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Aardwolves — the "weird cousin" of the hyena world that has peg teeth and only eats insects — are an evolutionary mystery, stemming from a ghost lineage that scientists haven't been able to figure out. Aardwolves, which translates as "earth wolves" in Afrikaans, are the smallest of the four hyena species. (Image credit: pjmalsbury via Getty Images) Name: Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus) Where it lives: Savannah and grasslands in eastern and southern Africa What it eats: Termites and ants Why it's awesome: Unlike their meat-eating relatives, these solitary, nocturnal little hyenas survive on a diet almost entirely made up of termites....

Otter 841 is known as the elusive-surfboard stealing otter and she’s back to her old tricks, making her latest appearance in Santa Cruz, California during a surf contest Saturday. According to The Mercury News, Otter 841 is notorious among surfers after last summer’s wave-riding rampage, going after surfers and biting their surf boards. Surfer Karl Anderle says he was sitting on his board at the surfing contest as a volunteer, keeping non-competitors out of the competition zone. He says he tipped his board up, hoping she would hop off, but she scooted up and clung on so he decided he...

Some people living near Jack's Peak Park are on edge after a reported bear sighting. Officials say it is rare in the area and only happens every few years. Neighbors say this is something they never thought they'd see in their community. Images show the bear casually strolling through the La Mesa neighborhood in Monterey just before 3 a.m. on Sunday. The bear was described as having long, shaggy brown fur and standing about three feet tall and four feet wide. "I kind of freaked out because I lived out here my whole life, and I've never even heard of...

(Best USA Beef)—In mid-2022, we set up a news alert for terms like “cricket protein” and “cricket burgers.” Since then, there have been occasional peaks with a whole lot of valleys in interest as Americans generally aren’t excited about the prospects of getting their necessary protein from bugs. There was a spike that started shortly after news broke that bird flu was being transmitted to cattle. On the surface this makes sense, but it was conspicuously odd that there was no spike when bird flu was limited to poultry. Surely Americans would be concerned about their sources of protein whether...

Citizen Free Press @CitizenFreePres I've played and watched a lot of golf in my life. Never seen this before. From Collin Rugg VIDEO AT LINK..................

This orca gave a team competing in The Ocean Race a scare The Ocean Race VIEW 2 IMAGES For four years now, orcas have been ramming and sinking luxury yachts in European waters, and scientists have struggled to work out just why these smart, social animals had learnt this destructive new trick. But it's not due to some anticapitalist 'eat the rich' agenda, nor is it to do with territory and aggression. The truth is, well, it's child's play. Following years of research, a team of biologists, government officials and marine industry representatives have released their findings on just why...

On September 7, 1936, the last known thylacine, often referred to as the Tasmanian tiger, is believed to have died in captivity in Hobart, Tasmania. Since then, the species, long presumed extinct, has taken on a near-mythical status. The thylacine still captures the public’s imagination, having earned its place as a modern symbol of both loss, and also possibilities. The creature’s unmistakable striped appearance has also helped propel it to its current position as a pop cultural icon and a constant reminder of humanity’s more destructive side. Yet what is perhaps the most intriguing about the thylacine is that, for...

Authorities in Texas are investigating after human remains were found in the jaws of an alligator while officers were searching the area for a missing woman. The gruesome discovery in Houston comes less than a year after the body of a woman was found in the mouth of a gator in Florida. "Patrol officers located the remains of a woman in the jaws of an alligator in the Horsepen Bayou … while searching the area for a woman reported missing," Houston police said in a statement Wednesday. A sergeant shot and killed the alligator "to prevent it from doing more...

A woman was shocked to discover that the sick dog she took to be euthanized was back at the shelter and up for adoption a year later. Kristie Pereira, 32, was heartbroken when she was told that the most humane thing she could do for her beloved pet Beau was to put him down. The digital marketer said she paid $450 to adopt her pup from the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation in 2022 while working from home in Maryland. The dog’s veterinarian, the clinic’s lead doctor and an animal emergency room vet eventually all agreed that the poop...

May 28 has become somewhat of a sorrowful day for Cincinnatians as it was the day the Cincinnati Zoo’s beloved gorilla, Harambe, was shot and killed eight years ago. It was a catastrophic 10 minutes that caught the world’s attention. On May 28, 2016, a young boy climbed through a barrier at the zoo’s Gorilla World and fell about 15 feet into a moat around 4 p.m., zoo officials wrote. As soon as the zoo was made aware of the situation, the first thing they did was call the gorillas of the exhibit, Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard previously said....

By Nyah Marshall | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary in Atlantic County initially agreed this month to take in four roosters rescued from an alleged cockfighting ring. But, when a truck arrived, there were 60 noisy birds instead. “My volunteer called me and said, ‘Oh, there’s a couple more than what you had thought,’” Laurie Zaleski, founder of Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary said on Wednesday. “I went there and the roosters were in cat carriers and there was 60 of them,” Zaleski said. “They were all crowing simultaneously and I literally almost started to...

Joel Bueno shed tears of joy as his four-legged guests entered the intensive care unit where he had been admitted due to a blood clot. Bueno, 34, said being showered with affection by therapy dogs Vida and Lu reminded him of his own dog back home. "It's great to have someone that loves you more than anything else in the world," he told Reuters with a broad smile. "They give everything for you, no matter how you are with them." The visit was part of a trial launched by the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona and the Affinity Foundation, which...

With this airline, dogs are ditching the kennels and flying first class. BARK Air wants to pamper pets and their owners even before takeoff and will make its initial flight from New York to Los Angeles on Thursday (May 23). CEO Matt Meeker said the business idea came from struggling to transport Hugo, his Great Dane. "I was unable to travel with him long distances and had the idea that there should be an airline that caters to dogs," said Meeker, who also founded BarkBox, a subscription service for dog products owned by Bark Inc. "We cater everything to the...

In the annals of pet ownership, two species reign supreme – Dog vs. Cat. They’ve become integral parts of our lives, and each brings a distinct range of traits and characteristics. Heralded as “man’s best friend,” dogs are known for their loyalty, playfulness, and ability to form strong bonds with their owners. Cats, while also deeply attached to their human companions, showcase independence. They are agile, graceful, and often mysterious, keeping their owners constantly intrigued. The choice between a dog and a cat often depends on personal preference and lifestyle. Let’s explore the unique qualities of these beloved companions...

Founded in 2020 by National Day Calendar® and Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille in Florida. NATIONAL YUCATÁN SHRIMP DAY | MAY 24 National Yucatán Shrimp Day on May 24th celebrates a dish exploding with flavor. Plump, peel-and-eat shrimp are the centerpiece of this dish, and the flavors remind diners of the sunny summer evenings. #YucatanShrimpDay Shrimp lovers shouldn't miss out on a dish like this. While the Yucatán Peninsula is further south on the Gulf of Mexico, this recipe hails from the waters along Florida's coast. The garlic, butter, and special sauce give it a kick that keeps diners...

An alligator was spotted in the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass on Monday, May 20. Eagle Pass Fire Department ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another alligator was spotted along the Rio Grande River. This time, Texas officials encountered the 7 to 8-foot alligator during a training session on the river in Eagle Pass on Monday, May 20, according to a Facebook post from the Eagle Pass Fire Department. The fire department stated the large alligator serves as a friendly reminder that the local wildlife isn't as friendly as the fire team.The department wrote, "Be cautious around the river banks." VIDEO AT LINK.................. During...

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. - A 10-foot alligator was caught making himself at home inside the pool of a home in New Smyrna Beach, according to police. The alligator was spotted overnight Tuesday in the Venetian Bay neighborhood, according to the New Smyrna Beach Police Department. Police said the gator broke through the screen to get inside the pool area. Two officers with the New Smyrna Beach Police Department snapped a selfie with the big fella before contacting a trapper with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who safely removed the gator from the pool. An alligator was removed...

The studied Psittacosaurus under natural (upper half) and UV light (lower half). (Zixiao Yang, Author provided) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Strong but light, beautiful and precisely structured, feathers are the most complex skin appendage that ever evolved in vertebrates. Despite the fact humans have been playing with feathers since prehistory, there's still a lot we don't understand about them. Our new study found that some of the first animals with feathers also had scaly skin like reptiles. Following the debut of the first feathered dinosaur, Sinosauropteryx prima, in 1996, a surge of discoveries has painted an ever more interesting picture of feather evolution....

Taking away his best friend was a cold-blooded thing to do. An upstate New York man who kept a 750-pound pet alligator in his house is an emotional wreck after government agents hauled his pal away – and he sees the same heartbreak in Albert’s scaly face. “I know his look, and that happy face that you see is not there no more,” an emotional and sleepless Tony Cavallaro told The Post. “He looks very lost and very distraught. Cavallaro raised Albert since he was a hatchling 34 years ago, an elaborate pen in his home to house the gator....

VIDEO AT LINK................... May 20 (UPI) -- A 12-foot alligator was relocated from Florida's MacDill Air Force Base after twice being found in restricted areas. The 12-foot, 4-inch gator was first spotted at the Tampa base in April, when it found its way to the runway and parked itself by the landing gear of a plane. The reptile was ejected, but put in a second appearance last week outside the Med Group facility. Base officials made arrangements for the alligator to be permanently relocated to Gatorama and Crocodile Adventures in Palmdale, a facility located about 155 miles away. Gatorama dubbed...