Dog and magpie prove unlikely best friends

Today the internet has gifted us with a video of a magpie play-fighting with a dog, the pair scrapping and lazing around in the sun together and generally being best buds.

You might expect the Jack Russell to pounce on the bird and tear it to shreds, but this particular pooch seemed more interested in playfully pawing at it and rolling around on its back.

There’s a moment when the pair start to get a little rough and you think ‘Oh God this is only going to end in NOM’, but even after the dog trots off, the magpie follows it – flying after it and bringing it a nice stick.

Continued

Friendly croc croaks

Pocho the friendly Costa Rican crocodile has died in the Caribbean town of Siquirres.

The 50-year-old crocodile gained international fame for his weekly Sunday show he performed with owner Gilberto Sheedan.

Olga Valle, wife of Sheedan, said: "All of the people in the village have offered their condolences and assistance."

Chito, 54, described the one-eyed crocodile 'domesticated'. He could command Pocho to do tricks such as winking its one good eye, lifting its head and tail out of the water, rolling over and permitting Chito to stick his head inside the massive reptile's maw.

Chito found the five-metre-long crocodile close to death on the shore of the Parismina river, in the Limón province, 17 years ago. The crocodile had been shot in the left eye.

Chito and several friends loaded the animal into a boat and took him to Siquirres, where Pocho was nursed back to health. Chito even slept with the crocodile during its recovery.

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Pocho_passes_away