Russian Dog Pushes Owner in Wheelchair through Flooded Street

Dogs are the same all around the world. . .click here to view video.

Elephant Families Rebel as Habitat Continues to be Destroyed in India

Elephants turn their frustration on innocent villagers in India as their habitat continues to disappear. In retaliation, local boys shoot slingshots at two male elephants shielding a baby as they pass through looking for a new home. The World Wildlife Fund is trying to find a solution, but it's difficult.

A Sunday Walk in the Park with Barney

Barney riding in the van this morning, looking forward to his first walk at San Dieguito Park since he was diagnosed with "severe spinal trauma" he received in his "prior life."
 

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 Barney waits for me to unload his new wheelchair from Walkin' Wheels aka handicappedpets.com.

 

 Ready to go! The wheelchair kit arrived last Monday, but assembling and adjusting it

was more of a challenge than I anticipated. The challenge was that I had to hold (130 lbs.) Barney up in his harness and wheelchair frame with my left hand, while I reached over, under and around him with my right hand to make adjustments so that he was 
balanced, snug and safe.

 

   

Barney in a standing position, and walking, is a magnificent sight to behold! The folks at Walkin' Wheels (handicappedpets.com) recommend starting out slowly, keeping the first walk to a minute or so until he gets the idea, and strengthens his muscles. There are more adjustments that need to be made to the wheelchair, especially the stirrups that are supposed to keep his feet from dragging on the ground. I'll work that out with the friendly folks at Walkin' Wheels when they open tomorrow. 

Elephant Kills His Poacher and People Aren’t Exactly Sad

Last month an elephant with a target on its back turned the tables on two poachers by killing one of them, according to this story on Takepart.com. Unfortunately, the inference is that the elephant was eventually gunned down.

"In recent years there have been increasing reports from throughout Africa that elephants are changing their behavior because of the enormous emotional stress caused by poaching. 

"'Elephants in areas that have been heavily poached, display an understandable fear of humans,' said Catherine Doyle, Director of Science, Research, and Advocacy at PAWS. 'They often display aggressive behavior when approached.'

"Joyce Poole of Elephant Voices recounted how a Masai friend in Kenya was noticing a difference too. 'When the elephants come down on that old trail, as they do every year, they no longer come down during the day trumpeting their arrival; they now slip down quietly at night, and when we look at the tracks of these animals, we only see small footprints.'

"It's hard to imagine a world without elephants, but it's almost equally disturbing to imagine a world where majestic elephants have to cower in the bushes like scared rabbits in order to survive."

Poachers infiltrate African elephant sanctuary

Seventeen heavily armed suspected poachers entered the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, a World Heritage site, in the Central African Republic (CAR) on Monday, May 6, 2013.  

WWF-supported researchers working in the area confirmed hearing automatic weapon shots coming from a large clearing known as Dzanga Bai, or “village of elephants,” where between 50 and 200 elephants congregate daily to drink mineral salts present in the sands.

This area has become familiar to American audiences through programs like the CBS News program 60 Minutes story on elephant language, National Geographic specials and features on many other news outlets.

Swift and Urgent Action

WWF has confirmed other instances of elephants being slaughtered in the violence-ridden country, where the new government in place since the military coup is struggling to gain control over the situation.

Given the size of the force witnessed, this most recent incursion into a protected area may result in one of the biggest elephant massacres in recent history.

WWF has been working in the CAR since the 1980s and is urging the government to immediately act on their commitment to mobilize troops to end poaching in the region and to safeguard the area's people and wildlife. We are also calling on the international community to help restore peace and order in the Central African Republic, which recently underwent a chaotic coup.

WWF seeks to ensure a stronger local and global response to stop wildlife crime that is threatening whole populations of elephants, rhinos and tigers.

You can help by supporting the World Wildlife Fund (click here).

"The Rock" Gets out of Limo En Route to Surgery to Stop Teens from Hurting Pigeons

Feathers ruffled recently when "The Rock" aka Dwayne Johnson got out of his limo en route to hernia surgery to stop 4 teens from throwing rocks at pigeons in Central Park. “How would you like me to throw those stones at you!," he told them. "It wouldn’t feel good, would it? These birds are living creatures and have as much right to be here as you.” The teens dropped their stones, then asked for his autograph. He agreed, but ONLY if they promised NEVER to pester pigeons again! Here's the story.

Hero Pit Bull Loses Leg Pulling Owner's Drunken Mother from Path of Oncoming Train

 

Lilly lost her front leg after she saved her owner's mother, 
who had fallen unconscious on the tracks.