Your Couch Might Be Making Your Dog Sick

When the weather gets hot many dogs prefer to spend their day curled up on the couch, and if that couch happens to be more than seven years old, it could cause health problems for your pooch.

Couches and chairs made before 2004 were treated with a flame-retardant chemical called PBDE, and according to a study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, this chemical can enter the bloodstream of animals and cause health problems. Humans can be affected by this as well, but studies showed that PBDE levels in dogs tested were 5 to 10 times higher than in people.

PBDE has been taken off the market since 2004, but many people who have older sofas and own pets may want to consider buying newer furniture.

The Amazing African Grey Parrot

We all know that parrots and other birds can learn to talk, and they will often learn and imitate sounds and phrases they’re exposed to. However, the African grey parrot is one bird that has demonstrated abilities far beyond just imitation.

This first video shows an African grey named Alex who actually demonstrated the ability to count and determine shapes and color when working with researchers. Unfortunately Alex is no longer with us, but other parrots have since demonstrated these amazing abilities.

This next video is all about having fun. Einstein the African grey parrot is a huge star for her ability to imitate and do impressions of all kinds of things…

As incredible as these birds are, they’re quite a commitment to own as pets. So before you decide that a parrot is right for you, consider that African greys can live to be 60 years old!

How Bats Save You Money

The next time you buy bread, fruits or vegetables at the grocery store, take a moment and thank a bat. While they may not be the cutest creatures in the world, without these flying mammals you would likely be spending a lot more money on food.

In an article published by the Science journal this past spring, biologists reported that bats may save us up to 53 billion dollars per year in agricultural pest control. 70% of all bat species are insectivores, and even small brown bats no larger than a human thumb can eat up to eight grams of insects per night, drastically reducing the amount of pesticides we need to use on crops. Our hungry bat friends help the forest too. By reducing insect populations, trees and plants are less prone to dying from disease.

Unfortunately, diseases like white nose syndrome and the popularity of wind turbine power stations in the Great Plains are having a negative effect on bat populations. Conservationists are now working on ways to help protect and preserve these beneficial animals, which have declined up to 70% in some states in recent years.

Saving the California Condor

The California condor is the largest bird in North America. With their nearly 10 foot wingspans, these majestic scavengers have never had any real natural predators, yet they became nearly extinct just a few decades ago.

California condors were plentiful throughout the southwest United States and northern Mexico until relatively recently. However, loss of habitat, egg poaching, and incorrect assumptions by ranchers who thought the massive birds had actually killed the livestock carcasses they were feeding on led to the California condor’s decline. This combined with the fact that the birds mature and reproduce very slowly meant that even after the species received protection, populations did not recover.

In 1987, conservationists made the unprecedented move of capturing all 22 California condors remaining in the wild for a captive breeding program at California Zoos at a cost of 35 million dollars. By 1991, the birds began being reintroduced in the wild at national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in California and Arizona. California condors can live up to 60 years, and as of April, 2011, there are 181 of them living in the wild, with an additional 200 in captivity. Hopefully this majestic animal, a symbol for the southwest its native tribes, will flourish again in years to come.

An Emperor Penguin in New Zealand?

People were shocked this past Tuesday morning on Peka Peka Beach in New Zealand when an Emperor Penguin came waddling out of the water. Somehow this penguin, whose natural habitat is Antarctica, ended up 4000 miles away on New Zealand’s north island. Wildlife experts assume that the bird got disoriented while hunting for food in the ocean, and may have made much of the journey on an ice floe. This is the country’s first wild penguin sighting in over 40 years.

Conservationists originally decided that it would be best to not interfere and hope that the penguin, estimated to be about 10 months old, would find its way back home. However, the penguin has recently been taken to a zoo hospital, as it has become ill from eating wet sand, mistaking it for snow.

The penguin has been named Happy (after the movie Happy Feet), and everyone is hoping he’ll be healthy enough to be released soon.

Source

Oryx: The "Arabian Unicorn"

From the side, with their luminous white coats and the appearance of a single horn, it’s easy to see where the Arabian oryx got its nickname. Historically common throughout the Middle East, the oryx, a type of antelope, was driven to extinction in the wild in the early 1970’s.

Photo: National Geographic

However, National Geographic is reporting that wild Arabian oryx numbers have now surpassed 1000, marking the first time in history that an animal once extinct in the wild has recovered to the point of no longer being considered endangered. Hopefully, this and other future conservation efforts will be able to help pull even more amazing species’ of animals back from the brink of extinction!

The Goose Parade

A video that's been making the rounds lately shows a flock of geese marching in a parade in Belgium that's apparently been thrown just for them! I've seen videos of geese flying next to planes, but this is new to me!

Camels of the American West

When you think of the American West in the 1800’s, the animals that usually come to mind are horses, bison, and donkeys, right? Well, for a short time in the 19th century, you could add camels to that list as well.

Dromedary camel. Photo: Jron

Known throughout the world for their capabilities in dry and harsh conditions, camels appeared to be an ideal choice for U.S. Army troops stationed in the desert southwest to use as pack animals. The idea gained ground in the 1850s when it was given support by U.S. senators’ Jefferson Davis and George Perkins Marsh, who convinced congress to appropriate $30,000 to purchase a herd of 50, along with native drivers.

The first camel shipment arrived in Texas in 1856, and the animals proved their worth to the Army almost immediately, moving across terrain impossible for horses to traverse while requiring very little water. An additional 41 camels arrived early the next year, and the animals set to work surveying and hauling loads throughout the southwest. Politicians attempted to lobby congress to purchase an additional 1000 camels, but with the Civil War looming the idea was quickly abandoned.

Ex-Army camel in Canada, 1860's

After the “Camel Corps” idea was scrapped, most of the remaining animals were either sold off to private owners, or simply set free by soldiers ordered to return east for the war effort. Some owners attempted to use their camels for freight hauling and packing businesses, but were largely unsuccessful, leading to a small feral camel population in the western U.S. and Canada. The last feral Army camels were spotted in the early 1930’s in California and British Columbia. And although none have been seen since, it is rumored that descendants of those original Army camels still roam the southwest today.

Local Animal Shelter Breaks Adoption Record

In local animal news, one of our biggest area animal shelters, Kansas City's Wayside Waifs, had their Adopt-A-Thon this past weekend, offering half-price adoptions on Saturday and Sunday. Amazingly, the shelter set an all-time record with 316 animals adopted!

Photo: Kimberley Wall via The Examiner

 Wayside Waifs was one of many animal shelters in the Midwest that volunteered to take on lost and orphaned animals after the tornadoes that affected our area in May. With over 300 pets on their way to happy homes after this weekend, this no doubt gives them a lot of extra space!

One Hungry Lion, Two Nervous Parents!

A video that’s been making the rounds lately shows a family visiting the lion area at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado. Their 1 year-old son is quite interested in being up close and personal with a lioness, who seems just as interested in him! With only an inch of safety glass between lion and baby, it’s no wonder his parents were a little nervous!

Lioness - Photo: Schuyler Shepherd