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Thousands of Elephants Lost to Poaching in Gabon

By
Quentin Coleman
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1
poaching

For Africa’s elephants, life in a national park isn’t poacher-free. After a recent head count at Gabon’s Minkebe Park, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reported the loss of 11,100 of the park’s elephants. The park’s current elephant population is less than half of what it was in 2004, with many of the losses occurring in the last five years, according to a WCS statement. “This sad news from Gabon confirms that without a global commitment, great elephant populations will soon become a thing of the past,” WCS President and CEO Cristián Samper said in the statement. “We believe that elephants can still be saved – but only if nations greatly increase their efforts to stop poaching while eliminating the illegal ivory trade through better enforcement and reduced demand.” Poaching in Gabon Poachers have had an enormous impact on Africa’s elephant population. The Born Free Foundation estimates that nearly 32,000 elephants across Africa were ...

Dog’s Birth from Frozen Embryo is Good News for Endangered Animals

By
Quentin Coleman
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0
dog born from frozen embryo

The birth of one ordinary dog could open the path to survival for endangered canine species like the American red wolf. Klondike, a nine month old beagle-Labrador retriever mix, started life a bit colder than most pups. He was conceived through the artificial insemination of an embryo that was frozen before being placed inside a surrogate mother. Klondike’s birth is part of a new frozen embryo research program sponsored by the National Institutes of Health Baker Institute for Animal Health of The College of Veterinary Medicine, according to a Cornell University statement. The Significance of Klondike’s Birth Cryopreservation and artificial insemination aren’t new concepts, so what’s the big deal about this one? When it comes to freezing embryos and sperm, doing it one or two times just isn’t enough. Animals are incredibly diverse, and so are their reproductive processes. Developing a reliable procedure to assist in the reproduction of a single species isn’t a ...

Westminster Dog Show Kicks Off Dog Show Season

By
Heather Brennan
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0
westminster dog show

February marks the beginning for the three best known, and biggest, dog shows in the world. It all begins at Madison Square Garden in New York City with the Westminster Kennel Club Show. Birmingham, England’s Crufts, undeniably the world’s biggest, comes next in March, and the World Dog Show finishes the run off in May. All of these shows are live streamed online and Westminster is televised as well. Westminster Dog Show is the oldest. Founded in 1877, it is the only one that happens in North America. It was first held in Manhattan at Madison Square Garden’s predecessor, Gilmore’s Garden. At its first show it boasted an entry of 1,201 dogs. It began seven years before the American Kennel Club was created. It is the second oldest continuously run sporting event in the United States. The first is the Kentucky Derby, which began the year before Westminster. In 2013, Westminster had ...

Pet Acupuncture – Is it More Than Just a Bunch of Needles?

By
Richard Christian
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0
pet acupuncture

Pet owners are known for coming up with creative ways to take care of their pets .. but … pet acupuncture? Even in 2013, acupuncture is a topic filled with criticism and doubt … and that’s just with acupuncture for humans. But as more and more Americans are seeking alternative medicine as a way to better their lives, so too are more and more pet owners seeking the off-beaten path as a way to heal the ailments of their cats, dogs, horses and more. The Veterinary Acupuncturist Any pet owner considering taking their animal friend to an acupuncturist should know that there is, in fact, a title of veterinary acupuncturist. Not only that, but there is an established International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. The IVAS was founded in 1974, after National Acupuncture Association members Dr. Gene Bruno and Dr. John Ottaviano showed and trained veterinarians how this eastern ...

Frankensparrow, a Robotic Bird, Studies Aggressive Bird Behavior

By
Heather Brennan
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0
aggressive bird

Deep in the heart of a male swamp sparrow, lurks an aggressive bully. Swamp sparrows are commonly found across eastern North America in wetlands. These tiny little birds that flit away at the slightest motion from you are actually so antagonistic to other swamp sparrows during mating season that they will fight to the death. Recent studies conducted by Rindy Anderson of Duke University have revealed that they do their best to intimidate their opponents in a combination of vocal prowess and waving of the wings. It’s the avian equivalent of daring the other bird to take you on. Aggressive bird behavior is not a new observation. Many species are known for going after their fellow birds and even people and hang gliders that get too close to their nests. Northern Shrikes will impale their prey on thorns to save them up for a later meal. Bellbirds put poisonous insects in ...

Dairy Farmer in New Zealand Jailed for Dairy Cow Abuse

By
Richard Christian
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2
dairy cow abuse

A New Zealand dairy farmer was sentenced, this month, to two years and one month for what’s being described as “serious animal welfare offenses.” Dairy Farmer Lourens Barend Erasmus was sentenced in connection to abuses made on his dairy cows. Specifically, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) of New Zealand discovered that Erasmus had been breaking his cows’ tails (115 of his 135 cow herd), and beat the cows with steel pipes and milking cups. While Erasmus’s sentence provided a message to would-be abusers, there are still many out there, including farmers, who continue to mistreat their dairy cows. Dairy cow abuse - a misdemeanor? This past October, five Idaho dairy farmers were charged with misdemeanor cruelty to animal charges for violently hitting, stomping on, and punching cows in the face and body. The owners of Bettencourt Dairies, the farm these five worked at, publicly stated they were appalled by these actions and have ...

Homeward Bound, Cats and Dogs that Find Their Way Home

By
Heather Brennan
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0
dogs that find their way home

Much research has been done on migratory animals. Birds, turtles, and various insect species, are all known migrators. They use combinations of magnetic fields, olfactory cues, position of the sun and even the stars in their journeys. However, this research tends to leave out other species. More specifically, there have been many reports of cats and dogs that find their way home over hundreds of miles of unfamiliar terrain. Mostly anecdotal, they have been difficult to substantiate with actual proof. The latest entry in the category is Holly, a four year old tortoiseshell cat, and there is definite proof that she made the journey although scientists remain baffled as to how she navigated the two hundred mile trip. Holly’s owners, John and Bonnie Richter, were attending an RV rally in Daytona Beach, Florida when she went missing last November. They searched and searched but there was no sign of the cat and ...

What is the Smartest Dog? Dognition Aims to let You Know

By
Richard Christian
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1
smartest dog

I always knew my dog was smart, but now it seems I can finally prove it, thanks to Dognition. Dognition is an online web application that is anything but “just another app.” With a who’s who in the animal/canine world at the helm (including professors at Duke, Harvard, Yale and more), this web-based dog-cognitive assessment aims to pinpoint the exact intelligences our dogs possess. This is no “sit and stay” demonstration, mind you. Once you go through the exercises provided by Dognition, you’ll be able to profile your dog, like teachers profile students, into one of nine areas: ACE - great problem solver and communicator CHARMER - the dog who knows how to get what he wants SOCIALITE - a dog who knows how to impress in social settings EXPERT - the dog with the skills to solve problems alone, but the desire to be part of a team RENAISSANCE - the potpourri of doggie ...

Naming Budweiser’s New Clydesdale “Hope”

By
Heather Brennan
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2
clydesdale

Clydesdale horses and Budweiser beer have gone hand in hoof since 1933. The Clydesdales made their first Super Bowl ad appearance in 1986 and have appeared in a total of 23 Super Bowl ads. To many Super Bowl fans, the commercials are as much a part of the event as the game itself and Anheuser-Busch rarely disappoints. This year’s “Brotherhood” commercial featured the relationship between trainer and horse. The foal in question was born on January 16th at Anheuser-Busch’s Warm Springs Ranch near Booneville, Missouri. She appeared in the commercial just seven days later. The ranch is over 300 acres in size and home to more than 100 Clydesdales. She was the second foal born there this year. The first, a colt, was born 36 hours earlier. More than thirty foals will be born there this year. Although the majority of the Clydesdales reside at Warm Springs, which is open to ...

UK Mandates Microchips to Keep Dogs and Owners Together

By
Quentin Coleman
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1
dog microchips

Come 2016, lost dogs in the United Kingdom will be a thing of the past. At least, that’s the goal of new legislation that requires pet owners to have microchips implanted in their canine companions. The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced the new requirement in a statement released on February 6. “Microchipping is a simple solution that gives peace of mind to owners,” Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said in the statement. “It makes it easier to get their pet back if it strays and easier to trace if it’s stolen.” Cost and Deadline While UK residents are encouraged to have their pet chipped as soon as possible, there won’t be any legal consequences for not doing so in the near future. The deadline for microchipping is currently set for April 6, 2016, so there’s no rush. Chipping usually costs between $20 and $50 in the United States, and UK ...

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