This Hawaiian Island Is Home to Thousands of Feral Chicken
The island of Kauai, in the Hawaiian archipelago, is home to thousands of feral chicken that have developed a complex relationship with the island’s human inhabitants. From the pristine beaches of Lumbahai, to airports, gas stations, even urban parking lots, feral chickens are everywhere on Kauai Island. They roam freely, and have adapted to lead […]
World’s Largest Sea Slug Looks Like an Alien From Another Planet
Measuring up to 99-centimeters-long, and weighing up to 14 kilograms, Aplysia vaccaria, also known as the black sea hare or California black sea hare, is the world’s largest sea slug. I knew slugs could get pretty large, but i never imagined one as big and heavy as a medium-sized dog. Then again, Aplysia vaccaria, is a […]
Japanese Family Has Been Sharing Their Home With 7-Foot-Long Crocodile for 39 Years
Some people wouldn’t get anywhere near an adult crocodile for all the money in the world, but one Japanese family in Kure City, Hiroshima, has been living with one for almost four decades. Nobumitsu Murabayashi bought “Caiman-san”, his pet crocodile, from a pet store, after his young son begged him to. He never thought he’d […]
Woman Shares Her Home With 1,300 Dogs, 100 Cats and Four Horses
Wen Junhong, a 68-year-old woman from China, has been adopting stray animals for over two decades, and now shares her home with 1,300 canines, 100 cats and four horses. When Wen Junhong adopted her first stray dog, twenty years ago, she had no idea that she would one day be taking care of over 1,000 […]
This Cuddly Rodent Coats Itself in Lethal Poison to Keep Predators at Bay
The African crested rat, an elusive rodent that lives in forested areas of Eastern Africa, has a very strange yet intriguing defense mechanism against would-be predators – it licks deadly toxins onto its own fur. People inhabiting the highland forests and woodlands of countries like Somalia, Sudan or Ethiopia have long known to stay clear […]
Japanese Fruit Farmers “Employ” Owls as Pest Control
Japanese field voles can seriously impact the profits of apple orchard owners, if left unchecked. For centuries, many farmers have relied on owls to keep vole numbers to manageable levels, and research has shown the night predators to be incredibly efficient. Ural owls have been setting up their nests in orchards with high rodent populations […]
The Jagdterrier – A German-Engineered Hunting Superdog
The Germans are known for their machine engineering, but it turns out that they’re not to shabby when it comes to genetic engineering either, and the jagdterrier, a living breathing hunting machine, is a perfect example. Literally German for “hunt terrier”, the jagdterrier is a hunting dog developed in Germany between the two world wars, […]
Canadian “Raccoon Whisperer” Has Been Feeding Wild Raccoons Every Night for Over 20 Years
James Blackwood, a retired Mounted Police Officer from Nova Scotia, calls himself a “Raccoon Whisperer”, a worthy title, considering that he has been feeding dozens of them every night, for over two decades. Blackwood and his furry friends recently became the talk of the interwebs, after a video showing the pensioner getting mobbed by a […]
Gravity-Defying Ibexes Climb Vertical Walls in Search of Precious Minerals
The Alpine Ibex is a species of big mountain goat-like herbivores that inhabit the highest peaks of the European Alps, using their pincer-like hooves and impressive agility to climb up even the steepest cliffs, thus avoiding most predators. But it’s their ability to climb even vertical walls that has made ibexes famous all over the […]
World’s Most Expensive Racing Pigeon Is Worth At Least $1.5 Million, Has Its Own Bodyguards
New Kim, a two-year-old racing pigeon from Belgium has recently been crowned the world’s most expensive pigeon after a South African collector bid a whopping 1.3 million euros ($1.5 million) in an online auction. Hok Van De Wouwer, a renowned pigeon breeder in Antwerp, Belgium has recently put its entire collection of racing pigeons on […]
Russian Cat Lover Shares Her Apartment With Two Full-Grown Lynxes
Anastasia Poznyak, a young cat lover from Sankt Petersburg, managed to adopt two baby lynxes from a Russian fur farm and has since been sharing her home with them despite her neighbors’ complaints. Anastasia was always a cat person, but somehow she had wound up with eight dogs – six huskies, a Samoyed, and an […]
Bashkir Curly – The Labradoodles of Horses
When asked to describe a horse’s coat, most people use adjectives like smooth and silky, but in reality not all horses have straight, sleek coats. Some of them are as curly as Mangalica pigs or labradoodles. Curly Horses, also known as Bashkir Curlies, American Bashkir Curlies, and North American Curly Horses, are a special breed that comes […]
Loyal Dog Walks 60 Km in 26 Days to Return Home After Being Forgotten on Highway
A loyal pooch reportedly managed to walk 60 km back to his home after being forgotten by his owners in a highway service area 26 days prior. According to local media, the 7-year-old dog, named Dou Dou, was forgotten in a by a Chinese family in a motorway service area when they stopped for a […]
The Yakutian Horses That Can Withstand Temperatures of Under -70 Degrees Celsius
Winter temperatures in Russia’s northern region of Yakutia can drop under a staggering -70 degrees Celsius, making it impossible for humans to stay outside for long periods of time. But for the indigenous horses of this region, such extreme temperatures are comfortable enough to spend days and nights in the open. Yakutian horses are only […]
This Beetle Can Survive Being Run Over by a Car
The Diabolical Ironclad Beetle is one of the most resilient beings on the planet. Its protective shell can withstand forces that would pulverize most other living things. In 2015, when entomologists told Jesus Rivera that a beetle found primarily on the west coast of North America had this “superpower” that allowed it to survive being […]