Pet Scoop: Elusive Cat Caught on Camera, Obese Dog to Stay With Foster for Now
Published on October 30, 2012
Oct. 30, 2012: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.
Fluffy Feline Documented for the First Time in Himalayas
The thick-furred Pallas’s cat — a primitive species —was unexpectedly caught on camera in the Wangchuck Centennial Park in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Also known as the manul, the feline has evolved little in the last 5 million years, and has never before been documented in the sprawling region, said the World Wildlife Fund. The WWF and Bhutan’s park service had set up cameras to survey for snow leopards, but captured the distinctive cat with a flat face and thick coat in January, February and April.
The near-threatened species looks like it’s ready for its close-up in one of the images, staring directly into the camera lens in the right corner of the frame. "This is an exciting and remarkable discovery that proves that the Pallas's cat exists in the Eastern Himalayas," said Rinjan Shrestha, a conservation scientist with WWF, in a statement. — Read it at Live Science
Actor Braves Storm to Walk Dogs
Stars, they're just like us — even in hurricanes! New Yorker Alec Baldwin was among the dog owners taking their pets out for a last bit of exercise before the worst of Hurricane Sandy bore down on the city Monday, cutting off electricity, flooding subway tunnels and even tearing the front off of an apartment building. — See the celebrity photo from Us Magazine and get the latest on Sandy from CNN
Plus: If you’re still facing the effects of Sandy, Vetstreet tells you how to keep your pets safe.
Obie the Dachshund to Stay With Foster Mom
A 70-pound Dachshund who made national headlines last month for his massive size is now at the center of a custody battle. The owner of the Oregon Dachshund Rescue, Jenell Rangan, filed suit against his current caretaker, Nora Vanatta, claiming that Obie belongs to her. “They say I’m exploiting him,” said Vanatta. “They say I’m misusing his funds and they claim he belongs to them.” On Monday, a judge ruled that Obie should stay under Vanatta’s care — for now — but that it’s unclear who owns the dog. Rangan says she plans to “take it a little bit farther." The case will now go to full litigation. — Watch it at Seattle’s KOMO News
Old Pal Manatees Reunited at SeaWorld Orlando
After performing poorly in the wild, orphaned manatees Lil Joe and Slip are aquarium mates once again at SeaWorld Orlando. The two first met nearly 20 years ago when SeaWorld rescued them. They were set free together about two years ago, when biologists felt confident that they could survive on their own. But both had to be rescued again, and they’re now happy to be eating heads of lettuce and swimming together in their old stomping grounds. — Read it at the Los Angeles Times
Military Service Dogs Honored by New National Monument
Years in the making, the U.S Working Dog Teams National Monument — the first national monument to pay tribute to military dogs — will be unveiled in California in just two months. The bronze statue was designed by veteran military dog handler John Burnam, and depicts a military handler and four dogs — a Doberman, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever and Belgian Malinois, all breeds that have been used in wars. — Read it from AP via the San Francisco Chronicle
