Lovers of pets and the planet, San Francisco-based PLAY offers an Under the Sea collection with a clam, turtle, starfish, crab and a giant squid to make your beloved dog go crazy. Inside each plush toy is a squeaker but also eco-friendly, certified-safe filler made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles; it’s built to last for hours and hours of entertainment — via Cool Hunting
Denver Zoo’s two, two-month-old lion cubs made their public debut this morning in the maternity yard of Benson Predator Ridge. Visitors may now see male Kalu (pronounced Kuh-LOO) and female Kamara (pronounced Ka-MAR-uh), along with the rest of the Zoo’s lion pride, as they explore their new habitat– via Youtube
Edible Geography readers have perhaps heard of pollinator pathways
, an initiative to thread together isolated pockets of green space into nectar-filled corridors, in order to give butterflies and bees easier passage across otherwise unfriendly urban expanses of concrete and asphalt. A recent article in British Airways’ High Life magazine about efforts to save Kenya’s last remaining elephants introduced me to an interesting twist on the concept of bee-based landscape design: honey fences
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Although the main threat to the elephants’ survival is ivory-market driven poaching, a significant number are also killed each year following altercations with local villagers. As Angela Carr-Hartley, director of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, politely put it, These communities have mixed feelings about an elephant coming into their smallholdings overnight, as they can wreak havoc eating the crops.
Zoologist Lucy King came up with the honey fence solution, which takes advantage of the fact that elephants are terrified by the sound of bees. (The delicate skin inside their trunks is apparently particularly vulnerable to being stung.) King had read that elephants tend to avoid acacia trees, usually a favourite food, if bees have built a hive in the branches. Based on that initial insight, and after several years of behavioral experiments, including playing elephants the sound of disturbed bees from a hidden loudspeaker and filming their reaction, King developed the honey fence system: a series of hives, suspended at ten-metre intervals from a single wire threaded around wooden fence posts. If an elephant touches either a hive or the wire, all the bees along the fence line feel the disturbance and swarm out of their hives in an angry, buzzing cloud — via redwolf.newsvine.com
Prospect Park Zoo‘s red panda cub duo is super active exploring their exhibit — via Youtube
— via rubyetc
Featherweight fabric has a smooth sheet-like weight and finish, designed for those who like cooler bedding on warm nights. All item have come standard with a solid cream colour reverse side — via Etsy
Weird anthropomorphic, gaudily painted concrete octopus slides lurk within hundreds of Japanese playgrounds, silently traumatising generations of kids. These playground octopi climbing frame/slide installations are so common and have been around for so long, it’s really no surprise Japanese parents are nonplussed by their ominous presence — doubtless they played on the very same structures when they were kids — via Urbanist
As part of the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art’s annual California Sculpture SLAM, Oakland artistCourtney Brown unveiled this unwieldly typing device titled Self Organisation
, that went on to win first place. Brown used a 1938 Underwood typewriter affixed with sculpted bronze tentacles — via Colossal
Meadow Argus Butterfly originally uploaded by Red Wolf
This giant octopus is lovingly hand knit by Emily Willmann. It will class up any dorm room or toy bin. This octopus is made from 100% acrylic yarn, and is filled with 100% super soft polyester fibre fill. Octopus number 94 is Caribbean blue, with lime green tentacles, and hand painted green safety eyes. This giant octopus is knit on a pair of needles generally intended for chunky sweaters, so it is truly giant, measuring just over two feet long from tentacle to tentacle — via Etsy
Italian Cypress Pencil Pine (Cupressus sempervirens ‘glauca’ Conifer) and Caper White Butterfly originally uploaded by Red Wolf
These squid are lovingly hand knit by Emily Willmann. They have firmly attached hand painted safety eyes. They are made of 100% Peruvian wool yarn, filled with new polyester blend fibre fill. This baby squid is about 17 inches long overall, with contrast color on the inside of all tentacles and arms. #71 is orange with maroon tentacles and hand painted blue safety eyes — via Etsy
This handpainted knobbed double butter dish is as useful as it is pretty. This dish will hold two sticks of butter or even cheese. The plate pattern contrasts with the lid to make a beautiful art piece, which will look great sitting out on your kitchen counter — via Etsy
A baby Capybara, born 19 October at Chester Zoo, explores its surroundings for the first time with mum — via Youtube
Brushed stainless steel earring measure 25mm at widest point and 0.3mm rhick. Octopuses are attached to surgical steel posts with a strong adhesive. Titanium butterfly backs are included. Please handle the intricate tentacles with care — via Etsy
Fox plays on the golf course by stealing man’s golf club cover — via Youtube
Do you ever get the feeling that your Overlord might be watching? Does he approve of your choice in attire? How can you do your part in converting the innocent to the way of the Cepholopod? While we can’t stop the All-Seeing One from smiting you when he takes over the earth, we can help you get on his good side! Nothing says I’m a willing minion
like this adorable polar fleece squid hat — via Etsy
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