Pet Scoop: Firefighters Rescue Crying Kitten From Drain, Koala Wanders Into Hospital
Published on May 05, 2015
May 5, 2015: We’ve scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it’s all right here.

Kitten Saved From Storm Drain
Neighbors cheered as firefighters in Marietta, Georgia, pulled a tiny kitten out of a storm drain Monday night. The residents tried unsuccessfully to reach the crying kitten themselves before calling the fire department for help. It took the crew about an hour to remove the heavy metal grate. Then, one of the firefighters lowered himself into the drain to coax the reluctant kitten out. He wrapped the orange kitten in a firefighter’s coat and carefully passed it up to another firefighter, who placed it safely in a crate. “For them to go above and beyond the way they did was just amazing. They’re just wonderful people,” resident Kit Willingham said of the crew. Neighbors planned to take the kitten to a vet for an exam before bringing it to a rescue to be put up for adoption. — Watch it at Atlanta’s WSB-TV
Study: AIDS Drug Could Save Bats
New research suggests a drug that’s widely used to treat HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C could be used to treat the deadly white nose syndrome that’s killed 6 million bats in North America. The drugs, which are protease inhibitors, seem to knock out much of the fungus. “This study suggests that proteases may help in infection and so addition of protease inhibitors could block degradation and invasion of bat tissues by the fungus,” said co-author Richard Bennett of Brown University. The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. — Read it at Discovery News
Elusive New Bird Discovered in China
An international team of scientists discovered an “exceedingly secretive” new bird, the Sichuan bush warbler, in mountainous regions of central China. The bird hides in grassy vegetation, but the researchers said its distinctive song eventually gave it away. While it can be hard to spot, the bird is actually common in central China and doesn’t seem to face any imminent threats. The Sichuan bush warbler shares its mountain habitat with its closest cousin, the Russet bush warbler. The new bird is described in the journal Avian Research. — See photo at Science Daily

Sneaky Koala Visits Hospital
Security cameras captured an adorable visitor sneaking into the Western District Health Service in Hamilton, Australia. "You never know who’s going to stroll through the doors at the Hamilton Base Hospital," the hospital said on Facebook when it shared the video Monday. In the footage, a koala runs through the sliding doors into the waiting room and checks out the magazine rack before wandering through the halls. When he doesn’t encounter anything that interests him, he runs right back out the sliding glass doors to freedom. — Watch it at Today
College Offers “Puppy Room” for Stressed Students
Every school needs one of these! The University of Central Lancashire in England is offering its students the chance to de-stress before final exams in a special “puppy room” on campus. This Thursday, puppies who are in training with the U.K.’s Guide Dogs charity will be available for cuddles with the students to take their minds off their studies. Not surprisingly, tickets to the event have already sold out. — Read it at the New York Daily News