Animals & Pets News

This video still shows mother giant panda Dan Dan looking at her baby (bottom) at Oji Zoo in Kobe, western Japan, on August 26, 2008. The cub, whose rare birth by artificial insemination led to rejoicing in Japan, died on Friday after just three days, zoo officials said.(AFP/Jiji Press/File/Str)

Baby panda feted in Japan dies after just three days

AFP - Fri Aug 29, 1:27 PM ET

TOKYO (AFP) - A giant panda cub whose rare birth by artificial insemination led to rejoicing in Japan died on Friday after just three days, zoo officials said.

  • Changes to Endangered Species Act Called Bad Science LiveScience.com - Thu Aug 28, 2:41 PM ET

    Changes that the Bush administration is proposing to make to Endangered Species Act regulations just aren't sound science, various scientists and conservation groups say. They're concerned that the loss of scientific oversight resulting from the changes will leave some species vulnerable to federal projects that could damage habitats. The Endangered Species Act (ESA), signed into law by President Nixon on Dec. 28, 1973, does more than just provide for the creation of the Endangered Species List. ...

  • Extreme Recycling: Zoo Doo LiveScience.com - Tue Aug 26, 12:32 PM ET

    Some zoos in the U.S. offer an exotic way to fertilize their gardens through a unique method of recycling waste from zoo animals.

  • A giant panda at Beijing Zoo. Three giant pandas have been born in southwest China, bringing the total number of new arrivals of the endangered species this year to at least 19(AFP/Peter Parks)
    Three pandas born during final weekend of Olympics: reports AFP - Mon Aug 25, 12:24 AM ET

    BEIJING (AFP) - Three giant pandas have been born in southwest China, bringing the total number of new arrivals of the endangered species this year to at least 19, state media reported.

  • A polar bear holds a block of ice. The administration of US President George W. Bush has proposed revisions to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) so that the law can not be used to regulate the emission of greenhouse gases(AFP/File/Kazuhiro Nogi)
    Groups: Bush rushing to rewrite species rules AP - Fri Aug 22, 4:07 PM ET

    WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is providing insufficient time for public comment as it seeks to loosen rules protecting endangered species, representatives of more than 100 conservation groups charged Friday.

  • Fishermen cut blocks of meat from a 10m-long bottlenose whale, slaughtered at the Wada port in Minami-Boso City, east of Tokyo in June 2008. Japanese whaling ships will start arriving back back home Saturday after catching 211 whales during their three-month voyage in the northwest Pacific, the fisheries agency said.(AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)
    Japan ends whale hunt with 211 catches AFP - Fri Aug 22, 2:46 PM ET

    TOKYO (AFP) - Japanese whaling ships will start arriving back back home Saturday after catching 211 whales during their three-month voyage in the northwest Pacific, the fisheries agency said.

  • Angel the dog credited with saving kittens AP - Thu Aug 21, 5:18 PM ET

    RENO, Nev. - You've heard of man bites dog. What about, dog saves cats? A two-year-old dog that had been turned over to the Nevada Humane Society's shelter in Reno is being credited with rescuing six abandoned kittens.

  • Whopping Fish Declared New Species LiveScience.com - Thu Aug 21, 11:11 AM ET

    A man-sized grouper that trolls the tropical waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean for octopuses and crabs has been identified as a new fish species after genetic tests.

  • Graphic on the biggest squid ever captured. New Zealand's mysterious colossal squid, the largest of the feared and legendary species ever caught, was not the T-Rex of the oceans but a lethargic blob, new research suggests.(AFP/Mm/Ea/Js)
    New Zealand's colossal squid defies legends: scientists AFP - Thu Aug 21, 3:39 AM ET

    WELLINGTON (AFP) - New Zealand's mysterious colossal squid, the largest of the feared and legendary species ever caught, was not the T-Rex of the oceans but a lethargic blob, new research suggests.

  • A lost humpback whale calf swims beside a yacht in Pittwater, about 40 km (25 miles) north of Sydney, August 20, 2008. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz
    Australia to put down orphan whale calf Reuters - Thu Aug 21, 5:35 AM ET

    SYDNEY (Reuters) - An baby whale which has been desperately trying to suckle from a yacht in a Sydney bay in a futile bid to find its missing mother is to be humanely destroyed, Australian wildlife officers said on Thursday.

  • In this undated photo released by Proyecto Vaquita, a porpoise is seen trapped in a fishing net at the Gulf of California. Mexico is investing $16 million (163 million pesos) to save a highly endangered porpoise from fishing nets trolling its habitat in the upper Gulf of California. The effort drew praise from scientists who believe the population of the 'vaquita marina,' Spanish for 'little sea cow,' has dwindled to 150 or less from more than 500 a decade ago. (AP Photo/C.Faesi/Proyecto Vaquita)
    Mexico starts campaign to save endangered porpoise AP - Wed Aug 20, 8:49 PM ET

    ENSENADA, Mexico - Mexico said Wednesday it will invest 163 million pesos ($16 million) to save a highly endangered species of porpoise in the upper Gulf of California, asking reluctant fishermen to adopt safer methods or give up their trade entirely.

  • A elephant is seen at a park in Kenya. Namibia will impose a ban on all trade with 'worked ivory' from next month in a bid to assert its control and abide by international regulations on endangered species, an official said on Wednesday.(AFP/File/Simon Maina)
    Ivory trade banned in Namibia from September AFP - Wed Aug 20, 7:17 PM ET

    WINDHOEK (AFP) - Namibia will impose a ban on all trade with 'worked ivory' from next month in a bid to assert its control and abide by international regulations on endangered species, an official said on Wednesday.

  • Civilians run for safety as a Russian rocket hits a convoy of departing Georgian troops just outside Gori, Georgia, on August 11. Up to 280 hectares (692 acres) of forests have been burnt or are alight in Georgia after its conflict with Russia, the WWF has said, warning that key conservation areas were under threat.(AFP/File/Dimitar Dilkoff)
    Key Georgian forests ravaged by fires: WWF AFP - Wed Aug 20, 10:22 AM ET

    GENEVA (AFP) - Up to 280 hectares (692 acres) of forests have been burnt or are alight in Georgia after its conflict with Russia, the WWF said Wednesday, warning that key conservation areas were under threat.

  • Tourists photograph a newly hatched sea turtle crawling towards the water near the Marine Turtle Rescue Center on Linosa, a small volcanic island south of Sicily August 8, 2008. (Paulo Siqueira/Reuters)
    Confused sea turtles march into Italian restaurant Reuters - Tue Aug 19, 4:58 AM ET

    ROME (Reuters) - About 60 newly hatched sea turtles lost their way during their ritual passage to the sea and marched into an Italian restaurant instead, a conservation worker said on Monday.

  • In this Feb. 12, 2007 file photo released by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the ship, Robert Hunter, bottom, collides with the Japanese ship Kaiko Maru in the water of Antarctic. Japanese police are pursuing arrest warrants against three activists from the U.S.-based animal rights group Sea Shepherd for alleged attacks on Japanese whaling ships last year, media repots and officials said Monday, Aug. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Sea Shepard Conservation Society, HO, File)
    Japan to arrest 3 anti-whaling activists AP - Mon Aug 18, 5:14 AM ET

    TOKYO - Japanese police obtained arrest warrants Monday against three activists from the U.S.-based animal rights group Sea Shepherd for allegedly attacking Japanese whaling ships last year, a news report said.

  • Brian Schmidt, a research ornithologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, makes notes of a female specimen of the newly-discovered olive-backed forest robin, in this handout photo. (Carlton Ward/Handout/Reuters)
    Little robin from Gabon is world's newest species Reuters - Fri Aug 15, 1:04 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A red-breasted bird discovered by accident in the forests of Gabon is a new species, U.S. scientists said on Friday.

  • Giant pandas from Sichuan are seen in their new home at a zoo in Beijing in June 2008. Taiwan moved one step closer to accepting a pair of giant pandas from rival China on Thursday when authorities approved the bid of Taipei's city zoo to house the endangered animals.(AFP/File)
    Taiwan to accept "unification" pandas from China Reuters - Thu Aug 14, 2:14 PM ET

    BEIJING (Reuters) - Taiwan has finally approved the import of two giant pandas offered as a present by China, overcoming suspicions that delayed their arrival by two years.

  • Taiwan moves closer to welcoming China pandas AFP - Thu Aug 14, 12:42 PM ET

    TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan moved one step closer to accepting a pair of giant pandas from rival China on Thursday when authorities approved the bid of Taipei's city zoo to house the endangered animals.

  • Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., shakes hands as he leaves Punahou School after playing basketball in Honolulu, Hawaii, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008. Sen. Obama is in Hawaii for a vacation.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
    Obama opposes Bush endangered species proposal AP - Wed Aug 13, 5:28 PM ET

    WASHINGTON - A Bush administration proposal that would eliminate the input of independent government scientists in some endangered species reviews would be tossed out if Democrat Barack Obama wins the White House, his campaign says.

  • In this June 14, 2008 file photo, Virginia Democratic Senatorial candidate, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner gestures during a speech during the Virginia Democratic State Convention in Hampton, Va. Warner has been tapped to be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention, a plum spot that is often a springboard to national prominence. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
    Today on the presidential campaign trail AP - Wed Aug 13, 5:33 PM ET

    Strategist Ralph Reed now raising money for McCain's campaign ... Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner picked to give Democratic keynote speech ... McCain's foreign policy adviser profited from Georgian government while advising his boss ... Poll: 4 in 10 still not firmly behind a presidential candidate ... Napolitano says Obama campaign hasn't vetted her for vice presidential nomination.

  • National Zoo: Panda won't give birth this year AP - Wed Aug 13, 11:16 AM ET

    WASHINGTON - The National Zoo says panda mother Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) will not give birth to a cub this year afterall.

  • Pope Benedict XVI adjusts his fur-lined camauro as he arrives to lead his weekly Wednesday general audience in St. Peter Square at the Vatican in this December 28, 2005 file photo. (Alessia Pierdomenico/files/Reuters)
    Cat-loving Pope urged to stop wearing fur Reuters - Wed Aug 13, 9:32 AM ET

    VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Italian animal rights campaigners are urging Pope Benedict to stop wearing ermine on his hats and robes, appealing to his reputation as a cat lover.

  • Pope Benedict XVI waves on his arrival for his annual holidays in Bressanone, northern Italy, July 28, 2008. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
    Cat-loving Pope Benedict urged to stop wearing fur Reuters - Wed Aug 13, 6:37 AM ET

    VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Italian animal rights campaigners are urging Pope Benedict to stop wearing ermine on his hats and robes, appealing to his reputation as a cat lover.

  • Burned lifeless trees are silhouetted against a sunset June 18, 2008, in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. This summer marks the 20th anniversary of a series of wildfires that burned 36 percent of the park. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)
    Yellowstone National Park recovers from 1988 fires AP - Wed Aug 13, 4:12 AM ET

    YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. - If there is a place where heaven and hell meet, it's here. Twenty years ago this summer, a series of wildfires burned 36 percent of America's first national park, scorching huge swaths of pristine forest and killing scores of wild animals.

  • Spotted owl habitat slashed as population declines AP - Tue Aug 12, 11:39 PM ET

    GRANTS PASS, Ore. - The Bush administration has decided the northern spotted owl can get by with less old growth forest habitat as it struggles to make its way off the threatened species list.

  • A picture taken in 2006 shows a bear walking on a mountainside near Waengle in Austria. Austria, which has only two brown bears left, needs to take action if it wants to prevent the species from dying out again, according to the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) local branch.(AFP/DDP/HO/File/Manfred Sprenger)
    WWF Austria calls for 'coalition' to bring brown bears back AFP - Tue Aug 12, 12:19 PM ET

    VIENNA (AFP) - Austria, which has only two brown bears left, needs to take action if it wants to prevent the species from dying out again, according to the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) local branch.

  • Bush administration wants changes to Endangered Species Act AFP - Tue Aug 12, 8:43 AM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The administration of US President George W. Bush has proposed revisions to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) so that the law can not be used to regulate the emission of greenhouse gases.

  • In this Jan. 30, 2005, file photo, a bald eagle soars over a farm in Sheffield Mills, N.S., Canada. Parts of the Endangered Species Act may soon be extinct. The Bush administration wants federal agencies to decide for themselves whether construction projects such as highways, dams and mines might harm endangered animals and plants. The new regulations, which don't require the approval of Congress, would reduce the mandatory, independent reviews government scientists have been performing for 35 years, according to a draft obtained by The Associated Press. (AP Photo/Andrew Vaughan, File)
    Bush wants some endangered species rules extinct AP - Tue Aug 12, 6:24 AM ET

    WASHINGTON - Just months before President Bush leaves office, his administration is antagonizing environmentalists by proposing changes that would allow federal agencies to decide for themselves whether subdivisions, dams, highways and other projects have the potential to harm endangered animals and plants.

  • Two baby hyenas sit in their enclosure at Cuba's National Zoological Park on the outskirts of Havana August 7, 2008. (Claudia Daut/Reuters)
    Cuba to send animals to depleted Venezuelan zoos Reuters - Mon Aug 11, 6:28 PM ET

    HAVANA (Reuters) - Venezuela sends oil to Cuba and now Cuba will ship zoo animals to Venezuela, giving a new dimension to ties between the socialist allies.

  • African lion cubs are inside a cage at the 'Heaven of Birds and Animals Zoo' in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008. The zoo in Rafah, stocked almost entirely with smuggled animals, is a sign of Gaza's ever-expanding tunnel industry. Tunnel traders say dozens of passages snake the border, and have become a mainstay of the local economy, with each passage feeding about 35 families. (AP Photo/ Adel Hana)
    Not just guns: Gazans smuggle lions into zoo AP - Fri Aug 8, 4:12 PM ET

    RAFAH, Gaza Strip - The monkeys and lions were drugged, tossed into cloth sacks and dragged through smuggling tunnels under the border between Egypt and the besieged Gaza Strip before ending up in a dusty Gaza zoo. Stocked almost entirely with smuggled animals, the "Heaven of Birds and Animals Zoo" is a sign of Gaza's ever-expanding tunnel industry.

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