Popular Aquarium Fish Has Been Thriving in Ukraine’s Polluted Sewers for Decades
A sizeable population of tropical fish native to Venezuela and Guyana has been thriving in the polluted sewer system of Kyiv, in Ukraine, since the 1980s. The ability of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to adapt to various environments is well documented, but few people would expect to find a full-blown colony of the popular aquarium fish […]
Filipino Healer Treats the Sick with Pit Viper Bites
For years, Rosalio Culit, a self-described healer from the Philippines, has been treating the sick by allowing them to be bitten by venomous pit vipers. Rosalio Culit, also known as Datu Kamandag among his fellow Manobo tribe members in Surigao del Norte, Mindanao, is a controversial healer who uses viper venom to treat various ailments. […]
The World’s Stinkiest Bird Smells Like Cow Manure
The pheasant-like hoatzin is the only bird species that ferments its food, an unusual digestive system that also makes it the stinkiest bird in the world. The hoatzin is a very strange bird. Native to the backwaters of the Amazon, its chicks are born with clawed wings, it is the last surviving member of an […]
The Stick Caterpillar Is Peak Natural Camouflage
The caterpillar of the peppered moth has one of the most impressive natural camouflages in the animal world. Not only do they look like lifeless twigs, but they can also change color to match their background. Over the past 17 years, we’ve featured some of the world’s most incredible camouflages. From caterpillars that position themselves […]
World’s Most Expensive Canine Sells for Over $5.8 Million
An Indian dog breeder recently paid 500 million rupees ($5.81 million ) for a unique cross between a real wolf and a Caucasian Shephard, making it the most expensive canine in the world. Named Cadabomb Okami, the pricy canine was reportedly bred in the US and purchased by S. Satish, a Bengaluru-based dog enthusiast and […]
Fox and Raccoon Meat Sold as Mutton and Beef in China, Journalistic Investigation Finds
A journalistic investigation by the Chinese newspaper The Paper revealed the widespread commercialization of “fake meats”, such as fox or raccoon meat being sold as beef, mutton, or rabbit to restaurants. The Paper reports that in Chinese areas known for fur production, such as Tangshan, Hebei, Weifang, Linyi, or Shandong, animal farms resell fox and […]
Artist in Hot Water for Trying to Starve 3 Piglets to Death as Part of Provocative Art Installation
Chilean-born artist Marco Evaristti has come under fire for trying to starve three little piglets to death as part of a controversial art installation meant to raise awareness about animal welfare. Marco Evaristti sparked controversy when he originally announced plans for his “And Now You Care?” exhibition, but he really attracted criticism both from animal […]
Meet King Kong, the World’s Tallest Water Buffalo
Standing 185 cm (6 feet and 0.8 inches) tall from hoof to withers, 3-year-old King Kong is the world’s tallest water buffalo. Water buffalos are among the biggest bovine species, but even among them, King Kong, a 3-year-old specimen born on a farm in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, stands out as exceptionally tall. Measuring a whopping […]
Doctor Under Fire for Giving Pet Cat a Cat Scan at His Hospital
An Italian doctor is currently being investigated for using hospital equipment to diagnose his injured pet cat and then operating on her in order to save her life. Gianluca Fanelli , head of the simple structure of Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology at the Parini Hospital in Aosta, Italy, recently split his home country into two camps – […]
Beavers Take 2 Days to Build Dams The Government Had Been Planning for 7 Years
A family of European beavers has become an overnight sensation in the Czech Republic after taking just two days to build a series of dams that the Czech Government had been struggling to build for 7 years. A project to restore water areas in the Brdy Nature Park began in 2018, but authorities had taken […]
Desperate Canine Mother Carries Unconscious Puppy to Vet Clinic
A veterinary clinic in Turkey recently shared the touching story of a stray dog who carried her unconscious puppy in her mouth and left it at the clinic door as if begging for help. If not for the viral video footage captured by CCTV cameras, most people would probably think this story too heartwarming to […]
Bagheera Kiplingi, the World’s Only [Mostly] Vegetarian Spider
There are around 45,000 species of spider in the world, all of them carnivorous, with one exception – Bagheera kiplingi, a jumping spider known for feeding almost exclusively on plants. Native to the forests of Central America and Mexico, Bagheera kiplingi is only 5-6mm long and spends most of its time on the old leaves […]
Zookeeper Walks Into Lion Enclosure to Impress Fiancee, Gets Mauled
An Uzbek zookeeper tragically lost his life after going into the lion’s enclosure at a private zoo to film himself petting the large felines only to get mauled by them. On December 17, 44-year-old F. Iriskulov was working the night shift at a private zoo in Parkent, Uzbekistan, when he decided to impress his fiancee […]
The Dark Side of China’s “Free Cat” Vending Machines
Pet vending machines have been sparking heated online debates in China for months, but this controversial “unmanned economy” model seems to have an even darker side than meets the eye. We first featured China’s live pet vending machines back in May of this year when they were spotted in busy cities like Beijing and Shanghai. […]
Chinese Zoo Draws Criticism for Shockingly Thin Crocodile
China’s Guangzhou Zoo Has come under fire after videos of a shockingly thin crocodile housed there went viral online. Photos and videos of a crocodile so skinny that you can literally see its spine and count its ribs have been doing the rounds on Chinese social media and sparking a heated debate around the treatment […]