Funny Animals

Archive for the ‘Wild Animals’ Category

As the tail of hurricane Katia swept through Britain very recently, the  raging winds knocked a nest containing 4 tiny baby squirrels out of a tree. As a lady was later passing by, she discovered the nest full of baby squirrels.  After looking around, she saw no sign of their mother. The 4 babies , which were in a state of shock from the fall, would not  have been able to survive much longer on their own. It was lucky for them that the lady found them and alerted others. They  are now being taken care of at the Sanctuary Wildlife Care Center in Ulghan which is close to Morpeth. If the babies had not been found, it is very likely that cats or other wild animals would have found them.

They were so tiny, only weighing 70grams. You can see how small they are in the picture as they are sitting on a ladies arm and I am sure they had grown some before that picture was taken. The baby squirrels are cute, mischievous,  very lively and only 5 weeks old. They need lots of care and are being kept at the home of Eileen Welsh. To feed them, she uses a tiny baby like bottle of goats milk. They have to eat every 3 hours. Eileen will care for the babies all winter. Even if they were ready to be released into the wild again, they would not be able to get an ample supply of food ready to get them through the winter. The plan is to release them next spring.

The sanctuary that is keeping the squirrels for now also cares for many hurt and wildlife left behind like these babies. At the time the babies were brought to them, they were caring for 150 other animals. It is possibly the biggest animal sanctuary in the North East of the UK,  but as with many places it is struggling and there is fear that it’s days could be numbered. For animals that need care like these baby squirrels, we all hope the future outlook improves for the sanctuary.

It’s not just a trait of people to turn away from someone who is different. This poor little seal is a different color than the rest of the baby seals. It is a pretty color of reddish brown while it’s fellow pups born around the same time are a chocolate brown. When a seal is wet, it’s fur seems to turn to black which helps protect it from predators when swimming.

The baby has beautiful blue eyes that seem to be calling out for help from it’s hiding place away from the rest of the seals. I can only imagine what the other pups thought of it’s pink nose and flippers.

The baby seemed to be hiding under a pile of logs on Tyuleniy Island in Russia. There was a photographer, Anatoly Strakhov that spotted the lonely seal hiding. All the other seals were together close by the water, but this little one seemed to be being treated differently and being rejected because of it’s appearance. After taking some pictures of the seal, Strakhov realized that the seal could not see very well and it’s likely hood of surviving out in the wild were slim.

The seal was almost like that of an albino. It’s pink flippers and light blue eyes are uncommon traits. A seal with these colors could be seen so much easier by animals of prey. The seal even if it could see  well, would have a very difficult time surviving on it’s own. When swimming in the sea, it’s colors would betray it to predators.

The baby, whose age appears to be anywhere from 3 to 4 months old has had a streak of luck. Anatoly Strakhov felt sorry for the poor little guy and a dolphinarium where he works at took the baby in.  He will now enjoy a long happy life instead of living a short life in fear.

In South Africa where Rhinos are hunted by poachers for their horns, the tables have turned more favorable for the rhino. By accident, the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve in Krugersdorp discovered that a pesticide they were using on the rhinos to kill parasites, actually made the rhinos horns poisonous.

When a human uses a horn of a treated rhino in a home remedy, it can cause convulsions and headaches. Horns are used as aphrodisiac’s and in other medicines in parts of Asia.

It would also be easier to track a poacher who has collected the horns because the pesticide has a dye in it that causes the horns to glow a pink neon color with the airport scanners. Even if in the powder form it will glow.

The pesticides keep away the pesty insects and pesty poachers too.

Phyllis Johnson, a 94 year old grandmother living in Charleville, Queensland, was simply hanging out her laundry when she was assaulted by a kangaroo. She was scared for her life, thinking that the kangaroo was about to kill her. The kangaroo, came crashing through the line of clothing hung out to dry directly at Phyllis.

Luckily, Phyllis had a broom close by and she started swinging it at the kangaroo which was taller then she is. She hit it hard on the head several times but the attack continued. She tells how her dog, man’s best friend, didn’t even try to help. It was too frightened.

Finally her son was able to frighten the agitated kangaroo off. There were two police officers that had been sent to help that used pepper spray to subdue the kangaroo.

Phyllis says she’s alright. She did loose a chunk of her flesh off her leg and they will possibly have to operate. She was in the hospital at the time.

She also mentioned how she had fed the kangaroo’s at one time at a neighboring place. She fed them bread. Why this one,  which was larger then the ones she fed, came at her with his feet kicking her, she has no idea. She is one tough granny.

Typically Kangaroo’s do not attack people. The are gentle and if approached, run away.

Did the little cub get too playful with dad? It looks like even little cubs can get on the nerves of their parents. This little cub seems to be getting a lecture from his dad, the King of the Jungle. That is quite a snarl he is receiving. He had most likely been a bit too playful and pounced on his dad a few times too many.The look he gave his cub would put anyone in their place and no questions would be asked.

This just goes to show that no matter if you are human or an animal, we all have our limits.

Tara is a 35 year old Asian Elephant living at an Elephant Sanctuary. Bella is one of many stray dogs that have made themselves a home at the sanctuary too. Most of the elephants pair into twos and are found together throughout the sanctuary. Tara and Bella are a different story.

While most of the stray dogs want nothing to do with the elephants, Bella and Tara are best friends. Their friendship is way beyond just a casual friendship between animals. They care for each other.

Bella was down with a back injury and could not get out to roam the acres with Tara. While she was unable to leave the home, Tara kept watch outside the house waiting for a sign that Bella would return.

Once Bella was able to be moved, they took her outside and put her down close to Tara. It almost sounds like Tara is crying as she caresses Bella with her trunk. Bella improved and is once again roaming the sanctuary with Tara, her best friend.

A loving friendship like this between two different animals is amazing. This is a true story, but makes a great story to print in books for children.

The thought of blood sucking vampire bats is enough to send us all running for cover after dark. They are out there and they are in need of a drink. They mostly search for sleeping animals which makes it easier for them to get blood from. An active animal will try to fight them off. The bats use three sensor organs in their faces to detect when they are close to a warm blooded animal. They also have neurons that can help them find sleeping animals to feed on.

Other than vampire bats, there are only three other vertebrates that can detect heat with sensors on their faces. They are all in the snake family. They are the pit vipers, boas and pythons. They all use the ability to sense infrared radiation to find food.

Vampire bats need only 2 tablespoons full of blood a night. That doesn’t sound like much, but without feeding on a warm blooded animal for 2 nights, the vampire bat would die.

This odd animal has been reportedly seen in Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky and now it has been captured and a video taken of it in Maryland. The Chupacabra is like a story book animal that has been made up in someones imagination. It is gray, has big ears, a long tail and four legs. Not a very attractive animal.

The animal was being seen by a group of people on a smoke break from a nearby hospital. While they were on break, many kept seeing this animal in the wooded area that they were to smoke in.

An X-ray tech caught the animal by placing some leftover food out for it. After taking videos of it, the animal was released. It looks a bit like a kangaroo to me. But has the facial expressions of a dog who has been caught doing something it’s not suppose to be doing. This is quite a mystery animal.

Maybe we should be more concerned with the growth of knowledge that some animals are showing, such as the African Crested Rat. How it can kill it’s predators with a poison when the rat has no internal poison of it’s own, became a research study.

It was found, that the rat has the know how to chew on bark from a Acokanthera tree and then spit it out all over it’s body. The tree is the same tree that people use to put a touch of poison on their arrow tips. This tree bark is very toxic.

This rat and the human race are the only ones that use outside poisons on others to defend themselves.

The leopard attack occurred in the Indian village of Prakash Nagar on July 19th, 2011. There were 11 villagers wounded in the attack.

A leopard had apparently wandered into the village area on Tuesday. A group of people frightened the leopard resulting in  it becoming aggressive. To get the leopard under control, the forest guards had to shoot it with a tranquilizer several times before it was sedated.

Later, it was reported that the leopard passed away at the veterinary hospital where it was taken.  It is said it died from the injuries it received during the attack. It’s not unusual to see leopards in the village. They do wander in from time to time.