A fully-grown male koala was struck by a car going 80km/hr. Miraculously, the koala became stuck in the grill of the car but was uninjured. The driver of the car drove very cautiously 15 kilometers to the nearest vet. The koala was cut from the grill of the car and released back into the wild later the same day.

For the full story and additional photos visit 9News.

For more information about koalas, see Animal Fact Guide’s article: Koala.

In April we wrote about Lonely Lilly, a meerkat without a mate. To aid in her quest for love, the owners of the park she lives in created a website called Meerkat Match. It was through the website that Lilly met the meerkat of her dreams, Mr. Darcy.

It must have been love at first sight because Lilly is now the proud mother of four!

SeaWorld rehabilitation experts have been working around the clock tending to a baby manatee orphan.  Every three hours, the 3.5-foot, 41-pound marine mammal is bottle-fed with a nutrient-rich formula. Every other day, the animal care specialists weigh the manatee and monitor her progress. Although her condition remains guarded, park veterinarians hope to eventually release her back into the wild.

The manatee, just weeks old, was rescued from the waters of Daytona Beach, Florida and transported to SeaWorld by the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission.

In the wild, all three species of manatee are considered threatened by the IUCN Redlist. The Florida manatee subspecies is considered endangered.  Threats include habitat destruction, red tide, and boating accidents.

SeaWorld animal care specialist Jeff Braso bottle-feeds a baby manatee, Tuesday, July 27, at SeaWorld’s Rescue & Rehabilitation Center in Orlando, Fla. The park’s animal staff has been providing 24-hour care for the animal since she was orphaned by her mother in Daytona Beach, Fla. on July 24, 2010. (Photo by SeaWorld Orlando)

A pair of African lions made their public debut in Israel on Sunday at the Zoological Center Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan. The two female cubs were given a check-up and vaccinations while the press watched.

For more photos, visit the LA Times.

One of the most reclusive primates in the world, the Horton Plains slender loris has only been spotted four times since 1937. So rare were sightings that researchers thought the loris had gone extinct sometime between sightings in 1939 and 2002.

All species of slender loris are native to Sri Lanka and southern India. Deforestation has led to a decline in all populations and prompted a study of the nocturnal animals.

It was during this study the photograph of the male Horton Plains slender loris was taken.

For more, visit CNN.com

Two male baby giraffes, born April 8 and April 24, were introduced to the rest of the giraffe herd in the Busch Gardens’ Serengeti Plain habitat. The Serengeti Plain is a 65-acre, naturalistic habitat featuring a diverse population of free-roaming African animals including giraffe, zebra, white rhinoceros, eland antelope and several other species of hoof stock and birds.

Visitors can view the new additions from the Serengeti Express or on a Serengeti Safari, an open-truck tour of the plain.

To learn more, visit the Busch Gardens website.

On June 15 the National Zoo welcomed its second baby kiwi since March. The chicks are both female and doing well. The zoo has set up a camera to observe the new chick via the internet. You can watch it here; the best time see the chick is in the evening as kiwi are nocturnal.

Kiwi are native to New Zealand. There are five species, all of which are endangered. The main threats to kiwi are habitat loss and invasive mammals.

Fun fact: The kiwi lays the largest egg in relation to its body size of any species of bird.

For more, visit the National Zoo website.

A tawny frogmouth chick, hatched April 11, 2010 at SeaWorld Orlando, reaches for a bite to eat.

This tawny frogmouth chick, shown being fed by its mother,  is the 24th chick bred by SeaWorld aviculturists over the past 10 years.  In the past,  tawny frogmouth breeding programs were largely unsuccessful, and populations in North American zoos dwindled.  But SeaWorld worked with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to improve captive breeding methods, and the program has helped strengthen population numbers.  The little guy pictured above is the first chick in the program to be raised by its parents, instead of hand-reared by aviculturists.

Tawny frogmouths inhabit the savannas and open woodlands of Australia. When threatened, they rely on camouflage for protection.

This frightening creature looks like a monster that would haunt bad dreams, but in reality this fish is less than 7 inches long. The fish is called a “longhead dreamer” anglerfish. Anglerfish are known for for their unique way of attracting prey. The have a growth that hangs in front of their heads which is used to trick smaller fish into coming close enough to eat.

The “longhead dreamer” anglerfish is one of 38 fish species found around Greenland for the first time. It is thought that rising water temperatures and increased deep-sea fishing has brought more new species into the area.

To see many of the new creatures visit National Geographic.

National Geographic wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen came to the Garde Arts Center in New London, CT on April 16th to talk about his experiences capturing images on the polar caps.  Animal Fact Guide editors P.A. Smith and Abi Cushman had the pleasure of attending.

Often Nicklen was exposed to harsh conditions while on expeditions, many times risking his life to attain his captivating images.  Yet Nicklen relayed these powerful stories while interjecting humorous remarks.  His anecdotes were hugely entertaining and inspiring.  He spoke of his up close encounter with an enormous female leopard seal who tried to feed him penguins.  At one point, the seal had placed a dead penguin on his head waiting for him to eat it, and he’d continued to take photos of her with the lifeless bird resting there, all the while tearing up with laughter. In the photo, you can see the penguin’s feet at the top of the frame.

Throughout his talk, Nicklen stressed the simple truth that man-made climate change is negatively affecting both polar regions.  The dramatic loss of the polar ice has an enormous impact on entire ecosystems.  It starts with the microorganisms that inhabit the multiyear ice (ice that builds up over several years).  These phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton, and in turn they are consumed by fish. Next in the chain are larger animals such as whales and seals.  Without the ice, the phytoplankton cannot thrive, and the ripple continues throughout the chain.  Many of the animals towards the top of the chain, such as polar bears, also rely on ice for breeding and hunting.

In light of this sad situation, Nicklen urged the audience to get involved in conservation, to start a revolution and save these ecosystems.

To learn more about Nicklen’s work and view his amazing photographs, purchase his book Polar Obsession. It contains many of the stories behind his photos.

Editor P.A. Smith in front of the Garde Arts Center in New London, where wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen spoke.