Dogs Trained to Push a Grocery Cart

They may not know how to choose the best produce, but these two pups in Shenyang, China, have their grocery shopping down to a science. The dogs were trained for years by their owner, a local woman by the name of Ms. Wang, and have learned to carry a handbag and push a cart full of vegetables. No word on whether the little guys put away the groceries, too. But we’re willing to bet they definitely enjoy eating their purchases!

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Environmental Stress Might Be Shrinking Polar Bears

A new research has indicated that environmental stress could be causing physical changes in the bears, making them shrink over the last
century.

According to a report by BBC News, the conclusion was arrived at by scientists after comparing bear skulls from the early 20th Century with those from the latter half of the century.

Their study describes changes in size and shape that could be linked an increase in pollution and the reduction in sea ice.

Physical “stress” caused by pollutants in the bears’ bodies, and the increased effort needed to find food, could limit the animals’ growth, according to the team.

The researchers used skulls as indicators of body size. The skulls from the later period were between two and 9 percent smaller. “Because the ice is melting, the bears have to use much more energy to hunt their prey,” explained Cino Pertoldi, professor of biology from Aarhus University and the Polish Academy of Science, and lead scientist in this study. “Imagine you have two twins, one is well fed during its growth and one is starving. (The starving) one will be much smaller, because it will not have enough energy to allocate to growth,” he said.

The team, which included colleagues from Aarhus University’s Department of Arctic Environment, also found shape differences between the skulls from the different periods. “This development was slightly more mysterious,” said Dr Pertoldi.

He explained that it was not possible to determine the cause, but that the changes could be linked to the environment – more specifically to pollutants that have built up in the Arctic, and in the polar bears’ bodies.

The aim of the study was to compare two groups of animals that lived during periods when sea ice extent and pollution levels were very different. The pollutants that the scientists focused on were compounds containing carbon and halogens – fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine.

Some of these compounds have already been phased out, but many still have important uses in industry. These include solvents, pesticides, refrigerants, adhesives and coatings. The changes, according to the team, could also be related to a reduction in the genetic diversity of the species.

Hunting over the last century could have depleted the gene pool, leaving polar bears to suffer the effects of inbreeding, according to Dr Pertoldi.

“We also know from previous studies that some chlorinated chemical pollutants have affected the fertility of the females,” he said.

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Rebel with Pettattoos….

Remember when you were a pretty young thing, bristling on the edge of tween awkwardness and teenage… awkwardness?

Nothing decimates the wide-eyed innocence of childhood quite like the first time a prepubescent waltzes into a novelty store lined with blacklight posters and clip-on belly button rings. It’s here that every child realizes they have the chance to develop an attitude, a persona — via a rub-on tattoo.

Well, now that same experience has gone to the dogs.

Described as a “safe, fun, and non-toxic [way to] give them the voice they always wanted,” the Petattoo is a soft rubber foam stamp that gives your pup the same chance to brand himself a “Lil’ Devil,” “Butt Sniffer,” or “Poop Machine,” as you may have once done yourself. Replete with an ergonomic handle meant to make the stamps “easy to use” (although, really, how hard could it be?), the reusable Petattoos come off easily with just water and paper towel, promising Fido’s humiliation be only a temporary.

Just be careful; the next thing you know, your pooch will be coming home way after curfew.

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Creatures Nearing Extinction

Typically, a species becomes extinct 10 million years after its first appearance. Up to 99.9% of all species that have ever existed have become extinct

Amazonian manatee
These large, gentle mammals have forelimbs that have modified into flippers, and a paddle at the rear of their body. When Douglas and I set off to find them 20 years ago, we only saw a pair of nostrils disappearing underwater. But Stephen and I found a rescue centre, where an orphaned manatee was about to be released into the wild.We both found it deeply moving, because the rescuers showed such love and tenderness to the little manatee. Here, on our first few weeks together, I saw just how deeply out of his comfort zone Stephen was.

We slept on a tiny wooden boat with nowhere for Stephen to plug in his mobile phone or laptop. He was so optimistic that he always carried several phones in the hope of getting a signal in the middle of the Amazon.

The crew and I quickly realised that if we wanted Stephen to trek up a hill, we only had to say, ‘There’s probably a signal there,’ and he would hike up without complaining. He never found a signal, but he did lose more than four stone.

Northern White rhino
Nine months after Stephen’s accident, we resumed our journey. We flew to the Democratic Republic of Congo to find the northern white rhino. We planned to go into the Garamba National Park to find it, but we were warned by UN forces that the park was swarming with rebel soldiers.
Under threat: The northern white rhino lives in the politically unstable Democratic Republic of Congo

Stephen’s high profile meant that we would be at risk of kidnap. It was such a tough decision – we had come on a mission, and it was so hard not to just travel across the river and face the danger.

Sadly, we decided not to risk it. Instead, we sat among a family of mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest just over the border in Uganda. One baby gorilla even tripped over Stephen’s size 12 boots, and the mother gave him such a glare.

Aye-aye
In Madagascar, this gremlin like creature is thought to bring bad luck. It is killed on sight, and we were stunned to learn that if an aye-aye wanders into a village, the entire village is burned to the ground and rebuilt again, to ‘rid’ it of any bad omens.

One night, after wandering around with our torches, Stephen and I found two aye-ayes high in the treetops. It was our first real success in seeing one of these endangered species in the wild, and we were both elated.

The Bob Ross Of Cat Massage Tells Us that Petting Is Passé

Of course there’s nothing strange about pet massage in and of itself, but this may be the most insane video we’ve ever seen.The unnamed, blissed out pet masseuse comes off like the Bob Ross of kitty massage. “‘Remember the old Simon & Garfunkel song? ‘Slow down, you’re movin’ too fast!’ That says a lot about life and about cat massage.” So true! What other nuggets of sage wisdom can cat massage teach us about our lives?

* “If you’re right handed, use your right hand. Left handers, use left.”
* “We touch all the time, so why not be the best at it? Like the touch of a fairy.”
* “You can’t fool drool!”

Yes, she seems a bit off her nut. Still, cat massage isn’t necessarily a bad idea. The subtext here, though, seems to be that it will work out a lot better for you and your cat if you’re both on prescription mood stabilizers to begin with. Bellyrama!

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