Things You Need To Learn: ANIMALS

Showing posts with label ANIMALS. Show all posts

Friday, April 10, 2015

Photographer Alicia Rius has captured stunning portraits of sphynx cats, also known as the hairless cat…

She said, “I’m drawn by their alien look. There’s something disturbing yet eerie that keeps me astonished every time I look at one. Without fluffy and fancy coats, this breed shows what a true cat is. Everything is raw, exposed, vulnerable.”

Source:123inspiration.com

Astonishing Portraits Of Sphynx Cats By Alicia Rius

Monday, April 6, 2015

She's never had puppies of her own, but this sweet Labrador has been a mother to a variety of different animals.

Lisha, a Labrador, is world famous for her mothering skills even though she’s never birthed any pups of her own. The dog, who lives at Oudtshoorn’s Cango Wildlife Ranch in South Africa, has played surrogate mom to more than 30 animals, including cheetah and tiger cubs, potbelly pigs, a porcupine, a pygmy hippo, a weasel and a barn owl.

Rob Hall, director of the wildlife refuge, says that Lisha domesticates the wild animals and serves as a bridge between them and humans. “They adjust more easily to her, and when they see that she trusts us, they are more at ease around us," he said.

Hall and his wife, Nadine, said they noticed early on that regardless of the whether Lisha encountered a kitten or a baby hippo, she treated them all the same — like a child that needed a mother. "She would just walk up and lick the creature she was caring for. Although in the case of the porcupine that was more amusing," Rob Hall told The Daily Mail.

Check out some other photos of Lisha and her many "children."

Source:mnn.com

A mother like no other

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Prepare to fall in love and have your heart broken at the same time: this adorable creature that you’ve probably never heard of, the Ili Pika, is also one of the rarest and most endangered creatures in the world. Their population in their native China is estimated to have dropped to less than 1,000, and these photos are of the first one that has been spotted in 20 years.

The Ili Pika was first discovered in 1983 in the Tianshian mountains in northwestern China, but its estimated population has dropped by 70% since then. These adorable teddy-bear look-alikes, which are a distant relative of rabbits, are so rare that scientists know very little about them.

Li Weidong, the conservationist who discovered them, told CNN, “I discovered the species, and I watched as it became endangered. If it becomes extinct in front of me, I’ll feel so guilty.” He and his volunteers have dubbed it the ‘magic rabbit,’ but they suspect that its populations may be declining due to global warming.

This Ili Pika was spotted for the first time in 20 years

He and his volunteers have dubbed it the ‘magic rabbit’

“I discovered the species, and I watched as it became endangered. If it becomes extinct in front of me, I’ll feel so guilty,” – Li Weidong

Li Weidong, the man who discovered and works to monitor the Ili Pika

Source:boredpanda.com

This Rare ‘Magic Rabbit’ Was Spotted For The First Time In 20 Years And It May Soon Be Lost Forever

Saturday, March 28, 2015

After being rescued and nursed back to health by a young family in Newport, Australia, a magpie named Penguin has become a regular visitor and friend at the Bloom family’s home, playing with them and coming in to hide when it rains.

Penguin was discovered flying on the ground near a tree in 2013 by Noah, who is now 11. After being nursed back to health by husband and wife Cameron and Sam and their children (Reuben, 13, Noah, 11, Oli, 9), Penguin was allowed to fly free, but still returned often to spent time with the family. She plays catch, saunters through their home and even perches on their shoulders – all while Cameron Bloom takes beautiful pictures.

The bird waits for the family to leave their home before flying on her own way in the morning, and greets the kids when they get home from school; “It’s like a dog wagging its tail – she sits there in the tree and flaps her wings like she’s excited,” Noah’s father told ABC News.

“Little baby magpie came into our lives when she fell from a tree at about 3 weeks old”

“We gradually nursed her back to health with a proper Magpie diet and lots of cuddles”

“She watches tv, jumps on the tramp with the kids, flies into our bed in the morning and cuddles up”

“I never thought she’d become as much a part of the family as she has. [The kids] love her like a dog, but better”

“She’s free to fly – she often will just hang out around us in the morning then when the kids go to school she’ll do her own thing”

“If you flap your arms like wings – she’ll flap her wings”

“She spends a fair bit of time cruising inside the house, picking up the kids’ scraps and playing games. She’s pretty domesticated”

“When the kids play handball here with their friends… Penguin just flies from kid to kid, sort of gets involved. It’s pretty fun. It’s chaotic”

“If other magpies are around she’ll make a beeline for the house and fly in here so she doesn’t get bombed and pecked – they really attack her”

“A few months ago there was another baby magpie, a local one. She started playing with it and it came into the house”

Source:boredpanda.com

Rescued Magpie Becomes Lifelong Friend With The Family That Saved Her Life

Saturday, March 21, 2015

The untold human suffering and property damage left in the wake of the Fukushima disaster in Japan has been well-documented, but there’s another population that suffered greatly that few have discussed – the animals left behind in the radioactive exclusion zone. One man, however, hasn’t forgotten – 55-year-old Naoto Matsumura, a former construction worker who lives in the zone to care for its four-legged survivors.

He is known as the ‘guardian of Fukushima’s animals’ because of the work he does to feed the animals left behind by people in their rush to evacuate the government’s 12.5-mile exclusion zone. He is aware of the radiation he is subject to on a daily basis, but says that he “refuses to worry about it.” He does take steps, however, by only eating food imported into the zone.

Naoto Matsumura is the only human brave enough to live in Fukushima’s 12.5-mile exclusion zone

He fled at first but returned to take care of the animals that were left behind

He returned for his own animals at first, but realized that so many more needed his help, too

“They also told me that I wouldn’t get sick for 30 or 40 years. I’ll most likely be dead by then anyway, so I couldn’t care less”

He also freed many animals that had been left chained up by their owners

Many of them now rely on him for food

The government has forbidden him from staying, but that doesn’t stop him either

He relies solely on donations from supporters to work with and feed the animals

His supporters are calling him the ‘guardian of Fukushima’s animals’

The man clearly has a sense of humor as well

Source:boredpanda.com

The Radioactive Man Who Returned To Fukushima To Feed The Animals That Everyone Else Left Behind

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

When you want to photograph clouds but there aren’t any in sight, we suggest trying to find your nearest herd of sheep. Flocks of these cute, fluffy and useful creatures can add an interesting element to landscape photos, but they’re also pretty enough on their own.

Sheep have earned a reputation as dumb and foolish animals because of their flocking instinct, but they are actually quite intelligent, performing as well or even better than monkeys and rodents in certain mental tasks. They exhibit facial recognition, long-term memory, a knack for quick learning, and some have even exhibited intelligent problem-solving capabilities. The best thing about sheep, however, is that, if you count enough of them, you’ll fall asleep ;)

Source : boredpanda.com

10 Photos Of Sheep Blanketing The Earth Like Snow

Simon Roy is an excellent animal photographer who photographs animals in their very own natural habitat. However, he does so in a way that is quite appealing and creative in my opinion. With a good eye to lighting as well as details, his shots are different from the usual ones.