March 29/2017

Feature:
Otters Return to Splashy ‘Underwater Mansion’

     “After a 2-year absence, the hugely popular otters are back at the newly revamped Ecomuseum Zoo in Ste.-Anne-de-Bellevue.
     The Ecomuseum officially  unveiled its new river otter habitat...a 6,000 square foot home for the otters that is 7 times larger than their previous digs.
     The splashy new otter mansion, which cost $14 million, features a giant 250,000 litre water basin, 55 times larger than the previous pond...
     Henceforth, zoo patrons will be able to watch the otters frolic about from 3 newly-designed observation decks, including 2 underwater observation points...
     The basin will serve as the new home of 3 river otters- 2 males & 1 female, all approximately 2 years old- who were recently acquired from Louisiana in the southern U.S.
     ...the playful otters & their new home could well prove to be the most popular attraction at the non-profit zoo, which mostly provides refuge dor injured & orphaned wildlife.
‘They’re extremely popular with the public’.
     ...otters play the ‘role of ambassadors’ with the public, a connection that is helped along because ‘river otters are so human in many ways.
     It looks like they’re smiling & they’re full of energy. People really appreciate that & connect with them’...
     Ecomuseum officials spent the past year carefully redesigning & rebuilding their expanded home at Montreal’s only outdoor zoo...
     The enlarged water basin allows the otters more depth to swim; the sculpted ground area provides more room for them to roam.
     ‘In the wild, otters spend a lot of time hiding in & under river banks...’
     Zoo officials will solicit the public’s suggestions via Facebook before naming the new otters.”

John Meagher
in The Montreal Gazette
Feb. 1/2017

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Memorial

Casper (2009) RIP

March 22/2017

Feature:
Vegan Buys 100Yr. Old Lobster ‘King Louie’ to Set Him Free

“For a century, a 23-pound, 4-foot-long lobster made the Bay of Fundy in Canada his home. Because of his enormous size, the lobster had little to worry about down there under the sea—except being caught...

The XXL lobster’s luck seemed to run out last month when he was trapped by Rodney MacDonald, a local fisherman & co-owner of the Alma Lobster Shop in New Brunswick.

Named 'King Louie' by MacDonald’s wife, Catherine, the colossal crustacean was given a price tag of $230...

Fortunately, King Louie will not end up on anyone’s dinner plate(s). When Katie Conklin, a vegan from Nova Scotia, heard about him, she shelled out the money to buy him. Not to eat, of course, but to ensure that he would be returned alive & well to his home in the bay.

Rodney MacDonald did something few fishermen have ever done: He put King Louie in a crate, took him on his boat out to the middle of the bay, & released him—but not before saying 'Thank you' to Conklin...'I just hope he carries his genes and lives a happy life for his second chance,' Conklin told ABC News.

Other Lobsters Spared From Becoming Dinner This Year

King Louie isn’t the only lobster in Canada fortunate enough to be caught & returned to the sea this year...

In October, another giant lobster was caught in Bermuda after Hurricane Nicole. Local fishermen Matthew Jones & Tristan Loescher were surprised to snag a 14-pound crustacean...After bringing the lobster to shore, disentangling him from the fishing line & trying unsuccessfully to contact marine experts, the 2 decided ‘the best thing we could do was get it back in the ocean before it got too weak,’ Jones told the Washington Post...

...Hopefully happy lobster tales like that of King Louie will discourage people from feasting on lobster tails.”

Laura Goldman
Dec. 6/2016
care2.com

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Weekly Chuckle

March 15/2017

Feature:
How Pets Make Us Happier & Healthier

     “Psychologist Aubrey Fine...a professor in the education department at California State Polytechnic University, is considered an expert in the field of animal-assisted therapy & the human-animal bond. He is the author of several books about animals, including Our Faithful Companions:Exploring the Essence of Our Kinship With Animals (Alpine Publications, 2014) & his menagerie includes 2 Golden Retrievers, a cockatoo, & a lizard known as a bearded dragon. He incorporates animals in his clinical practice...

Q. How do pets help people?
A. Animals give us that unconditional love that can make our lives more meaningful...
People with animals talk about how the pet becomes a confidant & friend & encourages them to walk & exercise. Having an animal in your life gives you purpose & direction & provides companionship. dogs or cats are wonderful listeners: They can read our emotions. They enrich our lives.

Q. Could you describe some health benefits for humans of animal companions?
A. ...The literature is becoming much more clear about the health benefits of animals in our lives...it was found that petting an animal could reduce perceived anxiety. Research has shown that when you pet animals, the hormone cortisol is reduced as you become more engaged with the animal.

Q. Could you explain animal-assisted therapy & its benefits?
A. Animal-assisted intervention is the term we use to explain a spectrum of options that incorporate animals in therapy... The cold nose & warm heart of a therapy dog can edge into a person’s being & allow him or her to feel comfortable enough to do things that perhaps he or she wouldn’t otherwise...

Q. In what situations is there a role for animal-assisted therapy?
A. ...I have used dogs with children who are chronically depressed & children who have obsessive-compulsive disorder...

Q. Most animals used in animal-assisted therapy are dogs: Do they have to be specifically trained?
A. They have to have an affinity for people. But they have to be really well trained, so their behaviour is consistent & reliable...As much as I am concerned about my clients, I am equally concerned about the well-being of the dogs.”

Susan Schwartz
in The Gazette, Montreal
June 4/2016

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March 8/2017

Feature:
What Do You Know About New York Whales?

“...7 Species Of Whales Spotted In New York Waters

Humpback whales are regularly seen in the waters off the Big Apple, while fin whales inhabit the waters around the eastern tip of Long Island. 5 other species, the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale & minke & sperm whales, as well as sei whales & the blue whale, the largest animal that has ever lived have also been seen or heard in New York waters.

... the Wildlife Conservation Association, has partnered with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution... to conduct the largest-ever survey of New York’s whales.

Listening In On Whales
Researchers are concerned about the impact of underwater noise on the ability of the whales to communicate, so they are starting out by listening in on the whales’ conversations.

On June 23 a 2,500-pound anchor was lowered to the ocean floor, 22 miles off the coast of New York’s Fire Island. Floating on a tether a few feet above it are acoustic listening devices attached to an underwater microphone... which will record the sound of whale vocalizations: the clicks, whistles, & calls made by a whale to other members of its pod...

Puget Sound Research
Similar studies have been carried out on the opposite coast of the U.S., in the Puget Sound area near Seattle, where researchers wanted to find out if noise from shipping lanes interfered with the ability of endangered orcas to communicate, & they found out that it did. This is important because orcas, or killer whales, must communicate with each other in order to hunt for & locate their food...

How To Monitor Whale Activity
In New York, scientists aren’t just listening to the calls & whistles of the whales. They are also planning to deploy boats & aircraft to monitor whales, & they will tag some individuals for long-term tracking...
They also plan to send out alerts to ships...asking them to slow down when whales are close by...”

Judy M.
July 15/ 2016
care2.com

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March 1/2017

Feature:

20 Fascinating Facts About Giraffes

“...1. Baby giraffes can stand within just half an hour...

2. Until they’re about 5 months old, young giraffes play with each other while their moms are nearby, foraging for food.

3. Giraffes sleep less than most mammals, from only 10 minutes to 2 hours per day. They usually sleep standing up.

4. Giraffes are non-territorial, & join & leave herds at will...

5. They can run for long distances at speeds as fast as about 37 miles per hour.

6. You’ll rarely see giraffes fighting with each other...

7. ‘Necking’ in the giraffe world doesn’t apply to making out, but to males aggressively swinging their heads at each other, aiming their horns at their opponent...

8. One kick from a giraffe’s powerful leg can kill a lion.

9. Every giraffe has a unique spot pattern...

10. ...giraffes, just like humans, have only 7 vertebrae in their necks...

11. ...they must awkwardly spread their front legs or kneel to drink. Fortunately, they only need water every few days, since it’s provided in all the plants they eat.

12. ...giraffes eat 75 pounds of food (mostly leaves) every day.

13. Giraffes...tongues...can be up to 20 inches long...

14. Giraffes are generally silent, using infrasonic sound to communicate with each other...

15. As a way of flirting, male giraffes may cough very loudly.

16. ...Their courtship ritual starts with a male giraffe sniffing a female’s urine...

17. Because of their appearance, giraffes used to be known as “cameleopards.” Their scientific name, Giraffa Camelopardalis, translates to “camel marked like a leopard.”

18. Julius Caesar brought the first giraffe to Europe from Egypt in 48 B.C....

19. Giraffes used to be killed only for their tails...

20. Giraffes only live for 10 to 15 years in the wild, & from 20 to 27 years in zoos...”

Laura Goldman
January 2/2017
care2.com

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