Chickens Flood Shelters As Backyard Farmers Call It Quits

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From Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine, the idea of living off the land, eating locally and growing food are admirable concepts that appeal to many city dwellers. Unfortunately, urban homesteading often provides a romanticized view of farming providing the bounty without all the work. When an erstwhile farmer lays down his pitchfork and ignores the vegetable garden, nothing much happens. However when a chicken farmer gives up on the dream of collecting fresh eggs, a new home must be found for the hens.

Now, some shelters are reporting a dramatic increase in the number of chickens surrendered to them as urban chicken farmers – who were unaware of the work involved with keeping chickens – turn them over to people better equipped to care for them. “Many areas with legalized hen-keeping are experiencing more and more of these birds coming in when they’re no longer wanted,” Paul Shapiro, spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States (which publishes a list of considerations for potential backyard chicken enthusiasts), told NBC News. “You get some chicks and they’re very cute, but it’s not as though you can throw them out in the yard and not care for them.” The Chicken Run Rescue in Minneapolis, Minn., has seen a steady increase in surrendered birds with fewer than 50 in 2001 to nearly 500 in 2012. Farm Sanctuary currently has 225 former backyard chickens waiting for new homes.“It’s the stupid foodies,” Mary Britton Clouse, the owner of the Chicken Run Rescue organization, told NBC News. “We’re just sick to death of it.”

(MORE: The Great Chicken Run of Iran: Why Poultry Makes Tehran Anxious)

While some urban hen owners are willing to care for chickens, many cities allow hens, but not roosters — who are frequently barred from urban districts due to their propensity to crow and be aggressive. Unfortunately, when purchasing chicks, it’s notoriously difficult to tell the difference between hens and roosters, meaning some well-intentioned city farmers end up needing to find new homes for their roosters. Other problems can arise when farmers realize that chickens frequently only lay eggs for two years, but can live up to ten. Additionally chickens can attract pests like rats and can fall victim to predators including raccoons and even neighborhood dogs. Plus chickens, like other household animals, can get sick and rack up expensive bills at the veterinarian.

While chickens can be problematic for the uninitiated or unwilling, many others are committed to set up a backyard coop to gather fresh eggs in the morning. Rob Ludlow, who runs a website for chicken-raising enthusiasts and is the author of “Raising Chickens for Dummies,” told NBC that “it’s very rare” that people make such mistakes or underestimate how difficult it is to raise chickens. “Hundreds of thousands of people are realizing the wonderful benefits of raising a small flock of backyard chickens,” he said adding, “[They're] the pets that make you breakfast.”

MORE: Seeing Green: Environmental Urban Living in Tokyo
MORE: From Seed To Plate To Feet: A New Partnership Pairs Fashion with Farming

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China Bans Ancient Dog-Eating Festival Amid Online Outcry

David Gray / Reuters A truck carrying dogs travels along a road on the outskirts of Beijing in June 2011

For the first time in 600 years, residents of Qianxi Township, China, will be banned from holding an ancient dog-eating festival after the public voiced their discontent on the Internet.

The three-day event, which usually takes place in October, commemorates a historic 14th century military victory of the Ming Dynasty. According to legend, the army of Zhu Yuanzhang secretly invaded Qinaxi and killed all the dogs so that the animals wouldn’t bark and give away the troops’ position pre-battle. When the city was secured, the army celebrated by feasting on the meat of the slaughtered dogs. Thus the tradition was born.

While animal advocates around the world may shudder at this thought, in China, and other parts of Asia, it’s not uncommon for humans to eat dogs. In ancient times, dog meat was considered to have medicinal purposes, while today, it is still socially acceptable for the Chinese to purchase dogs and cats at local markets for the sole purpose of sustenance.

(MORE: Chinese Animal Activists Save Hundreds of Dogs from Being Eaten)

Keeping dogs as pets was banned in China throughout the cultural revolution. However, since that ban has been lifted, dog ownership has become increasingly popular in China’s middle class.

This is perhaps why the Qinaxi festival has garnered more and more criticism in recent years. In an effort to prove that the meat vendors were selling was fresh, many merchants have taken to skinning and slaughtering the animals in the streets during the event. For a country that is slowly becoming more animal-friendly, this gruesome development didn’t go over well among citizens.

According to Xinhuanet, hundreds of thousands of people have posted criticisms of the festival on Internet forums and social networking sites. Additionally, the Qianjiang Evening News reported that most local villagers opposed the carnival, citing a local government survey.

(MORE: China Completely Bans Animals Circuses)

However, there are still some villagers who are unhappy about the ban. “It’s our tradition, which the government has no right to ban,” one local villager told Xinhuanet. “The dog-eating carnival is like the Spring Festival to me.”

Chinese legal experts recently proposed a ban on eating dogs and cats, based on beliefs that the animals are poorly treated and bred purely for slaughter. While a ban has not yet been considered, it has sparked hopes among animal advocates that China’s record of poor treatment of animals may soon come to an end.

Erin Skarda is a reporter at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @ErinLeighSkarda. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.

PHOTOS: The Animals Are Outside Today

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Animal Cruelty Crackdown: California Enacts Ban on Roadside Pet Sales

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They’re cute, lonely and in need of loving homes. But California lawmakers are now doling out strict penalties — as well as warnings to the public – on the unregulated sale of pets in hopes to curb acts of animal neglect and cruelty.

In a landmark piece of legislation that passed last week, California governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that will greatly increase legal protections to animals throughout the state, as well as crack down on a significant concern among animal advocates: inhumane puppy mills.

The two-part law, which was introduced by Senator Ted Lieu, prohibits the sale of animals at any kind of public venue, such as on roadsides, street corners and in parking lots, as well as increases the penalties for animal neglect to be in line with that of animal cruelty.

According to Jill Buckley, senior director of government relations and mediation for the ASPCA, prohibiting the roadside sale of animals not only helps to protect animals from irresponsible breeders, but also shields consumers from being scammed into paying for an animal that may be sick or even dying.

(MORE: The World’s Most Expensive Dog Breeds)

“This has became an animal welfare issue, where animals were being kept in unsanitary conditions, sometimes without water or food,” Buckley told NewsFeed, pointing out that these types of sales take place even in urban areas such as Los Angeles’ downtown fashion district. “Many [of these animals] have not received any kind of inoculations against diseases. People purchase them and bring them home and if they die or get sick, they have no recourse.”

The sales ban is part of a larger initiative by the ASPCA and other animal advocates to decrease consumer demand for dogs that come from puppy mills — commercial breeding facilities that focus more on profits than animal welfare. While it’s not exactly known how many of the pets sold on roadsides and in parking lots come from these puppy mills, Buckley said that the probability is “very likely,” especially with smaller dogs, such as Yorkshire Terriers and Chihuahuas.

The California bill covers a large range of concerns, from selling animals on street corners to connecting with a so-called breeder over the Internet and meeting to purchase an animal in a neutral location. Animal adoptions and giveaways are exempt from the law. But if money changes hands, and a buyer is not offered the opportunity to visit a seller’s home or business where the dogs are bred, then it’s likely the sale falls into illegal territory, where the seller could be subject to fines or misdemeanor charges.

(PHOTOS: Man’s Best Friend, Muted)

“A legitimate breeder is going to talk to you and find out if you’re going to make a good home for the dog, and they’re happy to show you where the dog was raised,” Buckley said. “Someone who is willing to take the dogs in a box onto a street corner or parking lot doesn’t seem to be showing a responsible manner of breeding dogs.”

The roadside sale of animals of all kinds — from dogs and cats to turtles and rabbits — is not a new phenomenon. According to Buckley, this is a countrywide issue. Yet California is the first to enact a statewide ban on roadside animal sales, even when many counties and localities throughout the country have considered or passed similar legislation.

It remains to be seen whether these types of laws will curb the business of puppy mills, but for animal advocates, it’s a step in the right direction.

Erin Skarda is a reporter at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @ErinLeighSkarda. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.

PHOTOS: Animals That Can Think

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Chinese Animal Activists Save Hundreds of Dogs From Being Eaten

Courtesy of China Underground

Hundreds of dogs were spared being served on the dinner table in China after activists staged a 15-hour standoff to save them.

(More on NewsFeed: Read about China’s live animal keychains)

Last Friday afternoon, hundreds of dogs were on their way to Chinese restaurants when a suspicious driver swerved his car in front of the truck to stop it. He then alerted activists on his microblog, who gathered 200 strong around the truck. They rendered the vehicle immobile, jamming traffic on the highway.

After a long standoff right outside Beijing, an animal activist group managed to free the dogs by purchasing them for 115,000 yuan ($17,600). Conflicting reports differ on the number of dogs involved, but the Global Times has placed the number as high as 520.

(More on NewsFeed: Read about China banning animal circuses)

Sadly, many of the dogs were found with collars and nametags, indicating that they may have been stolen from their beloved owners. The healthy dogs will be put up for adoption while the sick ones were sent to pet hospitals in the nation’s capital. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether some of the allegedly stolen dogs will ever be reunited with their owners.

Both dog and cat meat are popular delicacies because they are believed to promote bodily warmth during the winter season. In recent years, authorities have considered putting measures in place to outlaw the practice.

Local newspapers suggested that the transporters would probably face no repercussions. Animal protection laws barely exist in China, and the truck had all the legal permits to transport the animals. Still, it’s one significant victory for Fido lovers everywhere.

(More on TIME.com: Read about tiger abuse in China)

Erica Ho was previously a reporter for TIME in Hong Kong where she wrote about technology, pop culture and Asian international affairs. Before that, she worked at Gizmodo, Lifehacker and AOL. She now currently runs Map Happy, a travel-oriented site.

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China’s Year of the Rabbit: Not So Great For All Those Abducted Baby Rabbits

ROMEO GACAD / AFP / Getty Images

2011 is, by the Chinese zodiac cycle, the Year of the Rabbit, which is far worse news for baby bunnies than you might imagine.

As China hippity-hops into the Lunar New Year, street vendors, pet shops and flower stalls across the mainland (and in other parts of Asia) are selling infant rabbits en masse. To meet a surging demand for the little furballs, the prices of which have been significantly raised, vendors often wrench them from their mothers much too early.

Rarely do the bunnies, once purchased, survive the trip home. Those that do make it are usually abandoned by owners who very quickly tire of their new pets.

(See TIME’s top 10 animal stories of 2010.)

Web retailers have also jumped on the bunny bandwagon, posting rabbits illegally by regular mail to online customers. Most of the hares are dead on arrival, having suffocated or frozen to death in their cardboard confines, but that hasn’t slowed a proliferation of orders. According to Shanghaiist, these companies demand that the rabbit corpses be returned to them if consumers want a refund.

PETA and other animal rights groups have issued statements imploring Chinese residents not to buy into the egregious trend. “There’s no better time to help rabbits than during the Year of the Rabbit, and you can do so by refusing to support the pet trade that causes so many animals to suffer,” Maggie Chen, a Beijing-based PETA campaigner, told the AFP.

(Read “Energizer Bunnies: Turning Rabbits into Green Fuel.”)

The rabbits are being disposed of in dumpsters and mailboxes by ill-equipped New Year’s celebrators who fail to realize how fragile and high-maintenance a bunny can be. “Rabbits aren’t just cute and fluffy,” Chen says, noting that the animals, like any other pets, require a significant amount of attention and veterinary care.

The hares are seen as bringers of luck, but a dead bunny doesn’t seem like a particularly good omen for the future. (via Shanghiist)

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Animal Academics: Using the Word ‘Pet’ Insults Your Pet, er, Companion

Here’s a frightening thought: The cat ladies are right. Kitties (and their doggie counterparts) are companions, not pets, and calling them otherwise is just plain offensive.

According to a report published in the Journal of Animal Ethics, using “derogatory” terms such as “critters,” “beasts,” and — you guessed it — “pets” when referring to animals of any kind can affect the way they are treated.

(More on TIME.com: See pictures of surfing dogs)

In other words, a note for animal caretakers (don’t even mutter the word “owners” — that’s even worse than “pets”) everywhere: You’re doing it wrong.

We know what you’re thinking: What kind of far-out piece of academic research are you alluding to here? But in all seriousness, researchers from the Oxford Center for Animal Ethics, along with the University of Illinois and Penn State University, suggest that using these words to describe animals degrades the relationship that exists between humans and these… friends. (Is that term allowed? We just don’t know anymore!). Instead of referring to animals as “wild” and “vermin,” which dates back to times when animals were treated unkindly, we should be cultivating a language that shows mutually respectful relationships between humans and the animals that live among us.

(More on TIME.com: See pictures of the world’s ugliest dog show)

“Our existing language about animals is the language of past thought – and the crucial point is that the past is littered with derogatory terminology,” the report states. “We shall not be able to think clearly unless we discipline ourselves to use less than partial adjectives in our exploration of animals and our moral relations with them.”

So there you have it. Your cat or dog is now your companion, the rats you see on the subway are “free-living” and those pesky pigeons? You know, they’re just free-roaming, ready to fly at your face at any moment.

But for what it’s worth, we’re pretty sure that you dog doesn’t mind being called a “pet” just as long as you keep up with the tasty food, belly scratches and long walks around the neighborhood.  (via The Daily Mail)

(More on TIME.com: Watch 12 videos of bizarrely adorable animal friendships)

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Dog Gets Pro Bono Attorney in ‘Death Penalty’ Case

A pit bull in Georgia will receive pro bono legal representation to determine whether it should be euthanized after attacking a 5-year-old boy

G.G. Rigsby / Savannah Morning News

The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to legal representation for people involved in criminal cases, but it appears that canines too sometimes need a little help with their defense. This month, a pit bull in Georgia will receive pro bono legal representation in an attack case, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Kno, the dog in question, allegedly attacked a 5-year-old boy from Effingham County in July while the child was playing with a friend inside a neighbor’s house. The boy survived the mauling, but he had severe injuries and had to undergo two surgeries. The right side of his face remains paralyzed, the Huffington Post reports. WSAV says officials do not know what provoked the pit bull.

Superior Court Judge William E. Woodrum Jr. has appointed attorney Claude M. Kicklighter to represent the dog in court. Kicklighter, who will not receive a fee for his work, will also represent Kno’s owners. Woodrum said he made the decision “in the interest of justice,” the Savannah Morning News reports.

Kno’s owners surrendered him to the local animal shelter on the day of the attack, and he was classified as a dangerous animal, the Savannah Morning News notes. Effingham County filed a petition with the superior court to request a hearing to decide if Kno could be euthanized. The county does not believe Kno or his owners need an attorney.

(PHOTOS: Abused No More: Rehabilitated Attack Dogs)

Kno’s hearing is set for Oct. 25, and he remains in solitary confinement at the shelter.

“There has to be a lesson for dog owners and for people not to allow their children to go to other people’s houses with dogs,” Romie Currier, animal-control director for Effingham County, told the Savannah Morning News.

The Associated Press has likened Kno’s situation to a death-penalty case. Assistant county attorney Elizabeth Pavlis told Reuters that the judge did not have to assign an attorney to represent Kno, but he likely did so “just to cover his bases.” Bruce Wagman, a San Francisco attorney who specializes in animal cases, told Reuters it is uncommon for judges to appoint attorneys to represent animals; he is aware of only two similar situations, including the Michael Vick case. In 2007, the NFL quarterback pleaded guilty to participating in an elaborate dog-fighting enterprise, and in the case, the U.S. District Court appointed a guardian and special master to advise the court regarding the best interests of 48 pit bulls seized from Vick.

There are, in fact, organizations of lawyers dedicated to the representation of animals within the legal system. New Jersey–based Lawyers in Defense of Animals claims to provide counsel to such clients as “the dog on death row” and “the cat whose guardian is evicted.” For years, there was an appointed “animal advocate” lawyer in Zurich who acted on behalf of such clients as a pike fish that experienced “excessive suffering” after a fisherman struggled (successfully) to ensnare it, according to the Guardian.

The ultimate question — present in both the Kno case and efforts in Switzerland to require an animal-rights lawyer in all districts — comes down to, as the Guardian puts it, whether animals deserve the “the same legal right to representation as any other victim in a criminal trial.”

MORE: Can Animal Rights Go Too Far?

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New York City Carriage Horse Drops Dead in the Street

Matthew Miller / Polaris

A day slated for trotting in the park took an early tragic turn for Charlie, a New York City horse.

Early Sunday morning, on his way to Central Park to begin a day of carting tourists around, the white carriage horse keeled over and died in the street, according to the New York Daily News. Unsurprisingly, the horse’s death, which took place at West 54th Street near Eighth Avenue, has incensed animal rights activist groups, including the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages.

(PHOTOS: Animals Are Outside Today)

Though a necropsy will be performed on the animal to determine the exact cause of death, Elizabeth Forel from the Coalition told the Daily News that a “healthy horse doesn’t just die on the street.”

The ASPCA, who’s performing the necropsy, has also spoken out against the way the carriage horses are treated. The organization’s chief legal counsel, Stacy Wolf, said the “ASPCA has long believed that carriage horses were never meant to live and work in today’s urban setting.”

A spokesman for the Horse and Carriage Association of New York said that though the incident was tragic, “it’s not something that happens regularly.” And a spokesperson for Teamsters Local 533, the union that represents the carriage drivers, told NBC that Charlie hadn’t been neglected and had been working in the city for less than a month.

MORE: Animals That Can Think

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Latest Fad in China: Keychains Containing Live Turtles and Fish

Maybe China should go back to cute, plastic keyrings, like this one. Claude Estèbe / Getty Images

Live turtles and fish to carry around on your key ring is a cute idea. Not so cute, though, for said turtles and fish.

According to Chinese media, the hottest new fad in China involves selling small live-animal key chains. The little turtles and fishes are sealed up in airtight plastic key rings, and sold as trinkets.

(More on TIME.com: Read about tiger abuse in China)

So how do you feed an animal in an airtight container? The answer: You don’t. Vendors reportedly spew off some hodge podge about the water being nutrient rich, but it’s not true. The animals, if they’re lucky, get to live for a few days. Unfortunately, the whole shebang is legal.

It’s sad but true — animal cruelty laws barely exist in China. It was only just recently that the country banned animal circuses, which was a fairly unusual step. Zoos would often make animals perform unimaginable tricks, while dishing up their flesh as exotic entrees at the zoo restaurant.

(More on NewsFeed: Read about China banning animal circuses)

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New Protests in Egypt: Activists to Picket Cairo Zoo for Animal Rights

Dana Smillie / Bloomberg via Getty Images A lion looks out from its cage at the Giza Zoo in Cairo, Egypt

The Egyptian uprising was enough to wrestle a dictator from his long-held post and bring shadows of democracy to a Middle Eastern nation. But can people power also be utilized to elicit support for an animal-rights movement?

A coalition of organizations and activists in Egypt have banded together to demand an overhaul of animal treatment within the country, and just as weeks of protests forced the resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak in February, they hope that a citizen demonstration will bring a renewed focus to the issues that have long plagued the country and seem to only get worse over time.

The Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals (ESMA), along with the Egyptian Society of Animal Friends (ESAF) and Animal Welfare Awareness Research (AWAR), announced over the weekend that a protest will take place outside the Giza Zoo on April 16 to bring to light matters ranging from the state of the zoo itself to illegal wildlife trades, unregulated pet breeding and the government’s propensity for shooting or poisoning homeless animals in order to control their population.

(More on TIME.com: See the fate of Cairo’s many cats)

Mona Khalil, ESMA co-founder, said in a press release announcing the protest that now is the time to seek rights for Egypt’s animals, as the nation is currently focused on building a more humane society overall.

“The way Egypt treats animals is a shame. The Giza Zoo is a national disgrace, Egypt has become known as a hub of the international illegal trade in wildlife, and the municipal policy of controlling street animal populations by shooting and poisoning is deplorable,” Khalil said in the release. “At the root of all this is a not only systemic corruption but also policy failure, as Egypt is lacking even the basic animal welfare legislation that would enable the prosecution of violators.”

As a new, democratic government is being constructed within Egypt, these organizations and their supporters have outlined specific (and likely controversial) demands, including launching investigations into corruptions at the Ministry of Agriculture and enacting legislation that will provide legal standards on how animals should be treated within the country. But while Egypt has a history of respecting — and even revering – animals like cats and camels, the current environment is a far cry from ancient times.

Whether or not the demands of these demonstrators will be met remains in question, but NewsFeed agrees with the group’s effort to piggyback on the country’s newly-united spirit. After all, if you’re going to reform a nation, why stop at its human citizens?

(More on TIME.com: See TIME’s top 10 heroic animals)

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More Sad Baby Animal News: Only a Fortnight after Knut’s Death, the Berlin Zoo Loses a Young Elephant

As far as we know the baby elephant shown is still alive. Berlin Zoo's baby elephant didn't fare so well Getty Images / Carsten Koall

We hope this isn’t becoming a (super sad) pattern. 

Early Tuesday morning, six-year-old Indian elephant Shaina Pali died at the Berlin Zoo. Coming just weeks after the highly publicized death of beloved polar bear Knut, this second death raises the question–why the tragic fate for Berlin’s babies?

(More on TIME.com: “Did Negligence Kill Knut the Polar Bear?”)

According to the AP, elephants can live for up to 80 years in captivity. But Shaina Pali fell victim to what the zoo’s vet believes was an infection; although they plan to perform a necropsy to be sure. “It’s simply very sad,” says a zoo spokesperson who maintains that the two deaths are completely unrelated.

(More on TIME.com: See pictures of Knut)

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Save the Frogs: California High School Bans Dissections

Fuse/Getty

Kids, step away from the scalpels.

In a win for animal rights activists, foregoing the formaldehyde-laced high school rite of passage, Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley, California will swap real frogs for their virtual counterparts. In exchange for a minimum five-year commitment, the school will receive free software courtesy of animal-rights groups who advocate for the virtual curriculum.

(LIST: Top 10 Strange Mass Animal Deaths)

While the school’s assistant principal, Kevin Stipp, said the virtual lesson will not be the same as performing the dissection on a real animal, he told the Riverside Press Enterprise, “it’s not so drastically different that the kids won’t get something out of it.”

Though many educators still value dissections on real animals as an important anatomy and physiology lesson, 14 states have laws which allow students to opt out of such lessons.

Animal rights groups have long campaigned to stop the practice of dissecting frogs and other animals in the classroom. They claim frogs are plucked from their wetland habitats and inhumanly killed by immersion in preservatives and that, in addition to causing “unnecessary suffering and death,” the practice is contributing to their dwindling populations worldwide.

Hoping to encourage more schools to take this step, the Animal Welfare Institute and Save the Frogs! are sponsoring a campaign to donate software licenses (valued at nearly $900 each) to the first 25 schools that agree to ban dissections. (Rancho Verde was the first school in the nation to take them up on the offer.) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals also has a small grants program to help schools purchase the software.

The groups hope to get every middle and high school in the U.S. to abandon the practice of dissecting frogs by 2014.

(PHOTOS: Papua New Guinea’s Newly Discovered Species)

Kayla Webley is a Staff Writer at TIME.

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The Disturbing State of Indonesia’s ‘Zoo of Death’

The Surabaya Zoo’s last remaining giraffe died recently with a 40-lb. (18 kg) wad of plastic in its stomach. The death has brought the decrepit conditions of the Indonesian zoo to the world's attention

Juni Kriswanto / AFP / Getty Images Personnel tend to a 30-year-old ailing giraffe at the zoo in Surabaya, Indonesia, on March 1, 2012. It died that evening

The Surabaya Zoo in Indonesia boasts the most diverse collection of animals found at any zoo in Southeast Asia. From endangered Sumatran tigers and orangutans to Komodo dragons and a broad array of birds, Surabaya’s magnificent menagerie would be something to behold. That is, if the animals weren’t living in squalor.

Despite the fact that the zoo is popular with locals and visitors and responsible for the care of up to 4,000 animals, many of which are endangered, the Surabaya Zoo has become infamous for its appalling conditions and the inhumane treatment of its inhabitants. According to a recent article by Trisnadi Marjan of the Associated Press, approximately 15 animals at the zoo die every month — a figure that has actually decreased from two years ago — suffering from preventable diseases, hunger, lack of exercise and overcrowding.

Two weeks ago, the zoo’s last remaining giraffe, 30-year-old Kliwon, died with a 40-lb. (18 kg) wad of plastic sitting in its stomach. For years, the animal had been eating whatever it could find, which was mostly trash thrown in its enclosure by zoo visitors.

(LIST: Top 10 Zoo Escapes)

While deaths like that of Kliwon are not uncommon at Surabaya — the Jakarta Globe even went as far as to call it the “zoo of death” in 2010 — it has prompted public criticism of the zoo and the Indonesian government for doing little to care for the welfare of the animals.

Tony Sumampauw, the zoo’s government-appointed interim director, told the Associated Press that nothing short of a “total renovation” is needed to turn around conditions at the Surabaya Zoo, and that requires the government’s help. With entry fees at $2 per person and breeding running rampant, the zoo doesn’t have nearly enough money to care for its growing number of creatures. If something isn’t done quickly, Sumampauw predicts that the zoo will not have any animals left in as little as three years.

In 2010, Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry upended the zoo’s management and placed the zoo under the care of Sumampauw and his team after a string of animal deaths, including that of a Sumatran tiger, an African lion, a wallaby, a Komodo dragon, a babirusa cub, a Bawean deer, a crocodile and several birds, according to the Jakarta Globe. If that weren’t enough, three Komodos also went missing around that time, most likely sold into the exotic-pet trade — a problem that has consistently plagued Indonesian zoos.

(MORE: When Zoos Cut Budgets, No Species Is Safe)

Since then, Surabaya’s municipal government and the Ministry of Forestry have argued about how to handle the zoo’s deteriorating conditions. Darori, the director general of forest protection and nature conservation at the Forestry Ministry, told the Jakarta Globe that the city’s government had refused to elect a permanent management team, wanting instead to set up a municipal-owned body to manage the zoo. The park has only remained open, Darori claims, because of local demand.

“We respect their decision to keep the zoo open, but this is just too weird,” Darori told the Jakarta Globe, pointing out that it would cost approximately $5.5 million to fund the zoo and improve the animals’ living conditions. “If they don’t want the animals, there are plenty of other zoos waiting in line, including in Jakarta and Singapore.”

For now, Sumampauw will continue to act as the zoo’s caretaker, hoping that the government will find a way to act quickly before more animals needlessly perish.

PHOTOS: TIME’s Best of 2011: Animals in Peril

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Spain’s Catalonia Region Bans Bullfighting

REUTERS/Susana Vera

In a victory for animal-rights activists — and a blow for those who said it was central to Spanish culture — Spain’s Catalonia region voted to formally ban bullfighting.

Bullfighting had already been on the decline in the region, according to the New York Times. Though the region once held some of the first bullfighting matches, its main city of Barcelona now only has one bullring which only had 4,000 season ticket holders. In Madrid, Spain’s capital, the city’s main ring attracts 19,000 season ticket holders.

The activists who brought the anti-bullfighting petition to parliament said they would work to spread similar legislation elsewhere in Spain. However, many Spanish citizens believe bullfighting is a national symbol and a major tourist draw and should not be outlawed.

(Read more about the culture of cruelty in Spain’s bullrings.)

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Tearjerker Alert: Former Lab Beagles See the Sun for the First Time

Dog videos never fail to conjure up some sort of emotion. And this one really brings the waterworks. The above footage shows male beagles that were rescued from a California university animal testing lab seeing sunlight and stepping on grass for the first time.

The rescue mission, which happened in June, was recently followed by a much larger one from a lab in Spain. The group that undertook the cause, Animal Rescue Media Education (ARME), rescued a total of 72 dogs in the most recent effort, 32 of them having already been adopted in Europe, according to NBC Los Angeles.

(PHOTOS: Rehabilitated Attack Dogs)

ARME’s Beagle Freedom Project spokesman Gary Smith told the station that the beagles, all between ages 4 and 7, had lived in cages their entire lives.

Unfortunately, beagles’ notoriously obedient dispositions makes them ideal for experimentation. According to the Beagle Freedom Project’s website, they are the breed of choice for lab testing of pharmaceutical, household, and cosmetic products due to their ability to adapt to life in a cage and the fact that they are relatively inexpensive to feed.

(PHOTOS: The World’s Most Expensive Dog Breeds)

When the beagles are no longer needed for research, some labs contact organizations such as ARME, who then work to find good homes for the dogs.

This heartbreaking (that soundtrack!) video was filmed back in June, when the organization brought nine beagles to Los Angeles to get a second chance at life. We dare you not to be moved by that first beagle’s initial tentative steps and soulful eyes.

ARME is a non-profit advocacy group and 501(c)(3) organization funded by tax-deductible contributions. Information on how to make a donation or adopt a beagle is available on the organization’s website.

LIST: Top 10 Heroic Animals

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Super Mario’s Raccoon Suit Has PETA Crying Foul

PETA has turned its wrath on Mario. But are moves like this really effective?

PETA PETA's "Mario Kills Tanooki" campaign excoriates the video game character for donning fur

Animal rights activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has turned its wrath on classic video-game character Mario, who wears a Tanooki raccoon suit in Nintendo’s new 3DS game Super Mario 3D Land.

The day after the game was released, PETA responded with an online campaign entitled “Mario Kills Tanooki.”  The campaign features a basic yet effective Nintendo-style game where the player is empowered as the skinned raccoon to chase the fur-wearing Mario.  The site states, “When on a mission to rescue the princess, Mario has been known to use any means necessary to defeat his enemy – even wearing the skin of a raccoon dog to give him special powers…By wearing tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it’s OK to wear fur.”

(MORE: West Hollywood Becomes First City to Ban Fur Sales)

The Tanooki suit first appeared in NES’s Super Mario 3 as one of a host of costumes that confer various powers on the wearer.  The first incarnation of the raccoon suit did not cover Mario’s whole body, but was just a tail and a pair of ears, and gave him the ability to fly.  His latest Tanooki suit is full-body and bears much more of a resemblance to actual animal fur.

Video game powerhouse Nintendo responded to PETA’s allegations in a statement to Eurogamer: “Mario often takes the appearance of certain animals and objects in his games…These lighthearted and whimsical transformations give Mario different abilities and make his games fun to play.  The different forms that Mario takes make no statement beyond the games themselves.”

Controversy around violence and disturbing behavior in video games is nothing new, but PETA seems to be taking it a bit too far in this instance.  Mario is a plumber, and has never been seen hunting or even shooting a gun (which probably puts him in the minority among video game characters), much less slaughtering a raccoon. The suit in question appears from a square box that hovers over him in the air.  In fact, nothing about the game is particularly realistic, from one-ups to Koopa shells that turn into coins, so it’s hard to take seriously the claim that Mario is cruel to animals.

PETA is very adept at making a stir over events in the cultural zeitgeist in order to draw attention to their cause.  Throughout their 30-year existence, they have launched protests against entities as varied as the TV show Survivor, the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus, and Vogue editor Anna Wintour.  This is not their first foray into video games: last year they released “Super Tofu Boy,” as a retort to the indie game Super Meat Boy.

But for an organization that shows so much concern about the pro-fur message this video game is presumably sending to children who play it, they are not exactly family-friendly in their own tactics.  In September PETA announced that they were launching a soft porn .xxx website to promote animal rights and vegan lifestyles.

In reality, Tanukis are raccoon dogs that are indigenous to Asia and well-known in Japanese culture.  The fur trade has decimated their ranks, and their plight is indeed an important one.  But chasing down fur wearers in video games is a waste of time that distracts from the seriousness of the problem.

What’s next – the DEA coming after Ms. Pac-Man for eating too many of her energizing dots?  Or the Highway Patrol issuing a citation to Frogger for dangerous driving?

MORE: Our Five Favorite Super Mario Bros. Tributes

Allison Berry reports on fashion, design, art and cocktail culture for TIME Style.

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Two Deaths, One Race: Is The Grand National Course Too Dangerous for Horses?

Getty Images / Mike Hewitt M. P. Walsh parts company with Quolibet at the 11th fence during the John Smith's Grand National Steeple Chase.

In the wake of Elizabeth Taylor’s death, many remember her starring role in National Velvet. A young teenager riding to victory in the Grand National Steeplechase provided a fairytale ending for viewers all over the world. But how accurate was that depiction?Any sports competition lends itself to fairytale endings, but as Saturday’s Grand National indicated, the race doles out dangers as well as trophies.

Beginning in the mid-1800s, the Grand National is a four and a half-mile course that asks horse and rider to jump 30 ominous fences in their quest to complete two laps around the Aintree Racecourse track in Liverpool, England. Regarded by some as the purest athletic test of horse and rider and others as too dangerous to be ethically appropriate, Britain’s version of the Triple Crown creates controversy over more than how to mix a mint julep.

(More on TIME.com: See the top 10 endurance competitions)

This year, a series of events alarmed animal rights activists. Only 19 of the 40 competing horses reached the finish line and two died in the attempt. Traveling at literally breakneck speeds, horses fell, threw their jockeys off, were pulled up, and got knocked down by others falling.

According to Dr. Mark Kennedy, a senior lecturer in animal welfare at Anglia Ruskin University, the grueling nature of the long event contributes to its hazards. He tells BBC News that the risk of horse fatality in a steeplechase is six times that of a flat race, at six deaths in 1,000 starts.

The two deaths of Saturday’s race are, however, outliers rather than the norm. BBC reports that from 2000 to 2010 only six horses died total of 449 that started in those 11 runnings of the race. So while it’s not an annual occurrence, it may be biennial.

It’s not just the horses that suffer: a jockey competing in an earlier race on Grand National Day was put into a medically induced coma for two days after falling and sustaining head injuries. And winning jockey Jason Maguire told BBC News he almost withdrew from the race after a fall Thursday left him with stitches and a broken thumb.

Race organizers do realize the problem, but some people involved describe recently imposed safety measures as counter-effective. A veteran trainer said that the decision to reduce “drops” on the landing-side of fences actually has made the race more dangerous by encouraging competitors to travel faster. “It has encouraged the horses to go quicker,” trainer Ginger McCain told the Daily Mail. “It is speed that kills.”

Risk is always a factor, and that’s true in many sports. It’s a reality that must be calculated and it’s up to the British to decide whether the risks justify the event.

(More on TIME.com: Are the winter games too dangerous?)

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Woman Bites Dog During Drunken Rampage

The dog returned the favor in self defense. Guess who got arrested?

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images A bulldog (not the one allegedly bitten by Analise J. Garner) during the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Annual Dog Show held at Madison Square Garden, February 13, 2012.

Police were called to a Chicago home during the early morning hours of Tuesday in response to complaints of an animal bite — only to find the animal was not the biter but the bite-ee.

19-year old Analise J. Garner stumbled home drunk after a night of underage drinking. It’s unclear what happened next, but somehow the inebriated teen managed to pick a fight with both her 37-year old mother and, apparently, the family’s 80-pound English bulldog. Her mother emerged from the altercation with scratches on her face and bite marks on her hands, and, according to the Chicago Tribune, the dog suffered three bite marks on its back. According to the police who were called to the scene, puncture marks were visible against the dog’s white fur.

(MORE: Police Officer Saves Choking Dog Using Heimlich Maneuver)

In addition to gratifying newspaper editors everywhere, Garner has been charged with animal cruelty, domestic battery and underage drinking. She was released from the county jail on Monday after posting bail on $3,000 bond. She is due in court on May 23.

The teen didn’t come out unscathed from the dispute. “The bulldog finally did bite her back in self-defense,” Sgt. Mike Smith told the Chicago Tribune, noting that all dog bites are reported to Animal Control. However, he added, “there were no charges against the dog.”

MORE: A Dog’s Life: Uggie Is Writing A Memoir

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Vegan Activists Vandalize Iowa State Fair Butter Cow

AP Photo/Iowans for Animal Liberation In this photo provided by Iowans for Animal Liberation is the 2013 butter cow at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Iowa State Fair’s iconic butter cow — a meticulously sculpted 600-pound slab of bovine-shaped butter traditional to the event since 1911 — has been restored to pristine status after vegan vandals slathered it in red paint early Sunday morning.

(MORE: Google Doodle Celebrates Physicist Erwin Schrödinger … and Cats!)

The animal rights activists, who identified themselves as “Iowans for Animal Liberation” in an email to the Des Moines Register after the act, apparently hid in the fairgrounds’ Agriculture Building (located in east Des Moines) Saturday evening, waiting for the fair to close. Then they broke into a refrigerated room where the massive butter cow was held for display and poured red paint over it, painting the words ”Freedom For All” on the exhibit’s display window.

“After dismantling the lock to the refrigerated case housing the Butter Cow with a screwdriver, we doused the entire butter sculpture in red paint,” read the email, according to the Register. “The paint represents the blood of 11 billion animals murdered each year in slaughterhouses, egg farms, and dairies.” The group goes on to paint its actions as a “wake up call” to those who consume animal products, warning that they’re “directly supporting suffering and misery on the largest scale the world has ever known.”

No one has yet been arrested, but Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Scott Bright noted authorities are reviewing security footage taken of the building’s exterior.

The act of vandalism occurred early enough that butter sculptor Sarah Pratt, who was informed early Sunday morning, was able to touch up the cow by the time the exhibit opened at 9.a.m., the fair’s marketing director Lori Chappell told the Register. Chappell added: “We didn’t miss a beat.”

Does attacking popular traditions really persuade anyone in the long run? It’s unclear, but Iowa Animal Rescue League director Tom Colvin told the Register, “Quite frankly, it’s situations like this — attacking beloved Iowa traditions like the butter cow — are not going to get the general public on your side. They have a reverse effect.”

MORE: Finally, You Can Buy Cotton Candy-Flavored Grapes

Matt Peckham is TIME's video games, science tech and music tech correspondent based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His work has appeared in Variety, The Washington Post, The New York Times and others.

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Save the Frogs: California High School Bans Dissections

Fuse/Getty

Kids, step away from the scalpels.

In a win for animal rights activists, foregoing the formaldehyde-laced high school rite of passage, Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley, California will swap real frogs for their virtual counterparts. In exchange for a minimum five-year commitment, the school will receive free software courtesy of animal-rights groups who advocate for the virtual curriculum.

(LIST: Top 10 Strange Mass Animal Deaths)

While the school’s assistant principal, Kevin Stipp, said the virtual lesson will not be the same as performing the dissection on a real animal, he told the Riverside Press Enterprise, “it’s not so drastically different that the kids won’t get something out of it.”

Though many educators still value dissections on real animals as an important anatomy and physiology lesson, 14 states have laws which allow students to opt out of such lessons.

Animal rights groups have long campaigned to stop the practice of dissecting frogs and other animals in the classroom. They claim frogs are plucked from their wetland habitats and inhumanly killed by immersion in preservatives and that, in addition to causing “unnecessary suffering and death,” the practice is contributing to their dwindling populations worldwide.

Hoping to encourage more schools to take this step, the Animal Welfare Institute and Save the Frogs! are sponsoring a campaign to donate software licenses (valued at nearly $900 each) to the first 25 schools that agree to ban dissections. (Rancho Verde was the first school in the nation to take them up on the offer.) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals also has a small grants program to help schools purchase the software.

The groups hope to get every middle and high school in the U.S. to abandon the practice of dissecting frogs by 2014.

(PHOTOS: Papua New Guinea’s Newly Discovered Species)

Kayla Webley is a Staff Writer at TIME.

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Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2013

Australian photographer Mark Gee has beaten over a thousand amateur and professional photographers from around the globe to win the title of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2013. As well as securing the £1,500 top prize, his image takes pride of place in the exhibition of winning photographs opening at the Royal Observatory Greenwich on 19 September 2013. For information about entering next year’s competition visit www.rmg.co.uk/astrophoto

Earth and Space

Winner and Overall Winner

Guiding Light to the Stars © Mark Gee (Australia)

The skies of the Southern Hemisphere offer a rich variety of astronomical highlights. The central regions of the Milky Way Galaxy, 26,000 light years away, appear as a tangle of dust and stars in the central part of the image. Two even more distant objects are visible as smudges of light in the upper left of the picture. These are the Magellanic Clouds, two small satellite galaxies in orbit around the Milky Way.

Picture: Mark Gee

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'Dr Dolittle' gamekeeper's close-up photos

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London Zoo reveals winners of the ZSL Animal Photography Prize 2013

Breathtaking images depicting the magic of the animal kingdom from the annual competition run by the Zoological Society of London are on display at ZSL London Zoo from Friday 20 September. For more information see http://www.zsl.org/about-us/zsl-animal-photography-prize/

Category Four - Size Matters.

Adult Winner.

A GIANT TROPHY FOR A SMALL ANT by Bence Mate.

“This photograph shows two leaf-cutter ants where one of them is carrying back a curly pink leaf particle to their nest. Leaf-cutter ants are one of the strongest species on Earth; they cut and collect leaves which they use as a food source. I took a whole series of photographs of leaf-cutter ants at work, and I chose to enter this photo in the Size Matters category not only because ants are generally small creatures, but because of the obvious difference in size between the small ant and its disproportionate trophy – giving the title an underlying meaning as well.”

Picture: Bence Mate (c) ZSL

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Does the Death of 200 Cows in Wisconsin Confirm Biblical Prophecy?

Getty

When it comes to mass animal death in 2011, birds do it, fish do it, and now even cows do it. For a number of Christian theologians, it’s enough to suggest the end of days is near.

The latest in a bizarre series of animal deaths occurred on January 14. The Wisconsin Rapids Tribune reported that the Portage County Sheriff’s Department dispatched police to the town of Stockton after a cattle owner discovered “numerous dead cows” in a field.

The owner, whose name has been withheld by authorities, told deputies that he suspected the animals died of IBR (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis), a respiratory condition, or BVD (bovine virus diarrhea), an illness that can damage a cow’s digestive and immune systems, lead to pneumonia and kill unborn calves. Authorities have sent samples from the cow corpses to Madison to determine the exact cause of death.

(More on TIME.com: Behold the micro-pig! See the top 10 miniature animals.)

Regardless of the outcome of those necropsies, plenty of people find the herd’s mysterious death somewhat apocalyptic, especially in the wake of events that claimed the lives of thousands of birds and fish in Arkansas, and hundreds of birds in Sweden, Louisiana and Kentucky.

Some Christians, including online theologian Paul Begley in Indiana, believe the animal deaths were divined from above as a sign the end of days is approaching.

(More on TIME.com: See the top 10 most dramatic animal stories of 2010.)

The death of cows, birds and fish in particular seems to follow the prophecy set out by the Bible in the Book of Hosea, and are said to result when man turns his back on God. “By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood,” the prophecy goes. “Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.”

“There’s something biblically going on with the signs of the second coming of Christ,” Begley says on his YouTube channel. His message could creep out believers and non-believers alike. But don’t expect the second coming any time soon. He adds that “we still need seven years of tribulation” and “the rise of the anti-Christ” for that to happen. (via the New York Daily News.)

(More on TIME.com: See TIME’s most memorable photos of the past week.)

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Best Of The Week: Kind of Like The Golden Globes of The Internet

Forget the Golden Globes, these are the real awards of the week. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

On this lazy Saturday, let’s rewind and take a look back at the past week in news.

Chinese President Hu Jintao heads Washington. Gabrielle Giffords heads to rehab in Houston. The woman who fell into the fountain while texting…heads to her lawyer.

After some careful consideration, NewsFeed presents the best of what happened while you were at work. Just think of it as the Golden Globes of the Internet.

Best New Super-Sized Food:
The Starbucks Trenta.
The world’s largest coffee chain introduces the world’s largest coffee — even larger than the capacity of the average human stomach.

Best Sign of the Apocalypse:
The death of 200 cows in Wisconsin.
Some Christian theologians think this mass animal death suggests the end of days.

Best Extinct Species Making a Comeback:
The woolly mammoth.
A Japanese scientist says its only four years until he can bring back the dead.

Best Drink Now that Four Loko’s Off the Shelves:
Whiskey in a can.
Wanna bet how long Scottish Spirits’ eight shots of whiskey packaged like soda stays legal?

Best Government Mafia Take Down:
FBI’s biggest mob bust ever.
Over 100 mobsters were nabbed across the New York City area…just like in the movies!

Best Possible, But Not Recommended New Hobby:
Sex in space.
Although birth defects may ensue, it just comes down to how desperate you are.

Best ‘Celebrity Does Something Embarrassing’ Moment:
Natalie Portman laughing.
She may be perfect in every other way, but she laughs like a nerd.

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Mass Animal Deaths Are Back: Millions of Dead Sardines Float Ashore in California

Updated, 3/9: We were starting to get worried that it had been too long since we saw a sign of the impending apocalypse.

But then millions of dead sardines washed ashore early Tuesday morning in Redondo Beach, Ca. A foot-deep layer of dead fish flooded the King Harbor Marina, just south of Los Angeles.

(More on TIME.com: See if the death of 200 cows confirms a biblical prophecy)

Redondo Beach police Sergeant Phil Keenan hypothesized to Reuters that the fish had exhausted the oxygen supply by congregating in too small a space. “The issue now is cleanup because we have tons and tons of dead fish rotting and purifying, which obviously creates hazardous material,” Keenan said. “We’re in the process of figuring out what we’re going to do.”

There’s added time pressure to the cleanup, as temperatures are expected to rise into the 70s later this week.

(More on TIME.com: See the top 10 strange mass animal deaths)

Update, 3/9: We’ve changed references from “anchovies” to “sardines,” after later reports clarified what type of fish floated ashore.

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Animal photos of the week: 9 August 2013

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Animal photos of the week: 16 August 2013

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Animal photos of the week: 30 August 2013

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Animal photos of the week: 23 August 2013

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Animal photos of the week: 26 July 2013

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Animal photos of the week: 13 September 2013

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Animal photos of the week: 6 September 2013

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Animal photos of the week: 2 August 2013

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Big cat Britain: The sightings

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Gorillas' habitat threatened as oil exploration puts Congo's Virunga Park at risk

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In pictures: giants of the natural world

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National Trust's top ten secret Great British Walks

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Oil exploration puts Virunga Park at risk

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The 2013 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition

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Photographer Annette Price explores a Welsh silica mine

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The dark side of the Kalahari

The life of a leopard family in the Kalahari Desert, South Africa, is captured by wildlife photographer Hannes Lochner. Lochner travelled 100,000km during his time at the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa, capturing stunning images of leopards, lions, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, brown hyenas and jackals. The images are collected in his new book 'The Dark Side of the Kalahari'.

Luna with one of her cubs.Picture: Hannes Lochner/Barcroft Media

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Stunning images from the Handbook of Bird Photography

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The best photos of the annual Perseid meteor shower

Thousands of stargazers cast their eyes to the heavens last night for the “breathtaking” display of the Perseids meteor shower. Across the UK people turned into amateur astronomers as spotted the shooting stars that occurred as a result of the material falling from the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Above, Telegraph reader Paul Hill took this atmospheric photo of the Perseids meteor shower over the site of the Creamfields festival outside Winchester.

If you have taken a photo of the meteor shower and you would like to share it with us please email the photo to mypic@telegraph.co.uk

Picture: Paul Hill

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The volcanoes of the Kamchatka by photographer Sergey Krasnoshchekov

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The latest photos of the annual Perseid meteor shower

Thousands of stargazers cast their eyes to the heavens last night for the “breathtaking” display of the Perseids meteor shower. Across the UK people turned into amateur astronomers as spotted the shooting stars that occurred as a result of the material falling from the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Above, Telegraph reader Paul Hill took this atmospheric photo of the Perseids meteor shower over the site of the Creamfields festival outside Winchester.

If you have taken a photo of the meteor shower and you would like to share it with us please email the photo to mypic@telegraph.co.uk

Picture: Paul Hill

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Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition is in its 49th year and attracts entries from professionals and amateur photographers alike. Judged by a panel of widely acclaimed industry-recognised professionals, the images are selected for their creativity, artistry and technical complexity

100 Harvest gold

COMMENDED: 15-17 years

Etienne Francey

Switzerland

Late one July evening, walking slowly along the edge of a wheat field near his village –

Cousset, in Switzerland – looking for subjects to photograph, Etienne noticed ‘a little ball’

stuck to an ear of wheat. ‘To my surprise,’ says Etienne, ‘it was a harvest mouse, nibbling

the grain.’ Etienne approached until he was a few metres away and managed to photograph

the tiny mouse at various angles before it scuttled back down the wheat stalk. ‘The meeting

was brief but extraordinary,’ he adds. ‘This was my favourite out of all the portraits,’ showing

it eating, its prehensile tail helping it to balance.

Picture: Etienne Francey

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The winners in the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2013

An image of a dolphin surfing in the waves has claimed the top prize in the British Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The dolphin's eye view shot was captured off the coast of Northern Ireland by George Karbus, from County Clare, Ireland, who swam in the surf with the marine mammal to get the winning image and secure the £5,000 prize. Mr Karbus said: "Each time the dolphin got into the wave, I dived underneath, held my breath and waited for the moment when he would swish through a silver barrel close enough to my lens. "Water visibility is always very limited in Ireland and I was very lucky to get a shot like this." Winning images, video and selection of highly commended entries can be viewed at http://www.bwpawards.co.uk/

Picture: George Karbus/BWPA

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Waders and sea birds take flight for the 'Snettisham Spectacular'

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Urban Jungle: Common seal born in industrial zone

The BBC's Hannah Bayman witnesses the birth of a pup by a rocky bank near Middlesbrough, the first to be captured on film in northern England.

Seal monitoring volunteer Linda Watson described seeing the birth as: "a perfect moment in your life."

A colony of seals is thriving in the industrial area of Teesside after a clean-up operation to reduce the effect of pollution.

Before the 1930s there were around 1,000 seals on the Greatham Creek nature reserve, but pollution from heavy industry drove them away.

There is now a healthy population of Common Seals and these are the only seals in Europe which have re-colonised.

The clip will be broadcast in Urban Jungle on Thursday, 1 August at 19:00 BST on BBC One North East and Cumbria and nationwide on the iPlayer for seven days thereafter.

Source: BBC

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U.S. Geological Survey's Bee Inventory

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Viral Video: Meet the Smartest Squirrel in History

GK Hart/Vikki Hart

A hungry squirrel will go to great lengths for nuts—even if that means scaling a pole, walking a tightrope, and squeezing through more than a few tubes.

The BBC captured this clever rodent in action for its 1995 series Daylight Robbery 2, which, like Daylight Robbery 1, promised “amazing escapades from the furry thief!” And you thought reality TV was low-budget.

(More on NewsFeed: German Zoo Attempts to Re-Orient Gay Vultures.)

Now YouTube has given the footage a second life. And that must tickle the show’s producers, who were clearly smitten with their star.

“The grey squirrel is a natural winner and one that’s here to stay,” reads the official description of the series, which is available to buy on Amazon. “A remarkable robber who’s made his home here, on our very own doorsteps. With his death-defying leaps and ingenious feeding habits, the squirrel certainly caused a stir on the BBC’s original ‘Daylight Robbery’ programme. Now he’s back to face a new challenge—the ultimate man-made assault course.” (via BoingBoing)

(More on NewsFeed: Hello World! Baby Panda Makes His Debut at Zoo Atlanta.)

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Lost Penguin ‘Happy Feet’ to Return to the Wild

Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

The call of the wild led emperor penguin “Happy Feet” 2,000 miles from Antarctica. Now, after some human pampering, he’s heading home.

Happy Feet has been getting some much-needed R&R since washing up on a beach in New Zealand five weeks ago. Vets at the Wellington Zoo performed an emergency operation to empty his stomach of sand (which he’d likely mistaken for snow) and the 10-month-old bird has been packing on the pounds ever since. After passing an X-ray and blood test, Happy Feet has been given a clean bill of health.

(MORE: Emperor Penguin Gets Lost, Winds Up in New Zealand)

New Zealand officials originally vowed not to help the wayward avian, but caved and whisked him to the zoo after receiving a flurry of emails from angry animal lovers around the world. “I think the important thing in this world is humanity and caring,” the surgeon who operated on the penguin told the AFP. “If we don’t show that it doesn’t reflect very well on our society.” Happy Feet will be returned to the waters off New Zealand in the next few weeks.

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Cute Animal Photos

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