Saved by the Beluga

Pictures by Europics

A Beluga whale has saved the life of a female diver by hoisting her to the water's surface when she suffered crippling cramps.

Diver Yang Yun: "I began to choke and sank even lower and I thought that was it for me - I was dead. Until I felt this incredible force under me driving me to the surface," Yun said.

Found at Foxnews.com.

Baby elephant enjoys a bath

Awwww, baby elephant Luk Chai is happily enjoying a bath at the Taronga Zoo.

Bunny does the moonwalk

First we could see Simon the bunny walking on two legs and know he can even do the moonwalk! Well okay, something that looks like it...
Your bunny really rocks, Zach H.

Freedom Dogs work to curb military suicides

The examiner is reporting about dogs who work with military men and women who came home from the war with emotional an physical wounds. The dogs are therapy trained and are helping the returnees with their physical challenges as assistance dogs often do, but they are also helping them heal their emotional wounds and once again be able to easily function in the hustle and bustle of daily life.

The dogs are provided by a non-profit organization called Freedom Dogs.

Thanks to Cyndi W. for tipping.

Seal watches solar eclipse

Picture by AP

Smart seal wears sunglasses to protect his eyes while watching the solar eclipse in Tokyo.

Found at the UK Telegraph.

Bunny walks on two legs...

Simon the bunny can do a trick... Zach H. we think your bunny should apply for the circus!

Baby dolphins at Discovery Cove

Here's some footage of the four baby dolphins that were recently born at Discovery Cove Orlando.

Seven hedgies for the price of one

Sender-inner Cocoa writes: We bought my hedgie Junie in February, and unbeknownst to us, she was pregnant! So about a month later we found six little hoglets crawling around in the cage. You can find pictures of them from 2 to 6 weeks here: Facebook album. There are also some photos of pre-pregnancy Junie there as well. :) Hope you enjoy!

Well, we sure enjoy this bunch of prickly (baby) cuteness, Cocoa...

Young dear bathes kitty

'Oh kitty, you smell a bit, let me clean you...'

Dolphin Baby Boom at Discovery Cove in Orlando

Picture by Jason Collier

Twelve year-old Clipper, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin at Discovery Cove, swims together with her newborn male calf. The calf will get a name shortly, usually about a month after birth. All together, four dolphins have been born within the last month at the all-inclusive tropical oasis. Discovery Cove is a family adventure where guests enjoy a one-of-a-kind opportunity to swim with dolphins, snorkel with rays and tropical fish, hand-feed exotic birds and relax on pristine beaches. To discover more, visit DiscoveryCove.com.

Dog wears shades...

Picture by Monica Kim

'Does I look cool?'

(via peoplepets.com)

Baby boom at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

Be prepared for an overload of cute baby animals...

It's a baby boom at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Conservation and Research Center. Within a 24 hour time span, a clouded leopard, red panda, and Przewalski's horse were born in Front Royal, Va.

Baby sea lion gets swim lessons

A sea lion pup at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium takes swimming lessons with her mother, Zoe. First, the pup drops into the pool and her mother guides her back to the beach. Then the pup dives in unexpectedly and mother Zoe swims along side her. It's all part of Zoe teaching her pup to swim.

The world's smallest dog?

The Daily Mail is reporting about a Maltese pup that is only three inches high and can sit quite comfortably in a tea cup.
According to his owner, Cheryl McKnight, that qualifies the white bundle of fur, named Scooter, to take the title of the smallest dog in the world.

We never thought that there could be a pup smaller than this one...

Squirrel's head stuck in cup

This is kinda funny... Thanks to Cyndi W. for tipping.

Meet Archimedes

"...Archimedes was adopted from our local pet shelter. Archimedes is about 6 months old. He loves chasing bugs and frogs, jumping in lakes, and belly rubs. He is a very playful and sweet dog with a great personality. Archimedes has made friends with all the dogs in his cul-de-sac as well as a few cats!!"

Sabrina B. what a lovely dog you have with a beautiful name. Can he do maths too? ;-)

Cute koala twin babies

Koala twin babies climbing on their mothers's back...

Bear Quintuplets

The following story was send to us in a Forward mail by Cindy W.

Black bears typically have two cubs; rarely, one or three. In 2007, in northern New Hampshire, a black bear Sow gave birth to five healthy young. There were two or three reports of sows with as many as 4 cubs, but five was, and is, very extraordinary. I learned of them shortly after they emerged from their den and set myself a goal of photographing all five cubs with their mom - no matter how much time and effort was involved. I knew the trail they followed on a fairly regular basis, usually shortly before dark. After spending nearly four hours a day, seven days a week, for more than six weeks, I had that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
and photographed them. I used the equivalent of a very fast film speed on my digital camera. The print is properly focused and well exposed, with all six bears posing as if they were in a studio for a family portrait.



I stayed in touch with other people who saw the bears during the summer and into the fall hunting season. All six bears continued to thrive. As time for hibernation approached, I found still more folks who had seen them, and everything remained OK. I stayed away from the bears as I was concerned that they might become habituated to me, or to people in general, and treat them as `approachable friends�. This could easily become dangerous for both man and animal.

After Halloween, I received no further reports and could only hope the bears survived until they hibernated.

This spring, just before the snow disappeared, all six bears came out of their den and wandered all over the same familiar territory they trekked in the spring of 2007.

I saw them before mid-April and dreamed nightly of taking another family portrait, a highly improbable second once-in-a-lifetime photograph.

On 25 April 2008, I achieved my dream.



When something as magical as this happens between man and animal, Native Americans say, �We have walked together in the shadow of a rainbow�. And so it is with humility and great pleasure that I share these exhilarating photos with you. Do pass them on!

Sincerely, /Tom Sears.

Squirrel wants ice cream cone....

This squirrel sure knows how to use his cuteness for personal gain ;)

Cat wants a bath...

Apparently some cats actually do like water...

Busch Gardens animals beat the heat

Pictures by Matt Mariot/Busch Gardens

These animals know what to do to stay cool...

As the temperature swells in the Tampa Bay area, Busch Gardens animals are doing what comes naturally to beat the heat.
Because most species in the park are native to Africa or other tropical or sub-tropical climates, they have natural adaptations and behaviors to help them thrive in high temperatures. Hippos and Asian small-claw otters spend time in the water to cool off. Rhinos wallow in mud pits to beat the heat.
Also helping the animals to stay cool are the naturalistic habitats at Busch Gardens. Lush forests, waterfalls, rocky overhangs and plunge pools in exhibits such as Myombe Reserve, Jungala and the Edge of Africa mimic the animals’ environments in the wild, providing shade in the summer and sunny areas in winter.
For more information on Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, visit www.BuschGardens.com.

Kitty falling asleep

Don't you just wish you had this kitty at your couch?

More cuteness falling asleep at cutethingsfallingasleep.org.

Cougar baby Gillin at the New Zoo

Looks like orphaned cougar Gillin is doing fine at her new home.