Unprecedented display of concern and 'consolation' toward an unknown monkey offers hope for endangered macaques

JULY 10, 2019

by University of Oxford

A wild group of endangered Barbary macaques have been observed, for the first time, "consoling" and adopting an injured juvenile from a neighbouring group. The observations by a scientist from Oxford University and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (ifaw) are published today in the journal Primates.

'Pipo', a nearly three-year-old juvenile, was seriously injured and became separated from his group following a road traffic accident.

He was found distressed and alone two days later by a neighbouring Barbary macaque group. Although these monkeys had no social relationship with Pipo, they approached, groomed and affiliated with him, and accepted him into their group. Pipo made a full recovery and stayed with them for four months until returning to his own group.

The observation in Ifrane National Park in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco—one of the Barbary macaque's last remaining areas of habitation—provides valuable information and offers hope to researchers and local communities who are trying to safeguard and boost the endangered species, which is under threat following habitat loss and poaching.

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170 Devon chickens need homes to avoid slaughter this weekend

Around 170 ex-battery hens in Devon - who have never seen daylight before - will be slaughtered this weekend, unless homes can be found for them.

The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT), based at Rose Ash in North Devon, are looking to rehome the birds on Sunday at two locations in the county - but say they cannot save the hens if they do not have homes to go to.

The charity is appealing to anyone who has a bit of space in their back garden to consider giving a home to some ex-bats.

A BHWT spokesman said: "The hens are around 18 months old when they are sent to slaughter because their egg laying has slowed down, and whilst they don't come with guarantees, they are generally happy to offer a tasty reward to someone offering to save their lives.

"Furthermore they will guarantee to any would-be adopter fun and affection. These little hens are seriously good at worming their way into hearts."

The rehoming sessions in Devon are among several taking place across the country this coming weekend.

The Devon sessions take place on Sunday, August 6 at Rose Ash - where 60 chickens need to be rehomed - and Okehampton - where 110 are without homes.

All the hens have been working hard for 18 months, laying eggs to be sold in supermarkets or go into processed foods. They have never seen daylight, stood on soft grass nor scratched for bugs and slugs.

Gaynor Davies, the charity's Head of Operations, said: "There is no better feeling than watching these girls flourish after they emerge from the commercial system.

"They have a full bill of healthand will soon become much-loved pets. With a bit of TLC they become incredibly tame, and they're often described as cats and dogs with feathers.

"If you've ever considered giving some ex-bats a home my only advice would be to do it. You won't regret it."

Here are the details of the other sessions across the UK:

Saturday, 5 August

Rotherham (Letwell): 300 hens in total, 100 without homes

Cambridge (Godmanchester): 300 hens in total, 200 without homes

Nottinghamshire (Newark): 400 hens in total, 200 without homes

Lincolnshire (Stamford): 300 hens in total, 190 without homes

Norfolk (Kings Lynn): 230 hens in total, 80 without homes

Sunday, 6 August

Dorset (Bourton): 200 hens in total, 60 without homes

Sussex (Arundel): 240 hens in total, 115 without homes

Cornwall (Liskeard): 150 hens in total, 115 without homes

Cornwall (Redruth): 150 hens in total, 100 without homes

Devon (Rose Ash): 150 hens in total, 60 without homes

Devon (Okehampton): 150 hens in total, 110 without homes

If you're interested in re-homing some hens, simply register your details on our website at www.bhwt.org.uk or call 01884 860084 for more information.

Source

A Unique Pet: Desert Tortoises Up For Adoption - via Herp Digest

(KUTV) Utah wildlife officials are looking for adoptive homes for approximately 40 desert tortoises that can't be returned to their native habitat. 

"They make very good pets," said Lynn Chamberlain, southern Utah outreach manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. 

The Mojave Desert Tortoise is listed as a threatened species, making it illegal to capture or even touch them in the wild. If the DWR receives a tortoise that was removed from the wild by humans it is sent to live at a facility in Washington County.

Once in captivity, the tortoises cannot be returned to the wild, Chamberlain says, because they could possibly introduce diseases contracted while in captivity into the wild populations.

"It's better for somebody to adopt them than to let them die in a facility," said Cornell Christensen with the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, an organization aimed at recovering the desert tortoise population. "Let somebody enjoy them for a few years."

Christensen says the reptiles are easy to care for and make for a great family pet. 

"Their demeanor is very, very calm and collect," he said. "They're not aggressive at all."

While they may be a low-maintenance companion, the desert tortoise requires commitment because they can live upwards of 90 years in captivity. 

"This is not like buying a gold fish," Chamberlain said. "If you get one of these tortoises for one of your grandchildren, that tortoise may be alive when that grandchild is a grandparent."

Those living in Iron, Kane and Washington Counties are ineligible to adopt the tortoises because of the risk that the tortoises could escape and reunite with the native tortoise populations. 

For more information about adopting a desert tortoise, you can get answers to common questions by reading the DWR's adoption booklet: http://wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/dt_adopt.pdf or by contacting the DWR at 801-538-4746 or by email to tortoise@utah.gov. 

By Ladd Egan

(Copyright 2014 Sinclair Broadcasting Group)

For video http://kutv.com/news/top-stories/stories/a-unique-pet-desert-tortoises-up-adoption-9476.shtml

Adoption and Risk Management in Fish: How Cichlids Prevent Their Young from Being Eaten

Mar. 19, 2013 — For a variety of reasons, many humans choose to adopt children. More surprisingly, adoption is fairly widespread in the animal kingdom, even though it would seem to counteract the basic premise of Darwin's theory of evolution, which suggests that animals should raise as many of their own offspring as possible. Understanding the rationale for adoption has challenged theorists for generations. Franziska Schaedelin and colleagues at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna now describe a new approach to the problem. The scientists present findings that suggest parents of fish exchange young with other parents to reduce the chances that their entire brood will be predated.

The results are published in the current issue of the journal Behavioral Ecology.

The phenomenon of adoption has taxed the minds of evolutionary scientists since Darwin first came up with his account of natural selection. According to Richard Dawkins's description, adoption is "a double whammy. Not only do you reduce, or at least fail to increase, your own reproductive success, but you improve someone else's." So why are animals apparently so willing to take care of young that are not related to them?

Franziska Schaedelin and colleagues at the Konrad Lorenz Institute of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna now shed interesting light on the problem. The researchers are investigating a small cichlid fish that lives in Lake Tanganyika in southern Africa. The species is monogamous and pairs construct nesting caves to protect their eggs and fry from predators. By diving 12 meters to the lake floor, the scientists were able to collect DNA samples from over 350 parents and fry from over 30 nests. Sophisticated genetic techniques were then applied to investigate the parentage of fry in individual nests.

Continued: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130319091129.htm

Canadian couple adopt pool and pub-loving grizzly bear Billy

The friendly 18-month-old bear was adopted by animal handler Mark Dumas and his wife Dawn as a cub last year and has been enjoying their company ever since.

Billy regularly accompanies the duo to their favourite watering hole near their home in Vancouver, Canada, where he can easily get his paws up onto the bar.

After taking in a game of pool, the 250lbs (18st) brown giant joins his family relaxing in the living room with a spot of TV.

At home Billy splashes in the swimming pool with his adopted 'mum' where the duo play with a giant inflatable ball or alternatively indulge in a spot of play-fighting. 

'Billy is very intelligent and has a really good spirit. He is very good natured and he learns fast,' explained Mr Dumas, who trains animals of all shapes and sizes for work in movies and TV.

'His favourite food is jam and he loves tucking into a jar when Dawn and I have a picnic,' he added. 

'He's been with us since he was a cub. I wanted to take him to the beach because bears have a natural affinity with water, and I knew he'd enjoy it.

'He loved splashing around in the waves, and now he loves our pool.'

Billy was one of three cubs born at a private zoo in Ontario, Canada, before moving in with the Dumas clan where he lives in a large enclosure complete with his own pool.

When fully grown Billy could weigh more than three times his current weight - reaching 800lbs

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/910260-canadian-couple-adopt-pool-and-pub-loving-grizzly-bear-billy#ixzz25ZNLhfTN

'One in a Million' Beagle Survives Alabama Pound's Gas Chamber

A stray beagle mix that cheated death in an Alabama dog pound's gas chamber is up for adoption in New Jersey.

Volunteers began looking for a new home for the dog known as Daniel after the animal walked out unscathed from the carbon monoxide administered by the Animal Control Department in Florence, Ala., on Oct. 3.

The nonprofit Eleventh Hour Rescue group arranged to have the dog flown to New Jersey, where it is awaiting adoption at its shelter in Rockaway.

"He’s one in a million," Linda Schiller, founder of Eleventh Hour Rescue, told the Star-Ledger of Newark. "This doesn’t happen. They don’t survive."

Phil Stevenson, a Florence city spokesman, said Friday that no one is sure why Daniel was the lone survivor.

 

"It may be that his breathing was shallow because of a cold or something. Or maybe God just had a better plan for this one," Stevenson said.

Stevenson said the gas chamber is a stainless-steel box that's roughly the size of a pickup truck bed. A computer-controlled pump slowly feeds carbon monoxide into the chamber once it's sealed, and an operator presses a button.

"It sort of rocks them to sleep slowly. It's like the cases you hear about where people are overcome by carbon monoxide in their home and just never wake up," he said.

A new operator placed the dog into the chamber with other animals and started the machine, Stevenson said, although it's unclear how many animals were in the chamber in all, or what species.

Three animals have survived the gas chamber in the last 12 years or so, and every effort is made to find new homes for any that do survive, Stevenson said.

Alabama lawmakers passed a law in June to ban the use of gas chambers effective Dec. 31. At the time, Florence was one of only two places in the state using the chambers.

Click here for more on this story from the Star-Ledger of Newark.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/28/one-in-million-beagle-survives-pound-gas-chamber/?test=faces#ixzz1cSGZvuXp