Animals in Golf

Today we are going to look at the Golf Course itself. The main purpose of a golf course's design is to provide myriad and varied challenges to sinking that little ball into that really tiny hole. The fact that they make the courses beautiful and a haven for some animal species is an added bonus. Links courses in particular, with their proximity to the coast and more natural settings become animal habitats.

Whether animals live on the course or not, they are certainly referenced there. How many of us have been stymied by that "Dog-leg to the left?" I don't mind the ones to the right, I have a terrible slice. The term "Dog-leg" refers to just that, the shape of a dog's hind leg. From hip to paw, the dog's leg first goes in one direction, and then at the ankle, turns to the other direction. The purpose for the dog is to make him an agile, fast and powerful hunter. The purpose on the golf course is to obscure the hole from the tee box. (Like it wasn't hard enough all ready.)

Have you ever landed in the "kitty litter," – the sand trap? Or worse yet, in the "jungle," – the rough? Both terms are self-explanatory. The one that continues to baffle, however, is the Scottish term for the fringe of grass that separates the fairway from the green. They call it the "Frog Hair." We all know frogs don't have hair, so here's the challenge. You're a smart group. Can any of you tell me how that term came about?



Thanks to Trooney for the photograph.

Animals in Golf

We are in a bit of a Sports/Animals theme with the NCAA National Championships. (To be fair, we need to say "Congratulations Lady Vols" for your win yesterday!) This week hosts another "major" sporting event that incorporates many animal phrases and references in the game. From its scoring to its history to its playing layout and surfaces, animal terms abound. The game's greatest player is even named Tiger. Of course I'm talking about The Masters.

Legend has it that golf was invented by bored shepherds in Scotland. While tending their flocks, the shepherds would occupy themselves by using their crooks to whack rocks into distant rabbit holes. As happens with humans, the pastime became competitive and the most addictive and frustrating of all sports was born.

Think you're the only one who has snuck away from work to grab a quick 9 holes? James II, King of Scotland, forced an Act of Parliament in 1457 banning golf. Seems his archers and soldiers were too busy playing the game to attend to their military training. Even so, to actually ban the sport offends my Scottish sensibilities. Probably why neither the ban, nor James II lasted for very long.

So "Thank You" to the astoundingly placid nature of sheep. Their unvaried, daily grazing gave the shepherds plenty of empty time. And "Thank You" to rabbits. Their proliferation provided plenty of chances for a "hole in one."

National Basketball Championship

Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk! KU!

Congratulations to the Men's KU Basketball Team – National Champions!

Did it really happen?



Yes, it did!

National Basketball Championship

We had fun matching up Mascots for the Big 12 Basketball Tournament. Now that the Kansas Jayhawks will be playing in the finals of the Men's National Championship, let's see if the Memphis Tigers can measure up – Animal-wise.

You can find the definition of a Jayhawk in our March Blog archives. Remember, a Jayhawk is not a real bird, but an amalgam of a Blue Jay and a Sparrow Hawk. A rather formidable creature if it ever did hatch into existence.

Tigers are the largest of all the wild cats. There are 6 recognized sub-species and they roam throughout Asia. Tigers are an apex predator; there is no more dominant animal in their environment. They prefer large game, such as buffalo, elk and boar. Although they can leap higher than any other cat, save the American Mountain Lion, tigers do not hunt birds. They do, however, kill an average of 50 people a year.

What does all this mean for the National Championship? Besides it promising to be a wonderful game, I really can't say. How do we at the Jungle Store want it to turn out? I'll answer by leaving you with another interesting animal fact. The Tiger's saliva contains natural antiseptics. All the better to lick its wounds with.

Thanks to KennKiser and Morgue File for the photo.

Meet the Staff

Today it is my turn to share about my family’s companions. Owen is a lovely boy, supposedly a Flame-point Siamese. He is a rescue, found at a city-run shelter that has a very limited budget. Unfortunately, this shelter has a strict 1-week policy. If the owner does not come forward within 1 week, the animal is euthanized. Owen had been reprieved twice because the shelter workers loved him and believed he was a wonderful cat who deserved a chance at life. We found him at his third week in the shelter – third time’s a charm! Owen has the best personality I have ever seen in a cat, and I’ve owned some cats. He is a confident, playful, joyous companion.


Ensign is our Airedale. A long awaited friend. When Ensign was 18 months old, he had a massive seizure. We were terrified. What was wrong with our lovely dog? After testing, we found that Ensign had Epilepsy. An Epileptic Airedale. What were we to do?


Epilepsy is NOT an infrequent affliction among some pure-breed dogs - Beagles, Border Collies, Poodles, Collies and Spaniels in particular. Dogs can live long and happy lives, even when they suffer from Epilepsy. If your dog is diagnosed with Epilepsy, listen to your vet and understand that you have a dog that may need a bit more care. They do NOT need to be put down. Our dog takes daily medication. He plays with my sons, goes for long walks, knows all of his training and tries to steal food from the table. About every 6 months he has a seizure. It still scares us, but now we know what to do. We make sure he is comfortable, keep him safe and give him a quiet place to recover when the seizure is over. Ensign is now 5 years old, and is a wonderful member of our family. So what if he occasionally needs a little extra care. Who doesn’t?

Meet the Staff

One of our Interns has these two adorable pups as his companions. The little brownish guy is Oliver. Oliver is a mere 6 months old. According to his owner, Oliver's favorite activity is pooping in the house. Let's hope he finds a new hobby. Oliver is a Yorkshire Terrier, aka Yorkie.

The white dog is Murphy. Our intern says, "Murphy is the greatest dog that ever lived! Period!" Murphy is about 3 years old and, since he has better bathroom habits, he is allowed to go visiting. Murphy enjoys visiting. He is a Yorkie Maltese mix.

Hybrid dogs are becoming the latest, greatest fad with people paying high prices for Labradoodles (Labrador Retriever/Poodle), Cockapoos (Cocker Spaniel/Poodle), Pugles (Pug/Beagle) and, of course, Malkies, like our friend Murphy. Purests are not sure why the hybrids are gaining such popularity, especially here in America. Could it be that we Americans just want what we want? Even when it comes to our dogs?

Meet the Staff

The Manager of The Jungle Store is such an animal lover, she won't even eat them! She has owned Rats, Guinea Pigs, Frogs, Ducks, Geese, Turtles, Hamsters, Hedgehogs, Cockatiels, Gerbils, Chinchillas, Mice (which were saved from being fed to the class snake) and Fish. She would have shared her life with more critters, but her brother had pet allergies.

14 Million Americans suffer allergic reactions to pets. This is primarily caused by the pet's dander – tiny bits of skin that slough off daily. There are dog and cat breeds that cause only mild reactions, sometimes none at all. While researching the pet that is best suited to you and your family, you may wish to take the "allergy factor" into account.

Now that our Manager has her own home, she shares her life with these friends:
Hermit crabs Mr. Crabs, Crabby Patty and Patrick Star (he's the one in the pink shell). Some might say that Hermit crabs are easy to tend to, but they do require special care and a warm, moist environment.

Raisin is her owner's favorite companion. She was chosen out of foster care when she was 8 months old. Her mom was a Shar Pei, her dad, a mystery. Raisin loves to sleep, nap and dress-up. She's a great runner and finished third in our local Dog & Jog race. She promises a first place finish this year.

Meet the Staff

25% of the dogs that enter an animal shelter are purebred. Luke was one of those 25%. His original owner released him to the shelter, complaining that the dog was untrainable. On the shelter's release form, this man admitted that his method of training was hitting/kicking the 8lb miniature pinscher. In frustration at the dog's lack of obedience, this owner finally chained the dog outside, 24 hours a day. That isn't a life for any animal, let alone one so small and delicate.

By the time Luke got to the shelter he was 10 months old and 4lbs underweight. Due to past treatment by his owner, Luke was classified with "issues" and slated for euthanasia. Back then our employee was a behavior specialist at the shelter. She knew with hard work, patience and love she could save this dog. Despite a self-made promise that she would not adopt, Luke joined her family. 3 years later he is a model (if mischievous) canine citizen.

Share your animal stories and photos. We'll post them.

Meet the Staff

Hope you enjoyed our little joke yesterday. Of course we don't have such exotic pets here at The Jungle Store. Those animals all require special, knowledgeable care to stay happy and healthy. We understand that to take on the responsibility of a pet is a commitment we hold for that pet's lifetime. Sometimes situations happen that make it impossible to keep our pets. In these cases it is still the owner's responsibility to see that the pet finds a new home or is placed in the care of a reputable shelter.

Approximately 10 million animals enter shelters every year. Only one quarter of these animals end up being adopted. Some may be reclaimed by their owners. A staggering 60% of dogs and 70% of cats in shelters end up being euthanized due to over-crowding, aggressiveness, illness and/or lack of adoptability.

Our next Staff Member (she handles Customer Care) looked for just such an "unadoptable" companion. At a local shelter she found Roscoe. Roscoe wasn't aggressive. He wasn't old. He wasn't sick. What classified Roscoe as unadoptable were . . . ahem . . . his looks. To some, Roscoe lacked a certain canine aesthetic. Was it the wart on his nose? Could it be the scruffy coat and uneven ears? Perhaps because of his prominent lower lip? (Have you ever seen a dog with lips?) Regardless, he languished until our Staff person saw his inner beauty. Roscoe is a dog who enjoys other dogs and people, long walks on the beach and an energetic game of tug-o-war. But most of all, Roscoe enjoys just sitting with his owner, radiating unquestionable affection, loyalty and love. What can be more beautiful than that?

Roscoe P. Coltrain III

Meet the Staff

Do you know of any company pets? Surely you've walked into a little boutique or a quirky bookstore and been met by the cat, dog, budgie or bunny that thinks they run things. Interaction with animals reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and prolongs your good health. We, at the Jungle Store, take our health very seriously and so our President has made sure to give us plenty of company pets to keep us calm and happy.

Malcom likes to stay close by our office's front doors. He's great at letting us know when guests arrive.

We have to keep Norton and Bruno at opposite ends of the warehouse. They tend to fight. Once we installed the company pool though, Norton got a lot happier. He spends the majority of his day there. The staff won't swim with him anymore as he tends to splash.

Patty, Maxine and Laverne help us oversee climate control. They get rather territorial about that thermostat.

Last week it was my turn to sort out a brief altercation among the Jamison Brothers. I don't know how many times we have to say it. Everybody gets just one donut on Fridays.

Iggy spends the warmer part of the day keeping the parkway free of weeds. What would we do without him?

Susan tends to the landscaping. She'll probably need more staff before the summer is over.


Last but not least, when something absolutely, positively must be there overnight, we ask Spike to take it. He's got a way with big packages.

Happy April Fools