuesday by telephone from the provincial capital of Bita Genet, some 560 kilometers (348 miles) west of the capital, Addis Ababa.
"They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest," Wondimu said, adding he did not know whether the lions were male or female.
News of the June 9 rescue was slow to filter out from Kefa Zone in southwestern Ethiopia.
"If the lions had not come to her rescue then it could have been much worse. Often these young girls are raped and severely beaten to force them to accept the marriage," he said.
"Everyone ... thinks this is some kind of miracle, because normally the lions would attack people," Wondimu said.
Stuart Williams, a wildlife expert with the rural development ministry, said that it was likely that the young girl was saved because she was crying from the trauma of her attack.
"A young girl whimpering could be mistaken for the mewing sound from a lion cub, which in turn could explain why they (the lions) didn't eat her," Williams said. "Otherwise they probably would have done."
The girl, the youngest of four brothers and sisters, was "shocked and terrified" and had to be treated for the cuts from her beatings, Wondimu said.
He said that police had caught four of the men, but were still looking for three others.
In Ethiopia, kidnapping has long been part of the marriage custom, a tradition of sorrow and violence whose origins are murky.
The United Nations estimates that more than 70 percent of marriages in Ethiopia are by abduction, practiced in rural areas where the majority of the country's 71 million people live.
Ethiopia's lions, famous for their large black manes, are the country's national symbol and adorn statues and the local currency. Former emperor Haile Selassie kept a pride in the royal palace in Addis Ababa.
Despite their integral place in Ethiopia culture, their numbers have been falling, according to experts, as farmers encroach on bush land.
Hunters also kill the animals for their skins, which can fetch $1,000, despite a recent crackdown against illegal animal trading across the country. Williams said that at most only 1,000 Ethiopian lions remain in the wild.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
