Posts Tagged ‘Animals’

Cocky Chicken Adopts Puppies

March 4th, 2010 Spooky

Mable, a one-year-old hen, from Shrewsbury, Britain, has the impression she is a dog and takes the role of mother for a group of puppies.

Owners Edward and Ros Tate saved Mable from endig up in someone’s cooking pot, when she was hatched, a year ago. They’ve taken her in as a pet, but never noticed her strong maternal instinct, until Nettle, their dog, gave birth to puppies. The chicken observed the dog’s behaviour, and one day, as soon as Nettle left her nest, she hopped into her basket, snuggling up to the puppies, to keep them warm.

To the surprise of the owners and the actual mother, Mable keeps taking over the basket whenever she gets the chance.

via Daily Mail

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Hoppa the Roller Dog

March 1st, 2010 Spooky

Thanks to the invention of an animal-loving art student, little Hoppa can easily move around, even without front legs.

Hoppa, a 4-year-old mixed breed dog, from Tel-Aviv, israel, has received a very special gift, created especially for him. This adorable pooch was born without his front legs, and even though his owner, Avi Kuzi, showed him all the care and affection, he had trouble moving around.

But most of his problems were solved by a wheeling device custom made for Hoppa, by an art student, who hopes his invention could ease the life of pets born with abnormalities, or with amputated limbs. This is great, but dogs like Faith – the biped dog don’t need such contraptions.

Photos by REUTERS via CCTV

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Meet Giant George, the World’s Tallest Dog

February 24th, 2010 Spooky

After a publicity campaign started by his owner and a bunch of fans, George, a Great Dane from Tucson, Arizon received the rightful title of World’s Tallest Dog.

After Gibson, a Great Dane from California and the previous holder of the Guinness World Record for tallest dog past away from bone cancer, George’s owner David Nasser tried to get his dog to be named successor. However, due to errors in paperwork and measurements, the title went to Titan, another Great Dane, from California.

But David Nasser wouldn’t let his beloved pet be deprived of what was rightfully his, and together with Giant George’s fans started a publicity campaign. Their efforts paid off, and after careful measurements it was decided 43-inch-tall George was indeed the world’s tallest dog, and not 42.25-inch Titan.

Giant George weighs 250 lbs, sleeps in his very own king-size bed and can barely fit in the back of his owner’s SUV. He even has his very own website and has become a certified celebrity.

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Black Jaguar Has Spotted Cub

February 17th, 2010 Spooky

Lolo, a black jaguar, originally from South America, enjoys her first press conference together with her adorable spotted cub. Looking at the first photo, you can see she’s just as surprised as you are.

She’s the mother, so we can’t really pin this abnormality on her being unfaithful. Believe it or not, it’s not the babies spots that are odd, it’s his mother’s pitch-black fur. Most jaguars have brown spots that help them blend better in their environment, but about 6% of them suffer from a genetic condition known as melanism, which causes them to be entirely black.

Lolo and her two-year-old cub live at the Yaduda zoo, in Jordan. The youngster’s father, Falah, was separated, so he wouldn’t hurt the cub. It’s pretty selfish of us humans to keep such extraordinary creatures in depressing conditions, simply for our entertainment.That little beast is adorable, but just thinking about the rest of his life in a zoo, instead of in the jungle, where he belongs, makes me feel depressed.

Photos by REUTERS via Daylife

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Traditional Goose Fighting in Suzdal

February 17th, 2010 Spooky

Every year, the people of Suzdal, a small Russian town north-east of Moscow, gather at the the Museum of Wooden Architecture, for the traditional goose fight.

Locals form a circle that acts as the circle of the fighting ring, and the geese are simply unleashed. Apparently, the colder the winter, the more aggressive the birds. This year the temperatures were way below zero,  so the geese started fighting almost instantly.

Two families are released into the ring, but only two geese take part in the actual confrontation, withe the rest of the parties doing all the cheering. But this isn’t as violent as it my look. Unlike cock fights or ouzel fights, goose fighting is a lot more gentle, resulting in only a few plucked feathers.

via toprn

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Crochetdermy Beats Taxidermy Any Day

February 16th, 2010 Spooky

Why kill an animal and have it stuffed with straw and stuff, when you van have artist Shauna Richardson crochet you the best trophy head you could ever dream of?

Shauna Richardson is a true crochetdermy expert. What is crochetdermy, you ask? Well it’s kind of like taxidermy, only without the dead animals. The UK based artist uses coarse wools like mohair, and glass eyes to create animal models and hunting trophies. She uses a single color and only one type of stitch for an entire crochetdermy model, changing the direction of the stitches to highlight certain anatomical features. She works with a single 3mm hook.

Although it takes Shauna over a month to complete one of her crochetdermy masterpieces, the end result is definitely worth the effort.

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The Relaxing Cat Cafes of Japan

February 12th, 2010 Spooky

Cats are famous for their relaxing effect on people, but in a country like Japan, where space is an issue, having a pet is problematic. That’s when cat cafes come into play.

For a modest fee of between $5 and $8 Japanese animal lovers can enjoy their usual coffee surrounded by dozens of playful cats. Spending an hour in the company of cats can work wonders on the human mind, and when you’re as stressed as Japanese business-men, even more so. Many of them can’t fit a household pet into their busy schedules, so they opt for a relaxing one-hour break in the company of purring felines.

It might seem like an oddity to us, but ever since the first cat cafe opened in 2004, in Osaka, this sort of establishment has become mainstream in Japan. While you can pet the cats and pay with them, you must obey a very simple set of rules regarding hygiene. In order to prevent infection OF THE CATS, customers have to wear disposable socks and slippers, as well as wash their hands with antiseptic.

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The Incredible Climbing Mountain Goats

February 12th, 2010 Spooky

You might think you have mad mountain-climbing skills, but nature’s got you beat. I don’t know how they do it, but these mountain goats climb on to the most precarious places.

Living in mountainous regions around North America, mountain goats can be found at altitudes of up to 13,000 feet, climbing cliffs all day long, in search of food. Thanks to their cloven hooves, each featuring two widely-spaced toes that provide great balance, mountain goats can challenge any seasoned climber and probably best him.

Their double-layered, thick white coats provide camouflage in snowy settings, but the altitude they can reach provides enough protection from most predators. And if they happen to run into trouble, they can jump 12 feet in one leap, and reach a safe point. Just check out the pics to get an idea of their climbing capabilities.

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Having a Giant Hamster as a Pet

February 12th, 2010 Spooky

Well, it looks like a giant hamster, but it’s actually a capybara, the largest rodent on the planet, and it makes a great pet,apparently.

Melanie Typaldos, from Buda, Texas first came into contact with a capybara on a trip in Venezuela. Her daughter Coral fell in love with them the moment she got to pick one up and hold it in her arms. The moment they returned home, Melanie began searching for a capybara as a pet. She found 11-day-old Caplin Rous on a rare animal farm in Texas and it instantly became a member of their family.

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Rear Gear Animal Butt Covers

February 2nd, 2010 Spooky

Rear Gear has your pet’s butt covered, literally…

I have to admit when I first saw photos of the Rear Gear in action, I had one of those now-I’ve-seen-everything moments. But seeing it was sold out on Etsy, I started realizing its usefulness, sort of. I can see why some owners would want to cover their animals’ butt holes, and keep Mr. Brown-Eye out of sight.

Rear Gear is a simple, hand-made device that attaches to the pet’s tail and completely covers its unattractive backside with something pretty like a smiley face, a flower, a heart, cupcake and many more. It’s genius and it’s about to make a brilliant entrepreneur from Portland very rich.

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Playing with Your Food Saves Lives!

February 1st, 2010 Spooky

If you’re a cheetah, that is. Otherwise it’s just time consuming and silly, especially if you’re a grown man.

These incredible photos were taken by wildlife photographer Michel Denis-Huot, in Kenya’s Masai-Mara Reserve, and show three grown male cheetah’s playing and cuddling with a young Impala, instead of tearing it apart and eating it, like God intended.

The “deadly” trio were just roaming across the wilderness, when they spotted a pack of Impalas, which they decided to chase. One little antelope wasn’t fast enough and got left behind. When the cheetahs caught up with it, they simply started playing with what supposed to be their food. The three felines started licking the Impala, put their paws on its head, cuddling, but nothing threatening.

Sounds a lot like what a cat does to a mouse, but usually the rodent ends up being eaten. Not in this movie. After a playing session, the Impala ran away unharmed. The only remotely logical explanation is that the three cheetahs were already too full and tired for another kill. Still…AMAZING!

via Daily Mail

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Hercules – the Biggest of Big Cats

January 28th, 2010 Spooky

Hercules is a 900-pound-heavy, 6-feet-tall and 12-feet-long liger who holds the Guinness World Record for the largest cat.

Born from a lion father and tiger mother, Hercules grew into an impressive creature, able to run at speeds of up to 50 mph and eat 100 pounds of food in one sitting. Ligers have been known to be fat and unhealthy cats, but Hercules is an exceptional specimen that got the best from both feline races.

During a recent photo-shoot, Hercules’ caretakers wanted to show his enormous size by placing him against popular English symbols, like an old double-decker bus or a black cab. He was actually able to climb the bus to receive a tasty treat. It might look like the world’s biggest cat is actually in London, but he’s really quite close to home, at Freestyle Music Park in Myrtle Beach, Southern California.

Despite his gigantic size, Hercules is very tame and Dr. Bhagavan, one of the liger’s caretakers, says looking into his eyes is “like looking into God’s own eyes”.

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Man-Made Tiger, Literally

January 27th, 2010 Spooky

I know what you’re thinking, that’s a nicely drawn tiger. Only…Well, just check out the pics, this is one of those “a photo is worth a thousand words” post. Also check the video at the bottom to get an idea of how it came to be.

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St. Anthony’s Feast – A Fiery Celebration

January 18th, 2010 Spooky

Every year on January 17,the people of San Bartolome de Pinares celebrate St. Anthony by riding their horses, donkeys and mules through piles of burning tree branches.

The unique tradition of leaping over and through flames dates back 500 years, but the men and women of San Bartolome de Pinares still celebrate it religiously. They gather all the branches they find in the days leading up to the festivities, and when dusk falls on the eve of Saint Anthony’s, they light them ablaze. Riders lead their mounts through the burning piles of the village, accompanied by sounds of drums and Spanish bagpipes.

Jumping through the flames is said to bring the animals the protection of St. Anthony Abad, acknowledged as the patron of domestic animals, ever since the Middle-Ages. Locals believe the fire purifies their animals and protects them against illnesses, all year long.

Animal rights activists don’t buy the whole purification deal, but in a country like Spain, where traditions like bullfighting, Shearing of the Beasts or Day of the Geese, they don’t have too many hopes of putting an end to it. Plus, the owners say their animals remain unharmed…

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Cats Can Do Yoga Too

December 23rd, 2009 Spooky

You didn’t think these adorable purring fur-balls were going to stand by and let dogs show off their yoga moves without proving their own flexibility, did you?

Two months ago Dan and Alejandra Borris presented the amazing Yoga Dogs Calendar and now they’re blowing the minds of animal lovers everywhere, with the 2010 Yoga Cats Calendar. Alejandra, a former yoga teacher, borrowed her neighbors’ cats and coaxed them in yoga-like positions while her husband took the photos.

Because they didn’t want to force the cats into anatomically-impossible positions, the couple got them as close as they could get to the desired positions and then Dan used his Photoshop skills to get the right effect.

Have a look at the entire Yoga Cats and Yoga Dogs Calendars on their official site.

via Daily Mail

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Oscar the Globetrotting Dog

December 22nd, 2009 Spooky

Meet Oscar, the luckiest dog in the world. This year he and his master traveled across 5 continents and 29 countries.

Five years ago, Joanne Lefson found Oscar in a South-African kennel and took him in. In May of this year, Joanne sold her house and went on a trip around the world, accompanied, of course, by her beloved pooch. Their incredible journey was meant to inspire people everywhere to take stray dogs of the streets and offer them a home.

Here are some amazing photos of Oscar taken in some of the most amazing locations in the world. Oh, and check out the full of list of countries he visited, at the bottom.

Photos by CATERS NEWS AGENCY

via Daily Mail

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Private Owner Parts with His Pet Lion

December 18th, 2009 Spooky

27 -year-old Lucian Craita, from Romania, parted ways with his pet lion, Richie, after raising him in his backyard for over a year.

Lucian has always had always had a thing for lions and when he had the chance to buy one for a pet, from an animal market, he didn’t hesitate. Richie cost him just 1,000 euros and he never regretted spending the money. Over a year and a half of living together, Lucian and Richie developed a truly special relationship, so you can imagine the young man’s grief when he had to hand his pet lion over to the Vier Pfoten animal association.

The Romanian gave up his friend voluntarily, after realizing he couldn’t offer it the life it deserved. Now Richie will be taken to Lion’s Rock Lion Reservation, in South Africa, where he can be with his own kind. Because Richie spent so much time as a house pet, he will never be a real lion, but at least he’ll enjoy being free in the savanna.

Photos by REUTERS via Xinhua

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Puppy, Kitty and Rat Meats Online

December 8th, 2009 Spooky

Because puppy, kitty and rat steaks taste so damn good.

During one of my daily internet surfing sessions, I stumbled on one of the weirdest sites I’ve ever seen. It’s called Rat Beef.com and it’s an online rat butchery (doesn’t that sound delightful). Sure, we’ve featured photos of cooked field rats before, but to see them commercialized online struck me as a tad bizarre. RatBeef states their rats are bred and raised in 100% natural conditions and they even offer a few cooking recipes.

While I was browsing the site’s pages, looking for some suiting pics, I found Rat Beef has two sister (to be read siNIster) sites, Puppy Beef and Kitty Beef which sell…well, you can guess. I know these types of meats are very popular in some Asian countries, but to see them sold on websites containing the words puppy and kitty is just ridiculous.

In case you don’t believe this is odd in anyway, at least you know where you can buy your exotic meats from now on.

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Cody – The Barking Store Clerk

November 30th, 2009 Spooky

Cody, a Chocolate Labrador is one of the most valued employees of a conveniance store from Clearwater, Florida.

Karim Manour started bringing Cody to work with him about five months ago, during the early shifts. At first it was just so he could have some company, but customers that spotted the fury rascal fell in love with him instantly. Seeing his beloved pet was so popular, he decided to throw the dog a bone, as it were, and gave him a job.

Now Cody has his very own t-shirt and name tag and is up for the employee of the year award, because of his growing customer approval rating. The mutt doesn’t really work as a clerk, but he does manage to calm-down angry people and make sad people feel better simply by being his adorable self. Now if that doesn’t deserve a raise, I don’t know what does.

Photos by Jim Damaske

via Tampa Bay

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Ugly Bat Boy

November 5th, 2009 Spooky

No, this post is not about a bat boy, but it is about one of the ugliest, weirdest cats you’ve ever seen.

Ugly Bat Boy is an 8-year-old that lives at the Exeter Veterinary Hospital, in New Hampshire. He was born bald, except for an area on his chest, but, despite his unnatractive looks, Ugly Bat Boy still managed to become a local celebrity. Members of the hospital staff were forced to post stickers saying there is nothing wrong with the cat, he is just ugly.

Ugly Bat Boy may look different, but he acts just like any other feline, sleeping on a computer to keep warm and loving attention and petting. Although he’s not pretty to look at, his keepers say his beauty lies on the inside.

 

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