Feb 9, 2012
Roast Beef the penguin charms nursing-home residents
Roast Beef
Roast Beef, a 13-year-old African penguin, is specially trained to make appearances at community events — but those appearances usually involve youths. This was Roast Beef’s first-ever visit to a nursing home. The 5-pound little guy wowed about 60 residents of the Hannah Duston Rehabilitation Center in Haverhill, Mass., and deeply moved nursing-home staffers, visitors and his own aquarium handlers at the same time.
“Upon leaving, our penguin biologist ran into a person who has both parents [in the nursing home] for Alzheimer’s,” said Tony LaCasse, spokesman for the New England Aquarium where Roast Beef lives. “That person told the biologist, ‘I saw a sparkle in my parents’ eyes that I haven’t seen in a long, long time.’ ” More info...

Feb 7, 2012
Introducing the USEF Equestrian College Search
A new search tool from USEF
The search for the right college can be a frustrating and overwhelming time for young adults. With all of the options and information available these days it can be difficult for a student to narrow the search to schools that fit them best, especially for young equestrians. To help make the process easier the United States Equestrian Federation has created the USEF Equestrian College Search to help guide students in making an informed decision about their education. The Search, in addition to asking the usual questions about location, size, and scholarship information, asks equestrian specific questions that will help inform students, parents, coaches, and advisers of equine study and equestrian sport programs that colleges across the country offer.

Students are encouraged to view the Search at www.usef.org/collegiatesearch and find the right college for them! Please feel free to contact Terra Schroeder, National Affiliates Representative, at tschroeder@usef.org or 859-225-6952 if you have any questions.
More info...

Feb 7, 2012
What is it?
St. Louis Zoo
It's a banteng. A banteng is a type of wild cattle. Sadly, the species is endangered due to hunting pressure and loss of habitat to humans.

Also known as a tembadau, the banteng is native to Southeast Asia's forests, glades and grasslands. They eat leafy foliage in their dense jungle habitat, but will also move to open glades and grasslands to graze.

The St. Louis Zoo announced that a 42-pound bull banteng calf named "Studebaker" has been born to first-time mom "Bentley" and father "Knox" on January 9.
More info...

Feb 5, 2012
Toronto Zoo's polar bear cub meets public for the first time
Toronto, Canada


This polar bear cub needs a name. Can you help?

Rick Schindler writes
The public debut of a polar bear born in captivity is a big event. After all, Knut – the first polar bear cub to survive past infancy in the Berlin Z00 in 30 years – became an international celebrity before his tragic death at age 4 last March. And three of the cubs born prematurely in the Toronto Zoo last Oct. 11 died of their injuries after their mother, Aurora, rejected them shortly after their birth.

So you are looking at one lucky bear that was revealed to the public last Friday. Toronto Zoo staff nurtured him carefully from just a pound a half in weight to his current healthy 37 pound-plus. They gave him plenty of tender loving care until, at 90 days, he began to walk.

Feb 4, 2012
Basic Farm Animal Husbandry Skills
By Dr. Lyle G. McNeal
Over the years I have learned that many folks who take on a farm are not always well informed or skilled in the basics of general animal husbandry.

Though we have many outstanding veterinary practitioners in America, many are either not accessible, unaffordable, or ill-trained in the care of large farm animals and exotic quadrapeds.

I’ve always felt strongly that when we take on the responsibility of raising and rearing any specie of farm animal, we take on burdens similar to having children.

Most families know how to monitor the general health and well-being of their children, monitoring behavior observation, eating and drinking habits, temperature, respiratory or digestive disorders, cuts, abrasions, and other forms of major and minor trauma. More info...

Feb 3, 2012
Don't Renew your Auto Insurance Until You Have Shopped Esurance
Switch and Save
You could save 28% on auto insurance. We're here to help you. Save on lne or by phone. More info...

Feb 3, 2012
'King of the farm': Sheep-herding rabbit gains fame
Sweden
A rabbit that rounds up sheep on a small farm in northern Sweden is rapidly gaining a following on the Internet, with more than 650,00 views in the past week on YouTube.

Even the owners are a little perplexed by the herding skills of the self-taught bunny, which may have learned its techniques by watching its border collie friends.
"He learnt these skills himself, we had nothing to do with it," Greta Vigren, the rabbit's owner told The Local, an English language website based in Sweden.

"He surely has seen the dogs doing it before, but really, Champis thinks he is the king of the farm, and that he owns the sheep." More info...

Feb 2, 2012
More winter? The groundhog says...
Punxsutawney Phil.



A huge crowd gathered at Gobbler's Knob, the tiny hill from which Phil makes his prediction on Feb. 2.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club made their decree Thursday morning in central Pennsylvania: Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, and there'll be six more weeks of winter. The announcement was met with boos from the enormous crowd gathered in Punxsutawney.

Folks in the East and elsewhere gave a collective shrug, as temperatures have been unseasonably warm. "But it's the winter we've been having, so that's like spring anyway," said Matt Lauer on TODAY after the news broke. More info...

Feb 1, 2012
By popular demand: Animal Tracks slideshow is back!
Meerkats
For all of you out there who wrote in and asked us to bring back the Animal Tracks slideshow, I am happy to announce that starting this week, we will be doing just that!
Please come back to the blog, often, to see amazingly cute animal stories and lots of photos from our readers.



More info...

Jan 28, 2012
Goat Rides Donkey
Jungle Cat World Zoo
More info...