Fox Trapped on Ice in Hudson River Rescued by Firefighters

A gray fox is finally safe after being trapped on ice under the Dunn Memorial Bridge.

Firefighters say they were passing through when someone flagged them down about the stranded fox. They first tried a tug boat, but it was too heavy, causing the ice to crack even more. Officials say they then called a rescue boat in, which made their mission a success — via alysmum.newsvine.com

Purrfect family: injured dog at Edmonton shelter nurses 5 pups and a kitten

She was a young, homeless single mom trying to raise a family of five, but true to the spirit of the season there was room for one more.

Esperanza had been badly injured when she was hit by a car, but the young shepherd-cross with the thick white coat was still managing to care for her newborn puppies – and a kitten – when she was found on a central Alberta reserve — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Fourth devil sanctuary begins

The effort to have an insurance population of healthy Tasmanian devils has been given a boost.

In parts of Tasmania up to 90 per cent of the devil population has been wiped out by a contagious cancer-like facial tumour disease.

The Devil Island Program has seen the development of three enclosures at sites around Tasmania and the establishment of a fourth free range enclosure has begun — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Metamaterials could camouflage ships

Metamaterials that can bend light in nearly any direction may hold the key to future military camouflage based on the chameleon-like photosensitive skin of the squid. Marine biologists collaborating with engineers and scientists at Rice University will develop the new metamaterial with a $6 million grant from the Office of Naval Research — via redwolf.newsvine.com