When a private zoo on a small island on Lake Skadar in Montenegro was flooded, Nikica, an 11-year old hippopotamus, seized the opportunity for freedom. As waters rose, she was able to bob to the top of her enclosure and escape. Though currently being tracked by zoo officials, the two-tonne hippo could pose a threat to people. Villagers have been warned to keep a safe distance. “When I left my house to feed my cow, I saw a hippo standing in front of the stall,” said a farmer, Nikola Radovic. “I thought I was losing my mind.”
The current cold weather in Florida has been forcing manatees to seek warmth any way possible. As a result, over 100 manatees have found their way into Satellite Beach Canal in Brevard County.
The problem posed by this is that the manatees have eaten all of the grass that lined canal. Now the manatees must either risk heading back into the frigid ocean waters to search for food or face starvation in the canal.
The chilly water puts the manatees at risk for cold stress, which can be deadly. The state has worked out a an emergency triage system if the manatees begin to get sick.
The manatees have also drawn large crowds of onlookers eager to get a glimpse at the endangered creatures.
Five rare white tiger cubs have been born in the Metropolitan Zoo in Santiago, Chile. The zoo is currently planning a large, grassy enclosure for the cubs and their parents, Luna and Pampa.
White tigers get their color from a genetic mutation that affects their fur pigment.
There are roughly 2000 Grevy’s zebras left in the wild, earning them a spot on the endangered species list. Add to that number one more as the Denver Zoo welcomes a baby male zebra.
The baby, named Lakota, was born on November 27th. He is the third Grevy’s zebra to ever be born at the zoo.
Grevy’s zebras differ from other zebras in their appearance. Gervy’s zebras have thinner stripes and white stomachs. They also have longer legs and larger, rounder ears.
SeaWorld aquarist Jenny Albert covers up a “cold stunned” endangered green turtle to keep the animal warm at SeaWorld’s Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.
Many green sea turtles have been adversely affected by the Arctic blast that has swept over most of the U.S. recently. Two dozen “cold-stunned” green sea turtles have been taken in by SeaWorld’s Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Orlando, Florida, where they are treating the endangered turtles with heat lamps, blankets, and warm fluids.
To learn more about green sea turtles, read Animal Fact Guide’s article: Green Turtle.
Chimps have been observed using stone and wooden cleavers to chop up food in the Nimba Mountains of Guinea, Africa. The chimps were seen breaking into Treculia fruits, which are hard shelled and volleyball-sized, and then cutting them into smaller portions.
Chimps have been observed using tools in the past to find food, including stones to crush nuts and twigs to fish termites out of holes. This is the first time that chimps have been seen using tools to process food after obtaining it.
Tasmanian devils have been threatened with extinction because of devil facial tumor disease, a fast spreading cancer. In the past 10 years the population of devils has declined by 60% as a result of the fast spreading disease.
Researchers have found that the tumors are spread through physical contact between devils, most likely biting to the face.
Researchers have also found that cells that are meant to protect nerves are likely the origin of the disease. The implications of this discovery have not been fully realized yet but may include new ways to test for the disease and a potential for an eventual vaccine.
There are roughly 2000 Grevy’s zebras left in the wild, earning them a spot on the endangered species list. Add to that number one more as the Denver Zoo welcomes a baby male zebra.
Chimps have been observed using stone and wooden cleavers to chop up food in the Nimba Mountains of Guinea, Africa. The chimps were seen breaking into Treculia fruits, which are hard shelled and volleyball-sized, and then cutting them into smaller portions.
Researchers have found that the tumors are spread through physical contact between devils, most likely biting to the face.
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