Our animal friends never cease to amuse and amaze us. Their antics certainly make the internet a cuter, more interesting place. Here are some of the stories that recently made the rounds:
Daredevil Raccoon
No, we didn’t just switch superhero names. Twitter went wild as it chronicles the ascent of a raccoon up a skyscraper in St. Paul, Minnesota. Concerned onlookers online and IRL worried about the critter’s safety, while many more cheered it on. The event inspired many coverage articles in different major American news websites. Fortunately, the raccoon made it up to the building’s roof unharmed, where it was consequently trapped and later, released.
Night Owls, Er, Animals
A considerable number of animals have become nocturnal due to human activity, a study from the University of Berkeley found. Covering 62 species from around the world, the study concluded that animals that live near humans shifted their active hours from day to night. Factors that may have contributed to this include fear of humans, pollution, and food availability. This is a wakeup call for humans to be more considerate of their furry friends and the environment we all share.
Bee-ter at Math than You
Bees understand the concept of zero. Yes, you read it right. Bees may be better at math than you and I. This was determined by a study at Melbourne’s RMIT University, where bees were given a series of tests that involved getting a reward for picking the correct answer. The experiment notes that as of now, nobody knows why bees have this ability, though in the past, other experiments have discovered that bees can count to four.
Rescue Critter
In the latest variation of stray-pets-that-turned-out-to-be-wild-animals, employees of an animal rehabilitation center in Minnesota realize that a stray kitten that a concerned citizen brought in was actually a baby bobcat. Arrangements were promptly made to transfer the bobcat to a facility better equipped to deal with wildlife.
Border-Crossing Cow Spared from Death Penalty
Penka the cow has been spared from being put to death for border crossing. The cow crossed from her native Bulgaria, a member of the European Union, into neighboring Serbia, which is not a member of the EU. Any animal crossing into the EU must do so with the proper paperwork, something that Penka didn’t, hence, her death sentence. Many Europeans have appealed for mercy for thee cow, including ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney. Authorities decided to spare Penka’s life after it was proven that she was in good health.
This appeared in Animal Scene magazine’s July 2018 issue.
