Bites @ Animal Planet

Falcon Devours Pigeon in Middle of the City

David Mizejewski — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 08:20:00 -0400

There's a beautiful hawk having brunch in front of the Columbia Heights Giant. @PoPville pic.twitter.com/n5jU2uCvv6
— Andrés Almeida (@andresdavid) March 12, 2016

Peregrine falcons are impressive animals. Not only have these birds of prey recovered from the brink of extinction--thanks to strong conservation efforts and protection under the Endangered Species Act--but they've also been able to do something that so many other wildlife species have not been able to: thrive in an urban landscape.

This video of a peregrine falcon dining on a pigeon in the heart of Washington DC's Columbia Heights neighborhood is an excellent example of this.

Photo by Andrés Almeida via Twitter.

Peregrines naturally nest of rocky cliffsides, and they've learned that city buildings make a perfect stand-in for their traditional nesting areas. They specialize in feeding on other birds, which they catch on the wing by diving at incredible speeds of up to 200 miles per hour (making them the fastest animal on the planet). The ubiquitous city pigeon makes a mighty fine meal for these raptors.

Be on the lookout for these fast-diving birds in your city.

H/t to Popville.

Adopt a Peregrine Falcon with the National Wildlife Federation.

First Ever Video of a Wild Baby Wolverine

David Mizejewski — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 19:38:45 -0500

WATCH THURSDAY AT 8 PM OR ONLINE: A wild baby wolverine. This is the first time this scene has EVER been caught on...
Posted by CBC Docs on Thursday, February 25, 2016

Wolverines are the North American equivalent of the infamous honey badger. They are both members of the Mustelidae, or weasel, family and both are known for their bold attitude and tenacity.

Wolverines normally feed on smaller animals such as rodents and rabbits, but will happily scavenge the carcasses of deer, elk and caribou killed by larger predators. They are reported to have driven wolves and even bears off of their kills, despite being a fraction of the larger carnivores' size. There's a reason the comic book X-Men character was named after them.

Photo by Barney Moss via Flickr Creative Commons.

This new video of a wolverine shows a side of this predator that has never before been captured on video: that of a doting parent. The video above is part of a new documentary on these fascinating animals. It's a great example of the fact that there's often more to wild animals than our stereotypes and our limited knowledge of them would otherwise indicate.

Despite their ferocity, wolverines are in trouble along the southern part of their range in lower 48 states. Wolverines need deep snow to birth and rear their young. As snowpack continues melting earlier each year due to climate change, wolverine populations are under increasing pressure. Within 30 years about 30 percent of wolverine habitat in the lower-48 states will likely be gone, and within about 70 years, an estimated 60 percent of their habitat will be lost. With snowpack melting earlier, scientists project wolverine habitat will shrink significantly by the end of the century.

Protect Wildlife with the National Wildlife Federation.

Shivering Puppy Wears a Sock Because He’s Too Small For a Coat

The Dodo — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 10:00:00 -0500

(Guest post by Christian Cotroneo from thedodo.com)

The world can seem like a cruel, cold place for an 8-week-old Chihuahua.

Especially one who was dumped outside a shelter in the middle of winter.

When staff at the RSPCA's Millbrook rescue centre found Arthur, he was suffering from severe hypothermia.

"He had sores all over his body, weighed just 17 ounces, and was freezing cold," the shelter's deputy manager Liz Wood tells The Express. "His body temperature was four degrees lower than it should've been."

But how to do you warm up a dog of such diminutive dimensions? After all, Chihuahuas are naturally small. Arthur was unnaturally smaller. Even the tiniest dog coat would slip from his quivering body.

As it turned out, Arthur had a promising future in children's socks. Literally.

Wood began creating coats for him from socks made for kids.

A little "Despicable Me" here, a little "Tweetie Bird" there … and in no time, the Chinese-crested Chihuahua had a complete wardrobe.

Then Arthur took his turn warming hearts. While he's still recovering from his ordeal, Wood says this "little trooper" already has a foster home lined up.

"He is such a sweet little pup," Wood tells The Express. "He steals the hearts of everyone he meets."

And, perhaps a sock or two.

Tia Torres rescued a poor, hairless pup covered in blisters.Watch their story here:

Behind the Scenes: Skihouse Treehouse

Nesa Nourmohammadi — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 23:13:12 -0500

Photo Courtesy of Tory Jones

Contributed by Tory Jones

Get an in-depth look at how the beautiful designs inside these treehouse masterpieces come together with Treehouse Masters' own Tory Jones. Find out more about the Skihouse Treehouse inside this blog post!

Very, very near to Treehouse Point in Fall City, WA live James and Wendy Walter along with son Jamie and daughter Julia. They are an incredibly active family with Julia horseback riding and Jamie loving soccer and all sports. But the one activity that they all enjoy together is skiing.

Their vision of the treehouse was a on high slope on their property where they could kick back in true apes ski fashion. And Pete delivered a bent timber frame house in true alpine style. Originally they had wanted a true working ski lift to reach their summit, but in lieu of that I called a local mountain and was able to purchase a retired ski lift chair from Crystal Mountain next to Mount Rainier, this chair used to ferry passengers to the Campbell run and the boys hung it for me underneath the treehouse as a swing that only seems as if the lift ends at the lodge.

Photo Courtesy of Tory Jones

Many stairs are climbed to reach this beauty that sits high up in the Douglas Firs and has sweeping views though out including a indoor outdoor fireplace that acts as another window through the warm fire. Outdoors was outfitted by custom made ski lounge chairs that I found in a very cute shop in Sumner where owner Mandy and her mother hooked me up with the designer Bruce Purves whom also made a great coat rack as well. Above the great outdoor fireplace hung the Tolerand lamp. Kichler supplied all of the exterior lighting and most of the interior lighting as well.

Cozy, warm comfort was what was asked for and right away I called my friend Mitch Setlow and Cynthia at Leathers Gallery in nearby Issaquah whom just happened to have a pair of Bernhardt Dekker chairs which would be fab in front of the fireplace and on top of a luxurious sheepskin rug from Auskin, and of course, pillows as well.

The Walters did want all the mod cons, so a LED television from Haier was installed on an articulating arm so it could be watched from every corner. When at the Crystal Mountain ski resort I scored a digital format of the ski runs, which I had printed and then decoupaged onto a café table which was near the kitchenette area complete with fridge, microwave, bar ware and of course a smore station.

Photo Courtesy of Tory Jones

The master bedroom seems lifted off the slopes, the headboard was crafted from skis I collected from the local Goodwill but the eco-luxury mattress from Amerisleep was covered in many textures but topped with a uber fluffy Tibetan sheepskin throw by Auskin in Ivory that made the bed seemingly covered in snow.

The upstairs loft was by mandate the kids area and Pete and the boys installed bunks to which I installed a tower fort stairs (with storage) and privacy curtains. Bedside reading was made possible by crossed ski sconces from VintageWinter along with coat rack and vintage ski shoes for décor.

Enormous comfortable leather chairs from Omnia added by a massive sheepskin bean bag from Auskin joined a game table for fun and views for the top of the loft, a space the kids could call their own.

This intrepid family now has a reason to rush home from the slopes.

That's the Spirit: Ice Worms

Mary Beth McAndrews — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 12:39:07 -0500

Why/How we picked this: We are always trying to come up with new ideas to promote Alaska and our line of Alaskan Spirits. We came up with the idea of putting an ice worm in each bottle of vodka during a brainstorming session in which we were all throwing out ideas. I don't remember how we went down the path of putting an ice worm in a bottle of vodka, but it sounded pretty good at the time. Some of these things really take a life of their own and we run with it regardless of the practicality or cost (unfortunately).

What we expected: We thought that an ice worm in vodka would be super cool and look similar to the worm in a bottle of tequila. An Alaska take on a south of the border classic. I envisioned needing a dog sled team to take all my money to the bank!

What Actually Happened: We actually did find those darn ice worms which is harder than a person might think. However, once we put the little critters in vodka, they disintegrated and looked like a glob of moose snot at the bottom of the bottle.

Results: Some ideas work and some are better left unspoken, but we really had a great time finding them and we learned a lot about these little guys in the process (things like don't put ice worms in vodka because they turn to moose snot).

Ice worm vodka is still a better idea than cucumber vodka.

Inside Scoop: Contrary to popular belief, ice worms are actually real. They were discovered in 1887 and only inhabit a few glaciers in Alaska and the Pacific North West. Ice worms are nocturnal and rise to the surface from their glacier burrows at night to feed on snow algae (maybe we can make a vodka from snow algae?)

There is a lot we don't know about these fascinating critters, but a few scientists are studying their amazing life cycles to probe what secrets they may hold for the benefit of mankind. Things like cold weather survival and interstellar hibernation, so we may someday transit the vast gulf between the stars in our search for ice worms that don't disintegrate when you put them in vodka.

Drink Idea: Unless the thought of moose snot is appealing to you, I would suggest a shot of our Permafrost Vodka over the rocks (just check for ice worms first!).

After six hours, Shane finally found some ice worms! Watch the discovery here:

That's the Spirit: Alaskan Fireweed

Mary Beth McAndrews — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 20:20:40 -0500

No Alaskan table is complete without a fireweed centerpiece.#AlaskaProof pic.twitter.com/mgp9UpaOBa
— Alaska Distillery (@AKDistillery) February 18, 2016

How/Why we picked this: Fireweed and Alaska are synonymous and I can't imagine an Alaska without fields of fireweed. The beautiful and delicate Fireweed blossoms are a contrast to the ruggedness of The Last Frontier as they gently kiss the mountainsides and meadows throughout Alaska in late summer and early fall. The flowers have a sweet taste that is similar to the Honeysuckle of more southern climes and are gathered by Alaskans to make award winning Fireweed jellies.

Like a lot of our flavors that we have turned into vodka here at the distillery, Fireweed Vodka was inspired by my grandmother's pantry and her never ending assortment of homemade jams and jellies. Fireweed jelly was one of my favorites and I wanted to turn that taste of Alaska into a vodka.

What we expected: I knew that if we could take that subtle sweetness of the fireweed blossom and infuse it into a vodka, that we would have a hit spirit. I actually used my grandmother's fireweed jelly recipe as a guide in making our fireweed vodka and since it came from my grandmother, it had to be good.

What Actually Happened: Most of our products take a lot of trial and error as no one has tried to make a spirit out of the Alaska ingredients that we use, and it all takes considerable time to perfect. Fireweed Vodka was the exception to that rule. Using my grandmother's fireweed jelly recipe, I created a great fireweed vodka on the first try. This absolutely never happens and probably will never happen again. (Maybe Nana should have gone into the booze making business with me....well, maybe in a way, she did)

Results: The finished product was more than I could have hoped for. The vodka complemented the sweetness of the Fireweed blossom and we were left with a spirit that had a beautiful and subtle pinkish hue that carried that taste of Fireweed that I was hoping to capture.

Inside Scoop: Chamerion angustifolium or fireweed has been used by Alaska natives for thousands of years as a food source that is high in vitamin C and as a medicinal plant. Fireweed gets it's name from being one of the first plants to reclaim a forest after a wildfire.

Drink Idea:

Alaska Flower Power

-2 oz. of Fireweed Vodka

-6 oz. of Lemonade

Pour ingredients over ice into a mason jar. Stir and garnish with a stalk of fireweed.

You know what's scary when hunting for Alaskan fireweed? Bears.

Crab With Knife Bravely Fends Off Idiot With Camera

The Dodo — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 15:00:00 -0500

(Guest post by Hudson Hongo from thedodo.com)

Most wild animals presumably don't like being pestered for human amusement, but (for obvious reasons) this can be tough for them to put into words.

Recently, however, one crabby crustacean broke through this barrier by speaking to his harasser in the universal language of knife.

"Back up, man."

"Seriously, I said BACK. UP."

"OK, now just be cool and everything's gonna be fiiine."

Unfortunately, it's unclear where the crab got his shank or if he managed to permanently repel his harasser, but something tells us that the cameraman will think twice the next time he wants bother a (not-so-helpless) animal.

Watch the complete shellfish standoff below:

Wayde and Brett are looking back at some of the most interesting creatures they've put in their fish tanks. These Chesapeake Bay crabs are no exception!

Kind Officer Proves Even The Tiniest Animal is Worth Saving

The Dodo — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 14:00:00 -0500

(Guest post by Hudson Hongo from thedodo.com)

They're charged with protecting the world's largest tropical rainforest, but for the Amazon's eco-cops, no case is too small.

On Friday, an officer with Brazil's Environmental Police Battalion rescued a tiny endangered monkey barely the size of his hand. The agency says the wounded baby pied tamarin was found earlier that day by a resident near the city of Manaus.

"The tamarin had injuries that may have been caused by dog bites or by falling to the ground," wrote the military police unit on Facebook. "For that reason, it was referred to a wildlife refuge to receive appropriate veterinary treatment."

The pied tamarin is unique to area and has long served as a symbol of Manaus, but the rare monkey species is now endangered due to habitat loss and may disappear completely within a few decades, Brazilian news organization Globo reports.

"The pied tamarin has one of the smallest ranges of any primate and is now thought to be one of the most endangered monkeys in the forests of the Amazon," writes the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. "Some tamarins are now isolated in tiny fragments within the city, with no hope of survival if nothing is done."

Thanks to the actions of a caring officer, however, at least one special little monkey is now getting the help he needs.

To learn more about the threats facing the pied tamarin and the other animals of the Amazon, visit the World Wildlife Fund's website here.

U.S. airmen stationed in Iraq respond when a family's camel falls to the bottom of a well. It's a risky mission to pull the young camel out.

Cat Goes Skiing and LOVES Every Minute

The Dodo — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 13:00:00 -0500

(Guest post by Caitlin Jill Anders from thedodo.com)

Jesper isn't a typical cat. He enjoys going on outdoor adventures, he doesn't mind getting a little wet ... and he skis.

As unbelievable as it might seem, it's true. Jesper frequently accompanies his human on skiing trips in their home in Norway, and has no trouble keeping up ...

... though sometimes, he just doesn't feel like it. Being a ski champion is exhausting, after all.

Jesper's antics have earned him quite the audience — he currently has over 12,000 followers on his Facebook page.

The quirky cat seems to enjoy trotting alongside his owner while she skis ...

... though he's not too proud to hitch a ride every once in a while, either.

Jesper might just be the only skiing cat in the entire world, and he owns this very important role quite well.

Jesper the cat
Cat/DogJesper the cat has become a celeb-purr-tee in Hedmark, Norway. He has his own blog in a local newspaper and more than 8,000 followers on Facebook. The cat behaves almost like a dog, and loves hiking and skiing, his owner says.
Posted by RTÉ News on Monday, February 15, 2016

Was Francesco able to take control of the house and win over his feisty feline Pootie?

Cow is Pretty Sure He Fits Perfectly on This Dog Bed

The Dodo — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 11:00:00 -0500

(Guest post by Sarah V Schweig from thedodo.com)

A cow named Radar knows he deserves to be comfortable — and he's pretty sure the dog bed is actually his.

The video showing the dog-like qualities of cows caught the attention of the animal-loving internet recently — and was shared thousands of times.

"That's not your bed! You're too big for the bed!" the woman narrating the video says.

As the hefty cow settles down on the inflatable bed — and the air can be heard whistling out of it — the woman breaks out laughing.

"Whose cow does that? You're not a cow are ya? Good boy."

And perhaps it's not so surprising that this cow is such a "good boy." Cows have been shown to be very smart and sensitive beings who can form friendships and remember the past.

In 2012, a group of neuroscientists even issued a declaration saying that many animals, cows included, have the brain mechanisms associated with conscious awareness and emotions.

But, of course, anyone who has a cat, dog, or a dog-like cow, knows that.

"All cows should have beds like that shouldn't they?" the woman shooting the video observed.

We couldn't agree more.

Cows can be fiercely loyal, like Milkshake! Learn more about this cow's antics below: