The Nature Animals

Love Valley – Seeing is Believing

2012-05-15T09:10:00.001+02:00

Love Valley in Cappadocia, Turkey certainly has a claim to fame – a very large one. Rather euphemistically named, the valley is home to rock structures that bear a passing resemblance to… well - make your own mind up. Seeing, as they say, is believing.

Image Credit Flickr User Cachalan

Cappadocia (Kapadokya in Turkish) is a region of exceptional natural wonders, none more so than the giant monuments left by Mother Nature in Love Valley. Situated in the very heart of modern day Turkey this natural wonder sits on a high plateau over a thousand meters in altitude. Rainfall is sparse in this area and the place has hot dry summers and bitterly cold snowy winters. There is little rainfall and so the region is generally arid. In this environment these huge phallic natural structures seems like some sort of ancient homage to male fertility. However, they are far from man-made despite the possible resemblance to manhood.

Image Credit Flickr User Astique

The closest human habitation is the small town of Göreme. Although you might expect hordes of tourists visiting such a place this is not the case. The Turkish are gregarious but modest people – you do not get group outings to Love Valley to see the ‘willy shaped’ rocks as you might had they occurred in any number of other countries. As such the town is small and friendly with little commercialization as such. What you will find there, however, is a very genuine and relaxed atmosphere and a warm welcome. Although it is unlikely that you will get lost it is considered the right thing to hire a local guide when you head out to see the local geological features.

Image Credit Flickr User TesKing

Image Credit Flickr User Dachalan

If you want to see a unique geological site, then this is certainly it – no run of the mill vague shapes here. These structures mean business. And they weren’t made by Mother Nature having a funny five minutes – these strange pinnacles are in fact eroded volcanic ash. You need to be pretty healthy to take all of this is as generally people will go for hikes around the valley rather than driving. If you are really not inclined to healthy walking then you are able – at some expense – to hire a hot air balloon and see the whole site from the skies.

Image Credit Flickr User Queen Esoterica

Image Credit Flickr User Ze Pinho

Image Credit Flickr User Dachalan

The local people grow apricots and squash for a living and a little from tourism. This is something more than subsistence although the area is still relatively poor in occidental terms. The whole region is rich, however, in thousands of years of continuous human history. It is also the most visually stimulating region of Turkey where the erosion has formed not only these sensuous shapes in the volcanic rock but caves and clefts where people have carved out homes from which they conduct their lives and business. As you can see the structures are not restricted to the ‘Valley of Love’ itself – the town itself boast more than a few.

Image Credit Flickr User Charles Fred

The landscape seems foreign – alien almost. You could almost expect Captain James T round a corner followed by a reptilian adversary. One can only imagine Kirk’s knowing reaction to the shapes of these rock formations. Although the landscape looks inhospitable in the extreme the soil is mineral rich. This makes it an ideal place for growing fruit and vegetables which means the whole area of Kapadokya meets a lot of Turkey’s agricultural needs. Turkish wine is on the rise in terms of reputation and Kapadokya has many vineyards and wineries – quite a surprise in a Muslim nation.

Image Credit Flickr User Chars Fred

Image Credit Flickr User Alaskan Dude

When you tire – as well you might – at looking at fifty meter high phallic geology then there are other things to do around the small town of Göreme.

Image Credit Flickr User Rafa

There is an open air museum which can be visited by walking about a mile outside of the town at the edge of Love Valley. There you are in for something of a surprise – seven hundred year old Christian cave paintings. They were produced by monks inside the cave churches that they excavated from solid rock. Altogether it could be said to be one of the world’s more unusual museums. It is a little expensive but worth every Turkish lira.

Image Credit Flickr User Darcy McCarty

Image Credit Flickr User Alaskan Dude

However, it is the strange rock formations outside of the town’s perimeter in Love Valley that people find the most memorable. Kapadokya means the ‘land of the beautiful horses’ in Turkish (and it is advisable to learn a few words and phrases – the locals will appreciate it greatly). Of course, no one comes here to see or trade horses but they come to be inspired by the landscape around them – quite like nothing on earth.

Image Credit Flickr User Ryanxchow

Image Credit Flickr User virtualwayfarer

Most tourists come in the summer, so to see these formations in the snow is quite unusual.

Image Credit Flickr User Dachalan

Image Credit Flickr User Rick Lem

The rock formations are a result of volcanic eruptions in ancient times. Then, millennia of erosion did its work on the igneous rock. Igneous rock is formed when magma (the molten stuff!) cools down and becomes solid. It can – as in the case of Kapadokya – be weathered away and create some rather peculiar – or in this case phallic – geological leftovers.

Image Credit Flickr User CharlesFred

It could be suggested that the Cappadocians could have been more forthright in the naming of the valley, but their natural modesty probably forbad it. Love is a universal word, after all, and there is nothing that could be considered remarkable in its resemblance to the female equivalent of these enormous formations in the area. Perhaps ‘Willy Valley’ would just have sounded a little bit silly anyway. After all, hand in hand with Lake Titicaca the world might very well go to hell in an innuendo ridden handbasket.

Image Credit Flickr User vin60

Image Credit Flickr User Jungle Boy

Altogether this area of Turkey offers the visitor a variety of different holiday experiences that are – to say the least – that little bit different. From hiking, biking, to hot air ballooning, Kapadokya offers unusual ways to see the site – and what sights they are.

Image Credit Flickr User Queen Esoterica

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10 Amazing Shark Attack Stories

2012-05-11T21:02:00.001+02:00

Every year, there are about sixty shark attacks reported world wide. These are ten of the scariest and most amazing stories of shark attacks ever recorded!

1. His Wet Suit Held His Skin Together

In 1963, freestyle diver, Rodney Fox, was taking part in a spear-fishing competition off the South Australian coast. While diving without oxygen, Fox was grabbed around the middle by a great white shark. Fox fought the shark hard, getting free at one point and having the shark return to bite him again. Fox then wrapped his arms around the beast and was taken for a terrifying ride under the sea as the shark tried to shake him off. The shark had Fox's arm in his mouth, and when he pulled the arm out, his skin was shredded from the bone. Finally, after very nearly drowning, Fox got free and was pulled into a boat. His bones were visible on his right hand and arm, and his rib cage, lungs, and upper stomach were all completely exposed. His rescuers kept his wetsuit on, which kept his internal organs from spilling out, ultimately saving his life. Fox underwent four hours of surgery and received 462 stitches to put his skin back together, but he is still alive today to tell his tale of surviving an attack from one of the world's greatest predators. (Link | Photo)

2. Bethany Hamilton Was Back On Her Board A Month After Losing Her Arm

In 2003, Bethany Hamilton was age 13. She was Hawaii's top female surfer in her age group and one of the best in the United States before being attacked on the morning of Halloween by a 14-foot tiger shark. Bethany was lying on her surfboard with her left arm dangling in the water when the shark came up from below and bit off her arm at the shoulder. Her friends were able to apply a tourniquet and get help, but she lost over 60 percent of her blood and endured many surgeries in order to recover.
Remarkably, losing her arm did not dissuade Hamilton from surfing, and within a month of her attack she was back on her surfboard. In 2005, Hamilton won her first national title at the National Scholastic Surfing Association National Championships. Her story later became the basis for a big budget Hollywood movie called "Soul Surfer." (Photo)

3. Man K*lled In Front of New Bride While On Honeymoon

Just ten days after getting married, British honeymooners Ian and Gemma Redmond were enjoying a tropical beach vacation in Seychelles, when tragedy struck. Thirty-year-old Ian Redmond was snorkeling just twenty yards off shore while his new wife sunbathed on the beach. Redmond was attacked by a shark, which bit off one arm and destroyed one of his legs. It is thought that Redmond died instantly, though he was quickly pulled from the water into a boat, and a doctor on the beach applied first aid until emergency medical crews arrived. Redmond's hysterical new wife was restrained by the crowds of people on the beach while workers attempted to save her husband. (Link | Photo)

4. Man Punches Shark In Face To Escape

Twenty-eight year old Hawaiian resident Joshua Holley was surfing at his favorite spot off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii's North Shore, when a 10-foot tiger shark bit his left foot. Instinctively realizing what he needed to do, Holley hauled off and punched the shark twice in the face, and the shark swam away. Holley suffered some severed tendons in his foot which required 42 stitches to repair, but the shark did not bite any major arteries. In spite of his attack, Holley says he will return to the water and feels no animosity towards the shark, saying, "You have to remember when you're in the ocean you have to respect the ocean, that's where they eat, live, breed; we're just visitors in their home." (Link | Via | Photo)

5. Diver Survives Attack By Fending Off Shark With Camera

Conservationist and professional underwater photographer and diver, Russell Easton, was photographing a 12-ft tiger shark in the Bahamas when suddenly his camera's viewfinder showed a huge mouthful of sharp teeth! The shark bit into Easton's camera, so the diver shoved the camera further into his mouth and was able to swim away to safety.
Despite the terrifying incident, the diver says he doesn't think the shark was trying to hurt him; rather, the shark was just trying to figure out what he was by using his mouth like we would use our hand. (Link | Photo)

6. Dolphins Save Swimmers From Shark

While on a training swim about 100 metres off Ocean Beach near Whangarei on the North Island of New Zealand, lifeguard Rob Howes said he and three female lifeguards were surrounded by a pod of dolphins who were acting very strangely. The dolphins circled around the swimmers and began beating the water with their fins, causing the water to be a churning mass of dolphins and bobbing human heads. Howes managed to get outside the circle of dolphins, and that's when he spotted a huge great white shark a short distance away. As the shark moved closer to the women in the water, the dolphins became even more agitated and "went into hyperdrive." The shark finally swam away when a rescue boat approached, but the dolphins did not leave the scene until all of the swimmers were safely back on dry land. (Link | Photo)

7. Man Captures Attack On Film

In 1964, Henri Bource and two other divers were swimming with seals in the ocean off Lady Julia Percy Island in Australia, when a great white shark suddenly appeared and bit off his leg at the knee. His diving partners got Bource onto the boat, and incredibly, the rescue was videotaped.

Warning: this video is not for the squeamish!

Bource was an amateur underwater photographer and filmmaker, and he eventually took the film footage from the attack and reconstructed the other parts for a documentary called "Savage Shadows."
(Link | Photo)

8. Man Loses Leg and Becomes Shark Preservation Advocate

On Aug. 4, 2001, while vacationing with his wife on Grand Bahama Island, Wall Street banker Krishna Thompson was attacked by a shark and dragged out to sea. When the shark pulled him under the water, Thompson knew he had to take action to save his own life, so he pried the shark's mouth open and punched it twice in the nose. The shark released him and he was able to get himself to shore, but sadly his leg was so damaged it had to be amputated.

Now, nearly ten years after his attack, Thompson has become an advocate for the preservation of the species, saying that "Sharks set the balance for the whole ocean." (Link 1 | Link 2 | Photo)

9. Shark Attack De*th Blamed On Reality TV Show

In April 2012, a production crew for the National Geographic channel was filming the television reality show "Shark Men" off the coast of South Africa. Reportedly, they were attracting sharks to the area by dumping gallons of fish parts ("chum") into the water. The production company had permits for chumming and filming, however, just a few days after chumming the waters, a local 20-year-old champion body boarder named David Lilienfeld was killed by a 13-to-16-foot shark in waters that had not previously seen shark activity since 1999.

Local residents were outraged, and the show's research permit was immediately revoked. The show "Shark Men" continues to receive criticism and has been cancelled. (Link | Photo)

10. Brave Mother Pulls Daughter From Jaws of Shark

In March of 2012, a mother and her 15-year-old daughter were sitting on their surfboards off the coast of New Smyrna Beach in Florida when a shark suddenly pulled the teen underwater. Acting quickly, Valeh Levy grabbed her daughter Sydney by the shoulders and pulled her up onto her own surfboard. The shark continued to circle until rescuers heard the mother's screams for help and chased it away. The teenager required surgery on her foot, but is expected to make a full recovery. (Link | Photo)

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Incredible Pictures Show the Moment Unwary Seagull was Eaten by an OCTOPUS After Bird Settled on the Sea

2012-05-04T12:39:00.001+02:00

An unusual life and de*th duel between a giant Pacific octopus and a tragic seagull which finished with an unlikely victory for the eight-armed mollusc has been captured on camera.

Doing battle off the Pacific coast of Canada at Victoria's Ogden Point breakwater, the octopus was seen to violently envelop the bird with its tentacles, drown it and then pull it to its watery grave.

Standing 10ft away was amateur photographer Ginger Morneau, who managed to capture the entire brutal display from mother nature and post it online, creating a viral storm.

The seagull is fighting for survival after its head was grabbed by the Pacific octopus off the coast of Victoria, Canada

Standing around ten feet away from the duel, photographer Ginger Morneau captured the seagulls futile struggle to survive as the octopus grabbed onto its prey

Compelled by the tussle, which last just under one minute, Morneau had to fight off the urge to intervene and free the bird and watched helplessly as the fight ended in cruel defeat for the seagull.

'It was a stunning moment, to be sure,' said Morneau in The Vancouver Sun.

Also witness to the gruesome de*th were Morneau's husband Ken and her brother Lou Barker.

'We were strolling along and talking,' continued Morneau.

'I saw the bird in the water and it looked like he was pecking at something underwater.'

Having not surfaced for air since the octopus grabbed its head, the seagull was facing a losing battle to survive

Photographer Ginger Morneau thought about intervening in the battle between the pair but realised she couldn't get to the shore quickly enough

Quickly realising that the bird had not come up for air, the group looked closer.

'That was the odd part. That's what made us step forward and we realised there was an octopus,' said Morneau.

Grabbing her camera, Morneau started taking pictures as the seagull's head was engulfed in the octopus' arms.

'It was apparent that it was going to lose,' explained Morneau.

Thinking about intervening, Morneau could not get down to the rocks quickly enough to try.

'It's that horrible situation to watch, like a car wreck, it was so primal and gut wrenching,' said Morneau.

'The hair was standing up on the back of my neck.'

The seagull has been drowned by the octopus and the water lies still around the dead bird

The octopus pulls his prey under the water after winning its unlikely struggle against the seagull

Initially fighting with all its might to free itself, the seagull gave once last jerk before it died and was pulled under the water by the octopus.

'It dropped like a stone,' said Morneau.

'And then it was just gone, were shocked and awestruck, we couldn't believe what we had just seen.

'At one stage, a flock of seagulls flew overhead as their friend was dying. They were waiting, I guess, for scraps.'

Leaving the deathly quiet scene, Morneau, her husband and brother enjoyed a lunch of calamari to toast the success of the octopus.

'Then, when we came home at the end of the day, I wondered what kind of similar pictures could be out there (on the Internet) and I couldn't find a single image of an event like this,' said Morneau.

Photographer Ginger Morneau caught the chance encounter on camera and posted it to 'Bird Fellow Journal' who put the encounter on their twitter feed

Reflecting on the fight, Morneau was philosophical: 'It is the unknown. It is the murky depth. It comes up from down below,' said Morneau to Global News.

'It broke barriers. It broke the element of sea and air. It broke the rules.'

The Giant Pacific octopus is the largest octopus species and adults can weigh up to 15 kilograms and have an arm span of up to four metres.

Their usual prey is shrimp, crabs, scallops and fish.

'It was really sad at that final moment,' said Morneau to The Canadian Press.

'For as wonderful nature is, nature can be deadly.'

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The 5 Most Badass Man vs. Nature Showdowns Ever Photographed

2012-04-26T12:55:00.001+02:00

It's easy to forget how ludicrously terrifying the natural world can be, and how very small we are in the face of it. When confronted with the grand, humbling, massive and occasionally deadly power of our planet, what can one measly little human being do? Run? Cry? Not these people. These people saw all the might and majesty of Mother Nature laid out before them and said: "Eh. Pretty sure I can take the bitch."

5. The Eternal Lightning Fields

Greek Sky

In Venezuela, just above the mouth of the Catatumbo River, a lightning storm has been raging for at least two centuries. I know that sounds like science fiction, or some hackneyed fantasy villain's lair -- but it's real. For 160 nights out of the year, the Catatumbo lightning strikes for 10 straight hours, at a rate of nearly 300 strikes per hour. Short of trees growing in the shape of a human skull or a good ol' screaming bog, that is the single best way Nature knows to tell you a place is cursed.

And it's fucking populated!

Thousands and thousands of people swung by the Earth's only eternal storm, plunked down their packs and said, "Welp: Looks like as good a place as any to settle down and raise some kids." But simply living beneath an electric sky wasn't nearly hardcore enough for the owner of this shack:

Thechemicalengineer

He didn't just buy property in the Lightning District; he moved out into the water, constructed a tiny hovel in the middle of that giant bathtub with God's old toaster perched permanently above it and then built himself a metal roof.

George Kourounis, Stormchaser

I don't know who the owner of the world's least insurable home is, but I know where you can find him: standing on his front porch with thimbles on both of his middle fingers, drunkenly flipping off the gods.

4. The Storm of the Century

BBC

It seems like we, as a global culture, only recently came to understand just how terrifying and destructive the ocean could be. Sure, we were aware of how serious ocean-based disasters were objectively -- but subjectively, a lot of us didn't really take it to heart. We failed to grasp that the ocean is like the Earth's Wite-Out: a tide that occasionally, almost casually, washes whole countries away. I think that's because we didn't have the right visuals, but that all changed with the recent tsunamis and their extensive video coverage. Now we finally understand the ocean, and the horrible destruction of which it is capable.

Well, some of us do, anyway. Others see the unleashed potential of countless billions of tons of surging water and think, "Man, wouldn't it be funny if I rode that?"

BBC

In late 2004, Cornwall, England, suffered through several record-breaking storms: 70 mile an hour winds, flooding, waves so large they crashed over the promenade -- but the vast and bottomless rage of Nature is nothing when compared with human boredom. So here's some dudes surfing it:

Daily Mail

Look at the size of that breaking wave in relation to the surfers. They're so insignificant that the ocean didn't even mean to kill them; that's just how Poseidon steps on ants. To think you could possibly survive (much less ride) something like that takes not only a complete misunderstanding of physics, but a total failure to grasp the basic concept of scale itself. That's the biggest storm the world could throw at you, and you tragically mistook it for a vehicle. But holy shit, you're doing it! You're reall-

Daily Mail

Oh. Yeah, I guess that's about how you'd expect things to turn o-

Daily Mail

Jesus, dude. That looks like a frog getting hit by a truck. It looks like it actually went worse than I initially thought, and I initially thought you'd wipe out so hard that you'd literally cease to exist in the annals of human history.

I never imagined your leg would bend like that, though; that's messed up.

3. The Nyiragongo Volcano

PhotoVolcanica

Volcanoes are pop culture shorthand for evil. Need to signify somebody's an evil badass? Volcano lair. Need to smelt up some corrupting rings? Volcano forge. Got too many virgins lying around and Waste Management Services refuses to do curbside pickup? Volcano sacrifice. It's perhaps the single most terrifying landmark on the planet. Here's a guy casually strolling across one.

National Geographic

"H-hello? I'm trying to get to the Jamba Juice on Hawthorne, is this ...? Shit. I am literally as lost as anybody could ever be."

That's an expedition member walking on freshly cooled lava in the Nyiragongo volcano. But don't worry, the ground isn't actually glowing like hellfire itself -- that's just an optical illusion. The ambient red light is merely the reflection of the giant lake of still-molten lava just out of frame. The photographer described being inside the volcano as "a constant, low frequency rumble -- like being inside a giant subwoofer."

I assume he then added, "... made out of liquid fire."

I assume he then added a little bit of pee.

2. Truck-Hurling Tornado

I sincerely hope "Don't fuck with tornadoes" is not new and helpful information to any of you readers. We've all seen Twister, and though we know that they were exaggerating a little bit with the special effects -- whole, intact houses and boats don't really whirl about cartoonishly thousands of feet in the air -- it's still a pretty scary phenomenon. As it turns out, however, Twister was actually a tastefully understated flick. Here's an actual tornado in Dallas, Texas, whipping full-size big rigs thousands of feet in the air like a giant invisible toddler throwing a tantrum.

That just doesn't look real. It looks like a physics glitch in a video game. It's like the cosmos turned on Hacks; like somebody forgot to CGI in Godzilla.

But this is an article about people braving the fury of the natural world -- tiny little Davids spitting in the eye of Mother Nature's Goliath. So where's the human element here? Well, you have to look closely at that video again, at about 1:25, on the lower right:

And you'll see a little white car cruising by -- not even speeding, mind you -- just moseying along Main Street. Now turn your gaze a few inches up and to the left, and observe a fucking semi hurtling through the air. Sure, there are other cars later in the clip, but they're much farther out and might not be aware that traffic conditions are currently "in the sky." Really look at the angles of that screencap with the white car again; this isn't somebody caught unaware. They can clearly see the 18-wheeler that just took these broken wings and learned to fly again ... and they do not care. They do not give one lonely shit that somebody just up and reversed gravity on them. They're going to goddamn Blockbuster, come hell or high trailer.

Holy shit, did they just ... did they just signal?

1. A Fall from Space

For anybody who's ever stopped to really consider it, the mere existence of space -- with its fathomless depths and incomprehensible scale -- is enough to trigger a fire hose of existential fear vomit. I once saw a diagram of the actual distance between Earth and the moon and spent an hour hiding beneath my bed. In contrast, here's Joseph Kittinger, gleefully jumping the bitch:

Source.

Kittinger was part of Project Excelsior, an experiment to study extreme high altitude bailouts. The project involved an open gondola suspended by helium balloons that brought Kittinger up over 100,000 (not a typo; one hundred thousand) feet in the air. That's 19 miles, straight up. In a previous, lower altitude jump, his limbs generated G-forces more than 20 times that of Earth's gravity. Once he left the gondola, it took him nearly 15 minutes to hit the ground. He broke the speed of sound ... with his torso. That image of the distant curve of the Earth up there at the start of this entry? That's not taken from the space station. That was Joseph Kittinger's helmet cam.

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"Haha, I'ma git you, Earth!"

I went skydiving once. They had me crawl out onto the wing of a shaky little prop plane, wind howling and ripping at my clothes, and when I was far enough out, the instructor said: "Now, let go." To which I answered: "Fuck you." Joseph Kittinger went up in a tiny balloon, and when he reached space, somebody said, "Now, step out there and try to aim for the planet." And he said, "Sure thing!"

I've actually pinpointed it: The bravest nanosecond in human history. Those are his white boots up top, just leaving the platform.

It takes enormous balls to even get on that vehicle -- what is, essentially, a rickety little basket with no handrails, tied to a bunch of balloons. It takes even bigger balls to voluntarily ride that son of a bitch higher than air goes. It takes balls of incomprehensible proportions -- balls whose non-Euclidean geometry simply cannot exist on our earthly plane -- to look down at a planet so far below you that you can actually make out the shape of continents, then step outside for a stroll.

Those kinds of balls do exist, but only in an alternate dimension, parallel to ours but wholly separate, of which we mere mortals can comprehend only the smallest piece. The avatar of that vast dimension comprised entirely of great and majestic testicles has a name, but it cannot be pronounced by the human tongue. So you can just call him "Joe."

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I Want to Break Free: The Amazing Moment a Butterfly Bursts from its Chrysalis

2012-04-25T10:11:00.001+02:00

These amazing pictures document the birth of a butterfly as it tries to break free of its chrysalis.

The breathtaking images were taken by snapper Jimmy Hoffman who took the shots in Girona, Spain.

Wildlife enthusiast Jimmy, who is a professional artist, raised the Charaxes jasius or Foxy Emperor from a caterpillar and waited until they formed a chrysalis.

This Charaxes jasius or Foxy Emperor was raised from a caterpillar and the photographer waited until it formed a chrysalis before photographing it

When the moment came for the stunning butterfly to emerge he was ready to take this incredible sequence.

He said: 'It's always a special and wonderful moment to see a butterfly emerging from its pupa.

'Especially when you have raised it yourself. It's something you very rarely witness in nature and I was very lucky to be able to take a sequence of pictures of the whole process.'

The butterfly has a two-inch wing span and is found across Africa and the Mediterranean.

The caterpillar's host is generally the strawberry tree.

The first stage: When the caterpillar is fully grown, it makes a button of silk which it uses to fasten its body to a leaf or a twig. The caterpillar's skin comes off and under this old skin is a hard skin called a chrysalis

The second stage: The pupa seam tears after 12 hours. It is a metallic gold-coloration in many butterflies

The third stage: The butterfly slowly begins to emerge - but not quite - after 23-and-a-half hours in the chrysalis

The fourth stage: The beautiful butterfly is almost free and is all but out of its shell. It has a wing span of two inches

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What Would You do if a Bear Charged You?

2012-04-22T17:46:00.001+02:00

A group of tourists in Alaska had to find an answer to that question rather urgently when a hungry grizzly ran at their camp.

A group of a sightseers in Katmai national park in Alaska were out watching the park's bears when one male grizzly turned on them and charged.

The video footage of the charge, filmed by Larry Griffith, shows the bear galloping angrily through the water towards the group ...

... before stopping within feet of them ...

... reportedly circling them several times, and sniffing at their clothing.

The group was told to stay perfectly still, advised that the bear had made a 'bluff charge', to provoke a reaction, rather than a direct attack.

And the strategy appears to have worked. Eventually, the bear lost interest in the group ...

... and left them to return to its fishing.

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Odd 'Ride-sharing' Birds Pay Homage To Space Shuttle

2012-04-21T08:59:00.001+02:00

The space shuttle Discovery made its spectacular historic final voyage this week, which included a tour over the Washington, D.C. area. The awe-inspiring aerial tour pulled Washingtonians out of their offices as the space shuttle rode piggy-back on a 747, and flew slowly over the Capitol, White House, the Mall and much of the Potomac River.

The historical moment brought nostalgic tears to many on-lookers as the Discovery, flew to its new retirement home, the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly.

Even some birds were inspired by the moment and borrowed a page from the space shuttle's piggy back mode of transpo! Check out these crazy daredevil birds ride-sharing Piggy-back - it's the only way to fly!?

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Zoo Keepers Hand Rear Baby Gibbon

2012-04-19T09:20:00.001+02:00

Zookeepers at the private Zoo Gartencenter Vida in Germany are giving a baby gibbon a better chance at life. The three-month-old lar gibbon (hylobates lar, also known as white-handed gibbon) named ‘Knuppy’ is being hand-reared after his mother rejected him, a common occurrence with primates born in captivity.

Image: source

Doesn’t he look cute in his sweater vest?

Image: source

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5 Largest Reptiles on Earth

2012-04-17T17:22:00.001+02:00

Photo: Faye Pini

Reptiles have been around some 300 million years, and our planet has seen its fair share of gigantic scaled beasts during its history. That said, only a few behemoths from the golden age of reptiles still exist today.

Photo: The Lightworks

Here we present the five largest reptiles on Earth; the biggest in the four commonly recognized reptilian orders.

1. Saltwater Crocodile (Order: Crocodilians)

Photo: thinboyfatter

The saltwater crocodile is the largest living reptile in the world, growing to a length of over 6 meters (20 ft). These mean-toothed giants are able to crush the skulls of cows between their jaws and, should the mood take them, can easily eat a human. The areas of largest croc populations in Australia are clearly marked, so people know where not to stray and so avoid ending up as a croc's lunch.

Photo: thinboyfatter

Saltwater crocodiles range from the tip of Southeast Asia to Australia. As their name implies, they are even known to take to the sea, and have reached locations as remote as the Sea of Japan. Crocodilians belong to an order even more ancient than dinosaurs, so the saltwater crocodile gives us a glimpse into the halcyon days of its gigantic prehistoric ancestors.

2. Leatherback Sea Turtle (Order: Testudines)

Photo: Steve Garvie

Leatherback sea turtles can measure over 2 meters (7 ft) in length, with a flipper span of almost 3 meters (8 ft), and are unique among turtles thanks to their lack of a hard, bony shell. Instead, their ridged, leathery carapace is built for speed, making them the fastest reptiles on Earth — as well as among the most humungous. Speed capacity and lots of fatty tissue keeps them warm for long sea voyages and deep dives of up to 1,200 meters (4,000 ft).

A leatherback's diet consists mostly of jellyfish — so much so that their populations keep jellyfish numbers in check. Sadly, they often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, and many have died from ingesting plastic bags.

Photo: Rabon David, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The eggs of leatherbacks are eaten in Malaysia, Thailand and parts of the Caribbean. This has also had a devastating effect on turtle populations. The Leatherback Trust is an organization dedicated to the preservation and survival of these giant yet vulnerable creatures.

3. Reticulated Python (Order: Squamata)

Photo: Mohammed Alnaser

Did you know that pythons are expert swimmers, and that their sea voyages have distributed them among a variety of islands in the Indo-Australian Archipelago? Yet, as well as being at home in water, reticulated pythons are aggressive constrictors that suffocate their prey and ingest it whole. They have been reliably recorded at 6.95 meters (22.8 ft) — slightly longer than saltwater crocodiles, albeit nowhere near as heavy.

Honorable Mention: Green Anaconda

Photo: Eduardo Mendes

The world-beating length of the reticulated python has been disputed by claims of even larger green anacondas. Legends and movies about the snake certainly make it seem a fearsome predator. Anacondas have been found to reach 6.6 meters (22 ft), only slightly shorter than the reticulated python. Still, although anacondas chill and thrill us in stories, the reticulated python may be the more fearsome of these two serpentine heavyweights, being on record as having killed and eaten human beings.

4. Komodo Dragon (Order: Squamata)

Photo: Scott Ellis

Technically, lizards and snakes belong to the same order, but most lizards have legs, while snakes don’t, so we're representing the four-legged Squamata too! This king of lizards is a deadly hunter reaching lengths up to 3 meters (10 ft). Enter the komodo dragon. These bad boys hunt in the afternoon, ambushing their prey using their arsenal of powerful sharp claws, a strong tail, and a poisonous mouthful of deadly bacteria. The term ‘dragon’ certainly seems appropriate when sizing up these ferocious monsters.

Photo: Adhi Rachdian

While komodo dragons obviously can’t breathe fire, their saliva contains virulent strains of bacteria that grow with uncanny rapidity. These bacteria ensure that bites usually result in sepsis and fatal infection. And, like their mythological counterparts, which were immune to their own fire, komodo dragons are immune to their own poisonous secretions. Scientists have yet to discover how this is possible. We’ll leave the field research to them!

5. Tuatara (Order: Sphenodontia)

Photo: Michael Hamilton

This guy may be a squirt in comparison to the other giants in the winners’ circle, but as the only surviving member of its order, the northern tuatara is the largest living, well… tuatara! While its closest living relatives are reptiles and snakes, the tuatara’s order can be traced back to the Mesozoic Era, from where it derives its distinctly unusual attributes.

While they may look like reptiles, tuataras actually have legs and brains that closely resemble those of amphibians. They possess three eyelids on each eye and a third ‘parietal’ eye on the top of their heads, possibly used to detect day and night cycles. Their backbone vertebrae resemble fish, and their rib features are more typical of birds. Meanwhile, their spiny tails and back plates are more crocodilian than lizard-like. The creature is an anomaly in the modern world of reptiles, and lives exclusively on the offshore islands of New Zealand.

While saltwater crocodile populations are currently well represented in Australia, many other reptiles are in need of protection from habitat loss or hunting. For information about the conservation and populations of reptiles big and small, search the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Sources: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Two-headed Bearded Dragon: One Head Eats, The Other Drinks

2012-04-16T10:00:00.001+02:00

Meet Jeckyl and Hyde.

The six-legged bearded dragon is the latest addition to a family of two-headed animals owned by Grammy award-winner Todd Ray.

The former music producer to heavyweights like Mick Jagger and the Beastie Boys is now owner of the world's largest collection of double-headed animals.

As the Huffington Post reports, Ray's exotic collection already includes a two-headed bearded dragon named Pancho and Lefty that will turn two in May.

But Ray, who features his animals in the Venice Beach Freakshow on the famous California boardwalk, couldn't pass up the chance to add to his collection.

Jeckyl and Hyde, named after characters in Robert Louis Stevenson's novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, were born in San Diego about five months ago, he said.

And despite appearances, the two heads do not appear to be like-minded.

'Hyde is actually a parasitic twin. He comes out of Jeckyl's side and his movement is restricted from the chest up,' Ray said, adding that Jeckyl does the eating, while Hyde seems to only drink water.

Ray has 22 living two-headed animals in his collection, many with names as unique as their looks.

There is Laverne and Shirley, the two-headed kingsnake, Lenny and Squiggy the albino hognosed snake and Cheech and Chong, the tortoise.

He also owns a two-headed goat, a two-headed terrapin and the world’s only living three-headed creature: a turtle named Myrtle, Squirtle, and Thirdle.

New additions: Jeckyl and Hyde, named after characters in Robert Louis Stevenson's novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, are about five months old

The Guinness Book of World Records named Ray owner of the largest collection of two-headed, or dicephalic, animals in January 2010.

According to the organisation's website, he has spent over $157,000 on his acquisitions.

Ray also owns a number of preserved two-headed specimens.

But he didn't put Jeckyl and Hyde on display at the Freakshow until recently.

Creature double feature: Todd Ray owns the largest collection of living two-headed animals in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records - including these two turtles

Split personalities? Laverne and Shirley is the name of Ray's two-headed kingsnake

At home: Todd Ray's son Phoenix shows off his two-headed goat in 2010

Spectacle: Ray also owns a number of preserved two-headed specimens, including this kitten with two faces

On display: Ray shows of a two-headed calf skull that is part of his vast collection

'I had to acclimate them to the Freakshow,' he told the Huffington Post.

'Hyde had sand in his eye from being dragged around by Jeckyl. Bearded dragons belong in sand, but this is unusual so the previous owner was only doing what he knew from dealing with one-headed reptiles.'

Both are responding well to treatment, he said.

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Top Ten Largest Protected Area on the Planet

2012-04-10T18:53:00.001+02:00

A protected area is a designated location that has been preserved for its ecological, natural and/or cultural values. Governments work with conservationists to ensure that these areas continue to function naturally, with minimal (if any) human management. The preservation of many protected areas has stopped or slowed the extinction rate of several species. Currently, there are over 160,000 protected areas in the world that cover 10 to 15 percent of the world's surface area (both land and sea).

Listed below are the ten largest protected areas in the world.

NO.10 Northeast Greenland National Park

Size: 927,000 sq. km.

Encompassing the entire northeastern portion of Greenland, this is the largest national park in the world. It is larger than 163 countries (there are roughly 194 countries in the world). The land is inhabited by polar bears, walrus, arctic fox, snowy owl and musk oxen, among many other species. Northeast Greenland is the most northerly national park in the world.

NO. 9 Chagos Marine Protected Area

Size: 545,000 sq. km.

Part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, the Chagos Marine Protected Area is the largest marine reserve in the world. Larger than the country of France, this marine reserve is located 500 kilometers south of Maldives. The seven atolls of Chagos are a wonder to see and are rich in biodiversity.

NO.8 Phoenix Islands Protected Area

Size: 408,250 kilometers

Located in the Republic of Kiribati, this protected area is the largest marine reserve in the Pacific Ocean and was the world's first deep-water, mid-ocean marine protected area. There are rumors that missing aviator Amelia Earhart crashed on one of the islands in 1937.

NO.7 Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument

Size: 360,000 sq. km.

This World Heritage-listed preserved area is a U.S. National Monument located in the state of Hawaii. The monument is made up of ten islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The area is home to 7,000 different species, including the endangered Hawaiian monk seal.

NO.6 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Size: 345,400 sq. km.

The Great Barrier Reef contains the largest cluster of corals in the world and is home to several species of exotic marine life. This park was established to protect a large part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef from further damage. Although humans are allowed to visit the area, permits are required for all activities (both recreational and commercial) and guidelines are very strict.

NO.5 Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area

Size: 287,132 kilometers.

The protected area covers land in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe on the continent of Africa. There are several national parks incorporated into this preserved area, including Chobe National Park, Hwange National Park, the Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls. Designed to encourage tourism across several borders and the migration of mammals across borders, the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area was created by the Peace Parks Foundation and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

NO.4 Galapagos Marine Reserve

Size: 133,000 sq. km.

The Galapagos Islands are located 1,000kilometers off the coast of Ecuador. The Galapagos Marine Reserve is the largest marine reserve in a developing country and the second largest reserve in the world. This area is home to many species of marine life, including sharks, whales, turtles, fish and rays. There is a mixture of hot and warm marine currents and freshwater and seawater, so there are several unique species in the area. Charles Darwin studied many species here to form his Theory of Evolution.

NO.3 Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park

Size: 99,800 sq. km.

Ever growing, this peace park covers land in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe and is comprised of 10 different national parks and reserves, including Banhine National Park, Kruger National Park and Limpopo National Park. Wildlife that makes their home here includes African elephants, giraffes, African leopards, cheetahs and spotted hyenas, among others.

NO.2 Air and Tenere Natural Reserve

Size: 77,360 sq. km.

Located in the country of Niger, this preserved area has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Covering both the eastern half of the Air Mountains and the western sections of the Tenere desert, there are two sections of this reserve; a nature reserve and a strict sanctuary.

NO.1 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Size: 53,321 sq. km.

Located in southern Alaska, this U.S. National Park has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is included in an International Biosphere Reserve. It is the largest national park in the United States by area, and is larger than nine states. Located in the park, Mt. St. Elias is the second highest mountain in both Canada and the United States; nine of the 16 highest peaks in the U.S. are located in the park.

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Linus the Long-Haired Wonder Horse

2012-04-09T09:29:00.001+02:00

If you've ever seen the old 1960s TV show Mr. Ed, you definitely know that a "horse is a horse, of course, of course." But you've never, ever seen a horse like Linus the long-maned horse.

Photo: via Urban Titan

Born in 1884, Linus was a descendant of the breed known as the Oregon Long-Haired Wild Wonder horses, a herd that roamed freely throughout the mountains of Oregon. The wonder horses were known for their rich chestnut color and, more importantly, the amazing length of their manes and tails. And, after they were bred primarily in captivity, the growth of their hair increased with each generation. But no one was more renowned for their glorious mane than Linus, who was dubbed the Samson among equines.

Photo: via Urban Titan

And for a horse as majestic as Linus, his story reads like a chapter from National Velvet.

Owned by the Rutherford brothers of Marion, Oregon, Linus was the son of Oregon Beauty (the first stallion of this breed to be captured and rumored to be the leader of the herd) and a Clydesdale female named Oregon Queen. And as beautifully maned as mother and father were, Linus was deemed the best looking of all. Such was his astonishing beauty – and the length and breadth of his mane and tail – that the Rutherfords sold Linus to the Eaton brothers of Maine who made Linus the headliner of their traveling circus show. And thanks to the Eatons' successful promotion of the horse, Linus was even featured in the magazine Scientific American.

Photo: via Urban Titan

As was written in a promotional leaflet for the show: "When about four years old his mane and tail grew so rapidly-often as much as 3 inches a month-that in three years they reached their present astonishing length. His body colour is a glossy golden chestnut, he has white hind feet and a white face, and his mane, tail and foretop are of a soft flaxen colour. His hair, which is 'done up' when he is not receiving visitors, continues to grow, though now very slowly. Linus is certainly a beautiful animal. He is proud, carries his head high, and enjoys admiration with all the intelligence and pride of his race. The mane is 14ft, the foretop 9ft and the tail 12ft. When spread and drawn out to their full extent, the display of the beautiful locks is quite impressive."

Photo: via Mike Medhurst

The care and maintenance of Linus' marvelous mane was also described in great detail: "It is washed out with cold water, no tonics being applied to it. Before the horse is placed in his stall the hair is drawn out and divided into several thick strands. From his mane four such strands are made. Each strand is then tied around once every six inches almost to the end. It is then rolled up and put into a bag. For his mane and foretop alone five bags are required..."

Photo: via Circus No Spin

Sadly Linus died in 1894 at the age of 10, but before he died he sired a son named Linus II who was said to be just as beautiful as his father and who went on to continue in his father's footsteps. As for the Oregon Long Haired Wild Wonder Horses, sadly the breed is now extinct.

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Pumpkin Spring – The Grand Canyon’s Arsenic Pool

2012-04-05T09:52:00.001+02:00

Below the rim of the Grand Canyon runs the beautiful Colorado River. Many take trips down its length but among the majestic scenery is something which they do not quite expect – a huge, enormous gourd-like squash. Jutting out from the canyon wall and perched above the river, this highly unusual formation is known as Pumpkin Spring.

Photograph by kind permission of Flickr user Roger Steeb

Photograph by kind permission of Flickr User Roger Steeb

If you raft the river, this hot spring is at mile 212.9 to be exact. Over the millennia the Pumpkin like spring has grown to the extent that is could be said to resemble something from a Roald Dahl novel. Dahl would probably have approved – although the spring might look enticing it isn’t quite as friendly as it appears.

Image Credit by kind permission of Flickr User Roger Steeb

Pumpkin Spring is a travertine, which is a form of limestone especially deposited by hot springs. It builds up and forms weird shapes, as you can see here and often has a fibrous appearance as if it is made of vegetable matter. This natural bowl spills bitter water into the river but beware of what has been deposited within.

Photograph by kind permission of Flickr User Ben Kimball

The waters inside the pumpkin certainly look deliciously warm, it has to be said. However, they are not considered safe as they contain high levels of arsenic, not to mention concentrations of copper, zinc and lead. Although some cannot resist its charms and jump right in, a good shower is recommended afterwards. As for drinking the water, forget it!

Photograph by kind permission of Flickr User Roger Steeb

It is probably the only truly dangerous water in the Grand Canyon. Put it this way, the state health standard for safe water is 50 milligrams of arsenic per liter. The levels at Pumpkin Spring were recently measured and revealed a shocking 1100 milligrams of arsenic per liter.

Image Credit Flickr User Al_hikesAZ

Arsenic poisoning is not pleasant. It begins with headaches, bewilderment, relentless diarrhea, and lethargy. If untreated it can lead to vomiting, blood in the urine, cramping muscles, hair loss, stomach pain, coma and death. Of course, a quick dip in Pumpkin Spring would not precipitate any mortal danger but better safe than sorry – look, but don’t dip!

Image Credit Flickr User Dylan c

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Decision 2012: 10 Most Random Indie Party Candidates...so far

2012-03-30T15:51:00.001+02:00

Could a wee preying mantis be America's favorite pet? How about a crusty sandcrab or guinea pig sporting a jaunty chapeau? These candidates are but a few examples of the the pet candidate diversity defining this year’s contest to elect America’s favorite pet, better known as Animal Planet's Decision 2012, Animal Planet's all-important race that will determine once and for all who and what is America's favorite pet!

Decision 2012 is open to all breeds and creeds and our most recent check of the leaderboard did not disappoint in the candidate diversity department! Check out our top ten most random candidates running for the "Other" or Independent ticket in Decision 2012!

Top 10 Most Random Candidates Running For Decision 2012...thus far!

1) Shy Leia the Hedgehog -She gets a bit prickly when you ask her to discuss the issues.

2) Nala the Bathing Bunny - Gotta hand it to her for submitting a shot of herself in the tub for her political candidacy. Bold.

3) BunBun the itty bitty rodent - Just 'BunBun' (No breed or creed was provided.) Is he a Gerbil? Dwarf hamster?

4) Drake the Leatherback Bearded Dragon - Ironic beards are really hot right now, so he has a chance.

5) Lacy the sand crab - She also gets crabby when you ask her about the issues. Here she is photographed in front of her oceanfront beach house.

7) Eve the British Green Praying Mantis - Perhaps she has a lock on the religious right?

8) Blink the Tree Frog - He can help you lower your auto insurance.

9) Luca the cricket.

10) Jane Doe the crafty caterpillar.

Is your pet deserving of the title of America's favorite pet? Now is your chance to weigh in and submit your candidates and votes for America's favorite pet. Dogs, cats, fish, gerbils, otters, horses, rabbits, birds, ferrets, pigs... critters of all walks, breeds and creeds are welcomed to submit their candidacy!

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World's smallest dog, Beyonce, fits on an iPhone

2012-03-28T09:20:00.001+02:00

The world's smallest puppy named after one of the world's biggest pop stars, Beyoncé, was so tiny at birth she could fit on a spoon.

The puppy named Beyonce after one of the world's biggest pop stars could set the world's record for tiniest dog.

MEET the tiny pup vying for the title of world's smallest dog - a miniscule Dachsund mix who fits on an iPhone.

The 10cm pup called Beyonce was so tiny when she was born she could fit onto a spoon.

Rescuers at the Grace Foundation Animal Shelter in northern California plucked pregnant mum Casey from the streets and oversaw the birth of the five pup litter on March 8.

Animal rescuers in Northern California say that Beyonce was so small at birth that she could fit into a spoon.

Itty-bitty Beyonce was last out, but vets had to work frantically to revive her with chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation when she was born with no heartbeat.

Now three-weeks-old, the pint-sized pup named after one of the world's most famous popstars is being fed hourly through a bottle.

Animal rescuers in Northern California bottle feed the tiny puppy, called Beyonce.

The proud team who brought her back to life have submitted an application to Guinness World Records to have her crowned world's smallest dog.

It would be a doggone shame if she missed out.

To show just how small she is the Dachshund mix puppy, named Beyonce is photographed next to a cookie.

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15 Ridiculously Adorable Baby Owls

2012-03-21T16:24:00.001+01:00

Soft toys have nothing on this little one's plush down! Little Owlet

We're not sure if it's the wide eyes, fluffy down, tiny size or a combination of all three that makes baby owls so adorable, but whichever it is, it works! Unlike many other birds (which are often born naked and gangly) owlets have the advantage, at least in our eyes, of being adorable pretty much from birth. Not only that, but each species has its own particular charm, as proven by this collection of captivating photographs — which will have you longing to reach out and hold these precious little balls of fluff yourself!

Photo: Kms

The Little Owl may be a notably small breed of owl (growing from 23 to 27.5 cm in length) but it also appears to be one of the bravest. Not only does it often hunt in daylight; it also does so in heavily populated areas. Little owls will stand their ground and not be scared from their perches even by passing humans. Yet, however courageous it may be, there’s no denying the cuteness of the little critter captured on camera here! The genus name, Athene noctua, derives from this owl’s association with the Ancient Greek Goddess Athena, who was often depicted with an owl perched on her head.

Puffy? Who are you calling puffy? Boreal Owlet

Photo: Marios Hadjianastasis

Here’s another owl that gets its name from a Greek god: the Boreal Owl, named after Boreas, god of the north wind. Outside of North America, however, it’s usually called Tengmalm’s Owl after Swedish naturalist Peter Gustaf Tengmalm, who was (mistakenly) thought to have been the first to describe the species. Still, whatever its name, we think you'll agree this is one very cute baby owl! We love the juvenile shades of brown... Fluff-ball-tastic!

I can see you! Barred Owlet

Photo: Matthew Paulson

This adorable baby has a lot of names for just a little bird. The Barred Owl is also known as the Swamp Owl, Striped Owl, Hoot Owl, Eight Hooter and Rain Owl... among others! Perhaps appropriately for an owl with so many names, the Barred Owl is a particularly vocal species. It’s distinctive cry of “Hoo, hoo, too-HOO; hoo, hoo, too-HOO, ooo” is often heard by people as “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you, all?” No mistaking that for any other bird call... And no mistaking how sweet this doe-eyed little youngster looks, either!

Don't worry, just stay close to me until the big scary humans are gone... Sunda Scops Owlets

Photo: Irawan Subingar

Only a few weeks out of their eggs, these gorgeously fluffy Sunda Scops Owls are no doubt waiting for their parents to bring them back a tasty treat. Like most owls, Scops owlets are reared by both parents until they’re ready to survive on their own. Scops Owl parents have a habit of using cavity nests abandoned by other species — not that we're complaining about the recycling aspect of this! Found on the Malay Peninsula and surrounding islands, Sunda Scops seem to have adapted well to human habitation, for they are to be found in gardens and buildings.

Hang on, this isn't my nest! Barn Owlet

Photo: Monteen McCord

The distinctive-looking Barn Owl is not only the most widely distributed owl species but also one of the most widely distributed birds of any kind on Earth. Humans and Barn Owls have a long history together, as Barn Owls have been nesting in man-made lofts and steeples for centuries. Other names for the Barn Owl are Silver Owl, Golden Owl, Church Owl, and the more sinister sounding Death Owl and Ghost Owl — no doubt arising from their white colour and the mask-like appearance of their faces. This little guy doesn't look much like a Death Owl, though. It's a bit too cute for that.

Uh-oh, humans. Act casual... Great Horned Owlets

Photo: Gary M Stolz

These three aren’t the original occupiers of their nest, but there’s a good chance they’re the cutest! Great Horned Owls don’t bother building their own homes, especially when they can take over those of other birds. They’re also not that fussy, and if no nests are available, they’ll lay their eggs in cliffs, tree cavities, and even in abandoned buildings. This ability to adapt has contributed to their position as the most widely distributed owls in the Americas.

If I don't look at them, maybe they'll just go away... Eastern Screech Owlet

Photo: Monteen McCord

This baby Screech Owl provides us with an impressive example of the fluffy down that owls are born with. This down helps keep them warm while they are small and exposed to the elements — mainly due to their parents’ lack of nest-building skills! Later on, owls will develop regular feathers, which the Screech Owl will sometimes flatten against its body to disguise itself as a branch stub when threatened. Aww!

Can we stay with you? Pretty please? Tawny Owlets

Photo: Don Robinson

These poor little babies are orphans, rescued by the Screech Owl Sanctuary in Cornwall. We don’t know how they might have got there, especially since Tawny Owls are famed for aggressively protecting their young. They will fly at dogs, cats and even humans to scare them away from their nests. At least two people in Britain have lost eyes to angry Tawny Owls, including the well-known bird photographer Eric Hosking. So if you happen to see a Tawny Owl nest, best keep your distance — however adorable the babies inside might look!

Well, this is kind of embarrassing... Eastern Screech Owlet

Photo: Monteen McCord

Here we have another Eastern Screech Owl, this one sat next to a lemon so you can see just how tiny it is! Baby owls may look small and helpless but they are actually surprisingly tough. They have to be. As we mentioned earlier, owl parents are not known for their nest building skills, and so the nests in which baby owls are reared can be pretty hazardous places for them! They may not be the right size for the owl family, or falling to pieces by the time they move in. Not only that, but a crowded nest can result in the stronger baby owl pushing its sibling out, usually to its death. It’s no wonder these cute little creatures actually have a strong inborn sense of self-preservation.

We like to wear our down differently so you can tell us apart! Barn Owlets

Photo: Monteen McCord

Here's are a couple of cute baby Barn Owls. Sadly, the Barn Owl is a particularly short-lived species of owl. If they manage the feat of surviving their first birthday (and most don’t) they’ll most probably only have another year of life in the wild. In captivity, however, it's a completely different story: a captive Barn Owl in England reportedly lived 25 years! Interestingly, for the most widespread owl on the planet, Barn Owls don't hoot. Instead, they make a rather terrifying screech, but can also hiss and even snore!

Look into my eyes... Spectacled Owlet

Photo: Steve Wilson

Immature Spectacled Owls like this one look more like they’re wearing a black mask than glasses, but all that will change when this little feller gets older and the colours reverse themselves. Living mostly in dense jungles or wooded areas in Mexico (as well as Central and South America) Spectacled Owls like to keep themselves to themselves, and there is still a lot we don’t know about them. We do know, however, that young owls leave the tree hollows in which they nest before they can fly and live in the surrounding branches of the tree. They may live this way for up to a year, all the time being fed by their parents! Talk about being spoiled...

I'd fly away but I don't know how! Eastern Screech Owlet

Photo: Monteen McCord

Here's yet another adorable baby Screech Owl. Don't let the cute image fool you though! Screech Owl babies are very aggressive when it comes to fighting their siblings for food, and may even go as far as killing their weaker brothers or sisters. Like other owls, Screech Owls swallow smaller prey (such as mice and voles) whole — bones, fur and all! They regurgitate pellets of these indigestible parts later. Not a particularly attractive habit, but one that serves them well as predators without teeth.

OK, now what? Snowy Owlet

Photo: Glyn Ednie

Most of the time you’d have to be pretty lucky to catch a glimpse of a Snowy Owl. They make their home in the Arctic tundra, remote areas where conditions are harsh. In 2012, however, Snowy Owls have been spotted migrating as far south as Missouri, and even Hawaii! According to bird experts, this is highly unusual behaviour. Denver Holt, head of the Owl Research Institute in Montana, explains that the phenomenon could be linked to lemmings, a primary food source for the owls. A boom in the lemming population may have also caused a spike in the number of baby Snowy Owls, causing the mass migration. This little cutie, named Eubee, needn't worry, though: she'll never be short of food at her home at the Scottish Wool Centre in Aberfoyle, Scotland.

What are you doing down there? African Wood Owlet

Photo: Arno Meintjes

As the name suggests, African Wood Owls live mostly in forested areas of Africa, although they can sometimes be found on plantations. This little guy won’t be ready to leave his parents for around four months, or maybe not even until the next breeding season. Until then it’ll share their 'nest' — usually a hole in a tree, or perhaps a spot under a fallen log.

Hiya! Barn Owlet

Photo: Monteen McCord

Although they're an incredibly successful species, it's actually quite difficult for ornithologists to know the numbers of Barn Owls in the wild. This is mainly due to their nocturnal nature, and the fact that the use of pesticides (especially in the mid-20th century) caused a dip in population numbers. The fact that Barn Owls can, like most owls, fly perfectly silently doesn't make them any easier to detect either!

Remember, although baby owls may not look it, they're built for survival. If you ever come upon one that's fallen out of its nest, leave it alone. As well as the possibility of it giving you a nasty nip, chances are it will be able to scramble back up a tree. Of course, it might not be the right tree, but some loud calls will still let mum and dad know where to deliver the food. And in no time at all the youngster will be winging away looking for somewhere to settle down and have its own little baby owls!

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4 Most Epic Baby Animal Sneezes [Video]

2012-03-20T17:25:00.001+01:00

When we humans sneeze all over ourselves, we are viewed as rude, disgusting germ factories. Observers stare at the sneezer with disdain while others run from the room to save themselves from whatever contagion they believe has been set alight.

However, when animals, particularly baby animals, sneeze all over themselves and others, it's cause celebre - a viral video goldmine. To prove our point, herewith are our favorite sneezing baby animal videos of all time.

1) Epic Baby Animal Sneeze #1: Panda Baby - The mother of all baby sneezes, perhaps the most well-known out of all baby animal sneezes-- it is pushing more than 132 MILLION views as of today!

2) Epic Baby Animal Sneeze #2: - Baby Elephant startles self with sneeze

3) Epic Baby Animal Sneeze #3: Baby Hedgehog - wait for it…….Ah Choo!

4) Epic Baby Animal Sneeze #4: Corgi Kerchew! An adorable Corgi puppy named Pepper has a sneezing fit and makes spectacularly funny faces while at it!

If only they made Claritin for dogs!

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You're Having a Giraffe! Family Kept Beloved 10ft Animal as Pet

2012-03-14T19:46:00.001+01:00

IT sounds like a tall story — but these amazing snaps feature a real-life family who kept a giraffe as a pet.

This is friendly Fenne, the pet giraffe who roamed freely through the home of a family of six as they ate, slept and played – and used to come running just like a bounding puppy whenever her name was called.

The adorable animal happily walked around the home of Colin McRae, 59, wife Theony, 52 and their four children on their ranch in South Africa, taking extra care not to slide about on the tiled floor and stooping to get through doorways.

She lived with the family from birth, growing from five to ten feet tall by the time she was two.

Part of the family: Owen McRae, 19, with the family pet giraffe Fenne at home in Cullinan, South Africa

But tragic Fenne died suddenly after eating a poisoned leaf when grazing in the wild.

Fenne was just like a member of the family, Theony remembers. ‘Fenne loved company, when she felt like it she would come right indoors to look for us - even though she was ten-feet tall.

‘She loved to play with our dogs and would even follow our horses about - she just loved being sociable.

‘I hope one day we will find another precious gift like Fenne in our lives.’

Family Christmas: Fenne lived with the family for two years, roaming around the house and playing with the family and their other pets

The family run a game reserve in De Tweede Spruit, South Africa, where guests take part in horse riding safaris.

Four years ago Theony's son, Craig, then 19, was leading a safari when he discovered dehydrated Fenne in the hot South African bush after she was abandoned by her mother.

Seeing her covered in insects and barely able to lift her head, Craig enlisted six people to carry Fenne to his pickup truck.

Bottling it ... Craig McRae feeds Fenne the giraffe as a baby

Adorable: Fenne loved company and enjoyed playing with the four children

After he got Fenne back to safety, Craig and nursed her back to health by feeding her cow's milk mixed with eggs.

‘Even when she was getting too big to really fit Fenne would still come to visit us indoors,’ said Theony.

‘She would duck down and come right in when she felt like it, she had to really get her head down.

Well-behaved: Fenne poses with guests at the McRae's ranch in South Africa, where she grew up

‘We had to kick her out the house sometimes because she was rather clumsy inside because hoofs on tile floors do tend to slip. We were very cautious that she wouldn't break her leg.

‘On carpet she was alright, and sometimes she would step right over furniture to get around. But she didn't bump her head on things, she was very careful to bend down under things.’

As she grew older, the family fed Fenne on as many leaves as she could eat, eight litres of milk a day - plus carrots as a special treat.

Joining in the fun: The McRae family eat outdoors, joined by their friendly pet giraffe

Well-behaved: Fenne would take car on the slippery tiles, but was okay walking on the carpets. Sometimes she would step over furniture in her way

Feeling at home: Fenne would just come into the house when she felt like company and was looked after by the four McRae children

Living with a giraffe in the home often threw up surprises, Theony recalls. ‘I remember one night a guest ours was having a bath but left her bedroom door unlocked. Fenne was curious so pushed the door open and got right inside to say hello. This lady was so surprised and amazed by this encounter.

‘Living with Fenne was filled with magical moments like this.’

Menagerie: Fenne was just another family pet, and even enjoyed playing with the dogs

Happy giraffe: Fenne seemed content living with the McRaes, after she was rescued from the South African bush when she was abandoned by her mother

Fenne was so affectionate that sometimes family members and guests had to take extra care, Theony remembers. ‘She was very affectionate, Fenne would come right up to you so you had to be careful,’ she said.

‘Being a young animal she was quite clumsy, you had to be careful of her standing on your foot.

‘She weighed more than a person so you would really feel it if she stood on your foot.'

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A Dog Trapped In A Cat's Body? You Decide [VIDEO]

2012-03-13T08:00:00.001+01:00

A video for all the cat haters who believe that cats pretty much just lay there!

Meet Tifa - a "species confused" cat who not only plays "fetch", but also smiles and pants like a dog and wags her tail! Wha?!

According to Tifa's YouTube page, this video was taken when Tifa was about 6 months old -- check out how she not only fetches the toys but also drops them. For those of you concerened about the panting, her owner apparently put Tifa through several tests and the vets found nothing wrong with her, as Tifa only pants when running and playing for too long.

Does your cat ever play fetch or act like a dog?

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Iguazu Falls – Big Water of the Borders

2012-03-10T09:39:00.001+01:00

In the local Tupi language, the word means big water. One look at the staggering Iguazu Falls, located on the border of the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones and you realise that this is no exaggeration.

Image Credit Flickr User ametxa

Image Credit Flickr User feffef

There is a local legend that says a god became besotted with a young and beautiful girl called Naipi – however she did not reciprocate his feelings. She fled from his advances with her earthly lover, Taroba, canoeing down the river to escape. The god in his anger sliced through the river and created the waterfalls. Naipi and Taroba were condemned to fall for all eternity.

Image Credit Flickr User Phillie Casablanca

Image Credit Flickr User Kara Brugman

The edge of the waterfall is almost three kilometers in length and it is dotted with numerous islands. These islands create a copious number of separate falls, all of them more than two hundred feet in height. Many have their own names – for example the narrow chasm down which half the flow disappears is known as the Devil’s Throat.

Image Credit Flickr User *saxon*

Image Credit Flickr User ametxa

Image Credit Flickr User Henrique Assuncao

On each side of the falls is a national park. Argentina has the Iguazú National Park which was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 while Brazil has the Iguaçu National Park (note the single letter difference!), designated in 1987.

Image Credit Flickr User Abel Jorge

It is difficult to take in the immensity of the place. However, the view from the air does help to lend some perspective.

Image Credit Flickr User Miriam Cardaso de Souza

Image Credit Flickr User Henrique Assuncao

Image Credit Flickr User SF Brit

Little wonder then that Iguazu Falls was announced as one of the seven winners of the New7Wonders of Nature by the New Seven Wonders of the World Foundation.

Image Credit Flickr User SF Brit

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Wolf Creek: Spiders Spinning Out of Control as Waters Rise

2012-03-07T22:32:00.001+01:00

Ghostly landscape of cobwebs: Millions of spiders turn green fields white as branches and bushes are cocooned in sticky silk

Web horror ... a property covered by cobwebs in Wagga. Photo: Reuters

At first glance it looks like the fields have been blanketed with snow - but this ghostly white landscape in Australia is the work of millions of spiders.

As flood waters raced past the town of Wagga Wagga, in New South Wales, the spiders were forced to clamber up trees and bushes, spinning their webs as they climbed.

The result was this amazing panorama - glistening sheets of web covering just about everything in sight.

Weaving: As flood waters rose, spiders were forced to clamber up trees and bushes, spinning their webs as they climbed

On higher ground: The spiders are seen crawling over one web-covered shrub

A dog walks through webs in Wagga Wagga. Photo: Reuters

Branches were cocooned in the sticky webs, while tall grasses appeared to be enrobed in silk.

The scenes are reminiscent of the coat of spiders' webs that were spun in Pakistan after last year's floods turning trees into what appeared like giant sticks of candy floss.

Residents of Wagga Wagga, returning to their evacuated homes as flood waters raced towards them after torrential rain turned rivers into raging torrents, were astonished to find the fields surrounding their houses transformed from green to white.

But while the town's residents are breathing a sigh of relief that they have escaped the threatening dangers of the floods, fears were growing today for the safety of two teenage men who have gone missing in a flood-affected part of Queensland.

Amazing panorama: Glistening sheets of cobwebs cover just about everything in sight

A woman walks her dogs through webs in Wagga Wagga. Photo: Reuters

Branches were cocooned in the sticky webs, while tall grasses appeared to be enrobed in silk

Spiders in Wagga Wagga. Photo: Reuters

Luke Andus and Solomon Love, 19, set out from the town of Normanton at the weekend to travel 180 miles to the west - but have not arrived.

'Police and family hold concerns for their welfare with some roads in the area impassable due to local flooding,' said a police spokesman.

Dozens of freight trucks and hundreds of motorists remain stranded by the flood waters after the Bruce Highway was cut off in three places south of the town of Gympie.

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Cute and Spotty: Leopard Cubs Arrive at Berlin Zoo

2012-03-07T09:32:00.001+01:00

THESE adorable leopard cubs were presented to waiting crowds today after weeks of anticipation.

Seven week old leopard cubs Arjuna and Sri Kandi were presented to Tierpark Zoo in Berlin and were quick to make the crowds melt.

The brother and sister were born at the Taman Safari Park to their mother Shinta in Indonesia

Seven week old leopards Arjuna and Sri Kandi

Leopard cubs are distracted

The cubs arrived at Berlin Zoo today

German zoo introduces leopard cubs

Leopard cubs at the zoo 'Tierpark' in Berlin. AFP / Britta Pedersen

German zoo introduces leopard cubs

A young Javan leopard Sri Kandi is presented at the Animal Park in Berlin March 5, 2012. The leopards, born on January 16, 2012 belong to a subspecies confined to the Indonesian island of Java and classified as critically endangered. AFP PHOTO

Leopard cubs at the zoo 'Tierpark' in Berlin. AFP / Britta Pedersen

Leopard cubs at the zoo 'Tierpark' in Berlin. FONET / EPA

Leopard cubs at the zoo 'Tierpark' in Berlin. AFP / Britta Pedersen

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10 Unusual Tricks to Teach Your Dog

2012-03-06T10:36:00.001+01:00

You've already taught your dog to sit, stay, roll over and play dead. Now what? There are plenty of lesser-known tricks you can train Fido to do, especially if he's already mastered the basics and follows commands well. From skateboarding and waterskiing to sorting recyclables, read on to discover 10 amazing feats you can train a dog to do—and how to teach yours these impressive tricks.

Pick Up Laundry

When teaching a complex trick, such as picking up laundry, begin with the last step, says Jaime Van Wye, owner of the dog agility training center Zoom Room in Hollywood, California. "First, teach him to drop an object in a container. Give him an object he likes, such as a toy, then put a container under his mouth and give him the drop command," she says. Once he's dropped the toy in the bucket, immediately give him a treat. "Then the dog will understand; 'When I drop it in the bucket I get a reward,'" she says. Next, toss whatever training tool you're using onto the floor and give a command such as, "Go pick up your toy." The exact verbiage doesn't matter—what matters is that it's always said the same way. Once he’s mastered one toy, have him do two in a row, and then give him a reward. When that’s understood, switch out the toys for clothes. Van Wye says smaller items, like underwear, are a good place to start; by the end of training, your pooch should be able to clear anything off the floor that comfortably fits in his mouth. Photo: iStock

Separate Recycling

Like picking up laundry, recycling is a "retrieve" trick; however, your dog also has to learn how to separate the items, which comes particularly in handy when you’re busy cooking and need help disposing of empty containers. "The hard part about recycling is getting dogs to pick up aluminum cans—they don't like the way they feel, so it's a good idea to start with plastic bottles, which they like more," Van Wye says. First, follow the laundry steps above using plastic bottles until your pooch has learned to drop them in the recycling bin. Once he's mastered that, switch to cans. Dedicate different bins to aluminum and plastic, and train him separately for each bin. "Then you can mix up the types of bottles and teach the dog he doesn't get a reward if he puts the wrong object in the wrong bin,” Van Wye says. Photo: Eric Gevaert/Thinkstock

Skateboard

Your dog might not be as good as this bulldog, who can actually steer the skateboard, but you can probably get your pooch to hop on the board and ride it for a bit. Start by getting him used to being on the skateboard. Put it on the floor, with sandbags, beanbags or something else to keep the wheels from moving. Give him a treat every time he interacts with it, Van Wye says. Once he's comfortable with the board, put his front paws up on the back of it and give him a treat, providing more treats and saying, "Good boy!" every time he does it on his own. Once that's a success, take away the bags and put the board on a carpeted floor (which has less traction) that slopes downward slightly. After he puts his front paws on the board, "put the treat to his nose and then move it so he steps [forward, pushing with his hind legs]. Once he gets the idea that he should stand on the skateboard and take a couple of steps, speed it up." Your goal is to get your dog to self-propel with his back legs. "A lot of times what they'll do is put their front two paws on and push off with their back legs and then jump on the board," Van Wye says. Photo: Shutterstock

Basketball or Volleyball

You may not be able to challenge Fido to a game of pick-up, but he can learn how to make a basket. First, get him used to the ball. Start with something light, like a small beach ball, and put it on the ground. Every time your pooch touches it or pushes it with his nose, give him a treat. Once he's familiar with that, start throwing the ball up in the air so it lands near him. "When the dog goes to get it, treat him. Next, bounce it off his nose—you have to throw it off his nose and get him used to that," says Karen Halligan, DVM, director of veterinary services at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Los Angeles. Once he's mastered bumping the beach ball off of his nose, you can upgrade to either a volleyball or basketball. Bump (or toss) a volleyball back and forth with him, like this pooch. Or get him used to bumping the basketball, eventually doing it near the hoop until he makes a basket. Afterwards, praise him and give him a treat. Sooner or later he'll figure out that making baskets means treats! Photo: iStock

Water Ski

To teach water skiing, it's probably best to put your pooch on a board instead of two skis because of balance issues. "First, try and get him used to the board on dry land," Dr. Halligan says. "But stop if he gets scared or if he's not enjoying it." The key, she says, is plenty of positive reinforcement when he does the right thing. If he doesn’t do it correctly, avoid negative reinforcement, otherwise, you run the risk of turning him off of the trick. Once your dog is used to the board, move him to a pool or a shallow body of water. "Get him comfortable balancing before you start pulling him around," she says. When he's used to being pulled around by you, then you can try with a boat, going very slow at first and gradually building up speed over time. Photo: Shutterstock

Play Piano

A variation of the "paw touch" (the move used when he “shakes hands” with you), train your dog to play piano by teaching him a general command and then associating it with the piano. First, put a large disc like a plastic container lid or Frisbee on the floor. Every time your pooch paws it, give him a treat and a positive command to reinforce the movement. Once he's figured out that if he touches the disc he gets a treat, you can create a smaller and smaller target. As soon as the target is small enough, put it on top of the piano’s keys and give the command. After mastering that, you can remove the disc and he'll go to the piano on command. "Many of these tricks are built up by having a lot of basic skills like touch, push, retrieve, etc.," Van Wye notes. Photo: iStock

Get a Drink from the Fridge

Whether it's a beer or a soda, you can train your pooch to get a drink from the fridge—but be forewarned, this trick involves quite a bit of work, and is best suited for medium- to large-sized dogs, such as a Golden retriever or Labrador retriever. "This is really advanced behavior because there are so many elements to it and everything has to be taught separately,” says Ashley Summers, a dog trainer at The Pet Staff in Los Angeles. “If you have an animal that's already good with retrieving, that's going to work in your favor." For starters, teach your dog to retrieve. Once your dog has proven his retrieval skills, you have to master opening and closing the fridge. To do this, tie a piece of rope to the door of the fridge and get him to touch it with his nose, providing a treat after he does. Once he's learned to touch the rope, get him to grab it in his mouth and reward him. Then, using a treat, teach him to pull the rope back without dropping it, which he'll be tempted to do in order to get the treat, Summers says. After he learns to open the fridge, teach him to retrieve the beverage, using the aforementioned retrieval skills. Summers recommends clearing out the shelf, so that the drink is the only thing on it and therefore easily accessible. Finally, teach him to jump up and push the door closed before bringing you the drink. Photo: iStock

Dance

While your pooch probably won't be able to do the merengue like this dog, you can train him to boogie down with you. "Getting him to stand on his hind legs is pretty easy; just place a treat by his nose and raise it and say, 'Up, up!' until he stands," says Summers. Once he's done that, hold it up for increasing amounts of time to build up how long he can hold the stance. "Once he's mastered that, then you can walk backward and get him to follow you, and walk forward so he'll back up." However, Summers notes that if you've taught him not to jump up on people, this trick might send him mixed messages. Photo: Anne-Louise Quarfoth/Thinkstock

Transport Your Kids

If you own a large, strong dog breed, such as a Saint Bernard, Alaskan malamute or dog of comparable size, this trick is for you. In a gated, safely enclosed area, you can hitch your dog to a wagon and teach him to pull it. Dr. Halligan recommends getting him used to the harness first. "Then you just hook up the harness to the cart and positively reinforce him to come with you. Go just a short distance at first. [With practice] he will be able to go longer distances," she says. Photo: iStock

Vocalize

Positive reinforcement will take you far with this type of trick. "Give him a treat and a command whenever he barks or makes a noise you want him to repeat," Dr. Halligan says. "Even when he sneezes, you give him a cookie and say, 'Sneeze.' Then repeat that until he can do a real sneeze when you say the command. It's really easy." Photo: iStock

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Show Microscopic Insects Coping With a Downpour

2012-03-03T10:47:00.001+01:00

They say its a bugs life, but a collection of new photos sheds a new light on the secret life of an insect. The images make them look more like aliens than insects.

Ondrej Pakan, from Myjava, Slovakia, captured the stunning series of microscopic insects following a downpour.

Secret life of a bug: Water droplets make this inset look twice the size

Ondrej Pakan, from Slovakia, captured the images using a special lense

Tiny droplets of water make the bugs take on an altogether different look - inflating them to a bigger size once they are covered in liquid.

In one eye catching photo an ant looks to be straining under the heavy weight of water droplets settling on his body.

Another shows a huge wasp about to take flight doused in water.

While one blue-eyed bug can be seen staring down the lens of Ondrej's camera - covered in dots of water.

Is that a wasp: The water droplets make the body of the wasp almost twice as big

An ant looks like it is struggling to cope under the weight of the water

The Slovakian photographer specialises in capturing the world's microscopic insects seconds after a downpour but also has to dodge the showers himself.

He said: 'I get soaked waiting for the rain to finish, but it all seems worth it when you get really great shots of the insects with drops on them.

This ladybird looks like it is carrying a huge visitor on its back but it is just a water droplet

The photos show up the tiny details of the insects which are impossible to see through the naked eye

'It's a challenge not letting your equipment get too wet in some of the more exotic locations.

'People seem to really like the colours and the way the water magnifies features of the insects.'

Ondrej used his trusty Canon 40D with a special lens to capture the amazing shots.

The minute detail of the small hairs on the body of the insect are shown in contrast to the bright colours of the creature

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8 Mighty Rivers Run Dry From Overuse

2012-03-01T16:23:00.001+01:00

Colorado River

This story is part of a special National Geographic News series on global water issues.

The Colorado River is one of the most used and contested waterways on Earth. It provides water for 30 million people, and has many dams and diversions along its 1,450 miles (2,333 kilometers).

Because it is so heavily tapped for agriculture, industry, and municipal uses along its course, the Colorado River rarely reaches its delta and the Gulf of California. About one-tenth of the river's former flow now makes it to Mexico, but most of that is used for farming and cities south of the border.

A growing coalition of advocates, including National Geographic, is working to restore some of the water in the Colorado, with hopes of regenerating the now-arid delta (previous image) and important ecosystems along the way.

More people have come to appreciate the vital role the river plays on both sides of the border. There is growing interest in removing some of the dams along its path, including the controversial Glen Canyon Dam near the Grand Canyon.

Indus River

Peering from a decoy, a hunter lifts his head above the water of the Indus River. The Indus is the primary source of freshwater for most of Pakistan, a fast-growing nation of more than 170 million people.

Waters from the Indus are drawn for household and industrial use, and support about 90 percent of the agriculture in the arid country. The Indus is one of the great rivers of the world, but it is now so exploited that it no longer flows into the ocean at the Port of Karachi.

Instead, in the words of New York Times writer Steven Solomon, the Indus is "dribbling to a meager end . . . Its once-fertile delta of rice paddies and fisheries has shriveled up." The lower Indus had been a lush ecosystem, supporting artisanal fishers and providing habitat to diverse species, including the critically endangered Indus River dolphin.

Choked off from its water supply, Karachi is plagued by increasingly brazen water thieves and riots over scarcity. Many in the water-stressed delta blame wealthy landowners upstream for taking water out of the river. As National Geographic News recently reported, tensions have been running high with neighboring India, which is home to the glaciers that feed the river, and which is planning more large-scale diversions.

Solomon concludes that Pakistan's water future is "grim," with the population expected to pass 220 million within a decade, and flows of the Indus to fall further in the wake of global warming. He points out that the country currently only has the capacity to store enough water for about 30 days’ use.

Even so, as National Geographic News reported, there are signs that India and Pakistan are cooperating better over water than they have in the past. Population growth in the region has been slowing, and there is rising awareness about the importance of protecting the world's great rivers.

Amu Darya River

Many schoolchildren know the sad tale of the Aral Sea, once the world's fourth largest inland water body with a surface of 26,000 square miles (67,300 square kilometers). The sea was once ringed with prosperous towns and supported a lucrative muskrat pelt industry and thriving fishery, providing 40,000 jobs and supplying the Soviet Union with a sixth of its fish catch.

The Aral Sea was originally fed by two of Central Asia's greatest rivers, the Amu Darya in the south and the Syr Darya in the north. The former is the longest river in the region, snaking through 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) of steppe.

But in the 1960s, the Soviets decided to make the steppes bloom. So they built an enormous irrigation network, including 20,000 miles of canals, 45 dams, and more than 80 reservoirs, all to irrigate sprawling fields of cotton and wheat in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The system was leaky and inefficient, however, and after several decades, the Amu Darya had lost so much of its flow that it no longer reached the Aral Sea. Today, it ends about 70 miles (110 kilometers) away.

Pictured is the Amu Darya a little ways upstream from where it dries out.

Although the Syr Darya fared somewhat better than its sister river, the Amu Darya, it was also heavily tapped and polluted. The Syr Darya starts in the Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and flows 1,374 miles (2,212 kilometers) toward what's left of the Aral Sea. (Pictured is a reach near Tashkent.)

In the 18th century, a system of canals was built on the river. These structures were greatly expanded by Soviet engineers during the 20th century, largely to grow vast quantities of cotton. Virtually the entire flow was diverted, leaving only a trickle into the inland sea.

The deputy director of Kazakhstan's agency for applied ecology, Malik Burlibaev, recently warned that "the Syr Darya is so polluted that water from it should not be used for drinking or for irrigation."

In the past few years, the World Bank has funded a dam and restoration project with the goal of improving the health of the Syr Darya and increasing the flow into what's left of the North Aral Sea.

Rio Grande River

One of the largest rivers in North America, the 1,885-mile (3,033-kilometer) Rio Grande runs from southwestern Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. It defines much of the border between Texas and Mexico. But the once grande river is looking more poco these days, thanks to heavy use on both sides of the border.

Less than a fifth of the Rio Grande's historical flow now reaches the Gulf. For a few years in the early 2000s, the river failed to reach the coast entirely. All that separated the United States from Mexico was a beach of dirty sand and an orange nylon fence.

Here, the river defines the international border across the Adams Ranch near Big Bend National Park.

Algae colors the confluence of the Rio Grande and Arroyo San Carlos.

The population in the Lower Rio Grande Valley is exploding in both the United States and Mexico, driven by NAFTA-era factories and agricultural productivity. But by the time it reaches Matamoros, the river's level is so low that it often falls below the Mexican city's intake pipes. Farmers in Texas say they lose $400 million annually due to lack of irrigation water.

The region's wetlands, once critical stopover points for migrating birds, are getting choked off. All these problems are made worse by the decades-long drought gripping the region.

Yellow River

The Yellow River is the second longest in China, after the Yangtze, and the sixth longest in the world, with a course of 3,395 miles (5,464 kilometers). The Yellow River was the cradle of the earliest known Chinese civilization, and it has a long and complex history in the region. Numerous floods over the centuries resulted in catastrophic loss of life, including a flood in 1931 that killed one to four million people.

Since 1972, the Yellow River has frequently run dry before reaching the sea, thanks to extensive diversion, largely for agriculture. In 1997, the lower Yellow River did not flow for a whopping 230 days. Such a dramatic decrease in water has choked off the ecologically rich delta, which is also eroding due to loss of silt.

In recent years, the Chinese government has taken steps to restore some of the water's flow, denying some farmers use along the way.

The Yellow River carries an unusually high amount of silt, so much that it deposits a layer through much of its course. This raises the level of the riverbed, in some cases above surrounding land. Eventually, the natural levees that develop fail, leading to massive flooding. The river also has tended to shift courses about once every hundred years.

There are several dams on the river, but their life expectancy is lessened due to the heavy load of silt.

Pictured, officials discharge as much as 3,500 cubic meters per second of water to try to flush out silt at the Xiaolangdi Reservoir. More than 300 million tons of sand from the lower Yellow River were flushed into the sea during four previous sand-washing operations.

Teesta River

The Teesta River flows 196 miles (315 kilometers) through the Indian state of Sikkim and into the Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh. It starts in the Himalaya, where it is fed by snowmelt, and then carves its way through temperate and tropical valleys.

The Teesta is often called the lifeline of Sikkim, but in recent years it has been so tapped for irrigation and other uses that it has largely dried up. Fishermen are no longer able to make a living along its banks, and thousands of farmers have lost their water supply.

Even so, India is going ahead with plans to build a new series of dams along the Teesta, in a bid to generate electricity. Geologists warn that the weight of sediments that pile up as a result could trigger earthquakes in the seismically active area.

Murray River

Some experts have warned that the troubles in Australia's Murray River Basin may be a harbinger of what other water-stressed regions can expect in a warming world, with rising human population. The Murray is Australia's longest and arguably most important river, stretching for 1,476 miles (2,375 kilometers) from the Australian Alps, across the inland plains to the Indian Ocean near Adelaide.

As a result of irrigation, the Murray Valley is Australia's most productive agricultural zone, and is widely known as the nation's food bowl. However, withdrawals have resulted in rising salinity, which threatens that agricultural productivity. The river is also the source of 40 percent of Adelaide's drinking water and most of the water for many smaller towns along its length.

Disruptions and diversions have reduced the flow so much that the mouth of the river closed due to silt formation at the beginning of the 21st century. Only dredging is able to keep the final channel open, both to the sea and the lagoon of nearby Coorong National Park.

The mouth of the Murray River, where a dredge keeps the pathway open.

The Murray faces other serious environmental threats, including polluted runoff, especially from farms in four Australian states, and introduction of invasive species, especially the European carp.

Similar problems affect the Darling River, which flows into the Murray at Wentworth. The Darling is known as a main waterway of the outback, but some years it is so tapped and affected by drought that it hardly flows at all.

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