DOGS AND VODKA DRINK...

Attention dog owners: Next time you're drinking vodka and Coke, don't leave your glass on the floor. Matthew Cox, 26, did just that, went outside to have a cigarette, and returned to find that his 6-month-old Labrador puppy, Max, had finished his drink for him. The Brit was too drunk to help the swaying puppy, and ended up leaving him with his roommate when he went out to DJ, the BBC reports. Now Cox has been banned from having a dog for three years, and Max has found a new home.

Police were alerted to the situation by two girls who saw Max, staggering and falling, outside stores near Cox's home. Officers later found Max at Cox's home, the Daily Mail reports. They brought him to a vet for emergency treatment, where he was put on an IV drip for nearly a full day to recover. Cox pleaded guilty to failure to ensure an animal's welfare, and the judge who handed down the three-year ban called his actions "just downright stupid."

SOCIALIZING YOUR PETS.

Socialising Your Pet petshopnigeria 11 July 2011 Hits: 30

All pets benefit from ongoing socialisation to ensure they remain friendly and successful companions. Pets that are well socialised from birth are less likely to develop behaviour problems such as aggression towards people and other animals.
What is Socialisation?

Socialisation is the process whereby an individual learns to adjust to a group and behave in a manner accepted by the group. Socialisation influences the behaviour and actions of young and adult individuals. Socialising your pet involves exposing them to all those things they will regularly encounter as adults, such as people and other animals, in a fun and positive way to ensure they don’t fear these things. Socialising pets also means teaching them to interact acceptably with people and, in some cases, to interact nicely with other members of their own, or different, species.

Why is Socialisation Important?

Socialisation is important because it shapes the personality, temperament and behaviour your pet will develop as an adult. Puppy classes and kitten kinder are a relatively new concept and are designed for puppies and kittens aged 8 to 12 weeks. These classes take advantage of the developmental period is known as the Critical Period for Socialisation which occurs between the ages of 3 and 12 weeks. It is during this time that puppies and kittens benefit most from exploring new places, having new experiences and accepting new situations.

Socialisation is Only Important for Young Pets, Right?

Wrong! There is a common misconception that socialisation is only important for young pets and, while it is true that socialisation for young pets is very important, it is critical that socialisation continues throughout your pet’s life. Many pet owners stop socialising their pet when the pet becomes an adult and this is a mistake. Without continued exposure to other people, animals, places and different situations, some pets may become antisocial. This often leads to behaviour problems including aggression towards people and other animals.

How Often Should I Socialise My Pet?

You should socialise your pet as often as possible. Taking your pet out and about is a great way to socialise them if they enjoy outings. Having guests give your pet treats when they are visiting helps pets to enjoy meeting new people. Remember that socialising your pet is an ongoing process and begins at birth. Providing ongoing and positive socialisation throughout your pet’s life not only helps to reduce the occurrence of behaviour problems but enriches your pet’s life too.

CARING FOR SMALL ANIMALS THROUGH WINTER.

 It is vital to consider how to keep small pets safe and comfortable throughout the different seasons. In this issue we will look at caring for small animals, such as guinea pigs and rabbits that are kept outside throughout the cold weather.

 

Tips on winter care

There are several things to consider during the cold weather, but in particular that outdoor caged pets need daily attention morning and evening. Whilst it is good for children to learn to take responsibility for the daily care of their pets, parents or carers do need to ensure that this is done properly. Remember, small pets can suffer in cold weather or even freeze to death.

 

Location of outdoor hutch

You may be able to move the hutch to a place that is well sheltered from the wind and rain. Ideally it would be near to the house, so that you can easily keep an eye on the occupants and attend to them without getting wet and cold yourself!

The wired part of the hutch needs to be covered with a weatherproof drape each night, and removed each morning to allow them to see out.

Never move the living quarters into a garage or outbuilding that houses vehicles as the fumes could kill small animals.

 

Bedding

Even through the winter months it is important to keep hutches and cages scrupulously clean, with plenty of warm, dry bedding. It is best to use dust-extracted hay and bagged bedding to reduce problems from dust and parasites.

A fresh layer of bedding should be put in the hutch each day, together with a really generous amount of hay for them to chew and to burrow into.

Daily care

It is vital to attend to small pets each and every day to:

 

Check for signs of ill health.

 

Give fresh food and a new supply of their dried food, and a generous supply of hay, plus fresh water.

 

Remove and replace any soiled bedding.

 

Offer companionship, especially to animals that live alone.

Indoor cage

 

If you want to bring your animals indoors during the cold weather, here are a few things to consider:

Ensure that the small animals remain safe from other pets or the unwanted attention of small children.

Rabbits and guinea pigs have sensitive hearing so they need to be kept somewhere quiet.

As with outdoor hutches, they will need a private place in their cage, somewhere to hide in, such as a pet-safe play-tube or wooden tunnel.

Your pets will still need daily exercise, which can be supervised ‘floor time’, but you must protect them from other pets and small children, and ensure that there are no gaps to get into such as behind a fridge or cooker, and no exposed wires to chew – as they are likely to do both!

 

 

 

 

 

HAPPY EASTER

Easter is all about honoring the past, but the celebration is getting a 21st Century spin .this year thanks to my cutie.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TSUNAMI'S...

What are tsunamis?

Tsunamis are large ocean waves generated by major earthquakes beneath the ocean floor or major landslides into the ocean. Tsunamis caused by nearby earthquakes may reach the coast within minutes. When the waves enter shallow water, they may rise to several feet or, in rare cases, tens of feet, striking the coast with devastating force. People on the beach or in low coastal areas need to be aware that a tsunami could arrive within minutes after a severe earthquake.

The tsunami danger period can continue for many hours after a major earthquake. Tsunamis also may be generated by very large earthquakes far away in other areas of the ocean. Waves caused by these earthquakes travel at hundreds of miles per hour, reaching the coast several hours after the earthquake. The International Tsunami Warning System monitors ocean waves after any Pacific earthquake with a magnitude greater than 6.5. If waves are detected, warnings are issued to local authorities who can order the evacuation of low-lying areas if necessary.

                             Why prepare for tsunamis?

All tsunamis are potentially, if rarely, dangerous. Twenty-four tsunamis have caused damage in the United States and its territories in the past 200 years. Since 1946, six tsunamis have killed more than 350 people and caused significant property damage in Hawaii, Alaska, and along the West Coast. Tsunamis have also occurred in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

When a tsunami comes ashore, it can cause great loss of life and property damage. Tsunamis can travel upstream in coastal estuaries and rivers, with damaging waves extending farther inland than the immediate coast. A tsunami can occur during any season of the year and at any time, day or night.

How can I protect myself from a tsunami?

If you are in a coastal community and feel the shaking of a strong earthquake, you may have only minutes until a tsunami arrives. Do not wait for an official warning. Instead, let the strong shaking be your warning, and, after protecting yourself from falling objects, quickly move away from the water and to higher ground. If the surrounding area is flat, move inland. Once away from the water, listen to a local radio or television station or NOAA Weather Radio for information from the Tsunami Warning Centers about further action you should take.

Even if you do not feel shaking, if you learn that an area has experienced a large earthquake that could send a tsunami in your direction, listen to a local radio or television station or NOAA Weather Radio for information from the Tsunami Warning Centers about action you should take. Depending on the location of the earthquake, you may have a number of hours in which to take appropriate action.

What is the best source of information in a tsunami situation?

As part of an international cooperative effort to save lives and protect property, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service operates two tsunami warning centers: the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC) in Palmer, Alaska, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. The WC/ATWC serves as the regional Tsunami Warning Center for Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The PTWC serves as the regional Tsunami Warning Center for Hawaii and as a national/international warning center for tsunamis that pose a Pacific-wide threat.

Some areas, such as Hawaii, have Civil Defense Sirens. Turn on your radio or television to any station when the siren is sounded and listen for emergency information and instructions. Maps of tsunami-inundation areas and evacuation routes can be found in the front of local telephone books in the Disaster Preparedness Info section.

Tsunami warnings are broadcast on local radio and television stations and on NOAA Weather Radio. NOAA Weather Radio is the prime alerting and critical information delivery system of the National Weather Service (NWS). NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts warnings, watches, forecasts, and other hazard information 24 hours a day on more than 650 stations in the 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific territories.

The NWS encourages people to buy a weather radio equipped with the Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME) feature. This feature automatically alerts you when important information is issued about tsunamis or weather-related hazards for your area. Information on NOAA Weather Radio is available from your local NWS office or online.

Carry the radio with you when you go to the beach and keep fresh batteries in it.

LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE

Physical Appearance

The amazing Atlantic loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) can have a shell as long as 2.7 m (9 ft) and weigh 454 kg (1,000 lbs.)!! However, on average the loggerhead turtle is 90 cm (3 ft) long and 136 kg (300lbs) in weight.Loggerheads have large heads because they have large jaw closing muscles, allowing them to have an extremely powerful and crushing bite. They are reddish-brown in colour with olive and yellow colour tinges on their body and shell.

Feeding Habits

These sea turtles are mainly carnivores and eat sponges, jellyfish, mussels, clams, oysters, shrimp, and horseshoe crabs. It is the powerful jaws of loggerheads that allow them to easily crush the hard shells of their prey. Loggerheads can actually come in contact with the deadly tentacles of the Portuguese-man-of-war and remain unharmed!

Current Status and Threats

Atlantic loggerhead turtles are considered threatened in the United States. The largest population, of about 15,0000 loggerhead turtles, is in the Greater Antilles and the eastern United States. However, the Carolinas record a three percent decrease in the occurrence of C. caretta each year. Here are some reasons for their declining populations:

Habitat Loss due to human coastal development is one of the main reasons for their declining numbers. In fact, the nesting habitat of all species of sea turtles is disturbed or destroyed by humans.

Pollution from human garbage and effluents can have devastating effects on sea turtles. Garbage, such as plastics bags, can be mistaken by a sea turtle for a jellyfish and eating plastic is deadly because it can suffocate the turtles or the plastic can get stuck in their digestive tract.

Accidental Capture in Shrimp Trawls and Fishing Lines

Nest Robbing by humans and predators, such as raccoons, make the life of a sea turtle difficult before they are even born.

Artificial Light on coasts from cities cause disorientation of nesting females and hatchlings trying to find their way to the sea.

6 RARE FROGS DISCOVERED IN HAITI'S MOUNTAINS

In October 2010, a team of scientists set out for the remote mountains of southern Haiti in search of lost frogs. The expedition—led by Dr Robin Moore of Conservation International and Dr. Blair Hedges of Pennsylvania State University—was part of a worldwide Conservation International project aimed at finding amphibian species that have not been sighted in over a decade and which are feared to be extinct.

Haiti's amphibians are gravely threatened by the near total clear-cutting of the country's tropical forests. Less than two percent of Haiti's original forests remain intact and as a result, 92 percent of the country's 49 known native amphibian species are threatened.

Dr. Moore and Dr. Hedges explored two mountain forest regions of Haiti, the Massif de la Hotte in the southewst and the Massif de la Sell in the southeast. They had hoped to find just one of Haiti's elusive frog species. Instead, they found six critically endangered frogs, none of which had been seen in nearly twenty years.

For a country that has faced devistation and pain since the 2010 earthquake that struck just outside the capital city of Port-au-Prince, the rediscovery of these rare endemic frogs provides a rare beacon of pride and hope amidst otherwise incomprehensible pain and struggle.

Ventriloqual Frog, Eleutherodactylus dolomedes"The devastation that the people of Haiti are still coping with is almost unimaginable. I have never seen anything like it," said Dr. Moore. "Clearly, the health of Haiti's frogs is not anyone's primary concern here. However, the ecosystems these frogs inhabit, and their ability to support life, is critically important to the long-term well-being of Haiti's people, who depend on healthy forests for their livelihoods, food security and fresh water. Amphibians are what we call barometer species of our planet's health. They're like the canaries in the coal mine. As they disappear, so too do the natural resources people depend upon to survive."

The six species of frogs rediscovered by Dr. Moore and Dr. Hedges included five species last seen in 1991—the Hispaniolan ventriloquial frog, Mozart's frog, La Hotte glanded frog, Macaya breast-spot frog, Hispaniolan crowned frog—and one species last seen in 1996—the Macaya burrowing frog.

Haiti has suffered many environmental and human disasters in addition to the January 2010 earthquake. More recently, the country has been battling a cholera outbreak. In the midst of these human struggles, the natural environment of Haiti is also suffering. Without the immediate action by international conservation organizations and government agencies, Haiti will surely experience widening habitat destruction and mass extinctions. The rediscovery of six frog species previously feared to be extinct offers renewed hope for conservationists and evidence of the resiliency of the region's rare wildlife.

A Strategy for Tripling Tiger Numbers

The number of wild tigers protected in the nature reserves of Asia could be increased threefold simply by connecting existing reserves with corridors of habitat. Such corridors would allow tigers to move between isolated reserves and would encourage the mixing of individuals within the various sub populations and enable the influx of tigers into areas that suffer declines. This new strategy of tiger management was suggested in a paper published recently in the journal Conservation Letters.

There are currently about 3,200 wild tigers in Asia. This number represents a small fraction of the tiger population that was present in the region a century ago. In the early 1900s, wild tiger numbers were close to 100,000. But since that time, the species has suffered drastic declines due to poaching, habitat destruction and loss of prey populations. To complicate the population decline, today's remaining tigers are isolated in small populations scattered across 13 countries.