Fashionable chick

Emma Phillips with her adopted ward - Image from Metro

This must be one of the most well-dressed hens we have ever seen. Buffy the hen lost all her feathers at a cramped battery farm in Brent Knoll, Somerset, England and when the RSPCA found her three weeks back she was all bald and shivering and was 2lbs underweight. Now, one year old Buffy has been given a blue and white striped knitted sweater to keep herself warm and has almost fully recovered. Deputy manager Emma Phillips has become Buffy's caretaker and she keeps the hen in nestbox in a chicken shed at the centre. She says that it is common enough to find hens in Buffy's condition, because hens like Buffy are kept in a cage about 50cm by 55cm and between three and six chickens are usually kept in this space. Thanks to the RSPCA's care Buffy has recovered enough to, "peck and scratch about." She joins the other hens in sunbathing albeit wearing her little sweater. Once she grows back all her feathers she will be re-homed in the next few months.

Watch Buffy move and shake

Buffy's "foster mom" has some things to say

Sleeping with the enemy

Pigs and tigers are not a new combination. Here a tiger plays with a pig in a zoo in Sriracha, Chonburi Province in Thailand where tiger cubs are encouraged to take milk from pigs to speed up their growth - Image from Reuters

Usually pigs would be food for tigers. But in Ukraine a very close bond has developed between the hunter and the hunted. Three tiger cubs are being taken care of by a pig on a farm in Dnipropetrovsk, southern Ukraine, after being abandoned by their mother. Farm worker Maria Mandjeli says that the piglets are not too happy on these foreign visitors sharing their mother. They try to push the tigers away and when she puts her hand to shield the tiger cubs the piglets bite her. So she holds the tiger cubs and assists them to have their milk without being trampled by the piglets. The cubs' mother live at a private zoo but the zookeepers had to take the cubs to the farm next door because the mother refused to care for them. The zoo director Yuriy Aksenych, however, defends her saying that she was born in a zoo and hence "has no experience of nature."

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Hot seal

Sahara needs a new enclosure to accommodate his grown up size of 310 lb - Image from The Telegraph

This news may be slightly old but I felt I had to include it in my blog. So here it is for those who have not read it yet. Have you heard of an Arctic hooded seal who is scared of the cold? Well, there's Sahara for one, aptly named too. Sahara was washed up on a beach in Morocco when he was just nine months old. When he was found he was barely alive and had shed all his fur. He was treated in Cornwall and then released in the Orkney Islands with the belief that he would find his way back to his real home. But seemingly liking the warm waters, he headed back south, and this time was found in San Sebastian in Spain. Today he is two years old and happily lives in the warmth of the National Seal Sanctuary in Cornwall. The sanctuary is studying his aversion to ice and is trying to get him to like the environs of his natural habitat. With the help of an ice producing machine, the staff shovelled ice into Sahara's enclosure and the first day he ran to the other side. Tamara Cooper, Sahara's carer says, “The problem is Sahara is an Arctic seal who is afraid of the cold. It's a bit like being a bird which is scared of heights." But now he is getting used to it and the staff thinks that pretty soon he will be a normal Arctic ice loving seal again.

Gentle giant

Roo the giant rabbit - Image from The Mirror

If you are too big you might get thrown out of your house. That's what happened to Roo, a European giant rabbit, which was bought for $236 by a couple in Elgin, Moray, Scotland. Roo had such a voracious appetite that after a point she started munching on the furniture. Exasperated, the couple returned poor Roo to the Pets at Home shop from where they had bought her. Tracy Simpson, staff at the shop says that because Roo's teeth never stop growing, she likes to munch on things at all times. Roo polishes off a kilo of kale and huge amounts of hay and rabbit nuggets every week. Apart from this she also nibbles her way through cauliflower, carrots and broccoli. But Roo is too cute to be abandoned and a shop worker has given Roo a new home.

Unlikely friends

Inseparable pair - Image from Reuters

Another poignant story was brought to my attention today. That of Boonlua the long-tailed macaque and Toby the rabbit who live together in the Thailand province of Ayutthaya. The then six year old Boonlua lost an arm and both his legs when he was attacked ferociously by a pack of dogs three years ago. He managed to drag himself to a temple nearby where the monks called a vet to treat him. The monks then took him to a centre where retired elephants live and an ex-zookeeper there designed a special enclosure for Boonlua to accommodate his handicap. Boonlua happily spent his days in this new found safety but he soon the zookeepers felt he needed a friend. In came Toby the rabbit who till today remains his constant companion. Boonlua shares his bounty of fruits, nuts, eggs and the occasional Mentos mints, which he loves, with Toby.

Animal Book of the Week - The Schoolmouse

Image from Fantasticfiction

This is one of the sweetest books I have read in a long time. The Schoolmouse by Dick King-Smith relates the story of Flora, a mouse with an insatiable curiosity. Her thirst for learning makes her the first self-educated mouse in the world when she teaches herself human language. The book narrates her adventures and provides a mouse-eye view of the world. Humorous and funny with tiny twists and turns in the story, the book is ideal for a one hour curl up in bed with hot coffee. Please buy a copy asap!

Reviews

Spot of Understanding

Crafty crows - Image from Telegraph, UK

So who is smarter, crows or apes? According to new research its crows. Numerous studies have investigated the abilities of the Einsteins of the avian world as crows are known. Now a team from Auckland University, led by Prof Russell Gray, has found that crows are incredibly smarter than apes and are able to solve problems using reason and understanding. Previous studies from New Caledonia had proved that they could make tools from leaves and use them to reach grub and caterpillars.

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The rainbow angel

Radish has learnt to ring the bell each time he wants food or water - Image from birds.about.com

My story today is about a bird who is beautiful inside out. Meet Radish, the two year old Scarlet Chested Parakeet, who was rotting away at the back of a dingy pet shop, until his current owner found him. He grew so depressed that he began plucking out his feathers causing bald spots to appear on his chest. But he was rescued just in time by Jamie who took him with her to the hospital where she worked, where she put him on a job. Radish was designated as pet and mascot of the hospital and his job was to bring a smile on the faces of terminally ill children. Jamie says, "My supervisors had taken note of the positive affects that animals can have on the sick and elderly and had been thinking about getting a bird to live in the children's ward. When I walked in that shop and saw Radish, I knew that he was the one!" Touchingly, the children have responded, to the mild mannered parrot who hates loud noises. Seeing him everyday gives them something to look forward to. There was a five year old patient who referred to him as the "rainbow angel" and Jamie says, to her he really was one.

Scott and the City

Peter Rabbit and Scott, happy together - Image from The Horse

The most famous rabbit in the news currently is a horse. Peter Rabbit the 32 year old horse made headlines when his owner refused to remove him from his home following a ban on keeping livestock within city limits. Harley Scott, Peter Rabbit's 76 year old owner, has raised the horse from the time he was born in his pasture in 1976, in the city of Hickman, Nebraska. Thirty days back the city council members notified Scott that the horse was being kept within city limits against municipal code and that he had to go. But he remains grazing stolidly in his pasture oblivious of the controversy he has created around the world. The city of Hickman is overwhelmed with emails and phone calls from horse lovers asking the officials to allow Peter Rabbit to be in his home. But the city refuses to budge. It has been an ongoing battle between Scott and the city officials since the past couple of years and the latest deadline they had given him is September 15th. Since Peter Rabbit is very much at home even today, the officials have decided to send citations to Scott where he will have to pay $100 everyday, which he has promised. My email in poor Peter's support is on its way!

Watch the news!

Lucky Treacle

Treacle aka Lucky managed to escape from his owners' house and go for a road trip - Image from News & Star

Now who would think to watch out for vehicles which are about the size of a globe? Well, if Lucky the hamster is out on the roads, then you better watch out. Lucky was happily trundling along the road in heavy traffic, along the roads of Carlisle, Cumbria, UK, when Nick Smith happened to see her. Smith was riding in his car along with his son Ben, when he saw a plastic ball trundling along at top speed and actually overtaking the car. A closer look revealed the hamster inside, which made him stop the car. Smith made some enquiries to see if anyone had lost a hamster and when he didn't receive a concrete reply, he took Lucky home with him. Smith lives in the small village of Wreay, where he houses other pets that include a Dalmatian, two cats and lots of fish. But a few days later, Smith received a worried phone call from Lucky's original owners looking for Treacle, Lucky's real name. Now the brown and white little hamster is all set to be reunited with her owners and go back to her old home. Smith muses, "How she survived is a miracle. She must be the luckiest hamster in the world."

Buddy to the rescue

Buddy the Savior - Image from ABC News

Next time you want an ambulance ask your dog. That is if he is trained like Buddy, the German Shepherd. Buddy's owner Joe Stalnaker, who lives in Arizona, was suffering from one of his regular seizures and his cries for help were heard by Buddy. He is specially trained to watch out for his owner during his troubled times and as soon as he sensed Joe in trouble the 18 month old Buddy dialled 911. Over the phone, Chris Trott, a veteran police operator, heard whimpering and barking and a little while later the police arrived at Stalmaker's home. Stalmaker suffered a brain injury ten years ago when he was in the military, which left him prone to severe seizure attacks. Stalmaker got Buddy with the help of Paws With a Cause, an assistance animal adoption service. Usually Buddy recognises when his owner is in trouble and responds by bringing the phone to him or presses the 911 button with his teeth. Well, not everyone has the best Buddy.

Watch Buddy

Animal Book of the Week - Marley & Me

A most lovable book - Image from Wiki

This is a feature I thought I must add to my blog, since there are so many animal lovers who are also book lovers out there. Let me begin with "Marley & Me" by John Grogan, which by now would be pretty well-known to most of you. But its my favorite animal book so far and I really cracked up laughing! Its really worth adding to your book collection and an absolute must buy.

All about:

Official Site

The Movie

Review

Blonde bombshell

Rare blondes are much preferred - Image from The Sun

Who doesn't like blondes. Apparently even foxes, badgers, dogs and other bullies love blondes too, which is why a rare blonde baby hedgehog was mauled and left struggling to live. The hedgehog, which is not an albino, was found in Gobowen, Shropshire, England and immediately taken to the RSPCA at Stapeley Grange Centre in Cheshire. When she was handed in, in July, she was just a few months old and weighed a meagre 110g. Dr Andrew Kelly, manager of the Cheshire RSPCA, said, "We receive around 600 hedgehogs a year at Stapeley Grange, often orphaned juveniles, but we've never had a blonde hedgehog before." He said she has now tripled her weight and is ready to be released into a special private garden where she can be fed and monitored before she is completely let free into the wild. She doesn't have a name yet because the staff never name wild animals. Blonde hedgehogs are extremely rare and are found mostly on the Channel Island of Alderney where they have become common since a pair were released in the 1960s. Their attractive blondeness is actually caused by a rare recessive gene, which makes them handicapped to survive in the wild because their all too apparent appearance makes them an easy target for predators.

Read more about the rare residents of Alderney Island

The Alderney Spike Girls

Woof of guilt

Scooby's name was taken from the famous cartoon character - Image from Wiki

How would a dog testify? Will it bark or wag its tail? Well that is the main question that will come into your mind when you know that Scooby the dog has become the first ever animal to testify in a court. The dog is believed to have been with its 59 year old owner when she was found hanging in her Paris apartment. Although the police believe it was a suicide her family has demanded an investigation because they believe its murder. So in comes Scooby to provide proof. During the hearing Scooby was led into the witness box by a vet to see how it reacted to a suspect. Apparently he barked "furiously". The aim was to decide if there was sufficient evidence to launch a full murder enquiry and Scooby seems to have helped quite a bit judging from Judge Thomas Cassuto's remarks that Scooby's assistance was "invaluable."

Killer Killarney

Killarney the koala has a mind of her own - Image from AP

She is a firebrand and she gives you a date only after you pass her tests. She is registered on online dating sites and is the personification of cool. Killarney the koala has had a lot of suitors but she has made her distaste clear in many ways - a potential man once got smacked on his face for being too eager to get close and gave another one a very disinterested and perfunctory glance even as they were being introduced to each other. Killarney's residence is the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina, where her loving keepers maintain her internet profile from time to time. More than 200 zoos across the US use online databases to find mates for their animals and Killarney's friends don't lose hope of finding her knight. That is one independent woman.

Spot of Understanding

Flies possess an internal map to warn them of approaching danger - Image from the Los Angeles Times

For all of us who have torn our hair apart in pursuit of a fly and wondered why its so damn difficult to catch hold of it, here are some answers. The brains of a fly are hardwired to escape us swatters. The insects cleverly flee in the opposite direction as soon as they see the swat team descending. According to researchers these moves are made with lightning speed - within 200 milliseconds. Michael Dickinson's team in the California Institute of Technology studied flies with the help of high-speed digital imaging equipment and a fancy fly swatter. His advice? Best not to swat a fly from the starting position, aim for the escape route.

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Kinds of flies

Happy trip

The Asian elephant is listed as "endangered" since 1977 - Image from Wikipedia

Xiguang saw bright lights and remained inexpressibly and abnormally happy for a long time. And then his trip ended abruptly in rehab. We are talking of a four year old Asian elephant who was illegally captured along the Chinese-Burmese border in 2oo5 and given bananas laced with heroin, probably to control and pacify him. When the police arrested the traders and found the elephant it was suffering from withdrawal symptoms. With tears streaming down his face he continuously made his agony known to the people around him. Xiguang was taken to a rehab centre in the island of Hainan, where he was treated with methadone injections, five times the human dosage, for a year. Now pretty much fit, he will be housed in a wildlife park in Kunming, Yunnan. Xiguang would definitely miss his happy days.

Why is the Asian elephant endangered?

Christian the Lion

Christian loved the television - Image from Dailymail.co.uk

Probably the story of Christian the Lion is known to most of you. But I chanced upon it today and it has touched a chord. Christian was one of the "exotic" animals caged and kept on display in Harrod's back in 1969. When a friend reported this exciting fact to Australians Anthony "Ace" Bourke and John Rendall, they went to check it out, out of curiosity. They spotted the 35 pound three month old lion cub and immediately felt sorry for it and bought it. Christian was brought up as a member of the household, spending his childhood playing in the living room and playing soccer in the garden. Finally when he got too big for the house the two friends realized that he had to be released back into his real home. So they took him to Kenya and released him in the wilderness with the help of George Adamson in 1971. They visited him periodically and then stopped. Several months later they were told he had adapted to his new environment, and the two returned to say goodbye. The video is a must watch. Such a heartwarming moment.

'Tyring' day

Bella the cat couldn't bear parting - Image from AOL News

There's nothing new about the cat who went on a two and half hour trip in her owner's truck. But with Bella the difference is that she was perched on the spare tyre under the truck. Gil Smith who lives in Arizona drove 70 miles to attend a meeting in Kearny. When he reached his destination he heard the distressed cries of a cat and discovered Bella, shaken and stirred. Smith said that the cat was smart enough to know not to jump off the truck as soon at stopped even though she was hyper with fright. Smith and his wife have three cats, three goats and three chickens, but Bella holds a special place in the family, especially for his wife. So much so that he cancelled his meeting and drove all the way back home to get Bella back to his wife. I thought that was even better than Bella's adventure.

Gone to the dogs

Buses, a dog's best friend - Image from Spiegel

What is the limit of luxury? For a dog it can be having its own bus. Dog lovers in Berlin can now happily go to work without being worried about who will care for their pet during the day. A newly launched bus service will shuttle dogs to a day care centre where they can eat, sleep and play. Each ticket is 15 euros ($22) and for this the dogs get to sit in cabins fitted with air-conditioning, central-heating, blankets and music. Their destination is Beelitz, a town 31 miles southwest of Berlin, where they they can play, eat or relax in special hotel rooms before embarking on their trip home. The bus can take up to 20 dogs and runs 5 days a week. Ah, now if only we had someone do that for us everyday.

Spot of Understanding

Magnetism defined - Image from Wikipedia

It has now been found that both deer and cattle always tend to face the magnetic South or North at all times. The theory before was that they face this direction to avoid the winds or the sun's rays. But Sabine Begall of the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany and her colleagues pored through thousands of Google Earth images from all over the world and found that whether resting or grazing these animals face either the south or the north.

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More about animal magnetism