Dog and elephant are best buddies

By DogTime Staff



 

Dogs may be known as man’s best friend, but one unlikely pair is proving a dog’s best friend is probably not man at all, but a mammal with much larger ears, rougher skin, and a long trunk.

Black Labrador Retriever Bella was abandoned at South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach Safari by her owner, a contractor hired to construct a pool at the wildlife park back in 2007.

But Bella didn’t have to wait long before finding a new friend — and she found one in the park’s star elephant, Bubbles. Together, the pair play catch and keep-away in Bubbles’ pool, Bella climbing up on Bubbles’ back, and Bubbles splashing her loyal Lab friend with water from her trunk.  

Read the full story on Dogtime.com.

Petition: Black Bear Shooting in Uniontown, OH

Calling for an investigation of the recent shooting
of a black bear by police in Uniontown, OH

 The tragic incident of a young black bear killed by police on May 31, 2013, as he wandered through backyards of Uniontown in Ohio, can only be described as an unjustifiable, misguided and a tragic overreaction by police officials. Their unprofessional behavior, coupled with the complete absence of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has led to the death of a young, healthy and non-threatening wild animal—a black bear, who had simply lost his way in search of a mate and food and protected as an endangered species under OH’s wildlife law.

This unnecessary and tragic outcome could and should have been easily avoided. Neither was the police officer “forced to shoot the bear,” nor was killing of the bear “necessary for safety reasons,” as claimed by police, the Ohio Department of natural Resources (ODNR). The real reasons for this tragic incident are the fact that Uniontown’s police officers are untrained to solve encounters with wild animals in nonlethal manners—they didn’t even have a tranquilizer gun--and the ODNR, being unresponsive and unavailable for more than 13 hours after the first sighting of the bear was reported to the state wildlife agency. Why?

Please take action today and request an investigation of the circumstances that led to the killing of a harmless, young healthy black bear, who simply got lost in our urban jungle in search of a mate and food. Send a letter and follow-up with a call to John Kasich, Governor of OH and the Trustees of Lake Township, Stark County, OH, who oversee the Uniontown Police Department, and let them know that you want questions answered.

For more information, please contact anja@idausa.org.

Otter Pup Swim Lessons

Adorable video footage from the Columbus Zoo!

Otter pups aren't born with any innate knowledge of how to swim or handle themselves in the water. And since otters depend on water to survive, mom has to teach her babies how to be as home in the water as they are on land.

How Did They Know?

Lawrence Anthony, a legend in South Africa and author of 3 books including the bestseller "The Elephant Whisperer", bravely rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe from human atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo animals during US invasion in 2003.

On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died.

He is remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons & numerous elephants.

Two days after his passing, the wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs.

Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say goodbye to their beloved man-friend.  A total of 31 elephants had patiently walked over 12 miles to get to his South African House.

A Whale of a Story

Absolutely amazing!

Michael Fishbach narrates his encounter with a humpback whale entangled in a fishing net. Gershon Cohen and he have founded The Great Whale Conservancy to protect whales.

Baby Elephant Rescue

This is an absolutely beautiful little video!  Enjoy!

A Dove Called Noah

A story from the Wild Rose Rescue Ranch in Texas:

This one makes you wonder who are the smart ones.  How we treat the weakest among us is how we will be judged...

These little bunnies, about 6 days old, were attacked by a dog and orphaned.   Two out of the litter of five did not survive, and these three were not doing very well.

Noah  is a non-releasable, one-legged homing pigeon/rock dove that is in the rehab center.  Noah kept going over to the bunny cage and  looking in -- even sleeping in front of the door to the cage.

Then, suddenly, there were only two bunnies in the cage.
 

But when Noah moved a bit from the front of the cage, to everyone's surprise... there was the tiny bunny... under Noah's wing... sound asleep! That  little bunny rabbit had crawled through the cage, preferring a feather bed, no doubt to snuggling up with its litter mates!

Now, they are all together and the bunnies are doing GREAT. When the bunnies scoot underneath Noah's feathers, he carefully extends his wings out to surround them and then they snuggle.  When one of them moves and they start sticking out here and there, he gently pushes them back under him with his beak!  It is  beautiful and amazing to see.

This is what God does with us when we need the warmth and love He offers. He gathers us under His loving wings to a warm cradle of protection. All we need do in  return is give Him the thanks and praise for being with  us.

UPDATE ON NOAH:

We are Bob and Georganne Lenham of Wild Rose Rescue Ranch in Texas, home of Noah the Pigeon.
 

After  finding many posts online featuring Noah and the bunnies and reading about the many lives he has  touched (his story has been forwarded around the world), we thought we'd post a follow-up and a few new  photos.
 

We knew there was something special about Noah the moment we saw him.
 

Although the bunnies seem to be his favorite, Noah helps out with many rescue babies here at the Wild Rose Rescue Ranch.

Noah's first litter of bunnies, almost raised and ready for release:

Now, Noah helps out with many rescue babies here at the ranch.

How  wonderful it is to have a full-time, soft-feathered nurturer here at the rescue ranch!  He cuddles with all the babies as they snuggle under his warm feathers... and he "coos" as if singing them to sleep with a  lullaby.

Noah is truly, truly a God-send.

He will cover you with His feathers

And under His wings you will find refuge.

Psalm  91:4

Deputy Rescues Scared Deer

HURON COUNTY, MI -- Deputy Ryan Swartz, responded to a car versus deer accident on Friday, Nov. 11 on Hellems Road in Dwight Township. No one was injured other than a doe deer which remained standing dazed in the middle of the roadway for almost 25 minutes. The scene was captured on the patrol car's camera.

Cliff Hanger

Clinging on for dear life to the side of a vertical cliff, the tiny lion cub cries out pitifully for help.

His mother arrives at the edge of the precipice with three other lionesses and a male. The females start to clamber down together but turn back daunted by the sheer drop.

Eventually one single factor determines which of them will risk her life to save the youngster – motherly love.


The drama begins: The mother arrives at the edge of the cliff as her son cries out for rescue after being trapped when he slipped.


On the brink: Four lionesses look over the edge before aborting their rescue mission because of the sheer drop .

Slowly, agonizingly, the big cat edges her way down towards her terrified son, using her powerful claws to grip the crumbling cliff side.

One slip from her and both animals could end up dead at the bottom of the ravine.

Just as the exhausted cub seems about to fall, his mother circles beneath him and he is snatched up in her jaws.

She then begins the equally perilous journey back to the top. Minutes later, they arrive and she gives the frightened creature a consoling lick on the head.

The dramatic rescue, captured by wildlife photographer Jean-Francois Largot, was played out in Kenya’s Masai Mara game reserve.

Despite the presence of wardens to deter poachers, day-to-day life for the lions is not without its dangers … as the cub learned the hard way.


Rescue mission: The mother inches her way down the cliff face to rescue the terrified cub before locking him in her jaws and making her way back up the cliff face.


Motherly love: The mother gives her son a lick to say that all is well in the pride following the drama.

HOW AWESOME IS THIS?

Elephants Reunited After 20 Years

Jenny and Shirley were together at the same circus when Jenny was a calf and Shirley was in her twenties. The two lived one winter together, but then were separated twenty-two years ago.

It's very rare for elephants to display this kind of emotion in captivity, and it's probably the first time such a thing has been documented on film. You are about to see a moving video of two elephants reunited after more than twenty years.

Challenger the Bald Eagle Music Video

"This is America" music video is truly moving. It features "Challenger", a non-releasable Bald Eagle cared for by the non-profit American Eagle Foundation. Since 1991, this majestic bird has been a free-flying educational ambassador for his recovering species in the wild. He was blown from his Louisiana nest in a storm at the age of five weeks of age... was rescued and hand-raised by well meaning people. As a result, he became human-imprinted for life.

Mother Goose Protected by a Real Deer

This is a wonderful video on the Weather Channel website about a nesting goose (who lost her mate) being protected by a deer:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/videos/todays-top-forecast-4276#20277

Snuggling on the Beach

This unique video is of a tourist who sat on the beach to watch the seals and penguins on Gold Harbor, South Georgia. Unexpectedly, one of the seals is apparently attracted to her and slowly works his way over to her. He seems to 'fall in love' and snuggles and flirts with her. It is quite an unusual and interesting scene. The seals are huge (males up to 6,000 lbs.), yet she never seemed afraid...more amused...while someone shot the video of this incident.

Makes you wonder what kind of perfume she has on?

Gold Harbor, South Georgia, is located off the southern tip of South America (sub arctic). It is a small bay five miles S-SW of Cape Charlotte, with Bertrab Glacier at its head, along the east end of Georgia. The west end of the beach where a glacial stream flows is a breeding ground for various types of penguins and large seals. It is not a frequent destination for tourists.

The Hippo & the Turtle

Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed...

NAIROBI (AFP) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the Tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise in an animal Facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back to shore When tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

"It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a Male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park, told AFP.

"After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added.

"The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added.

"The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

This is a real story that shows that our differences don't matter much when we need the comfort of another.

We could all learn a lesson from these two creatures.

"Look beyond the differences and find a way to walk the path together."

The Lion Whisperer Kevin Richardson

This young man has a true gift!

Otter Pup Swim Lessons

Beluga Whales in Danger

Petition from the NRDC:

Industry giants are pressuring the Obama Administration to abandon endangered beluga whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska. We need your urgent action to help protect these rare whales from extinction.

Please tell the National Marine Fisheries Service to finalize its proposal to designate an area of more than 3,000 square miles as critical habitat for Cook Inlet beluga whales.

Cook Inlet belugas live in one of the most populated and industrialized regions in Alaska. Their health and habitat is continuously threatened by the devastating effects of development and pollution.

In fact, this genetically distinct population of beluga whales has plummeted in number from 1,300 in the 1980s to fewer than 400 today.

Following years of advocacy by NRDC and others, the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed designated critical habitat for Cook Inlet beluga whales under the Endangered Species Act this past December.

Without these habitat protections, which are backed by decades of scientific research and data, Cook Inlet beluga whales could be wiped out forever.
Yet powerful industries are falsely claiming that designating critical habitat will hurt local development.

In truth, this designation simply helps ensure that new development projects will move forward with safeguards necessary to protect belugas and their habitat.

Please make your voice heard right now.

Lion, Tiger and Bear - an Unlikely Trio

They make an unlikely trio, but Baloo the bear, Leo the lion and Shere Khan the tiger have forged an unusually strong bond.

Considering that they would be mortal enemies if they ever were to meet in the wild, it is stunning to see their unique and genuine friendship in these intimate pictures. Rescued eight years ago during a police drugs raid in Atlanta, Georgia, the three friends were only cubs at the time at barely two months old.

Jungle japes: Shere Khan the tiger, Leo the lion and Baloo the bear all live together in a specially-built enclosure at Noah's Ark Animal Rescue Centre, in Georgia, USA

They had been kept as status symbol pets by the drug barons.

Delivered to the Noah's Ark Animal Rescue Centre in Locust Grove, Georgia, the decision was made to keep the youngsters together, because of their budding rapport.

'We could have separated them, but since they came as a kind of family, the zoo decided to keep them together,' said Diane Smith, assistant director of Noah's Ark.

'To our knowledge, this is the only place where you'll find this combination of animals together.'

Living with the zoo's founders for the past eight years, Shere Khan, Baloo and Leo have now moved to a purpose-built habitat were the US public can now witness first hand their touching relationships.

Best friends: The three beasts have been kept together since they were rescued from drug barons when they were just two months old

'We didn't have the money to move them at first,' said Diane.

'Now their habitat is sorted and they have been moved away from the children's zoo areas where the public couldn't really get a good look.

'It is possible to see Baloo, who is a 1000 lb bear, Shere Khan, a 350 lb tiger and Leo, who is also 350 lbs, messing around like brothers.

'They are totally oblivious to the fact that in any other circumstance they would not be friends.'

Handled by Charles and Jama Hedgecoth, the zoo's owners and founders, the three friendly giants appear to have have no comprehension of their animal differences.

'Baloo and Shere Khan are very close,' says Diane.

'That is because they rise early, and as Leo is a lion, he likes to spend most of the day sleeping.

'It is wonderful and magical to see a giant American Black Bear put his arm around a Bengal and then to see the tiger nuzzle up to the bear like a domestic cat.

'When Leo wakes up the three of them mess around for most of the day before they settle down to some food.'

Larking about: Noah's Ark owner Charles Hedgecoth enjoys a visit with Baloo and Shere Khan

Surprisingly for three apex predators with the power to kill with a single bite or swipe of their paw, they are very relaxed around each other.

They eat, sleep and play together,' said Jama.

'As they treat each other as siblings they will lie on top of each other for heat and simply for affection.

'At the moment they are getting used to their new habitat.

'Shere Khan is being quite reticent about the move, but Baloo, the bear is very good at leading him on and making him feel comfortable and safe.'

Explaining that the three 'brothers' have always seemed to share a unique bond, Charles said: 'Noah's Ark is their home and they could not possibly be separated from each other.

'You just have to remember who you're dealing with when you are with them though. It's when you forget that these fellows are wild animals that you get yourself in trouble.'

The trio's new habitat cost an estimated $15,000 and had to be constructed carefully, in order to accommodate its occupants.

Jama said: 'The clubhouse had to be very sturdy for the guys, because they all sleep in it together.' She added: 'We had to include a creek, because the tiger and the bear both like to be in water.'

The animals treat each other as siblings and even lie on top of each other to share warmth and affection.

Amazing Wildlife Video

This is a very sweet video. Enjoy!

Lawless Killer Guns Down Famed Bear

I usually do not solicit donations, for myself or for other organizations. However, I truly feel that this is a cause that could certainly use some funding.

Poaching is a huge problem in other countries. We as Americans cannot allow this to happen in our country. It is our responsibility to protect our endangered spices.

Poaching is illegal and the people responsible should be caught and made to stand accountable for their ruthless actions.

Offering "Reward Money" often brings these criminals to justice more quickly.

I leave this to your discretion and your conscious. Even a "buck" would help bring justice for Maximus as well as other endangered animals that are ruthlessly hunted down and killed for whatever reason.

Thanks.

Jo Ann

_________________________________________________________________

From Defenders of Wildlife...

Maximus the grizzly bear was "a big, beautiful, wild bear," according to grizzly specialist Mike Madel. "He kept to himself, stayed out of trouble.”But he was gunned down in the prime of his life. Left to rot in a Montana hayfield, his badly decomposed body was discovered a month after being ruthlessly shot. His killer is still at large.

With your compassionate donation of $25, $50, $100 or another amount, you can help bring lawless wildlife killers to justice and respond quickly to other wildlife emergencies.

We’ve quickly moved to offer a reward to bring Maximus’s killer to justice. But sadly, this bear's story is not unique. Poachers have recently ended the lives of some of our most endangered animals including Florida panthers, southwest gray wolves and California condors. In Idaho, a female wolf pup was illegally gunned down from a roadway. And a thriving black market in bear gallbladders and other parts is fueling a slaughter of bears across the nation.

Help us post rewards for poachers and alert the public as we aid law enforcement in the capture of these heartless people. Please make a donation today.