February 22nd, 2012
Emperor, an aptly named Tibetan Mastiff, sold for approximately €1.2 million last week – making him one of the world’s most expensive dogs ever.
A two-day trade show in China’s Hebei Province was the scene of the sale, where over 1000 of the massive, lion-like dogs were put up for auction. The average asking price for the ancient breed was a mere €120,000.
Considered holy in China, the Tibetan Mastiff is said to bring good fortune, health and security to its masters. Red mastiffs like Emperor are thought to be much luckier – ten times as much, it would seem. He was sold for 10 million Chinese Yuan which almost equals €1,200,000. As well as a bearer of good luck, the Tibetan Mastiff is gaining popularity as a status dog in China – a means for owners to display their wealth.
These powerful dogs were first used as watch dogs and herders by the nomadic people of Central Asia. It is said that Genghis Khan employed over 30,000 Tibetan Mastiffs in his attempt to conquer Europe. The people of Tibet especially revered these dogs as they believed that the souls of monks and nuns were reincarnated within them.
By Sinéad. Posted in Dogs, News
February 21st, 2012
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The black-capped capuchin monkeys of Port Lympne Wild Animal Park got a break from their usual fare yesterday when they were treated to some nutritious pancakes in anticipation of Shrove Tuesday.
Chief of monkey keeping at the zoo, Simon Jeffrey, says of their diet: “It’s very important that our primates have a varied and full diet to provide them with the nourishment that they require to remain healthy.” In their native South American habitat, the capuchins would live on fruit, eggs, insects and sometimes bats. Jeffery added that their pre-Lenten luxury was perfectly healthy, containing no salt, sugar or additives.
Pancake for two: A pair of capuchins go halves on a crepe.
Decisions, decisions: A black-capped capuchin ponders over his pancake filling.
Watch the opportunistic and dexterous primates discover their bounty of pancakes below:
By Sinéad. Posted in News
February 14th, 2012
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A ram named Changmao and a doe called Chunzi have become public figures in China since embarking on an “unconventional relationship”. They met in the winter of ’09 when they were just a lamb and a yearling, and have been inseparable ever since.
Grazers at their zoo were usually kept together with very little inter-species communication, so keepers were astonished at how angry the ram would get when a male deer approached his Chunzi. The doe was seen returning the affection by licking her beau’s hair and even broke through a fence to get to him after their minders felt the need to separate them.
After initially deeming the close relationship ‘unethical’, the zoo staff realised there was no keeping the two apart and arranged for a very special wedding day.
500 Visitors flocked to the zoo today to finally witness Changmao make an honest woman of Chunzi.
Carefully choreographed by zoo staff in the Yunnan Provincial Wildlife Park, the ceremony saw the pair trotting through an arch with “I do” written above it in Chinese. It cost about €7.90 for a ticket to see the union.
Zoo spokeswoman Li Li said of the nuptials: “We want people to understand that love is not limited to a traditional view but has varieties.”
An unconvinced wildlife expert from the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences remains unconvinced about the pair’s love affair. “Animals are controlled by their own nature and don’t have any sense of love,” said partypooper Zhang Jinshuo.
By Sinéad. Posted in News
February 10th, 2012
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Check out this nifty exercise device built especially for the dogs at the Husky Homestead in Alaska.
A boisterous Alaskan Husky named Suspect appears to be having the time of his life on the giant hamster wheel, agilely jumping in and out while it spins.
These endurant dogs have an innate urge to run at top speeds and need a constant means of exercise – this canine contraption allows them to make the most of their built-in abilities. They have long been used in the northernmost parts of America for pulling heavy loads over long distances and for speed racing.
The husky’s keepers say that Suspect loves the exercise wheel so much that he has even become a little obsessed with it.
By Sinéad. Posted in Dogs
February 8th, 2012
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McDonald’s have pulled a radio ad that was aired in the US after angering pit bull owners and advocates.
The ill-advised ad lists a number of activities riskier than trying their new chicken McBites – one of which is “petting a stray pit bull”.
Aired only in Kansas City, it has since spread across the web as international animal lovers are shocked by the insensitive way in which the conglomerate depicts pit bulls.
Commenters on social media sites are particularly aggrieved by the fact that a pit bull stray is singled out as an example – wouldn’t petting any strange dog be just as risky as approaching a pit?
A Facebook group has been set up for those wishing to voice their disdain towards McDonald’s and has garnered over 11,000 members since last Friday.
Rachele Lizarraga, a pet-sitter from Sacramento, set up the Facebook page.
“I found it extremely offensive and reckless,” Lizarraga. “Why would you try to promote the safety of food?”
Many have been calling for donations to be made towards pit bull organisations by McDonald’s but Lizarraga feels that an apology and a revocation of the biased statement should be enough:
“We are just asking them to promote positive pit bull imagery. We are not asking for donations. I don’t think that should be a demand,” she said. “It was stupid marketing, playing into the media hysteria about pit bulls.”
MacDonald’s spokesperson, Ashlee Yingling says, “The ad was insensitive in its mention of pit bulls. We apologise. As soon as we learned of it, we tracked the source and had the local markets pull the ad immediately. We’ll do a better job next time. It’s never our intent to offend anyone with how we communicate news about McDonald’s”
Listen to the original ad here:
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