We are all deeply saddened here at Animal Planet HQ over the devastation in the Oklahoma City area.  Our hearts go out to all the victims -- including family, friends and pets.

Watch this touching video where survivor Barbara Garcia is reunited with her dog. They took shelter together in the bathroom of her home when the monstrous twister hit.  Ms. Garcia never lost consciousness but she was separated from her precious companion in the aftermath and rubble.  Watch the reunion: 

Our friends at the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States have provided us with top pet preparation tips to ensure pet safety in disaster situations.  Get more tips on pet emergency preparedness from our Daily Treat blog >>

For more information on how you can help, visit:

Central Oklahoma City Humane Society - find our how to help displaced or injured pets.

Red Cross of Oklahoma City - You can donate online directly to help Oklahoma City. Or, find information on locating loved ones, finding hot meals, shelters and more.

The Salvation Army is providing food and emotional support to survivors. You can donate directly to their efforts here.

Just in time for Monster Week, a Florida man wrestled with and eventually killed the longest Burmese python ever captured in Florida, measuring in at a whopping almost-19 feet long.

According to an article on NBCNews.com, Burmese pythons are an invasive species in the area that tends to destroy the state's natural ecosystem.

Watch more of the story below:

Need more monster snakes? Tune in Wednesday, May 22 at 9PM E/P for our special Devoured: Man-Eating Super Snake! It's guaranteed live action.

Not convinced? Check out the gruesome clip below!

Check out all of our Monster week video now!

Jodi Westrick is a Digital Media Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @jodilyn and/or Instagram @jodilynw for photos of and posts about her ridiculously cute cats, Otis and Etta.

Credit: Ezra Wolfinger

We had a a chance to catch up with Ice Cold Gold's Eric Drummond. We asked him about his life in California, what it was really like in Greenland and more. Tune in for another episode of Ice Cold Gold Sunday, May 19, at 10PM E/P!

Animal Planet (AP): Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from and what's life like for you there?

Eric Drummond (ED): I'm a professional geologist and I live in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., part of North San Diego County. The area is sort of rural and I've been here since 1992. My day to day life is variable. I'm a consulting geologist, so my work schedule varies, but typically I'm up at 6, have coffee with my wife, read the newspaper, feed the cats, then plan my day out. Once I've got that figured out, I work out, then I'm off to work - either out in the field or with projects at home. It really depends on whatever the day may bring.

AP: You were brought on for your geology expertise. Can you explain what you do and why it was important in Greenland?

ED: I'm a licensed hydro-geologist and an engineering geologist. A lot of my work deals with clean-up of contaminated ground water and also looking at geological conditions - thinks like earthquakes and soil stability. I do some mining claim evaluation work as well. It's a little bit of everything, really. California is a good place to be a geologist because you've got things like earthquakes to deal with; mining, gold deposits and other conditions that provide work for geologists. I've always been interest in rocks - was always bringing them home as a kid. During my freshman year of high school, I had a great teacher who taught geology and it was there that I pretty much knew I wanted to be a geologist.

Geology is real important in Greenland. It was my role to put our guys in a spot to succeed. I needed to help us find deposits - gold, silver, gems, whatever they might be. It was a complex process - a lot of researching, sampling, mapping, analysis and a lot of interpretation. And it also requires a little bit of luck.

AP: How did you end up coming from the States to Greenland? Why did you choose to do it?

ED: When the Greenland opportunity came across my desk, I looked at it and just thought that it was like my entire life and career had been geared to it. It was just perfect. It was ideal to look at an area that hadn't been explored much at all. Plus it combined all the things I like to do - camping, fishing, climbing, hiking. Everything about it just seemed to be a perfect fit for me.

AP: What did you leave behind in coming to Greenland?

ED: I left behind my wife of 24 years, my two cats (Gem and Mineral), my work. I work as a consultant, so when a project comes along, whether it's two days or two months, I have to take it. I had to just let that go, basically completly. I'm also an avid runner - I run races regularly and train really hard daily, so I had to leave me running career behind for two months. Everything pretty much got put on hold in that time. It's a risk-reward type thing, and in this case, the rewards outweighed the risks.

AP: Before actually landing in Greenland, what were your expectations? What sort of goals did you have? Did either of those change once you actually landed there?

ED: I expected a rough country, some severe conditions. I thought it was going to be tough, and that the geology was going to be complex. I knew travel was going to be a challenge. My major goal was to make some significant type of discovery - whether it be gold, silver or gems. And as part of that, it wouldn't even have to be a major discovery. Even if it was a good indication of major deposit, that would have been good enough for me.

The actual conditions were often a little worse that I thought. The severity of the environment, the steepness of the terrain - all of those things seemed to be a little bit worse than what I had imagines. Our living conditions were worse - I thought they'd be a bit better. We brought tents and even though I'm used to camping out and living in extreme conditions, it was still rough. One time, one of our tents got picked up and blown right into the fjord.

AP: Was there anything you feared before going there? While there?

ED: There's a lot to fear in Greenland: the weather, the steepness of the terrain, icebergs, glaciers, rock falls, and then, personally, I wondered whether we could really even get to the places that I mapped. That was a big fear of mine. The travel - traveling in boats. If the boat goes down in a fjord, you've only got minutes to live. It became kind of a joke because they have life preservers on the boat, but you've only got about two minutes of survival time before you'd freeze in the water.

The fear was real, but you managed that fear. Again, it's a risk - you're taking risks.

AP: What challenges did Greenland present to you compared to other places you've worked?

ED: From a geologic standpoint, it was highly, highly complex. The geology there goes back 4 billion years. That's much older than what I work with in California. The rock there was highly metamorphosed and highly faulted. The character of the rock has been distorted by heat and pressure. Just trying to figure out the geology was a huge challenge for me. And with the remoteness, even if you do find a good deposit, how are you going to expose it? You can't use machinery because you had no idea how you could transport it to where you were going.

AP: What was the most frustrating part of the elements?

ED: The weather - you've always got to beware of the weather. Some of those storms came in very suddenly and they were intense. It could turn ugly at a moment's notice and it could be that way for days. We would have plans to travel by boat or helicopter, but once it turns ugly like that, you just have to wait it out. And if you're out in the field when that happens, you're just stuck. I think Greenland just being a huge island helps it create sort of its own weather patterns. Nobody knows what is was going to do. And there was one area we worked where the bugs were terrible - you couldn't breathe without sucking them in. It was terrible.

AP: And the most rewarding?

ED: Oh gosh, I guess during mid-summer the sun hardly ever goes down, so you'd get long, drawn-out sunsets. And the Northern Lights - you'd wake up in the middle of the night to this beautiful display. Unbelievable. The sheer beauty of the whole place - the mountains, the fjords, the icebergs - it's just amazing.

We can't help but "awww" after watching this clip of a police officer pursuing a traffic violater (who was going 52 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone). Why the "awww"? Because he stopped his pursuit after a Mama duck and her brood decided to cross the street. He even goes so far as to get out of his vehicle to ensure they cross the road safely.

Police officers: Protectors of justice with soft hearts like the rest of us.

To see more cute footage of ducks, check out the clip below:

A Pennsylvania bus driver got the surprise of his life after a deer crossed the street in front of him then crashed through the windshield - and lived.

The poor, stunned creature seemed to be OK as it jumped around looking for a way to get out while a lone passenger sat in the back. Eventually the deer was able to escape through the open front door, hopefully going on to live a long life - with a story to tell his friends.

See another deer who survived another perilous situation:

... BALLISTICALLY CUTE, that is!  LOOK at this wittle guy:

Visit the TOO CUTE show site for more CUTENESS >>

Betty Chu is a Digital Media Executive Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @beddychew or Facebook for the cutest animal posts EVER.

Tune in Sundays @ 9PM e/p for all-new episodes of RIVER MONSTERS.

In a journey that took him to the heart of a thundering waterfall in the Pacific Northwest, Jeremy Wade  embarked on a punishing mission to battle the most ancient river monster he’s ever encountered to reveal the true identity of the Vampires of the Deep.

How did he catch this monster? Watch the How to Catch a River Monster series and see for yourself: 

Lampreys are extremely fast, extremely aggressive ... and, out for blood. Watch as Jeremy tries to rip this bloodsucker off this neck! It's DISGUSTING.

Visit the RIVER MONSTERS site for more photos and videos >>

Betty Chu is a Digital Media Executive Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @beddychew or Facebook for the cutest animal posts EVER.

Credit: Ezra Wolfinger

We know - you're all ready to see some action on Ice Cold Gold. And we're hoping this Sunday's episode won't disappoint! Tune in at 10 PM E/P to see the latest with the group in Greenland.

Until then... Get to know another member of the crew, dredger Chad Watkins, who hails from Colorado.

Animal Planet (AP): Tell us about yourself and your life in Colorado.

Chad Watkins (CW): My life in Colorado is pretty good. I'm fourth generation native and there's not too many of us left. We're a rare breed any more. I more or less grew up about 10 miles from where I live now and have always lived in or around the mountains. I'm looking at them right now - we've got a nice view of Mt. Evans and another range out here. I crawled down my first mine shaft when I was about 10 years old and really didn't get into prospecting until about 24 years ago, so this will be my 24th season. I operate a small guide business in Colorado where I teach people how to pan, dredge and all that good stuff.

See what's in store this Sunday at 10PM E/P in the clip below!

AP: You were brought on for your dredging expertise - can you explain what that is and why it was important in Greenland?

CW: This trip was more about prospecting and I kind of knew that before going in. We weren't planning on taking in a lot of equipment because time and money were huge factors. Dredging is when you take a big sluice box that more or less floats on rivers and streams collecting things. Most people have seen guys do this on the Bering Sea stuff, but I mostly do it on rivers. The heavy metals - gold, silver, etc. - stay in the sluice box and we clean them up later. I've probably spent more time dredging at high altitudes than anyone else in the country - my highest is about 11,000 feet. It's hard because it's 35 degree water and we dig as deep as we can.

AP: How did you get into the business?

CW: I used to work for a big company - the kind where you work late, go out for a beer or two, then get home late at night. Apparently one of these late nights I ordered a gold-panning kit and 2-3 weeks later it arrived in the mail, so I decided to go up and try it. The lure of striking it rich is the same no matter what the price of gold is.

AP: How did you end up coming from the States to Greenland? Why did you choose to do it?

CW: Greenland is an untapped resource and that's really what pulled me in. The Colorado mining history has always been a big interest of mine. There and a lot of other places across the country you're working through a trail that someone has already looked through. In Greenland, it's untouched - you're working on virgin ground. We'll be the first ones to strike the land and 100 years from now someone else will be walking through our trails. It's the Wild West all over again.

AP: What did you leave behind in coming to Greenland?

CW: My wife and son. We've got lotsa chickens, dogs and cats. I had to close down my outfitting business for the summer and that wasn't an easy thing to do. Giving up income that I know is there and not working for a summer was hard. But it was the chance to work for something much bigger and it was absolutely worth it. It's what I do. People talk about gold fever - it's a real thing. But for me, digging up rivers and hunting for gold - it's a passion. It's a labor of love. You've go to like what you're doing, especially if you're going to make a living out of it. And if you're going to a place untapped like Greenland is - who wouldn't jump at that opportunity?

AP: Before actually landing in Greenland, what were your expectations? What sort of goals did you have?

CW: We did online research before heading out. And everything we were reading about Greenland indicated that it was big and very formidable. In a lot of places, it made Alaska look like a park. Once we got over there, the scale of everything was just so much bigger than you can imagine. And there's really no way to describe it unless you're standing there - you're just like "Oh my God." When you're prospecting, you want to go from one spot to another and it may look like an easy couple mile hike on the map. And then, six hours later, you're still not there and you realize it's going to take you another day to get there. It's a vast, wild place.

I didn't really have any expectations - I was more or less just focusing on the task in front of us. Working on setting up our base and getting out there and doing what we came to do. It was a really short period to get anything done. It was really hard to not just stand around and look in awe at the mountains, the animals, fjords - everything. So much space just untouched by humans.

And the people in Greenland are amazing. I've traveled a lot in my life - with the army and personally and professionally. I've been a lot of places and I have never been to a culture where I felt so out of place compared to when we were walking around Nuuk. It's very diverse and everyone is so friendly and warm, but walking around there as an American, you stand out more there than any other place in the world. We carry ourselves differently. We tend to be loud. You get noticed. But, by the end of our trip, we felt more comfortable there. People still looked at you, but it was less noticeable. It's a place that anyone who has the means to get there at least once in their life should go because it's so unspoiled by man. And there are not many places like that left.

AP: Was there anything you feared before going there? While there?

CW: What was always my biggest fear was no knowing what was going on back at home. You know - I was leaving my wife and my family - my wife is an extremely capable woman - but being out of contact for two months is extremely tough because you don't know what's going on day-to-day. The stuff I would typically take care of at home, you know, you weren't sure how it was going to be handled. But once I was able to talk with my wife, I realized everything was going smoothly. My wife has always supported me in anything I've ever wanted to do. If it hadn't been for her pushing, for her saying "yes, go after this dream," it probably wouldn't have happened for me.

AP: What challenges did Greenland present to you compared to other places you've mined?

CW: The biggest challenge was the supplies and the isolation. Our base camp was on an island where it was two hours by boat away from Nuuk, so making sure we had everything, even the little things, was important. You couldn't just jump in the car and run down to town to get what you need. You have to make sure you have everything you need before you go.

I'm also not a big seafood guy, so it took a little while to get used to the local foods because seafood is big there. The biggest challenge was making sure you could rely on yourself and the other seven guys you were with. If I got hurt, I had to trust that those guys were going to be able to me out. And the same for me for them. Everybody brought something to the table and we were fortunate because we made a good team.

The single personal challenge was that I'm not good at hiking. Walking for me is painful. I had to mentally prepare myself for the challenges of the landscape each day.

AP: What was the most frustrating parts of the elements? Rewarding?

CW: The bugs were terrible. Not everywhere, but in places. The most frustrating and difficult thing for me was the hiking. No roads. We'd pick up a trail where we could, but the majority of the time you were just walking across terrain. But then you'd get to the top and look around and you have just an incredible view. You found yourself constantly looking around. The first few weeks you were just in awe, realizing that places like this still exist in the world.

AP: Anything else you'd like to add?

CW: Our team really came together and found their own. When we got together, we didn't really know each other all that well. When we pulled us all together in the company, we didn't know how all the personalities were going to fit. Not all of us got to do what we really excel at, but we grew and expanded the way a company does. I talk to everybody on a weekly basis and make sure everyone is doing well. So we're still much closer than we were. Living with seven people in a small camp for two months, everyone kind of gets used to each other's quirks and gets past it. You're there to do a job. To find our fortune.

Jodi Westrick is a Digital Media Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @jodilyn and/or Instagram @jodilynw for photos of and posts about her ridiculously cute cats, Otis and Etta.

If you're local to Oakland, Calif., (and the Bay Area), grab your furry feline friend and head to the Bay Area's premiere of the Walker Art Center’s Internet Cat Video Festival benefiting the East Bay SPCA on Saturday, May 11 from 3-10 PM PT on West Grand between Telegraph and Broadway. Grab your ticketes here!

Cats and kittens will be on hand for adoption and visitors can learn about fostering felines as well. Additionally, festival-goers will be able to enjoy bands playing cat-themed music, visit pet product vendors, pick up some grub from local food trucks, enjoy the work of local artisans and much more. The night will conclude with a screening of what everyone on the Internet loves - super amazing cat videos - all projected on the Great Wall of Oakland!

Not local? Don't fret! You can still enjoy cats at their finest by watching a few of last year's favorites or by sitting through our adorable You've Got to be Kitten Me! playlist - which, not surprisingly, features kittens at their cutest.

Jodi Westrick is a Digital Media Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @jodilyn and/or Instagram @jodilynw for photos of and posts about her ridiculously cute cats, Otis and Etta.

Prepare yourselves. Get ready to see the most AMAZING cat-dog dance duo of your lives. Thank you, Fab.com for introducing us to this fabulous pair, Cleo the cat and Sandy the dog — these are the coolest speakers you will ever own!

Just plug your iDevice into one of these guys, play your favorite tune (or, the song playing in the video) and watch them get down. Their hips don't lie. Watch:

Betty Chu is a Digital Media Executive Producer for AnimalPlanet.com. Follow her on Twitter @beddychew or Facebook for the cutest animal posts EVER.