Creatures in the news — winged, four-footed, cute or scary

The lost cats in fire-ravaged California ..their resilience and helpful ways of getting them back to their owners.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/01/us/fire-cats-california.html?ref=todayspaper

Have you all seen this amazing creature in your news?

What a beautiful thing! If it’s crow sized, that’s about as long as your forearm (well, our crows are), so very impressive. A bit scary if you’re not expecting it, powerful, but gorgeous too. 

You can certainly appreciate where some of the very stories of magical beings come from, when you see fossils like this:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-16/chinese-rainbow-dinosaur-discovered-with-iridescent-feathers/9332100

beautiful story about loving and losing a pet...

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/25/opinion/loving-old-dogs.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2Ftodays-new-york-times

how about this — “cats rule - dogs drool” in science 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/26/science/dog-science-cats.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2Ftodays-new-york-times

I never knew until this year that bees are a trade commodity and that ours are also on a rescue mission to various parts of the world

This is the second large-scale export I’ve read of in a short time, I think the other was to Europe.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-22/chart-of-the-day-45-million-aussie-beez-buzz-off-to-canada/9777318

The Peacock Spider man is back in the news - new species named, and gorgeous pix!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-07-21/new-peacock-spiders-discovered/10007422

if ever there was a link I shouldn’t have opened, this was it!   

except they're micro, and soooo pretty!  And you find them way out bush, in rusted out cars where you wouldn't normally be. And - they dance to attract and woo their mate; isn't that romantic? And she doesn't eat them after mating   

I'd missed earlier reporting where he'd missed some of his discoveries because of colour blindness. How fortunate that others alerted him, instead of claiming the glory for themselves. 

mtierney, did you catch this news item? Reintroducing an extinct wild migratory bird in Europe

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/20/formerly-extinct-ibis-taught-to-migrate-by-following-light-aircraft

Those spiders are captivating!

Here’s another great story: Woof!

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-44898115

oh, and another!   

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-22/nsw-ambulance-therapy-dogs-help-reduce-staff-stress/10022782

joanne said:
Here’s another great story: Woof!
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-44898115

 Would have liked to have been there when it was time to go home!  

joanne said:
oh, and another!   
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-22/nsw-ambulance-therapy-dogs-help-reduce-staff-stress/10022782

 Golden retrievers rule!

It’s been awhile, but I wanted to share this  harbinger of Spring....

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/opinion/spring-winter-seasons-birds.html

sad story of Hawaiian native snail

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/08/george-the-snail-tree-snail-hawaiian-islands-biodiversity

This Australian snake was obviously just looking for a dark place to shed its skin...next thing it knows it's in Glasgow!!  

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-25/snake-hitchhikes-in-suitcase-from-queensland-to-scotland/10846236 

Charming article about a blind duck and its companion, a ‘guide duck’

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-oxfordshire-48198896/guide-duck-elmo-shows-blind-ernie-the-way

Adorable! I think I could use a duck guide. Thanks, Joanne.

Not ready for a duck but my night vision is getting pretty awful so I'm thinking of hooking up a team of huskies to the front of my car.

I was really amazed and also startled to read this article: brain surgery for NZ's iconic, endangered parrot

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/10/bird-brain-world-first-surgery-performed-on-endangered-kakapo-parrot

The pix are a little detailed, but there's lots of fluffy down around the wound - the bird in question is a 56-day-old chick. 

Kakapo are fascinating birds, I do hope this will flourish and father lots more. 

scary story looking for a solution...

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/10/opinion/sunday/bears-hunting-canada-grizzly.html

We have another avian feral nuisance: peacocks. 

I hadn't realised how widespread the pest is. As a teenager in Melbourne, there were peacocks in our street, regularly flying out of their home property and parading up and down the street.

When D and I lived in Albury/Wodonga, and I worked at the Latchford Barracks library, there were wild peacocks living on the barracks grounds, as much at home as the koalas and kangaroos - and as beloved.

And now there's this alarming article about the Northern Territory's birds:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-15/peacocks-are-meanies-and-need-to-be-culled-says-wildlife-group/11113348

from Robert Roe, Maplewood Health Dept.  On Thursday May 23, the Associated Humane Society van will be parked in front of Town hall and will be doing spaying and wellness for only male cats.   Call 973-824-7080 x11 for an appointment.   Rabies vaccinations are available.  

On Friday May 24 Associated Humane at the van in front of Town Hall will be doing dog and cat spay/neuter.  Again call for an appointment.  Needed vaccinations will also be done.  

This is an excellent service to help pet owners.  It also is an excellent service to reduce the numbers of stray cats (and dogs) in the Township.  I urge anyone with feral cats to take advantage of this service.   As always, contact me at the Maplewood Health Division if there is any question; 973-762-8120 x4400.   

RobertRoe said:
from Robert Roe, Maplewood Health Dept.  On Thursday May 23, the Associated Humane Society van will be parked in front of Town hall and will be doing spaying and wellness for only male cats.   Call 973-824-7080 x11 for an appointment.   Rabies vaccinations are available.  
On Friday May 24 Associated Humane at the van in front of Town Hall will be doing dog and cat spay/neuter.  Again call for an appointment.  Needed vaccinations will also be done.  
This is an excellent service to help pet owners.  It also is an excellent service to reduce the numbers of stray cats (and dogs) in the Township.  I urge anyone with feral cats to take advantage of this service.   As always, contact me at the Maplewood Health Division if there is any question; 973-762-8120 x4400.   

 Good to know! Are you going to give it its own thread?

Speaking of ducks - which we were a few posts ago - this family scored a police escort when they were spotted waddling along a busy motorway in the Queensland (Australia) capital city of Brisbane:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-15/ducks-on-busy-brisbane-motorway-get-police-escort-to-safety/11116124

Couldn’t resist sharing...

Morganna said:

RobertRoe said:
from Robert Roe, Maplewood Health Dept.  On Thursday May 23, the Associated Humane Society van will be parked in front of Town hall and will be doing spaying and wellness for only male cats.   Call 973-824-7080 x11 for an appointment.   Rabies vaccinations are available.  
On Friday May 24 Associated Humane at the van in front of Town Hall will be doing dog and cat spay/neuter.  Again call for an appointment.  Needed vaccinations will also be done.  
This is an excellent service to help pet owners.  It also is an excellent service to reduce the numbers of stray cats (and dogs) in the Township.  I urge anyone with feral cats to take advantage of this service.   As always, contact me at the Maplewood Health Division if there is any question; 973-762-8120 x4400.   

 Good to know! Are you going to give it its own thread?

 It was started at the the same time as this post was made, M.  Excellent thinking to get the word out, Mr R!

from Bob Roe:   Please pass this info on to all your pet friends.  You do not have to be from Maplewood to take advantage of this service.   Also, AHS has a monthly calendar of locations that their van will be.  

RobertRoe said:
from Bob Roe:   Please pass this info on to all your pet friends.  You do not have to be from Maplewood to take advantage of this service.   Also, AHS has a monthly calendar of locations that their van will be.  

 Thanks Bob, I'll post on FB.