Viral Photo Gives Birth to Healing Foundation
This photo of John Unger lulling his aging, arthritic dog, Schoep, to a comfortable snooze in Lake Superior has given birth to a foundation to help…
On Picking Up Starfish
Last weekend, when I was on the Animal Wise radio talk show, Mike and Beth (the hosts) asked me how any of us can stay sane…
Dog Waits by Grave – Six Years
When his person died in 2006, Capitan, a German shepherd ran away from home. A few days later, he was found at the cemetery next to his person’s grave. He’s still there. Here’s the story of Capitan – and of some of the other dogs who stayed by their people and wouldn’t leave them.
How Now, Ni Hao!
A stowaway kitten who survived three weeks without food or water in a shipping container bound from China to Los Angeles has a new home. Ni…
England’s Escaped Lion: Monty Python-Style
The search for the lion stalking the eerie grasslands of Essex County (the scene of one of P.D. James’s best murder mysteries) has been called off.…
Me and My Big Bro
Kesho and Alf hadn’t seen each other for three years. And in that time, Kesho had really grown up. Now 13 years old, he weighs almost…
When Dogs Meet Dolphins in the Ocean
Two delightful videos of dogs visiting with dolphins in the ocean. First, Kira, a black Lab, regularly joins a dolphin-watching expedition off the coast of Mozambique.…
Baby Bears Climb Ladder Out of a Dumpster
Shirley and Tom Schenk heard bears crying throughout the night near their home in Ruidoso, N.M. When they went out to see what was going on,…
Cat Finds His Way Home from Six Miles Away
It took Wollie three days to find his way home. His mom, Barbara Oliphant, had rescued him as a stray last summer, but when her husband…
Oldest Living Beings
Speaking of the awareness of our own mortality and the anxiety that this inspires (see my previous post), here are some of Earth’s longest living beings.…
The Not-Very-Ugliest Dog
Mugly took home top honors in this Ugliest Dog Contest in Petaluma, Calif., this year. But frankly he just wasn’t that ugly. I mean, check out…
Champ the Horse Rescues Drowning Filly
Forest Service Volunteer Becky Standridge watched and took photos as a group of wild horses went for a swim in an Arizona creek. One of them,…
Farewell to Eeyore
He was, as far as we know, the world’s oldest donkey. Eeyore was just shy of his 55th birthday when he passed away peacefully last week at the Hunters Moon animal sanctuary in England.
Nobody Does It Better
Nobody does it better than David Attenborough. Recently posted by the BBC. “What a wonderful world!”
Our Top Ten-Plus Videos of 2011
How can you choose just ten from all the rescues, wildlife shows, comic pieces on Youtube, and so much else? You can probably think of many more that should be on that list. Still, here are a few of our faves:
Video of the Year
Of all the great videos of the year, this one really tops the charts. The gorillas simply walk in to a tourist camp at Bwindi National Park one morning. Note that the great silverback is in charge of the proceedings, letting the kids know what’s OK, what’s not, and how long they can visit the human.
Slo-o-ow Down, Kitties! Here Come the Sloths
They may never completely take over from cats as the Web’s favorite nonhuman. After all, they’re never going to type, play the piano or chase each other round the room. But that’s the whole point. Sloths do everything slo-o-owly.
Polite Bear Waves Back
This friendly bear is like the classic old guy on the front porch who waves at passing cars. The bear was just hanging out at the Olympic Game Farm sanctuary in Washington state when a family drove by.
The Porcupine’s Pumpkin
Good news for fans of the Web’s favorite Porcupine. The super-talkative Teddy Bear, who was made virally famous last month with his super-possessive love of corn on the cob, is back with a pumpkin-size appetite.