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Tag: Animals

  • The US Is About to Drown in a Sea of Kittens

    The US Is About to Drown in a Sea of Kittens

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    Scientists, conservationists, and cat advocates all agree that unchecked outdoor cat populations are a problem, but they remain deeply divided on solutions. While some conservationists propose the targeted killing of cats, known as culling, cat populations have been observed to bounce back quickly, and a single female cat and her offspring can produce at least 100 descendants, if not thousands, in just seven years.

    Although sterilization protocols such as “trap, neuter, and release” are favored by many cat rescue organizations, Lepczyk said it’s almost impossible to do it effectively, in part because of how freely the animals roam and how quickly they procreate. Without homes or sanctuaries after sterilization, returning cats outside means they may have a low quality of life, spread disease, and continue to harm wildlife. “No matter what technique you use, if you don’t stop the flow of new cats into the landscape, it’s not gonna matter,” said Lepczyk.

    Rescue shelters, already under strain from resource and veterinary shortages, are scrambling to confront their new reality. While some release materials to help the community identify when outdoor kittens need intervention, others focus on recruiting for foster volunteer programs, which become essential caring for kittens who need around-the-clock care.

    “As the population continues to explode, how do we address all these little lives that need our help?” Dunn said. “We’re giving this everything we have.”

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    Sachi Mulkey

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  • After 30 Years Together, New York Resident Fights to Reclaim Seized Pet Alligator – Southwest Journal

    After 30 Years Together, New York Resident Fights to Reclaim Seized Pet Alligator – Southwest Journal

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    HAMBURG, N.Y. — A New York man is battling to get his alligator back after conservation officers confiscated the reptile, which he claims is harmless and has been a part of his family for over 30 years. Tony Cavallaro faced officers at his Buffalo suburb residence last week, who came with a warrant to take his alligator named Albert, a 12-foot (3.6-meter), 750-pound (340-kilogram) creature. They sedated Albert, secured his mouth, and transported him in a van.

    The Department of Environmental Conservation cited the expiration of Cavallaro’s license to keep Albert in 2021. Furthermore, Cavallaro’s interactions with the alligator, including allowing others to touch and swim with Albert, violated regulations regarding the ownership of animals deemed dangerous.

    Tony Cavallaro`s Mom Feeding Crocodile Albert
    Screenshot from Instagram / cavallaro966

    Cavallaro, 64, disagrees with this characterization. He insists that Albert, who has been raised in captivity since he was two months old and bought at an Ohio reptile show, has never been aggressive towards humans or pets. He reminisced about times when Albert and his dog would snuggle together.

    Describing Albert as an “emotional support animal,” Cavallaro has invested $120,000 in a home extension tailored to the alligator’s needs, featuring a heated pond, tropical plants, and a bar. Since the seizure, he finds the space devoid of its main attraction.

    Cavallaro’s fight to reclaim Albert has garnered widespread support, evidenced by a petition with over 120,000 signatures and social media campaigns. A friend even composed a song titled “Oh Albert, please come home” to support the cause.

    Despite his personal bond with Albert, Cavallaro admits to letting visitors interact closely with the alligator, emphasizing Albert’s gentle nature, even with his elderly mother.

    The issue arose from a failure to renew his license after changes in the laws governing the possession of dangerous animals in 2020. Cavallaro attempted to renew his license but found the regulations unclear and believes his previous compliance should be grandfathered in.

    Cavallaro’s passion for reptiles is long-standing, with a history of owning various species. He refutes claims by the DEC about Albert’s health problems, asserting the alligator’s well-being and disputing any vision or spinal issues.

    The DEC has placed Albert with a licensed caretaker temporarily, not disclosing the location, while plans for his permanent care are made. The case highlights the complexities of owning exotic pets in the U.S., where abandoned alligators in public spaces occasionally surface, raising concerns about their welfare and public safety.

    Source: Yahoo

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    Srdjan Ilic

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  • Baby Goats = Pure Happiness at Split Creek Farm

    Baby Goats = Pure Happiness at Split Creek Farm

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    Do you love baby goats? KAG’s Kristina Hernandez sure does. She visited local farm, Split Creek Farm in Anderson, SC, and got to spend some time with baby goats. You can head to Split Creek Farm and see goats, too. This farm offers tours, events, a farm store with delicious cheese and more.

    For more places to see and interact with animals, see our Petting Zoos in and near the Upstate.

    When you have the chance to play with baby goats, you play with baby goats. You get insanely happy. You wear a silly smile on your face for hours. And then your heart breaks a bit when you can’t take them home.

    That’s what happened at Split Creek Farm, an award-winning goat farm in Anderson, SC when I visited one morning. Time flew by as I got a tour from co-owner and goat-lover Sandra. We saw mama goats who were about to have their kids, baby goats playing together, baby goats sleeping all piled up together, baby goats eating my pants, and little tiny baby goats getting trained on bottle feeding.

    I fell in love with a three-day-old little girl baby goat that had soft, black fur and let me hold her (ok, Sandra let me hold her). Seriously, this was blissful. It made me happy, which for me, is kind of hard to come by some days.

    What Happens at Split Creek Farm

    The stellar reputation of this farm precedes them. This farm has so many awards for their cheeses, goat milk products, and actual goats that they have a legitimate little museum on site to house all their trophies, ribbons, and plaques.

    In 2022, they came in third place in the world for their Feta Marinated in Olive Oil and first place in the United States. In 2017, they beat out every single American producer and farmer in the cheese category for their feta. And in 2010, they took home the Gold Medal at the World Championship of Cheese Contest in Madison, WI, beating cheeses from France, Italy, and the US.

    This little farm plays in the big leagues and they are darn proud of it, as they should be. They’ve been providing grade A goat milk for over 30 years and their passion just radiates from every aspect of the farm, from the little goat babies to end products of cheese, fudge, and yogurt.

    You can purchase their products at the shop on the farm or online but also enjoy the cheeses at many Greenville restaurants such as The Anchorage, Farm Fresh Fast, Bacon Brothers, Stella’s Southern Bistro, GB&D, Farm House Tacos, Passerelle, and a dozen others.

    Kidding Season

    Springtime is their busy season as kidding has begun, which is a round-the-clock operation. As a mother, I understand nighttime feedings, little sleep, and running on fumes. Split Creek Farm estimates they will have around 100 baby goats by the end of kidding season in April. These cute little animals that need round-the-clock care and feeding every two hours for the first two days of their lives, then hands-on care as they learn to feed themselves from the bottle for the next few days.

    This goes on for months! I snuck a peek into one of the employee-only rooms off the little shop at the farm. There were five or six pack ‘n plays all lined up. I had stumbled into the goat nursery. Unfortunately, no newborn goats were there but just imagining the care that these little guys and girls need when they are born is overwhelming. Sandra told me she has a similar setup at her house, as does her co-owner, Jessica Bell.

    Whoa.

    I asked Sandra if she sleeps, which was like asking a new mom the same question. You can guess the answer.

    Can I See Baby Goats, Too?

    Yes! Split Creek Farm is all about educating the public on what they do, how they treat their animals, what they produce from the farm, and how cool goats are. They have Adirondack chairs and benches all over the place for guests to just come and hang out. They have a little shop that sells their goat cheeses, fudge, and milk plus all kinds of other goodies like goat stuffed animals, soap, and trinkets.

    Baby goats, like baby humans, have a delicate immune system so you can’t just frolic around and hold the little guys and girls. Families especially have to be careful since kids tend to carry around germs more than others (or so it seems). But they are welcome to come and check out the kids and see the other animals.

    Don’t miss their Spring Means Babies festival on April 20, 2024 from 10 am – 3 pm. You’ll be able to see all the babies and shop from cool, local vendors.

    Educational Tours at Split Creek Farm

    The farm understands the importance of educating the public because it pertains directly to their survival. If the public is familiar with how the farm works, what they do, and why it is important, the community will be more supportive, which benefits everyone. For children especially, learning where food comes from in a fun environment is beneficial to their education and knowledge.

    Split Creek Farm is not a huge farm with lots of volunteers and employees. In fact, there are less than ten people that work there, which shocked me because I observed a mere fraction of the work that was being done and it was a great deal, more than I would have thought a small number of people could pull off.

    They introduced a new, self-guided tour with plaques all around the farm that explain what they do, the different breeds of goats on the farm, and how milking works. It’s awesome and very educational. You can take the tour on Fridays and Saturdays when they are open for visiting hours.

    Split Creek Farm tours

    Goat Yoga at Split Creek Farm

    As you may imagine, Split Creek Farm goat yoga sessions are insanely popular. They allow guests to bring their yoga mats out in the field with the mama goats, who just love all the attention. The animals are gentle and just like to hang out and befriend whoever comes their way. Stay tuned to their Facebook page for dates.

    “We probably do more playing with goats than actual yoga,” Sandra tells me.

    Guests who come for goat yoga are also able to play with the baby goats (yay!), specifically the Nigerian dwarfs. These guys, oh my gosh, I can’t even write anything that accurately describes their energy. It’s totally different than the bigger mamas. The babies want to play with you and jump around and maybe eat your pants. I loved these guys and if Sandra wasn’t with me, I probably would have jumped into their pen to play with them.

    Why is goat yoga so popular?

    “Because it just makes people happy,” said Sandra.

    Goats 4 Goodness

    Speaking of making people happy, Sandra recently founded a non-profit called Goats 4 Goodness, whose mission is to “Do Good Things” for goats and people. They have already partnered with Make A Wish Foundation to give kids that last wish they may have of playing with goats or being a farmer for a day. Goats 4 Goodness also works with special needs kids, recognizing that goats are inherently playful and loving, and fun. They don’t judge anyone!

    Using animals for therapy isn’t anything new, however, there are not many places, especially in this area of the country, that do it with goats. There is something special about spending time with goats that can heal or just help people to let go of their immediate reality and enjoy some moments of peace.

    Sandra would know, too. She had a long and successful career in Washington, DC as the Deputy Chief of Police of U.S. Capitol Police and worked also at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center and as the Emergency Response Team Leader for FEMA. These are stressful jobs. She fell into destructive habits and went to rehab for several months. It was volunteering at Split Creek Farm where she turned her life around. Now she wants to give back to the community the goodness and healing she has found working with goats. You can learn more at their website or Facebook page.

    Tips on Visiting Split Creek Farm

    You can go to Split Creek Farm to shop (get the fudge, all of it) when the store is open but visiting hours (when you walk around, do the tour, or just hang out with the goats), is only on Fridays and Saturdays. Times are below.

    Just understand that this is a working farm and there is a lot that needs to be done. The volunteers and staff are awesome and can answer your questions but they can’t take a couple of hours to walk you around. So watch your kids, follow the instructions on the signs, and wear proper clothes to deal with mud and dirt. No pets are allowed at the farm.

    Also, if you or your children are battling a cold, come back when those sniffles are gone. Baby goats are susceptible to getting sick just like human babies and can’t afford to be exposed to sicknesses that early in life.

    There are other animals hanging out there like chickens, cats, and dogs. They roam and will come and check you out. If your kids are scared of unknown animals checking them out, prep them ahead of time. The border collie, Sam, will probably just want to play with them though, and throw his toy around.

    Lastly, enjoy your time at the dairy farm. Life is stressful. Adulting is hard. Playing with baby goats is relaxing, fun, and truly blissful. Whether for five minutes or two hours, visiting Split Creek Farm should go on your #mustdo list this year. Don’t miss out on this joy.

    Self-guided tours are available Friday and Saturday 10 am – 6 pm. The farm shop is open Monday-Saturday 10 am – 6 pm.

    Split Creek Farm
    3806 Centerville Road, Anderson
    864.287.3921

    For more experiences with cute animals, check out 10 Places to See Baby Animals.

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    Kristina Hernandez

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  • Jane Goodall Fast Facts | CNN

    Jane Goodall Fast Facts | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Here’s a look at the life of world-renowned primatologist, activist and conservationist Jane Goodall.

    Birth date: April 3, 1934

    Birth place: London, England

    Birth name: Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall

    Father: Mortimer Morris-Goodall, businessman

    Mother: Margaret Myfanwe (Joseph) Morris-Goodall, a novelist

    Marriages: Derek Bryceson (1975-1980, his death); Hugo van Lawick (March 28, 1964-1974, divorced)

    Children: with van Lawick: Hugo

    Education: Cambridge University, Ph.D. in ethology, 1965

    Obtained a doctorate without receiving a bachelor’s or master’s first.

    Was the first scientist to give names to her research subjects instead of the conventional practice of assigning them numbers.

    Found that chimpanzees engage in warfare with neighboring communities and that chimps are capable of altruism, which they display by adopting unrelated orphaned infants.

    First to observe chimps eating meat and making and using tools.

    1956 – While working as an assistant in a London film studio, she receives an invitation from a friend to visit her farm in Kenya.

    1957 – Arrives in Africa and meets famous archeologist and paleontologist Louis Leakey. He hires her as an assistant and then asks her to study a group of chimpanzees living in Tanzania.

    July 1960 – Arrives at the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in Tanzania to begin her study of chimpanzees.

    October 1960 – Goodall observes chimpanzees eating meat; they were thought to be vegetarians.

    November 1960 – Observes the first recorded instance of chimpanzees making and using tools.

    1977 – Founds the Jane Goodall Institute.

    1991 – Begins the Roots & Shoots environmental program for young people.

    2002 – Designated a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

    February 20, 2004 – Is invested as a Dame of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace.

    2010 – A documentary film about her life, “Jane’s Journey,” premieres.

    March 2013 – Apologizes for plagiarized passages in her book, “Seeds of Hope: Wisdom and Wonder from the World of Plants,” scheduled to be released in April. The Washington Post first reported on the borrowed passages, saying they came from Wikipedia and other websites.

    September 30, 2014 – A new species of orchid is named after Goodall. The Dendrobium goodallianum orchid was collected in Papua New Guinea in 2003.

    October 20, 2017 – “Jane,” a documentary about Goodall’s early work with chimps, directed by Brett Morgan, opens.

    January 2019 – Announces launch of the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation, “in the hope that we can create an endowment that will enable the programmes I have developed to continue, new ones to be initiated, and so that the fight for the good of the natural world will continue beyond my lifetime.” It is registered in Switzerland.

    April 17, 2019 – Is named to the Time 100, the magazine’s annual list of the most influential people in the world.

    May 8, 2020 – In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Goodall says that humanity’s disrespect for nature led to the coronavirus pandemic, saying “we brought this on ourselves.”

    May 20, 2021 – Is announced as the winner of the Templeton Prize, an award worth over $1.5 million, that honors “outstanding individuals who have devoted their talents to expanding our vision of human purpose and ultimate reality.”

    July 12, 2022 – Mattel Inc announces the release of a new Barbie doll of Goodall, made from recycled plastic, as part of its Inspiring Women Barbie collection.

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  • Iditarod Fast Facts | CNN

    Iditarod Fast Facts | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Here’s a look at the Iditarod dogsled race. The event is named after the Iditarod Trail, an old mail and supply route, traveled by dogsleds from Seward and Knik to Nome, Alaska.

    March 12, 2024 – Dallas Seavey wins his sixth Iditarod, breaking the record for most wins.

    March 14, 2023 – Ryan Redington wins his first Iditarod.

    The race traditionally begins on the first Saturday in March, starting in Anchorage and ending in Nome.

    The race ranges from 975 to 998 miles long, depending on whether the southern or northern route is being run. The length can also vary from year to year based on course conditions.

    The beginning of the race in Anchorage is considered a ceremonial start. The competitive part of the race usually begins the next day in Willow, but depends on weather conditions.

    There may be only one musher (person who drives the sled) per team.

    There are 12-14 dogs on each team. At least five dogs must be in harness (pulling the sled) at the finish line.

    The most commonly used sled dogs are the Samoyed, Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Husky and Chinook. The animals get tested for strength and endurance before being selected.

    The musher must make a mandatory 24 hour stop at some point during the race.

    The route alternates every other year, one year going north through Cripple, Ruby, and Galena, the next year going south through Iditarod, Shageluk, and Anvik.

    Most Consecutive Wins – Lance Mackey won four consecutive times from 2007-2010.

    Most Wins – Dallas Seavey won six times, in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021 and 2024. Rick Swenson won five times, in 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1991.

    Fastest winning time – Mitch Seavey finished the 2017 race in eight days, 3 hours, 40 minutes, 13 seconds.

    Winner by a [dog’s] nose – Dick Mackey finished the 1978 race one second ahead of Rick Swenson. The winner is decided by the nose of the first dog across the finish line.

    First female winner – Libby Riddles in 1985.

    Youngest winner – Dallas Seavey, 25, in 2012.

    Oldest winner – Mitch Seavey, 57, in 2017.

    1925 – A diphtheria outbreak in Nome, Alaska, creates an emergency need for medical supplies to be delivered, and dogsledders make the journey. The current race commemorates this mission and partially follows the same route.

    1966 – Dorothy Page, President of the Wasilla-Knik Centennial Committee, decides to organize a dogsled race to celebrate Alaska’s centennial in 1967. Page and Joe Redington Sr., a local musher, work together to launch the first event.

    1967 – The first Iditarod is held, with 58 mushers competing along a 50-mile trail.

    March 1973 – After shorter races in 1967 and 1969, the first full-length race takes place. The course is approximately 1,100 miles long. The first winner is Dick Wilmarth, with a time of 20 days and 49 minutes.

    March 12, 2016 – A man on a snowmobile hits two teams competing in the Iditarod, killing one dog and injuring several other dogs. Alaska state troopers arrest Arnold Demoski, 26, of Nulato. Later, Demoski is sentenced to six months and three days in jail and ordered to pay restitution totaling $36,697.15.

    October 6, 2017 – The Iditarod Trail Committee revises Rule 39 after a musher’s team of dogs test positive for an opioid drug called Tramadol. Before the rule is revised, the ITC determines that intent of the alleged musher could not be proven. The revised rule holds a musher liable for any positive canine drug test, unless they can prove that they are not at fault. The ITC later reveals four-time champion Dallas Seavey as the musher. Seavey denies the allegations.

    December 4, 2018 – The Iditarod Trail Committee clears Seavey of any wrongdoing and releases a statement saying, “After several meetings with Dallas Seavey, and review of all relevant information and evidence, the board does not believe that Dallas had any involvement with, or knowledge of, the events that led to the positive test in his team.”

    2021 – The 2021 ceremonial Mushers’ Banquet is canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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  • 70-foot whale beached off Florida’s Gulf Coast

    70-foot whale beached off Florida’s Gulf Coast

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    This photo provided by City of Venice Florida shows a whale on Sunday, March 10, 2024, off Venice, Fla. Authorities were working to assist a beached sperm whale that is stranded on a sandbar off Florida’s Gulf Coast on Sunday morning. (City of Venice Florida via AP)

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  • How do animals react during a total solar eclipse? Scientists plan to find out in April

    How do animals react during a total solar eclipse? Scientists plan to find out in April

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    WASHINGTON — When a total solar eclipse transforms day into night, will tortoises start acting romantic? Will giraffes gallop? Will apes sing odd notes?

    Researchers will be standing by to observe how animals’ routines at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas are disrupted when skies dim on April 8. They previously detected other strange animal behaviors in 2017 at a South Carolina zoo that was in the path of total darkness.

    “To our astonishment, most of the animals did surprising things,” said Adam Hartstone-Rose, a North Carolina State University researcher who led the observations published in the journal Animals.

    While there are many individual sightings of critters behaving bizarrely during historic eclipses, only in recent years have scientists started to rigorously study the altered behaviors of wild, domestic and zoo animals.

    Seven years ago, Galapagos tortoises at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina, “that generally do absolutely nothing all day … during the peak of the eclipse, they all started breeding,” said Hartstone-Rose. The cause of the behavior is still unclear.

    A mated pair of Siamangs, gibbons that usually call to each other in the morning, sang unusual tunes during the afternoon eclipse. A few male giraffes began to gallop in “apparent anxiety.” The flamingos huddled around their juveniles.

    Researchers say that many animals display behaviors connected with an early dusk.

    In April, Hartstone-Rose’s team plans to study similar species in Texas to see if the behaviors they witnessed before in South Carolina point to larger patterns.

    Several other zoos along the path are also inviting visitors to help track animals, including zoos in Little Rock, Arkansas; Toledo, Ohio; and Indianapolis.

    RELATED: Illinois in path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse; what to expect in Chicago

    This year’s full solar eclipse in North America crisscrosses a different route than in 2017 and occurs in a different season, giving researchers and citizen scientists opportunities to observe new habits.

    “It’s really high stakes. We have a really short period to observe them and we can’t repeat the experiment,” said Jennifer Tsuruda, a University of Tennessee entomologist who observed honeybee colonies during the 2017 eclipse.

    The honeybees that Tsuruda studied decreased foraging during the eclipse, as they usually would at night, except for those from the hungriest hives.

    “During a solar eclipse, there’s a conflict between their internal rhythms and external environment,” said University of Alberta’s Olav Rueppell, adding that bees rely on polarized light from the sun to navigate.

    Nate Bickford, an animal researcher at Oregon Institute of Technology, said that “solar eclipses actually mimic short, fast-moving storms,” when skies darken and many animals take shelter.

    After the 2017 eclipse, he analyzed data from tracking devices previously placed on wild species to study habitat use. Flying bald eagles change the speed and direction they’re moving during an eclipse, he said. So do feral horses, “probably taking cover, responding to the possibility of a storm out on the open plains.”

    The last full U.S. solar eclipse to span coast to coast happened in late summer, in August. The upcoming eclipse in April gives researchers an opportunity to ask new questions including about potential impacts on spring migration.

    Most songbird species migrate at night. “When there are night-like conditions during the eclipse, will birds think it’s time to migrate and take flight?” said Andrew Farnsworth of Cornell University.

    His team plans to test this by analyzing weather radar data – which also detects the presence of flying birds, bats and insects – to see if more birds take wing during the eclipse.

    As for indoor pets, they may react as much to what their owners are doing – whether they’re excited or nonchalant about the eclipse – as to any changes in the sky, said University of Arkansas animal researcher Raffaela Lesch.

    “Dogs and cats pay a lot of attention to us, in addition to their internal clocks,” she said.

    Copyright © 2024 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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    AP

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  • How do animals react during a total solar eclipse? Scientists plan to find out

    How do animals react during a total solar eclipse? Scientists plan to find out

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    WASHINGTON — When a total solar eclipse transforms day into night, will tortoises start acting romantic? Will giraffes gallop? Will apes sing odd notes?

    Researchers will be standing by to observe how animals’ routines at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas are disrupted when skies dim on April 8. They previously detected other strange animal behaviors in 2017 at a South Carolina zoo that was in the path of total darkness.

    “To our astonishment, most of the animals did surprising things,” said Adam Hartstone-Rose, a North Carolina State University researcher who led the observations published in the journal Animals.

    While there are many individual sightings of critters behaving bizarrely during historic eclipses, only in recent years have scientists started to rigorously study the altered behaviors of wild, domestic and zoo animals.

    Seven years ago, Galapagos tortoises at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina, “that generally do absolutely nothing all day … during the peak of the eclipse, they all started breeding,” said Hartstone-Rose. The cause of the behavior is still unclear.

    A mated pair of Siamangs, gibbons that usually call to each other in the morning, sang unusual tunes during the afternoon eclipse. A few male giraffes began to gallop in “apparent anxiety.” The flamingos huddled around their juveniles.

    Researchers say that many animals display behaviors connected with an early dusk.

    In April, Hartstone-Rose’s team plans to study similar species in Texas to see if the behaviors they witnessed before in South Carolina point to larger patterns.

    Several other zoos along the path are also inviting visitors to help track animals, including zoos in Little Rock, Arkansas; Toledo, Ohio; and Indianapolis.

    This year’s full solar eclipse in North America crisscrosses a different route than in 2017 and occurs in a different season, giving researchers and citizen scientists opportunities to observe new habits.

    “It’s really high stakes. We have a really short period to observe them and we can’t repeat the experiment,” said Jennifer Tsuruda, a University of Tennessee entomologist who observed honeybee colonies during the 2017 eclipse.

    The honeybees that Tsuruda studied decreased foraging during the eclipse, as they usually would at night, except for those from the hungriest hives.

    “During a solar eclipse, there’s a conflict between their internal rhythms and external environment,” said University of Alberta’s Olav Rueppell, adding that bees rely on polarized light from the sun to navigate.

    Nate Bickford, an animal researcher at Oregon Institute of Technology, said that “solar eclipses actually mimic short, fast-moving storms,” when skies darken and many animals take shelter.

    After the 2017 eclipse, he analyzed data from tracking devices previously placed on wild species to study habitat use. Flying bald eagles change the speed and direction they’re moving during an eclipse, he said. So do feral horses, “probably taking cover, responding to the possibility of a storm out on the open plains.”

    The last full U.S. solar eclipse to span coast to coast happened in late summer, in August. The upcoming eclipse in April gives researchers an opportunity to ask new questions including about potential impacts on spring migration.

    Most songbird species migrate at night. “When there are night-like conditions during the eclipse, will birds think it’s time to migrate and take flight?” said Andrew Farnsworth of Cornell University.

    His team plans to test this by analyzing weather radar data – which also detects the presence of flying birds, bats and insects – to see if more birds take wing during the eclipse.

    As for indoor pets, they may react as much to what their owners are doing – whether they’re excited or nonchalant about the eclipse – as to any changes in the sky, said University of Arkansas animal researcher Raffaela Lesch.

    “Dogs and cats pay a lot of attention to us, in addition to their internal clocks,” she said.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Animals + Memes = A great way to close out the week (30 Photos)

    Animals + Memes = A great way to close out the week (30 Photos)

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    Jacob

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  • Free Animal Coloring Pages

    Free Animal Coloring Pages

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    By Lorraine Akemann, Marketing and Outreach, Khan Academy Kids

    Celebrate Earth Day with Khan Academy Kids! We have free animal coloring pages to print and decorate. Print them below, or find them in the Khan Academy Kids app this April. Which animal is your favorite—the penguin, chameleon, raccoon, salamander, or toucan?

    Get started by downloading our free Khan Academy Kids app

    The animal coloring pages below are also included in the Khan Academy Kids app. So if you don’t have a printer, no problem! Just download our free app to access tons of books, lessons, and coloring pages for children ages 2-8 (preschool – 2nd grade).

    Khan Academy Kids

    Now, let’s color these amazing animals!

    Penguins

    These penguins are having fun slipping and sliding on ice. Penguins are birds that spend much of their time in the water. Learn more about penguins in the Khan Academy Kids app. Open the app to the Books tab in our free Library to read Penguins or Puffins and Baby Penguins by Bellwether Media.

    animal coloring pages for kids penguins
    Click the image to download our animal coloring pages

    Chameleon

    How cool are chameleons? VERY cool! One notable characteristic of this reptile is its ability to change color. But there’s so much more that makes chameleons special. Learn about them in the Animal Safari section of the Khan Academy Kids Library.

    animal coloring pages for kids chameleon
    Click the image to download our animal coloring pages

    Toucan

    Take a look at the toucan. What do you notice? Yes! It has a big beak! The beak is called a bill, and toucans use it to pick fruit from trees in the rainforest. When toucans go to sleep, they need a place to rest their beak. Where do you think they put it? Open the Khan Kids app to the Toucans book to find out!

    animal coloring pages for kids toucan
    Click the image to download our animal coloring pages

    Salamander

    Salamanders have very special skin. They breathe through it, they emit poison from it, and they can even eat it! Curious to learn more? Color in the skin on this page, and then learn more about salamanders in the Backyard Wildlife section of the Khan Kids Library.

    animal coloring pages for kids salamander
    Click the image to download our animal coloring pages

    Raccoon

    Why do you think raccoons have dark fur around their eyes (like a mask)? Did you know that the reason is so that it could see easier at night? Pretty neat! Raccoons sleep during the day and find food at night. Open the Racoons book by Bellwether Media in the Khan Kids app to learn more.

    animal coloring pages for kids raccoon
    Click the image to download our animal coloring pages

    More free coloring pages for kids

    If you enjoyed these animal coloring pages for kids and are looking for kid-friendly activities, check out our Halloween, Winter, and Valentine’s coloring pages too!

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    Lorraine Akemann

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  • 5-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey kills and guts a moose that got entangled with his dog team

    5-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey kills and guts a moose that got entangled with his dog team

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    ANCHORAGEW, Alaska — A veteran musher had to kill a moose after it injured his dog shortly after the start of this year’s Iditarod, race officials said Monday.

    Dallas Seavey informed the officials with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race early Monday morning that he was forced to shoot the moose with a handgun in self-defense.

    This came “after the moose became entangled with the dogs and the musher,” a statement from the race said.

    Seavey, who is tied for the most Iditarod wins ever at five, said he urged officials to get the moose off the trail.

    “It fell on my sled, it was sprawled on the trail,” Seavey told an Iditarod Insider television crew. “I gutted it the best I could, but it was ugly.”

    Seavey, who turned 37 years old on Monday, is not the first musher to have to kill a moose during an Iditarod. In 1985, the late Susan Butcher was leading the race when she used her axe and a parka to fend off a moose, but it killed two of her dogs and injured 13 others. Another musher came along and killed the moose.

    Butcher had to quit that race but went on to win four Iditarods. She died from leukemia in 2006 at the age of 51.

    This year’s race started Sunday afternoon in Willow, about 75 miles (121 kilometers) north of Anchorage. Seavey encountered the moose just before 2 a.m. Monday, 14 miles (22 kilometers) outside the race checkpoint in Swenta, en route to the next checkpoint 50 miles (80 kilometers) away in Finger Lake.

    Seavey arrived in Finger Lake later Monday, where he dropped a dog that was injured in the moose encounter. The dog was flown to Anchorage, where it was being evaluated by a veterinarian.

    Alaska State Troopers were informed of the dead moose, and race officials said every effort was being made to salvage the meat.

    Race rules state that if a big game animal like a moose, caribou or buffalo is killed in defense of life or property, the musher must gut the animal and report it to race officials at the next checkpoint. Mushers who follow must help gut the animal when possible, the rules states.

    New race marshal Warren Palfrey said he would continue to gather information about the encounter as it pertains to the rules, according to the Iditarod statement.

    Musher Paige Drobny confirmed to race officials the moose was dead and in the middle of the trial when she arrived in Finger Lake on Monday.

    “Yeah, like my team went up and over it, like it’s that ‘in the middle of the trail,’” she said.

    Seavey wasn’t the first musher to encounter a moose along that stretch of the race.

    Race leader Jessie Holmes, who is a cast member of the National Geographic reality TV show about life in rural Alaska called“Life Below Zero,” had his encounter between those two checkpoints, but it’s not clear if it was the same moose.

    “I had to punch a moose in the nose out there,” he told a camera crew, but didn’t offer other details.

    The 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) race across Alaska will end sometime next week when the winning musher comes off the Bering Sea ice and crosses under the burled arch finish line in Nome.

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  • Scientists Discover Male Humpback Whales Having Gay Sex | High Times

    Scientists Discover Male Humpback Whales Having Gay Sex | High Times

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    Two male Humpback whales were recently recorded having a homosexual encounter in the wild off the coast of Maui.

    According to a new study by the Pacific Whale Foundation published in Marine Mammal Science, humpback whales have been studied extensively but documented instances of reproductive actions have been exceedingly rare. That is until some photographers – Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano – caught two male humpbacks engaging in sexual contact right below their boat 2 kilometers west of the Molokini crater off the coast of Maui on January 19, 2022. 

    They sent their photos to scientists who recently confirmed in a peer-reviewed study that the photos were confirmed to be one of very few documented instances of humpback penis extrusion and the very first documented instance of homosexual interactions between humpbacks.

    “The sighting occurred when individuals aboard a private stationary vessel, located approximately two km west of the Molokini crater, saw two humpback whales approaching their boat. One whale was visibly thin and covered in whale lice, displaying signs of poor health and drawing the attention of the photographers,” said the Pacific Whale Foundation on their website. “During the encounter, a second whale engaged in an unexpected behavior—repeatedly approaching the first whale, using its pectoral fins to hold the injured whale in place, and initiating shallow, brief penetrations.”

    The whales in question reportedly circled the photographers’ boat for a while, giving them ample opportunity to take their NSFWW (not suitable for whale workplace) photos. Scientists with the Pacific Whale Foundation hypothesized that since one of the whales seemed to be having health issues, this may have contributed to the behavior for whatever reason.

    “The two whales circled the boat numerous times, allowing Krannichfeld and Romano the opportunity to carefully document the event by holding their cameras over the side of the stationary vessel (note: it is illegal to swim with or approach humpback whales within 100 yards in Hawaii and the vessel remained in neutral as the whales approached),” the Pacific Whale Foundation said. “The health disparity between the two whales adds a layer of complexity to this unique observation. One whale’s poor condition, possibly caused by a ship strike, may have contributed to the observed behavior.”

    A male humpback whale with its penis inserted into the genital opening of another male humpback whale. Courtesy: Pacific Whale Foundation

    The sexual encounter between the whales reportedly took place when one of the whales extruded its penis and penetrated the genital opening of the other whale. The penetrations lasted about two minutes at a time, according to the study, and lasted for about a half hour. When the encounter was over, the whale doing the penetrating took off right away (typical) and the sick whale hung out for a few minutes until swimming away as well.

    “Upon reviewing the photographs, it was noticed that Whale A had a significant jaw injury, that likely impaired normal feeding behavior,” the study said. “It was also observed that Whale B had its penis extruded throughout the entire encounter and, at times, would penetrate the genital opening of Whale A, using its pectoral fins to hold Whale A.”

    The study said that male humpback whale penis extrusions have been documented in the presence of other male humpbacks, but that this is the first time penetration has been documented. It has been previously theorized that the penis extrusions were acts of aggression towards the other males while competing for females during mating season.

    Homosexual behavior is not particularly uncommon among members of the animal kingdom. It has been documented in dolphins, orcas, seals, walruses and several of my neighbors’ dogs. An entire book called Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity was published about the topic in 1999.

    “The world is, indeed, teeming with homosexual, bisexual, and transgendered creatures of every stripe and feather. From the Southeastern Blueberry Bee of the United States to more than 130 different bird species worldwide, the ‘birds and the bees,’ literally are queer,” the book said. “On every continent, animals of the same sex seek each other out and have probably been doing so for millions of years. They court each other, using intricate and beautiful mating dances that are the result of eons of evolution.”

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    Patrick Maravelias

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  • Zookeepers share some seedy secrets from behind the enclosures (15 GIFs)

    Zookeepers share some seedy secrets from behind the enclosures (15 GIFs)

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    Zoos are fairly transparent with what’s going on. If anything egregious ever happens like – I don’t know – say a child jumps into an enclosure and a gorilla gets murdered, we’re definitely going to hear about it on the news.

    But what about the stuff that goes unnoticed? It doesn’t take much for your imagination to go to some pretty wild places. So we’ve collected real stories from REAL zookeepers, sharing some secrets from behind the enclosures.

    Get ready for that tea.

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    Zach Nading

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  • Iraq Prison Abuse Scandal Fast Facts | CNN

    Iraq Prison Abuse Scandal Fast Facts | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Here’s some background information about the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal which took place during the Iraq war.

    Abu Ghraib prison was a US Army detention center for captured Iraqis from 2003 to 2006. An investigation into the treatment of detainees at the prison was prompted by the discovery of graphic photos depicting guards abusing detainees in 2003.

    The facility was located 20 miles west of Baghdad on 280 acres.

    At the height of the scandal, the prison held as many as 3,800 detainees.

    Most of the detainees lived in tents in the prison yards.

    The abuses took place inside the prison in cell blocks 1A and 1B.

    Eleven US soldiers were convicted of crimes relating to the Abu Ghraib scandal. Seven of those were from Maryland-based 372nd Military Police Company. A number of other service members were not charged but reprimanded.

    November 2003 – A detainee dies during an interrogation at Abu Ghraib.

    January 2004 – Spc. Joseph M. Darby discovers photos on a CD-ROM of Iraqi prisoners being abused. He reports the abuse to superiors, prompting an investigation.

    April 4, 2004 – Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba releases his report to Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez about misconduct in the 800th Military Police Brigade.

    April 28, 2004 – “60 Minutes II” broadcasts graphic photos of Iraqi detainees being humiliated and tortured.

    April 30, 2004 – The New Yorker publishes an article by Seymour Hersh reporting details in the Taguba report on the abuses at Abu Ghraib.

    April 30, 2004 – Taguba’s report detailing his investigation of the 800th Military Police Brigade is released.

    Taguba’s report states that the following abuses happened in this incident:
    – Punching, slapping and kicking detainees; jumping on their naked feet.
    – Videotaping and photographing naked male and female detainees.
    – Forcibly arranging detainees in various sexually explicit positions for photographing.
    – Forcing detainees to remove their clothing and keeping them naked for several days at a time.
    – Forcing naked male detainees to wear women’s underwear.
    – Forcing groups of male detainees to masturbate themselves while being photographed and videotaped.
    – Arranging naked male detainees in a pile and then jumping on them.
    – Positioning a naked detainee on a box, with a sandbag on his head, and attaching wires to his fingers, toes, and penis to simulate electric torture.
    – Writing “I am a Rapest (sic)” on the leg of a detainee accused of rape, and then photographing him naked.
    – Placing a dog chain or strap around a naked detainee’s neck and having a female soldier pose for a picture.
    – A male MP guard having sex with a female detainee.
    – Using military working dogs (without muzzles) to intimidate and frighten detainees, and in at least one case biting and severely injuring a detainee.
    – Taking photographs of dead Iraqi detainees.

    May 4, 2004 – Gen. George W. Casey Jr. announces that in the past 16 months, the US Army has conducted more than 30 criminal investigations into misconduct by US captors during both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

    May 5, 2004 – US President George W. Bush records interviews with Al Arabiya and US-sponsored Al-Hurra networks expressing his disgust with the mistreatment of Iraqi detainees.

    May 6, 2004 – During a joint news conference with King Abdullah II of Jordan, Bush expresses remorse “for the humiliation suffered” by Iraqi prisoners at the hands of US troops.

    May 6, 2004 – The Justice Department announces that it is looking into three suspicious deaths of detainees, two in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and the involvement of the CIA and contractors in the deaths.

    May 7, 2004 – US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld testifies before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees. “These events occurred on my watch…as Secretary of Defense, I am accountable for them and I take full responsibility…there are other photos – many other photos – that depict incidents of physical violence towards prisoners, acts that can only be described as blatantly sadistic, cruel and inhuman.”

    May 10, 2004 – Bush views some of the photos at the Pentagon and announces his firm support for Rumsfeld.

    May 12, 2004 – Rumsfeld testifies before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee.

    August 24, 2004 – An independent commission headed by former US Secretary of Defense James Schleslinger reports that what took place at the prison was due largely to “sadism” on the part of officers working the night shift, but that responsibility for the mistreatment of prisoners went higher up the chain of command, back to Washington, DC.

    August 25, 2004 – The Fay-Jones report on the Abu Ghraib scandal finds 44 instances of abuse, some of which amounted to torture.

    February 15, 2006 – A new set of graphic photographs and video from Abu Ghraib are aired on the Australian television network SBS’s program “Dateline.” The photos are reportedly from the same period in 2003 that the previous photos were shot, not new incidents.

    June 1, 2006 – Sgt. Santos Cardona, an Army dog handler, is found guilty of two of five counts against him, including aggravated assault and unlawfully using his dog to threaten detainees. He is sentenced to 90 days hard labor and a reduction of rank. He must also forfeit $600 of pay per month for a year.

    September 1, 2006 – Control of Abu Ghraib is handed over to the Iraqis after all of the detainees are transferred elsewhere.

    February 2008 – A documentary about the Abu Ghraib scandal by Oscar-winning director Errol Morris, “Standard Operating Procedure,” debuts at the Berlin Film Festival.

    June 30, 2008 – Former detainees of Abu Ghraib prison file a lawsuit against CACI Premier Technology, a military contractor who supplied the army with interrogators.

    February 21, 2009 – Abu Ghraib reopens after major renovations which include a new gym, barber shop, sewing room, outdoor recreational areas, a library, and computer room. Its name is changed to Baghdad Central Prison.

    September 2009 – Saleh et al v. Titan Corporation et al, a federal class action lawsuit alleging abuse at Abu Ghraib by civilian contractors from CACI International is dismissed by a federal appeals court.

    2012 – Defense contractor Engility Holdings Inc. agrees to pay 71 former detainees at Abu Ghraib and other sites $5.28 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2008.

    April 2014 – Iraq closes the prison due to security concerns.

    March 20, 2015 – US District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein orders the Defense Department to release photos that show detainees being abused in detention centers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    January 18, 2017 – Hellerstein rules that the government must release an estimated 2,000 additional photos of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib and other military facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    August 23, 2019 – The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals allows a 2008 lawsuit filed by former detainees against CACI Premier Technology to move forward. The court denied CACI’s request to immediately appeal a lower court’s ruling that the company can be sued and is not immune from civil suit as a government contractor.

    June 28, 2021 – The US Supreme Court denies CACI Premier Technology’s petition, clearing the way for the 2008 lawsuit to proceed.

    Spc. Megan Ambuhl
    372nd Military Police Company
    October 30, 2004 – As part of a plea deal, Ambuhl pleads guilty to one charge of dereliction of duty. She is discharged from the Army without prison time.

    Sgt. Javal S. Davis
    372nd Military Police Company
    February 1, 2005 – Pleads guilty as part of a plea agreement.
    February 5, 2005 – Is sentenced to six months in a military prison.
    Late May 2005 – Is released after serving approximately three months.

    Pfc. Lynndie England
    372nd Military Police Company
    May 2, 2005 – England pleads guilty to reduced charges as part of a pretrial agreement.
    May 4, 2005 – A mistrial is declared after she pleads guilty but then states that she did not know her actions were wrong.
    September 21, 2005 – England’s second court-martial trial begins at Fort Hood, Texas.
    September 26, 2005 – England is found guilty of four counts of maltreating detainees, one count of conspiracy and one count of committing an indecent act.
    September 27, 2005 – Is sentenced to three years in prison and given a dishonorable discharge.
    March 2007 – Is released from military prison after serving half of her 36-month sentence.
    2009 – Her biography, “Tortured: Lynndie England, Abu Ghraib and the Photographs that Shocked the World,” is published.

    Staff Sgt. Ivan “Chip” Frederick II
    372nd Military Police Company
    October 20, 2004 – Pleads guilty to conspiracy, dereliction of duty, maltreatment of detainees, assault, and committing an indecent act under a plea agreement.
    October 21, 2004 – Is sentenced to eight years in prison and also sentenced to a forfeiture of pay, a dishonorable discharge and a reduction in rank to private.
    October 1, 2007 – Is paroled after serving approximately three years in a military prison.

    Spc. Charles Graner
    372nd Military Police Company
    January 14, 2005 – Graner is found guilty of nine of 10 counts under five separate charges.
    January 15, 2005 – Graner is sentenced to 10 years in prison, downgraded to the rank of private with loss of pay, and receives a dishonorable discharge.
    August 6, 2011 – Graner is released from prison.

    Spc. Sabrina Harman
    372nd Military Police Company
    May 16, 2005 – Is found guilty on six of the seven charges for her role in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.
    May 17, 2005 – Sentenced to six months in prison. Harman is demoted to private, and receives a bad conduct discharge after she finishes the sentence.

    Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan
    Director, Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center during the fall of 2003. Jordan is the only officer charged with prisoner abuse.
    April 28, 2006 – Charged with eight counts, including disobeying an order, dereliction of duty, cruelty, false statements, fraud and interfering with an investigation.
    August 28, 2007 – Acquitted of charges that he failed to control soldiers who abused detainees, but is found guilty of disobeying a general’s command not to talk about allegations of abuse at the prison. On August 29, he is sentenced with a reprimand.
    January 10, 2008 – Cleared of all wrongdoing, and the conviction and reprimand are removed from his record.

    Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski
    Commander of the Army Reserve’s 800th Military Police Brigade, in charge of all 12 Iraqi detention facilities, including Abu Ghraib.
    May 5, 2005 – She is demoted from brigadier general to colonel by President Bush after an extensive investigation and is cited for two of four allegations against her, dereliction of duty and shoplifting. The probe clears her of “making a material misrepresentation to an investigating team” and “failure to obey a lawful order.”

    Col. Thomas Pappas
    Commander of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade.
    May 2006 – Reprimanded, fined, and relieved of command after using muzzled dogs inside interrogation rooms.

    Lt. Col. Jerry L. Phillabaum
    Commander, 320th MP Battalion.
    April 2004 – He is reprimanded and relieved of command of the 320th Military Police Battalion for his role in the scandal.

    Spc. Jeremy Sivits
    372nd Military Police Company
    May 19, 2004 – Sivits pleads guilty as part of a pretrial agreement with prosecutors that leaves him open to testify against other soldiers charged in the scandal. He is sentenced to a year of confinement, discharge for bad conduct, and is demoted.

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  • Man to plead guilty to helping kill 3,600 eagles, other birds and selling feathers

    Man to plead guilty to helping kill 3,600 eagles, other birds and selling feathers

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    A Washington state man accused of helping kill more than 3,000 birds — including eagles on a Montana Indian reservation — then illegally selling their feathers intends to plead guilty to illegal wildlife trafficking and other criminal charges, court documents show.

    Prosecutors have alleged Travis John Branson and others killed about 3,600 birds during a yearslong “killing spree” on the Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere. Feathers from eagles and other birds are highly prized among many Native American tribes for use in sacred ceremonies and during pow-wows.

    Branson of Cusick, Washington, will plead guilty under an agreement with prosecutors to reduced charges including conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and two counts of unlawful trafficking of eagles.

    A second suspect, Simon Paul of St. Ignatius, Montana, remains at large after an arrest warrant was issued when he failed to show up for an initial court appearance in early January. Paul could not be reached for comment and his attorney, Dwight Schulte, declined comment.

    The defendants allegedly sold eagle parts on a black market that has been a long-running problem for U.S. wildlife officials. Illegal shootings are a leading cause of golden eagle deaths, according to a recent government study.

    Immature golden eagle feathers are especially valued among tribes, and a tail set from one of the birds can sell for several hundred dollars apiece, according to details disclosed during a separate trafficking case in South Dakota last year in which a Montana man was sentenced to three years in prison.

    A grand jury in December indicted the two men on 15 federal charges. They worked with others — who haven’t been named by authorities — to hunt and kill the birds and on at least one occasion used a dead deer to lure in an eagle that was killed, according to the indictment.

    Federal officials have not said how many eagles were killed nor what other kinds of birds were involved in the scheme that they say began in 2015 and continued until 2021. The indictment included details on only 13 eagles and eagle parts that were sold.

    Branson did not immediately respond to a message left at a phone number that’s listed for him. His attorney, Assistant Federal Defender Andrew Nelson, declined to comment on the plea agreement.

    Text messages obtained by investigators showed Branson and others telling buyers he was “on a killing spree” to collect more eagle tail feathers for future sales, according to the indictment. Prosecutors described Paul as a “shooter” and “shipper” for Branson.

    Bald eagles are the national symbol of the United States, and both bald and golden eagles are widely considered sacred by American Indians. U.S. law prohibits anyone without a permit from killing, wounding or disturbing eagles or taking any parts such as nests or eggs. Even taking feathers found in the wild can be a crime.

    Federally recognized tribes can apply for permits with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take a bald or golden eagle for religious purposes, and enrolled tribal members can apply for eagle feathers and other parts from the National Eagle Repository. But there’s a lengthy backlog of requests that eagle researchers say is driving the black market for eagle parts.

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  • Explore Florida’s wildlife during FWC’s ‘Florida WildQuest 2024’ event

    Explore Florida’s wildlife during FWC’s ‘Florida WildQuest 2024’ event

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    FLORIDA — Adventure is out there! Explore the outdoors during the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s “Florida WildQuest 2024” event.

    This year’s event will take place in Florida’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) across the state from April 27 to May 5.

    Florida residents and visitors can use the GooseChase app to join a wild adventure to complete scavenger hunt missions and discover Florida’s wildlife.

    During the event, WildQuest players will have opportunities to explore Florida’s extensive WMA system and learn about its wildlife, habitats and recreational opportunities. Registered players can also qualify for a chance to win wilderness-inspired prizes.

    (Photo Courtesy: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

    Follow these steps to adventure:

    1. Find It: Find your closest WMA with the WMA Recreation Finder Map.

    2. Charge Up: Make sure your phone is charged and the GooseChase app is installed. Not all areas have mobile coverage, but you’ll be able to take pictures for your scavenger hunt missions and submit them later. Visit FloridaWildQuest.com for instructions on how to join.

    3. Be Safe: Stay on marked roads and trails. Before you enter a trail, be sure it fits your skill level and the distance you’re prepared for.

    4. Pack Smart: It gets hot outside and there are no vending machines in the wilderness. Check the weather before you go. Pack water, sunscreen and snacks!

    5. Snap a Pic: Most WMAs have a kiosk at the main entrance with a welcome sign that includes a map and important reminders for visiting the area. When you see this sign, be sure to take a picture for reference. Grab a guide at the kiosk if one is available.

    (Photo Courtesy: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

    Florida has one of the nation’s largest systems of state-managed wildlife lands, according to FWC. The WMA system includes more than 6 million acres managed primarily for wildlife conservation and nature-based public use.

    The FWC maintains, enhances and restores native natural habitats for the benefit of plant and animal populations as well as for the people of Florida.

    To learn more about Florida’s WMA system, visit MyFWC.com/WMAs. 

    (Photo Courtesy: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Puppy spotted along interstate on-ramp in Boston quickly finds new home

    Puppy spotted along interstate on-ramp in Boston quickly finds new home

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    A young puppy that was recently found along an on-ramp heading toward Interstate 93 in Boston, Massachusetts, did not take long to find a new place to call home.Mike DeFina, media relations manager for the Animal Rescue League of Boston, said Sunday that the 10-week-old Chihuahua named Sparkle was first spotted about a week and a half ago.DeFina said a person who lives at the Pine Street Inn saw Sparkle wandering the Neponset Circle area for a couple of days before they spotted the dog wandering up an on-ramp for the part of I-93. The road is known as the Southeast Expressway.Given that Sparkle weighs just 3 pounds and is an all-black dog, it would have been very hard for drivers to spot her on the highway. The good Samaritan was able to scoop her up and brought her back to the Pine Street Inn, where the staff then took her to the ARL’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center.”With Sparkle, I think it’s always a wonderful thing to see people stopping what they’re doing and have the consideration and the compassion when they see an animal in need to take action and do something about it,” DeFina said. “That’s why Sparkle is here today. I think if she would have found her way onto the Expressway, the outcome for her probably would not have been good. So we really, really want to thank both the resident of Pine Street Inn and their staff for taking her off the street and bringing her to us.”DeFina said the ARL does not know exactly how Sparkle ended up near the highway or how long she had been living on the streets, but they believe she was likely abandoned.Sparkle was a bit frightened when she was brought to the ARL facility, had a bit of an abnormal gait, and was on a seven-day stray weight, but she was determined to be in good overall health for her age, according to DeFina.DeFina said the ARL then contacted Boston Animal Control and other outlets that deal with lost animals, but no one stepped up to claim Sparkle as their dog. After doing the due diligence, the ARL put Sparkle up for adoption on Sunday — and that’s where Joe and Tesla Chafins come in.Joe Chafins works for the Pine Street Inn, which is a nonprofit organization that provides services for people experiencing homelessness. One of Joe’s co-workers and friends had told him and his wife about how Sparkle was found by one of the center’s residents and that the dog would need a new home.”My birthday was Friday and we were just kind of celebrating my birthday and she started telling my wife and I the story, showing us some photos she had of her,” Chafins said. “We just heard the story and we’re like: ‘We’ve got to go meet her.’ So we’ve been trying to call since and they said she was here today, so we’re here to meet her and take her home.”The couple already has three cats, including one that they adopted from the ARL of Boston seven years ago, as well as a few lizards.”Our friends kind of make fun of us because we are huge animal lovers,” Tesla Chafins said.”We have a little bit of everything. We’ve got a zoo at home,” Joe Chafins said. “This will be our first dog, though, but we’re excited to take her and to give her the best life that we can possibly give her.”So thanks to the Pine Street Inn, ARL of Boston and Chafins family, Sparkle now has a new forever home. Meet Sparkle and her family in the video player above.

    BOSTON —

    A young puppy that was recently found along an on-ramp heading toward Interstate 93 in Boston, Massachusetts, did not take long to find a new place to call home.

    Mike DeFina, media relations manager for the Animal Rescue League of Boston, said Sunday that the 10-week-old Chihuahua named Sparkle was first spotted about a week and a half ago.

    DeFina said a person who lives at the Pine Street Inn saw Sparkle wandering the Neponset Circle area for a couple of days before they spotted the dog wandering up an on-ramp for the part of I-93. The road is known as the Southeast Expressway.

    Given that Sparkle weighs just 3 pounds and is an all-black dog, it would have been very hard for drivers to spot her on the highway. The good Samaritan was able to scoop her up and brought her back to the Pine Street Inn, where the staff then took her to the ARL’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center.

    “With Sparkle, I think it’s always a wonderful thing to see people stopping what they’re doing and have the consideration and the compassion when they see an animal in need to take action and do something about it,” DeFina said. “That’s why Sparkle is here today. I think if she would have found her way onto the Expressway, the outcome for her probably would not have been good. So we really, really want to thank both the resident of Pine Street Inn and their staff for taking her off the street and bringing her to us.”

    DeFina said the ARL does not know exactly how Sparkle ended up near the highway or how long she had been living on the streets, but they believe she was likely abandoned.

    Sparkle was a bit frightened when she was brought to the ARL facility, had a bit of an abnormal gait, and was on a seven-day stray weight, but she was determined to be in good overall health for her age, according to DeFina.

    DeFina said the ARL then contacted Boston Animal Control and other outlets that deal with lost animals, but no one stepped up to claim Sparkle as their dog. After doing the due diligence, the ARL put Sparkle up for adoption on Sunday — and that’s where Joe and Tesla Chafins come in.

    Joe Chafins works for the Pine Street Inn, which is a nonprofit organization that provides services for people experiencing homelessness. One of Joe’s co-workers and friends had told him and his wife about how Sparkle was found by one of the center’s residents and that the dog would need a new home.

    “My birthday was Friday and we were just kind of celebrating my birthday and she started telling my wife and I the story, showing us some photos she had of her,” Chafins said. “We just heard the story and we’re like: ‘We’ve got to go meet her.’ So we’ve been trying to call since and they said she was here today, so we’re here to meet her and take her home.”

    Hearst Owned

    Tesla and Joe Chafins, of Brighton, Massachusetts, adopted Sparkle, a 10-week-old Chihuahua, on Feb. 25, 2024, the same day the Animal Rescue League of Boston had put her up for adoption.

    The couple already has three cats, including one that they adopted from the ARL of Boston seven years ago, as well as a few lizards.

    “Our friends kind of make fun of us because we are huge animal lovers,” Tesla Chafins said.

    “We have a little bit of everything. We’ve got a zoo at home,” Joe Chafins said. “This will be our first dog, though, but we’re excited to take her and to give her the best life that we can possibly give her.”

    So thanks to the Pine Street Inn, ARL of Boston and Chafins family, Sparkle now has a new forever home.

    Meet Sparkle and her family in the video player above.

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  • Large-animal veterinary shortage straining local practices

    Large-animal veterinary shortage straining local practices

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    BARTOW, Fla. — Polk County is home to a couple thousand farms and ranches, which is why the U.S. Department of Agriculture says the region is facing a critical shortage of large-animal veterinarians. 

    A report by the agency said vet practices across the county have all expressed concerns about burnout and work-life balance. Several veterinarians have retired or passed away in recent years, which has led to decreased availability.

    What You Need To Know

    • Across the country, there is a shortage of veterinarians trained to treat large animals like horses, cows and pigs

    • This type of vet is crucial to not only keeping animals healthy, but also keeping our food supply safe

    • Polk County is facing a critical shortage of large-animal vets, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture

    Dr. LuJean Waters, a veterinarian at Heartland Large Animal Services, is feeling the pinch. Lately, the job Waters loves has become overwhelming. 

    “I’m starting to have to turn people away in the last six to eight months,” she said. “Then, you feel like a terrible person because you feel like you’ve let somebody down that has a sick or injured or critical animal. It starts to weigh very heavily on your heart.”

    Veterinarians like Waters specialize in treating large animals, including cows, horses and pigs. These vets not only keep animals healthy, but also make sure our food supply is safe. 

    The ongoing shortage is leaving Waters overloaded. She’s getting called in almost every night of the week now and travels as far as Hillsborough and Osceola County to provide service. 

    “Since COVID and when we had a shortage of groceries, we saw such a huge influx of families starting their own farms and ranches to produce their own meat, dairy, milk, eggs, everything,” Waters explained. “Now it’s very hard for us to continually serve those areas.”

    Waters said one of the key issues is recruitment and retention. She said more students are choosing to go into small animal care for more regular hours and better pay. But fewer students are entering the profession altogether because the cost of education and loans is often not paid off by starting salaries, Waters explained.

    Hillsborough Community College is trying to ease the shortage by training up vet technicians to enter the industry. Vincent Centonze, director of the school’s veterinary tech program, said there needs to be an addition 40,000 vets in the profession by 2030 in order to meet the current demand for services. 

    “A good veterinary technician is worth their weight in gold because they can do all of those functions in a clinic to help alleviate the workload on the veterinarians and free the veterinarians up to do their primary duties,” Centonze explained.

    At the end of the day, Waters still finds peace being surrounded by animals on the farm as the sun sets. But she hopes change is around the corner that will make the job less taxing. 

    “I could never see myself doing anything else in the world other than this,” Waters said. “I feel like it’s just in my blood for me to be here with them, but it just gets harder every day and the long hours and the sleepless nights and the time away from my family certainly is taking its toll.”

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    Brian Rea

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  • Cat has saddest reaction to owner packing suitcase—”She knew I was leaving”

    Cat has saddest reaction to owner packing suitcase—”She knew I was leaving”

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    A cat owner has shared a picture of the heartbreaking moment his cat appeared to realize he was going on vacation.

    San Francisco resident Bilal snapped a picture of Maroon the cat when he noticed she seemed upset that he was packing his suitcase.

    With huge wide eyes, the 6-year-old cat was “grabbing onto” the suitcase, as though trying to persuade him to stay put at home, the owner said.

    “I wasn’t surprised she knew I was leaving,” Bilal told Newsweek, explaining that he believes animals understand much more than we give them credit for.

    A picture of Maroon who seemed upset when she realized her owner was packing for a vacation.

    u/Specific-Football548/Reddit

    Packing for a trip to visit family, Bilal said that he knew Maroon would be fine as she was staying with a trusted friend, but was still touched by her emotions.

    “I believe animals have a conscience, maybe not as deep as humans, but they feel similar emotions,” said the owner. “They feel sad and can get depressed; though they are a lot better at recovering from emotional trauma than humans, they aren’t so different.”

    After catching Maroon’s reaction on camera, Bilal shared it on Reddit’s r/aww subreddit where animal lovers have melted.

    “Oh that face, poor baby knows and misses you already,” said one commenter. While another wrote: “So you canceled the trip right??”

    While other cat owners shared their own experiences of cats realizing they’re heading out.

    “Consider yourself lucky, I had a cat that would pee on my stuff if she saw me packing,” said one commenter.

    While another wrote: “I don’t know how they know. Our cats get in the suitcase and refuse to leave.”

    Maroon the cat
    Pictures of Maroon the cat relaxing at home.

    Bilal

    Cats are known to pick up on their owners’ routines, and often react differently when they’ve been apart from their owners, like Phillip the cat who made his feelings clear when he returned from a stay at the cattery.

    While cats are generally happy to be left for the day or overnight as long as they have food and water, they shouldn’t be alone for more than 12 hours without supervision.

    U.K.-based pet welfare charity Cats Protection recommends leaving your cat in their own home during vacation where possible, but ensuring that a cat sitter stops by at least twice a day to ensure the cat is safe and well fed.

    Bilal was amazed by the reaction on Reddit, where he goes by the user name
    u/Specific-Football548, and pleased that so many people enjoyed the post, which has notched up 4,900 upvotes. “I felt happy for sure,” he said. “I knew the post would get a few hundred upvotes, but I was surprised to see it hit the thousands.”

    Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.