Battenberg the black and white sheep shocks farmers with two-tone face

A black and white sheep named after a Battenberg cake because of his two-toned face has shocked a family of farmers. 

The lamb has a unique face, with one half light and the other dark, which may have saved it from freezing to death in the Welsh hills because it was easier to spot. 

‘We haven’t seen a lamb like it before,’ said farmer’s wife Marianne Griffiths. 

‘You either get a white lamb or a black one – but not a half-and-half one.’

Battenberg’s strange tone, similar to the two colours present in the cake of the same name, may again prevent it from an early grave. 

The sheep could now be kept on as a pet instead of being turned into a lamb dish. 

Mum-of-three Marianne, 44, added: ‘Battenberg is a real mixture which is a surprise because both his mother and father are white. 

‘He was born while we were having a tough time of it during the terrible snow that fell in March. 

‘We were going out into the fields and seeing dead sheep and new-born lambs.’ 

The four-week-old sheep has legs that are also a mixture of black and white, with its wool a greyish colour. 

http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/04/battenberg-the-black-and-white-sheep-shocks-farmers-with-his-two-tones-3712803/

Moose on the loose in Northwest Alberta (via Chad Arment)

Global News Sunday, March 11, 2012

There's a moose on the loose in Northwest Alberta that has a lot of people talking. The unusual moose was caught on camera just a few days ago, and already it's picture is being spread around the world. Maurice Chenard had seen plenty of moose before....but never one quite like this.

A spotted moose was seen wandering near Falher, Alberta in early March, 2012

"This one was special. This was the first time I seen a moose two coloured like that."

It was a magical, miraculous moose caught on tape earlier this month near the community of Falher in northwest Alberta. The kind of moose you -- literally -- have to see to believe.

"So lots of people said oh good paint job maurice, you did a good paint job to that moose, but that's... nobody believe that."

The pictures are spreading like wildfire over the internet. you could call it, moose madness. People from across north america are poring over the pictures and asking, what's the cause?

"I'm sure he's not an old adult...he's a young adult, and i think he's male."

Bill Samuel has studied moose for more than 40 years with the University of Alberta. He's heard the speculation -- explanations ranging from an affliction of bugs called ticks, to even interspecies breeding. The real answer though he says is a rare genetic condition. He calls it a piebald moose and says it's extremely rare.

"this is just almost never heard of. Very few people will be able to say they've seen it."

The hope is that people will continue seeing it far into the future. There is worry, with its new notoriety, the spotted moose will be spotted by hunters.

"oh my god i hope nobody going to shoot that moose and like I said I'm going to try to talk to everybody around here to try to keep it alive you know?"

And with any luck, this unusual animal can give its admirers a wild moose chase for years to come.



http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/moose+on+the+loose+in+northwest+alberta/6442598648/story.html 

Purple Squirrel Found in Pennsylvania

A purple squirrel was found in Jersey Shore, Pa., on Sunday, by Percy and Connie Emert.

"We have bird feeders out in our yard, and the squirrels are constantly into them," said Jersey Shore resident Connie Emert. "My husband traps them and then sets them free elsewhere so they don't get into your bird feeders."

Emert said she had spotted a purple squirrel on her property but no one believed her.

"I kept telling my husband I saw a purple one out in the yard. 'Oh sure you did' he kept telling me," said Emert. "Well, he checked the trap around noon on Sunday and sure enough, there it was."

It was a warm and sunny day in Jersey Shore, Pa., on Sunday.

"The squirrel's been eating peanuts. That's what we used in the trap," she continued.

The Emerts currently do not know why the squirrel is purple.

"We have no idea whatsoever. It's really purple. People think we dyed it, but honestly, we just found it and it was purple."

The Emerts plan to release the squirrel back into the wild in the next few days.

"We put him in an extra big cage so he has room to run around, and we'll release him soon. In the meantime, all the neighbors have been by to see him. No one can believe we have a purple squirrel!"

The AccuWeather.com team is currently investigating why this squirrel is purple. Stay with AccuWeather.com for more developments.

Some AccuWeather.com employees have their own theories. Expert Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity said, "The squirrel could have been looking for somewhere warm and fallen into a port-a-potty or something similar."

AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Dan Kottlowski has a different idea. "Squirrels get into all kinds of stuff. He could have gotten into some purple ink or purple paint at some point."

Local squirrel enthusiast Erik Stewart said, "If it has white hair on it at all, it's probably not dyed. I've had multiple squirrels as pets, though, and I've certainly never seen a purple one. I've seen dark red, light red, gray and brown, but never purple. Also, I've tried to dye my dog before, and trust me it didn't look like this. Though, I've only seen a picture, so your guess is as good as mine."

"Like" the purple squirrel on Facebook or follow it on Twitter.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/purple-squirrel-found-in-penns/61308