animals
Magawa, Cambodian hero rat who detected more than 65 undetonated landmines, dies at age 8
- A Cambodian rat who won a medal for heroism after detecting more than 65 undetonated landmines and explosive ordinances has passed away at the age of eight.
- The rat, named Magawa, was an African giant pouched rat who worked for several years in Cambodia before retiring in June of 2020. His death was announced Tuesday.
A Cambodian rat who won a medal for heroism has died at the age of 8, according to an announcement on Tuesday by the Belgian charity that trained him.
The rat, named Magawa, was an African giant pouched rat from Tanzania who was trained by Belgian charity APOPO to detect undetonated landmines and explosive ordinances. He began his career in 2016 and in 2020 was awarded the first People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Gold Medal for his work.
Video: Rogue buffalo in China charges through restaurant entrance, tosses unsuspecting customer
- A viral video from Dec. 31 shows a buffalo crashing through the front of a restaurant in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, in Eastern China.
- In the dramatic scene, a bystander is tossed into the air by the horned animal, who apparently had escaped from a butcher.
- The man was reportedly taken to a local hospital to be treated for injuries to his leg.
A rogue buffalo, who apparently escaped from a butcher in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, in Eastern China, charged into a restaurant, injuring at least one bystander.
The video shows two men standing by a counter in the restaurant when suddenly an enormous horned buffalo bursts through the plastic panels at the front of the building and tosses one of the men into the air.
Not having it: Adorable golden retriever ‘defends’ grandma from fruit-stealing man
A golden retriever has gone viral after it appeared to playfully defend a grandmother from a man who ate from a bowl of cut fruit meant for the elderly woman.
The video of the chivalrous golden retriever was first shared on Reddit and spread across Instagram.
‘Will it make it home?’: An eagle from Asia has been lost traveling around North America for over a year
A Stellar Sea Eagle from Asia who is thousands of miles away from home has been traveling around North America for more than a year.
The lost eagle: The sea eagle, whose species is native to Japan, Korea, China and Russia, was first seen in the summer of 2020 in Alaska and last spotted two weeks ago along the Taunton River in Massachusetts, reported NPR.
Panda-monium: Giant panda escaping his Beijing Zoo enclosure is bear-y cute
A panda recently went viral for escaping its enclosure at the Beijing Zoo.
The “Kung Fu Panda”: The 6-year-old panda named Meng Lan stunned visitors by climbing over a six-foot-tall metal fence on Dec. 15.
Chinese zoo sparks outrage for forcing cigarette on baby monkey for ‘anti-smoking campaign’
A Chinese zoo has deleted a viral video of a baby monkey smoking a cigarette after facing backlash from social media users.
“Anti-smoking campaign”: In Hengshui Wildlife Park in China’s Hebei province, a baby macaque named Banjin was filmed smoking a cigarette for the park’s “anti-smoking campaign,” reported The Science Times.
‘I have been waiting for my owner for seven years’: ‘Lonely’ shiba inu fetches $25K at Chinese auction
An 8-year-old male shiba inu, which was abandoned by its owner at a foster care center for pets in 2014, recently fetched over 160,000 yuan (around $25,000) at an auction in China.
Boi finds a home: The dog named Deng Deng was put up for auction with a starting bid of 500 yuan ($78) on Wednesday morning by the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing, reported South China Morning Post.
The groundbreaking legal fight to free Happy the lonely elephant by granting her the same rights as a person
Animal rights activists are hoping New York’s highest court can finally grant freedom to Happy, the female Asian elephant who has been held in captivity in the Bronx Zoo most of her life.
The pursuit of Happy’s happiness: Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP), the animal rights group leading the fight for Happy’s freedom, is relying on the New York Court of Appeals to recognize the elephant’s “personhood” in a last-ditch effort to save her, reported Time.
‘It’s like ‘Game of Thrones’’: Otter clans wage war over space in Singapore
Smooth-coated otters may be few in the wild but they’re thriving in the Singaporean metropolis.
Clash of the clans: Beyond a lack of natural predators, these city otters use Singapore’s waterways as an ideal highway for moving around and for access to an abundance of fresh fish, according to BBC Earth.
Chinese Hotel Sparks Outrage After Offering 24/7 Polar Bear Attraction
Animal rights activists have expressed heavy criticism over a hotel in Heilongjiang province, China where live polar bears are used as a 24/7 attraction to guests.
Located in northern Harbin, the self-described “world’s first polar bear hotel” opened its doors to visitors on March 12.
‘My Heart Got Ripped Out’: Florida Pet Shop Has 150 Birds Worth $75K Stolen
A thief from the town of Davie in South Florida has stolen more than 150 birds allegedly worth around $75,000.
The suspect broke into The Birdhouse pet store by cutting a hole in its roof, ABC 7 reports. The store’s alarm and power were then cut off, according to WSVN 7News.
Thai Rescue Worker Revives Baby Elephant Hit by Motorbike Using CPR
A man in Thailand used CPR to save the life of a baby elephant that was struck by a motorbike while crossing a road in the southeastern province of Chanthaburi.
Rescue worker Mana Srivate, who was off-duty when the accident occurred on Sunday, has performed dozens of resuscitations in his 26-year career, but this was the first time he’s done it on an elephant, BBC reported.