Dec. 27/2017

Feature:

Frida, the Heroic Rescue Dog, Saves Lives After Mexico’s Earthquake

“Photos & videos of a rescue dog named Frida have gone viral- complete with her cute-yet-necessary work uniform: doggie goggles, vest & 4 protective, Velco-strapped booties. She has become a 4-legged symbol of hope during these dark times in Mexico.

…the 7-year-old yellow Labrador retriever has… become a media sensation.

…prior to the earthquake, Frida (she’s named after the artist Frida Kahlo) had helped rescue 12 people & recover the bodies of 40 people during her career as a disaster rescue dog with the Mexican Navy’s (SEMAR) Canine Unit.

Working with 14 other dogs in the unit, she has located 12 victims of the Sept. 19 quake so far.

Frida’s first mission after the earthquake struck was to find survivors at the Enrique Rebsamen School in Mexico City…

Frida has 2 colleagues in the Canine Unit, Evil & Echo, who are both 1-year-old Belgian  Malinois dogs. Because Frida is getting on in years, Evil & Echo enter collapsed buildings before she does. If they find someone, Frida enters & spends no longer than 20 minutes inside the building.

The disaster rescue dogs can reach areas that are inaccessible to human responders, including spaces that are less than 20 inches high. When they find a victim who’s alive, the dogs bark…

Like the other dogs in the Canine Unit, Frida began training when she was just 2 months old. The skills the dogs show in training determine whether they will go on to detect people, narcotics or explosives.

To train dogs to find people, they are first taught to fetch toys & balls. Once they learn how to do that, their trainers run with the toy or ball in their hands. The dogs learn to associate the smell of the person with the reward of the ball, Salinas told the L.A. Times. Before they’re ready to be dispatched to disaster areas, the dogs train for about 3 hours a day for a year.

Just 2 weeks before the Sept. 19 earthquake, Frida helped locate the body of a policeman after a massive 8.1 quake struck Juchitan. She also worked in Ecuador after an earthquake there in April last year.

Before Frida won the hearts of the rest of the world, even the president of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, was a fan of hers…”

Laura Goldman

Sept. 25/ 2017

care2.com

Cute Critter Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Memorial

Dec. 20/2017

Feature:

The Internet’s Favorite Baby Beaver Finally Finds Love

“Animal rescuers in Canada have just shared some seriously heartwarming updates about 2 injured baby beavers they took in, who have since found companionship in their care.

Last year, the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) took in a young female beaver who had been found alone & injured… Rescuers believe she… was only 5 weeks old.

With care, she recovered from the ordeal, & captured the hearts of millions of people after an Instagram video of her taking a bath went viral.

But she has been alone ever since.

As AIWC explained, ‘Beavers are incredibly social animals. Both parents raise their young together for 2-3 years before the kits naturally disperse on their own. After extensive research & consultation…we determined that our young beaver patient needs to similarly remain in care until she is 2-3 years old to properly prepare for her return to life in the wild.’

Unbeknownst to her, things were about to change. Earlier this summer, the organization took in a young male who had been found injured in a storm drain in Calgary. After being treated, he was later moved to an outdoor enclosure next to the female, where the 2 started to stealthily bond through the fence that separated them.

‘Beavers are primarily nocturnal, so we didn’t see the 2 beavers interacting until one evening AIWC staff witnessed them walking along the fence line together,’ AIWC wrote. ‘…we were thrilled to see these 2 bonding together on their own, so the decision was made to slowly make introductions.’

Because they’re both so young, AIWC says their relationship so far is purely platonic, but it’s no less precious, & the pair have taken to doing a number of activities together.

Although they’ll spend much more time in AIWC’s care, the organization expects to release them together next year when they’re old enough to go out on their own. Hopefully they will thrive when they’re returned to the wild, & their story will inspire more people to appreciate these little ecosystem engineers.

For more updates and info on how to help, check out the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation.”

Alicia Graef

Aug. 30/ 2017

care2.com

Cute Christmas Critters

Weekly Chuckles

Merry Christmas from Cyn & the Littl'ons!

Dec. 13/2017

Feature:

St. Bernard Pups on Parade

“In what promises to be a cavalcade of cute, 12 St. Bernard puppies will trot down from a Swiss mountain pass in a special ceremony usually associated with the seasonal return of cattle.

The Oct. 1 procession, known as a desalpe in French & an alpabuzug in German, will celebrate a bumper crop of pups bred by the Barry Foundation, a charity dedicated to the history & preservation of the alpine nation’s legendary canine breed.

The dogs will follow the ancient Via Francigena pilgrimage route from a hospice in the Great St. Bernard pass to the Barryland museum at Martigny.

After spending the summer on the pass, the dogs return to the Barryland kennels & museum for the winter, & the October parade of pups revives a ‘unique & important Swiss tradition’, the foundation said.”

Andre Ramshaw

The Montreal Gazette

Sept. 23/2017

Cute Christmas Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Dec. 6/2017

Feature:

Zoo Gives Orangutans Apps To Find Perfect Date 

     “How does a primate find a date when they’re confined to an urban jungle? Orangutans in a Dutch zoo may get a high-tech helping hand thanks to a research project that is being likened to a Tinder dating app for apes. The research at the Apenheul primate park, on the outskirts of the Dutch city of Apeldoorn, is investigating the emotional responses of orangutans & bonobos to images of th same species they are shown on a touch screen.

     Biologist Thomas Bionda said...the screen could help determine an ape’s preference between prospective mates as part of a breeding program. He says 'there has to be a click’ between the animals & checking out images on a computer could help determine the compatibility of a prospective pair.”

The Associated Press

in The Montreal Gazette

Feb. 2/2017    

Cute Christmas Pic

Weekly Chuckle

Memorial

Nan Dec. 7/1996

No words can ever express how much I miss you Nan. I was privileged to have had you in my life for almost 30 years. I think of you each & every day. Rest in peace.