Tyrannosaurus dinosaur skeleton sold amid controversy

By
21 May 2012
1 min read
Leave a comment
In History, Science, Wildlife
875 views

A row has broken out over the sale of a dinosaur skeleton at auction in the US.

The rare Tyrannosaurus Bataar, seven metres long (23ft), was bought by an anonymous bidder for more than $1m (£630,000) in New York.

The sale went ahead despite protests from the Mongolian president.

Elbegdorj Tsakhia says the skeleton, unearthed in the Gobi Desert, came from Mongolia and that exporting fossils found in the country is illegal.

The auctioneers, Heritage Auctions, say the specimen was imported legally. A restraining court order in the name of Mr Tsakhia was put on the sale.

Tyrannosaurus Bataar is an Asian cousin of the meat-eating Tyrannosaurus Rex — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Puma Cubs / Exmoor Zoo

By
21 May 2012
36 second read
Leave a comment
In Wildlife
787 views

The UK’s Exmoor Zoo just announced the birth of three beautiful Puma cubs! Born on 31 March, the zoo kept them a secret until they could be seen at the mouth of their den in their enclosure. These five-week-old cubs look nothing like their parents as they are all covered in camouflaging spots — via ZooBorns

Jaguar Cubs / San Diego Zoo

By
20 May 2012
58 second read
Leave a comment
In Wildlife
773 views

One of two Jaguar cubs born at the San Diego Zoo on 27 April takes its turn on the scale. The 12-day-old cub, which weighs 1.9kg, is still too young to get on and off the scale on its own. The two unnamed siblings will remain in the den for a couple of months until they are able to walk outdoors on their own. Keepers have yet to determine the sex of the cubs. The pair are the first Jaguars born at the San Diego Zoo since 1989 — via ZooBorns

Rabid mountain lion in attack mode no match for Chino Valley man and his frying pan

By
19 May 2012
3 min read
Leave a comment
In Weird, Wildlife
846 views

If someone told you they killed a rabid mountain lion with a frying pan, would you believe it?

Chino Valley resident Brandon Arnold has such a story, and he has witnesses to prove it.

Arnold, 24, his girlfriend Tessa Gerdes and seven of their Chino Valley friends, including three children, were camping 4 May at a remote spot on the Tonto National Forest, near the Verde River off Bloody Basin Road, when the story of a lifetime unfolded.

They were getting ready to make breakfast at about 6.45am when a large animal jumped out of the bushes onto the back of Arnold’s dog Apollo, a 90-pound lab-pit bull mix.

It was hard to tell what it was when it jumped out of there covered with grass and smelling like a skunk, Arnold’s friend Donald Jones said. I thought it was somebody’s dog, so I was just pissed off somebody brought a mean dog to camp.

Jones grabbed the neck of both the animals to try to pull them apart.

That’s when they all figured out the other animal wasn’t a dog.

Jones let go real fast.

I started screaming at the top of my lungs, ‘Holy (bleep), it’s a mountain lion!’ Arnold recalled.

The lion ran into the mesquite bushes and Apollo ran after it while the men frantically looked for the nearest weapon. Jones grabbed a camping table and Arnold grabbed a 14-inch cast-iron skillet heating up on the propane stove. Arnold got to the lion and dog fight first and did what he had to do to save Apollo.

The first time I had a clear shot I just swung the pan and hit him right on the head, Arnold said. It was like a cartoon — he just kind of stopped and I hit him again. He got stiff and fell over — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Space Octopus Cover / SKumpf

By
13 May 2012
31 second read
Leave a comment
In Art, Wildlife
2614 views

The project was to do a comic page and cover. I had doodled the original sketch for this page awhile ago during another comic page project and I love the connection between deep space and deep sea so i was excited to go about it — via deviantART

South African police seize $7 million in assets from suspected rhino poachers

By
10 May 2012
1 min read
Leave a comment
In Wildlife
761 views

Police in South Africa have confiscated nearly $7 million in assets from three suspected rhino poachers, two of whom are veterinarians.

The assets were seized from Dawie Groenewald, owner of a safari business, and veterinary surgeons Karel Toet and Manie Du Plessis. The men were in 2010 charged with 1,872 counts of racketeering in what police described as one of South Africa’s biggest wildlife crime cases.

South Africa, which is home to most of the world’s 21,000 rhinos, is facing a massive poaching crisis.

The country has seen a dramatic rise in poaching since 2008, with 448 of the endangered animals killed last year. The brutal killing of rhinos is fuelled by the soaring demand for their horns in China and particularly Vietnam — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Tests confirm sighting of endangered tiger quoll

By
7 May 2012
1 min read
Leave a comment
In Science, Wildlife
659 views

A critically-endangered marsupial has been seen in the Otway Ranges for the first time in a decade.

Scientists have spent the last decade trying to confirm whether or not they are still alive in the wild in south-western Victoria.

Last month, Matthew Morton spotted what he thought was a tiger quoll outside his property in the eastern Otways.

“There was a ginger and white-spotted animal that sort of looked like an oversized possum,” he said.

The animal’s faeces were collected and DNA testing has confirmed it was a tiger quoll — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Wolf dog to patrol Angola

By
3 May 2012
56 second read
Leave a comment
In Wildlife
675 views

A state judge granted a reprieve Tuesday to a wolf dog hybrid he ordered destroyed for aggressive behaviour, instead sentencing the animal to serve a life term as a guard dog in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

Judge James Best of 18th Judicial District Court signed an order releasing custody of Chief to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections at the request of prison officials who want to use the animal as a guard dog at Angola — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Previous 99 100 101102 103 Next