Want to see something cute?
Our friends over at the L.A. Unleashed blog have the story about a pair of red panda cubs being raised by a dog after they were abandonded by their mother.
The cubs were born June 25 at the Taiyuan Zoo in northern China. They were immediately abandoned by their mother, leaving keepers looking for a surrogate. They found a willing foster mother: a white mixed-breed dog who had recently given birth to a litter of puppies.
Apparently mom is loving and attentive of both her pups and the cubs.
Photos are from the Associated Press.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Responsible snake ownership
An unfortunate story out of Florida last week brings up an issue I feel very strongly about — responsible snake ownership.
A 2 year old girl in Oxford, Fla. died when an 8 foot pet Burmese python owned by her mother’s boyfriend escaped from a terrarium and strangled the child to death.
My girlfriend, Sarah, has a pet store, and reptiles are one of her specialties. She’s always been a big fan of snakes and lizards, and I too am fascinated by them. Sarah doesn’t carry Burmese or reticulated pythons. Both species are common in the pet industry, and they grow to lengths of 15 feet or more.
What people don’t realize is that owning a snake that size isn’t much different from owning a leopard or grizzly bear. They are capable of hurting or killing a human and should be kept only by professionals or others who are very experienced.
If you are interested in keeping a snake as a pet, I would highly recommend sticking with something smaller. Corn snakes and king snakes grow to about five feet. If you want a python, try a ball python. They look similar to larger pythons but stay a manageable four feet. All of these snaked tend to have good temperaments and make good pets.
Because they stay a reasonable size, they also can be kept in a decent-sized aquarium. Larger snakes need huge enclosures that can be very expensive.
If you insist on owning a large snake, do your homework and know what you are getting into. And for goodness sake, keep the snake in a secure area where it absolutely can’t reach children.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Cougar vs. Chihuahuas
You wouldn’t expect Chihuahuas to come out on top in a confrontation with a full-grown mountain lion, even if they outnumbered the cat three to one.
But that’s exactly what happened in Riverside County, Calif., when Ana Lee Spray’s three pups cornered a cougar in the garage. Spray awoke to the barking of her three dogs, which each weigh about three pounds. When she looked out a window into the garage to see what the dogs were barking at, she saw the mountain lion, which was hissing at her. She called 911 and took some video of the cat.
The three dogs had the cat cornered and refused to back down, barking for 45 minutes until sheriff’s deputies arrived. Unfortunately, the mountain lion was euthanized after wildlife officials failed in their attempts to tranquilize it and return it to the wild.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Fox cub survives two weeks in trap
A three month old fox cub, being called Willy by the animal advocates who saved him, survived an estimated two weeks after being caught in a snare trap near a neighborhood in England.
Willy’s rescuers believe his mother brought food to him while he was stuck in the trap because he showed no signs of being starved when he was finally discovered. Neighbors called animal welfare after they heard the cub screaming in agony. The wire snare cut through his torso all the way to the bone. Experts believe he spent at least two weeks in the trap because his wounds had started to heal around the wire snare.
Farmers often use snare traps to catch predators like foxes that might kill chickens or other livestock. The practice is generally accepted if the animals are humanely destroyed, but authorities said they will investigate and seek animal cruelty prosecution if they discover who set the trap and left the cub there to suffer.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Willy the fox cub
Rare piglets born in England
Ten British Lop piglets born recently in England are giving both animal and bacon lovers hope that the breed will survive. 
The breed is Britan’s rarest, and is increasingly disappearing as other breeds which grow and sell faster take over the market.
The breed is said to have more succulent meat because of its laid back nature, although my only thought when I look at the pictures of these guys is just how cute they are. Those floppy ears are also a trademark of the breed.
Only about 2,000 of the breed are born each year, and numbers are dwindling. Pure bred Lops, like these, are even more rare. Only 54 bulls and 267 sows are registered with the British Lop Society.
Breeder Maggie Todd said at least a couple of the piglets will be kept for breeding or showing. The rest will end up as sweet, juicy bacon.
As much as I love bacon, I’d be in favor of keeping all of these guys alive. I just can’t get over how cute their ears are.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
One ticket to cute, please
A cute little English chimpanzee who was abandoned by his mom got his own seat and maybe the cutest passport ever for a flight to his new home.
Bili, the 3-month-old Bonobo chimp, had to be hand-reared after his mom abandoned him. He was taken recently by his new
keepers to the Frankfurt Zoo in Germany to live with a mother chimp who has been trained to foster abandoned babies.
Bonobo chimps are endangered. They are found only in the Congo, and less than 10,000 are believed to survive in the wild.
No report what other passengers thought of the chimp on the plane, but I’m guessing he was less annoying than your average screaming child. Not to mention cuter.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Give that lamb a sweater
A baby lamb abondoned by his mom is keeping warm by wearing a wool sweater. 
The lamb, affectionately known as Jack Frost was one of two born to its mother in England Jan. 1, which is out of season.
The farm’s manager isn’t sure whether Jack’s mom just couldn’t handle to babies in the off-season or if she didn’t have the proper maternal instinct. Whatever it was, it was left to farm workers to adopt the lamb and keep it warm in the sub-zero temperatures.
Some extra hay bales and a heat lamp helped, but one volunteer had the bright idea of buying a knitted wool sweater meant for a baby. It fits Jack perfectly.
The sweater has made Jack a favorite on the farm, and visitors have shown up looking for the little lamb wearing a wool sweater.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Drink beer, save a salamander
As if beer drinkers needed an excuse to drink beer, here’s a new one: it helps wildlife.
A Fort Worth brewing company has created a series of beers called Rare Species. Read the full story on our beer blog, The Thirsty Beagle!
By the way, The Thirsty Beagle himself gave the brewer a thumbs up. And if a dog says it’s good, you know it’s the truth.
Staff Writer Carrie Coppernoll
Orangutan on a jet ski
Sometimes there are only two reasons to post a blog… an orangutan on a jet ski and a woman in a bikini. This story satisfies both. 
Surya, a 4-year-old orangutan living at The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species in Miami, Fla., has learned to ride a child’s jet ski. He wears a child’s wet suit, riding around the pool and waving at onlookers. He also wears a life jacket because he doesn’t like getting his head wet.
Picutred below is Surya with one of the lovely trainers who taught him to jet ski.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
Cats saved by firefighters
It’s not the first time firefighters have saved family pets by using baby oxygen masks. It probably won’t be the last. But there is a picture.
Apparently six cats were found unconscious in a home during a house fire in England. Police used oxygen masks sized to fit babies to help revive the kitties. A seventh cat died in the fire.
When fire crews were told the cats were in the house, they fought their way in to the smoke-filled room to recover them.
- Staff Writer Bryan Dean
