What do you get when you mix a 450-pound silverback gorilla and a 0.5-pound wild bushbaby? Friends!

While that is not always the case, for Bobo the gorilla who resides in a sanctuary at Ape Action Africa, there is nothing more delightful than spending two hours playing with the tiny primate.

While doing their morning rounds, caretakers found Bobo cradling the bushbaby and handling them ever so gently. What a precious sight to behold!

The bushbaby clearly enjoyed the company of his new friend too as he returned back to Bobo’s hands after exploring the grass nearby. Even a few of the other gorillas in the group wanted to see Bobo’s new friend, but Bobo made sure the bushbaby remained at a safe distance.

The sweet interaction lasted for two hours before Bobo took the little primate back to the safety of the trees. We guess the saying “opposites attract” really rings true in this case because although they are both primates, they are different in so many ways! Thank you, Ape Action Africa, for capturing these wonderful images to share with all of us!

Ape Action Africa works proactively to protect primates across Cameroon. They aim to address the immediate threats facing gorillas, chimpanzees, and monkeys while working with local communities to develop long-term solutions that will ensure their survival.


Galagos also known as bush babies, or nagapies (meaning "little night monkeys" in Afrikaans), are small nocturnal primates native to continental Africa, and make up the family Galagidae (also sometimes called Galagonidae). They are sometimes included as a subfamily within the Lorisidae or Loridae.


According to some accounts, the name "bushbaby" comes from either the animal's cries or its appearance. The Afrikaans name nagapie is because they are almost exclusively seen at night, while the Ghanaian name aposor is given to them because of their firm grip on branches.

In both variety and abundance, the bushbabies are the most successful strepsirrhine primates in Africa, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.

Actress Bojana Novakovic, an actress who plays on the CBS television series 'Instinct' said that she was horrified and sickened that she fake-cried in front of a Cherokee Trail of Tears marker.

Serbian actress Bojana Novakovic from CBS' series 'Instinct' fake-cried at marker and has apologized to Native community

Actress Bojana Novakovic, an actress who plays on the CBS television series 'Instinct' has told Indian Country Today that she was horrified and sickened that she fake-cried in front of a Cherokee Trail of Tears marker and uploaded a video to Facebook.

In the video, which originally was posted to her Facebook account and made its way to Twitter, has received almost 18,000 views in 12 hours. The video shows Novakovic and her sister fake-crying in front of the marker.

After a plethora of angry comments were forwarded toward Novakovic, she apologized and removed the video from Facebook.

In an exclusive interview with Indian Country Today, Novakovic said that had she known the meaning of the Trail of Tears, she would never had posted a video of that sort.


“We were on a cross country motorcycle trip with my sister and I am not even certain where this sign was. There was not any story or description near this sign, we thought it was a really beautiful name for a sign. We pulled over our bikes to take a photo of it. I had never heard of the Trail of Tears and we were just acting in a way we thought was innocent at the moment. I assumed it was because it rained a lot there and there was water flowing everywhere.


“I cannot even comprehend how someone could make a video of that if they knew what the Trail of Tears was about,” she said. “It devastates me that I did this with the knowledge that I now have. It would not make any sense to me in the world to make a video like this, in front of a sign like that, if i knew what it was about.”
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Actress @bojnovak thinks it’s funny to mock the forced relocation & genocide of indigenous peoples. @CBS should be ashamed.pic.twitter.com/loRP7zqp0X

— Simar (@sahluwal) August 28, 2018

This is, perhaps, one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve watched in a while... Trail of Tears isn’t some joke or something to laugh at. https://t.co/WkCAgxaCgu

— auntie cryden (@isitohbi) August 28, 2018

The plight of a lonely dolphin and dozens of penguins that have been abandoned in a derelict aquarium in Japan since the start of the year sparked protests this week, with activists and ordinary Japanese alike calling for the animals to be saved.

The female bottlenose dolphin, nicknamed Honey, was captured in 2005 near Taiji, a western port town that has become notorious for its annual dolphin hunt that was featured in the Oscar-winning 2009 documentary “The Cove”, media reports say.

The practice of Japanese aquariums buying dolphins from Taiji came under heavy criticism following the release of the film. The hunt involves driving hundreds of dolphins into a cove, where some are taken alive for sale to marine parks, while others are killed for meat. The Japan Association of Zoos and Aquariums has since agreed to stop buying dolphins from Taiji.

The operator of the Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium in the city of Choshi in Chiba prefecture, just east of Tokyo, shuttered the facility in January citing a decline in visitors after the 2011 earthquake and nuclear crisis.

Honey and 46 penguins, along with hundreds of fish and reptiles, remain at the aquarium, an official with the Chiba prefectural Health and Welfare department said.

Employees have been regularly feeding the animals, he added, but photos and video taken by activists in March and August from outside the park show Honey floating in a tiny pool in an eerily empty facility. In another picture, dust-covered penguins can be seen perched on a crumbling structure near a pile of debris.


“Honey is a symbol of both the problem of marine parks and Taiji’s hunting practices,” said Akiko Mitsunobu, chief of aquarium issues for Animal Rights Center, a local group.

“When we went to check on the facility, she was showing signs of stress, putting her head weakly in and out of the water.”


Repeated calls to Inubosaki Marine Park and its parent company went unanswered. A Choshi city official said they have also been unable to reach park representatives.

“I get feelings of danger and doubt from the fact that they are so silent about this,” said Sachiko Azuma, a representative of local activist group PEACE (Put an End to Animal Cruelty and Exploitation).


“As a group that handles animals, they have a responsibility to explain what they intend to do with Honey and the other animals.”

News of the abandoned animals spread quickly over social media, with Twitter users posting photos captioned “Save Honey”. A resort hotel’s offer to give them a new home sparked a flood of retweets.


“I beg the authorities to get in close contact with each other and push ahead with this,” wrote one Twitter user.
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Japan's abandoned dolphin sparks outcry https://t.co/M6W7q6nsN3 via @ReutersTV pic.twitter.com/rXNbanMjPz

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) August 28, 2018

A New Zealand unit recently gave a traditionally intimidating farewell to visiting U.S. artillery troops in the form of a haka, a chant and dance from the country's indigenous population, the Maori.

The Haka is iconic throughout the world. If you are interested in rugby, then you probably know that the All Blacks perform a haka at the start of each of the rugby games. But, did you know why they do it? There are multiple reasons; and it comes back to the fact that the haka is important to the indigenous people of New Zealand; the Māori. It is an important, iconic part of their history and traditions.

The first hakas were created and performed by different Māori tribes as a war dance. It is an ancestral war cry. It was performed on the battlefields for two reasons. Firstly, it was done to scare their opponents; the warriors would use aggressive facial expressions such as bulging eyes and poking of their tounges.

They would grunt and cry in an intimidating way, while beating and waving their weapons. The second reason they did this was for their own morale; they believed that they were calling upon the god of war to help them win the battle. They were heavily choreographed and performed in time. It gave them courage and strength. This type of haka is called a peruperu haka.

Overtime, the haka evolved and it came to be used for more than just battles. It became a way for communities to come together and it was a symbol for community and strength. This type of haka is called a ngeri haka.

Unlike the peruperu, the ngeri does not use weapons. Their purpose is different; they are performed to simply move the performs and viewers physcologically, rather than to cause fear. This different goal is reflected in the way that they are performed.


Their movements are more free, giving each participant the freedom to express themselves in their own movements. Both males and females can perform a haka; there are special ones that have been created just for women.

Trophy hunting of Greater Yellowstone grizzlies could start in just over a week. But DOI Secretary Zinke still hasn't held federally-mandated consultation with affected Tribes on the sacred bears' fate.

“Reintroduce the sacred grizzly bear to tribal homelands – not to trophy hunting,” implores actor Zahn McClarnon as he closes the just-released “Not in Our Name” short film with an appeal for public support for tribal nations in their ongoing struggle to get the Trump Administration to “honor the historic grizzly treaty signed by over 200 tribes.”

Last seen in HBO’s “Westworld” starring as Akecheta opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins, McClarnon has become one of Native America’s most recognizable actors, with prominent roles in AMC’s “The Son,” “Longmire,” “Fargo” and Spielberg’s “Into the West.”

“Hunting them is absolutely crazy. Why would you hunt a grizzly bear?” asks McClarnon, as Wyoming gears up to open its grizzly trophy hunt in Greater Yellowstone on September 1, over the objections of tribal nations that have been denied formal government-to-government consultation on the issue by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

“I grew up in grizzly country and so my experiences with grizzlies are extremely personal because of growing up around them,” explains McClarnon, who is Hunkpapa Lakota from Standing Rock but spent his formative years on the Blackfeet Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy.

The Piikani Nation, sister tribe to the Blackfeet, introduced The Grizzly: A Treaty of Cooperation, Cultural Revitalization and Restoration, which is now the most-signed tribal treaty in history. Congressman Raul M. Grijalva, who also appears in “Not in Our Name,” introduced The Tribal Heritage and Grizzly Bear Protection Act to the 115th Congress, which was inspired by the treaty.


Central to the treaty are the grizzly reintroduction articles. The Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, which includes the plurality of Yellowstone treaty tribes, recently petitioned Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) with the tribal alternative to trophy hunting, writing: “Instead of trophy hunting the grizzly, tribal nation treaty signatories advocate relocating grizzlies from the GYE to sovereign tribal lands in the grizzly’s historic range where biologically suitable habitat exists among tribes that seek to explore and participate in such a program.


The same quota of grizzlies that would be hunted per season by the states, could easily be trapped and relocated to lands under sovereign tribal authority and jurisdiction, removing any possible rationalization for reinstituting trophy hunts. This plan provides for cultural, environmental and economic revitalization for participating tribal nations, as the grizzly is sacred to a multitude of tribes.” Barrasso has yet to respond.
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“My ancestors fought and died on these lands. I just told them, ‘Don’t ask me that question,’” said the Navajo lawmaker.

It seems like President Donald Trump’s supporters breathe, eat and sleep racism. They don’t have any idea of what a diverse world looks like and make a point of troubling anyone who isn’t white.

Just recently, a group of Trump supporters protested against immigration at the Arizona Capitol and to make their point, they used the most cringe-worthy tactics. They reportedly used racist language against non-white or dark-skinned people, some of who were there to ask the Arizona Legislature to support immigration reforms.

The protesters were reportedly armed. They waved large flags in support of the commander-in-chief, standing between the state House and Senate buildings, as they asked everyone who crossed their path if they “support illegal immigration.”

‘Get out of the country!’: Navajo lawmaker harassed by Arizona Trump supporters accusing him of being here ‘illegally’ 

They also called some dark-skinned people “illegal” and told them to “go home.”


One of the people targeted by the racist supporters is a Navajo lawmaker, Rep. Eric Descheenie (D-Chinle).

The lawmaker was asked if he was living in the United States “illegally.”

Descheenie was trying to help a young student who was being harassed by the Trump supporters when he got targeted himself.

“I’m indigenous to these lands,” said Descheenie. “My ancestors fought and died on these lands. I just told them, ‘Don’t ask me that question.’”


Policy advisors for state Senate Democrats, Lisette Flores and Selianna Robles, were also yelled at as they were passing die-heart Trump supporters to get lunch at a farmers market.

Seeing this situation, three white coworkers offered to escort Flores, Robles and Democratic staffer Dora Ramirez back to their offices, Robles said.


“We’re walking back, and they start yelling again, ‘Get out of the country.’ At that point, they pointed to Lisette, called her an illegal, and said, ‘Get out, go back home!’” Robles said. “But they pointed at Jane (Ahern), who works for the House, and they said, ‘No, you can stay.’”
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Trump supporters continue to question if Arizona State Rep. Eric Descheenie, a Navajo American legislator, is here ‘illegally’. Let that level of stupid sink in for a moment. pic.twitter.com/C2kxKenqz1

— James F. Haning II (@jameshaning) August 27, 2018

The full moon rises on Sunday shortly before 8 p.m. -- the same day that Mercury is at its highest in the predawn sky and its farthest from the sun, making it an ideal time to see the innermost planet, according to space.com

The Full Sturgeon Moon is named after the large, bottom-feeding fish. Like many other full moons, the Full Sturgeon Moon got its name from Native American tribes, who knew that sturgeons were most easily caught during this time. This moon is also known as the “Full Green Corn Moon" and the "Blueberry Moon."

If you happen to find yourself in Africa, Asia, or Australia on August 7, you’ll get to see the Full Sturgeon Moon during a partial lunar eclipse. However, Space.com reports that those in Hawaii will be lucky enough to see the beginning of the eclipse shortly before 6 a.m.

The Anishnaabe (Chippewa and Ojibwe) call it miini-giizis, the berry moon, while the Assiniboine of the northern plains named it capasapsaba, black cherries moon. The Lakota call it wasutoa wi, moon of the ripening, while the Sioux dubbed it cherries turn black.

Likewise the Tlingit have dubbed their August full moon sha-ha-yi, or berries ripe on mountain. Also in the fruit realm are the Wishram of the Columbia River in Washington and Oregon, who called it blackberry patches moon, and the Shawnee, with po'kamawi kiishthwa, or plum moon.

August Full Moon Names From Native American and Other Different Cultures Joyful Moon (Hopi). First Acorns (Pomo). Ripen moon (Dakota). Dispute Moon (Celtic). Cutter Moon (Abernaki). Dog Days moon (Yuchi). Corn Silk Moon (Ponca). Harvest Moon (Chinese). Berry Moon (Anishnaabe). Women's Moon (Choctaw). Mulberries Moon (Natchez). Middle moon (Potawatomi). Freshness Moon (Mohawk). Yelow flower moon (Osage). Blackberry Moon (Wishram). Acorns Ripen Moon (Maidu). Wheat Cut Moon (San Juan). Lightning Moon (Neo Pagan). Black Cherries Moon (Sioux). Yellow Leaves moon (Kiowa).

Edible Corn Moon (Algonquin). Young Ducks Fly Moon (Cree). Black Cherries Moon (Assiniboine). Dog Day's Moon (Colonial American). Autumn Moon (Taos Native American). Corn Moon, Wort Moon (Medieval English). Geese Shedding Feathers Moon (Arapaho). Feather Shedding Moon (Passamaquoddy). Dispute Moon (Full Janic), Harvest Moon (Dark Janic). Big Harvest moon, Heat Moon, Big Rippening Moon (Creek). Fruit Moon, Drying Moon, Last Fruit Moon, Grain Moon (Cherokee). Red Moon,Sturgeon Moon, Green Corn Moon, Dog Days Moon (Algonquin).

If you look up at the sky tonight you will see 100 percent of the lunar orb’s face lit up by the Sun.

This happens because for one moment this month the Moon will sit directly opposite the Sun at 180 degrees.

Throughout the rest of the month the Moon will sit anywhere between 180 and zero degrees in relation to the Sun.

So why does the Aug. 26 full moon have so many different nicknames? National Geographic explains the name “sturgeon moon” comes from North American fishing tribes, due to the abundance of the sturgeon species of fish that could be found in the month of August. The epithet “red moon” is due to the moon’s reddish hue, which is caused by the summer fog, according to National Geographic.

The August full moon’s other two nicknames — “green corn moon” and “grain moon” — can be traced to the native American harvesting ceremonies that began at the end of summer. The Green Corn Ceremony was typically held in late June or early July, and the Mature Green Corn Ceremony would take place 45 days later, according to Cherokee.org.

The Anishnaabe (Chippewa and Ojibwe) call it miini-giizis, the berry moon, while the Assiniboine of the northern plains named it capasapsaba, black cherries moon. The Lakota call it wasutoa wi, moon of the ripening, while the Sioux dubbed it cherries turn black.


Likewise the Tlingit have dubbed their August full moon sha-ha-yi, or berries ripe on mountain. Also in the fruit realm are the Wishram of the Columbia River in Washington and Oregon, who called it blackberry patches moon, and the Shawnee, with po'kamawi kiishthwa, or plum moon.

Earthsky.org says that the August full moon will be visible in every part of the world except “far-northern Arctic latitudes.”

So, no matter where you are tonight, look up. You might see something beautiful and red.

August Full Moon Names From Native American and Other Different Cultures Joyful Moon (Hopi). First Acorns (Pomo). Ripen moon (Dakota). Dispute Moon (Celtic). Cutter Moon (Abernaki). Dog Days moon (Yuchi). Corn Silk Moon (Ponca). Harvest Moon (Chinese). Berry Moon (Anishnaabe). Women's Moon (Choctaw). Mulberries Moon (Natchez). Middle moon (Potawatomi). Freshness Moon (Mohawk). Yelow flower moon (Osage). Blackberry Moon (Wishram). Acorns Ripen Moon (Maidu). Wheat Cut Moon (San Juan). Lightning Moon (Neo Pagan). Black Cherries Moon (Sioux). Yellow Leaves moon (Kiowa). Edible Corn Moon (Algonquin). Young Ducks Fly Moon (Cree). Black Cherries Moon (Assiniboine). Dog Day's Moon (Colonial American). Autumn Moon (Taos Native American). Corn Moon, Wort Moon (Medieval English). Geese Shedding Feathers Moon (Arapaho). Feather Shedding Moon (Passamaquoddy). Dispute Moon (Full Janic), Harvest Moon (Dark Janic). Big Harvest moon, Heat Moon, Big Rippening Moon (Creek). Fruit Moon, Drying Moon, Last Fruit Moon, Grain Moon (Cherokee). Red Moon,Sturgeon Moon, Green Corn Moon, Dog Days Moon (Algonquin).

A recent survey found 40 percent of respondents didn't think Native Americans still exist.

The Reclaiming Native Truth project aimed to figure out what the "dominant narrative" is around Native people. So, what are people saying about Native Americans, how are they represented in culture and media and, crucially, how does that translate into public policy and opinion?

“The complete lack of representation in the media, in pop culture, in K-12 education not only erases us from the American consciousness, it inadvertently creates a bias,” consultant Echo Hawk told Women's Media Center. “People were less likely to support certain rights and social justice issues for Native people when they had zero perception and understanding of who we are. Invisibility and erasure is the modern form of racism against Native people.”

Some findings from the survey:

•59 percent agreed the United States committed genocide against Native Americans.

•36 percent of people thought Native Americans experience significant discrimination.


•Bias against Native Americans depends on region, with the greatest bias shown among those who live nearest Indian reservations.

•People held dual ideas about Natives, for example that they live in abject poverty but also are "flush with casino money" or care about the environment but live on trashed reservations.

•Teachers and parents in focus groups found school curriculum covering Native Americans is inaccurate and that Natives are under-represented (none of the focus groups were in Montana, which has Indian Education for All programs).


•Research shows mascots such as the Washington Redskins are detrimental to Native students and reinforce bias against Indians, with 4/5 Native Americans finding them offensive. Half the country in general believes the mascots honor Natives and opposes a ban. Younger respondents, especially Millennial women, are more likely to support a ban.

•71 percent of those surveyed favored expanding national monuments to protect sacred lands.

•63 percent of people surveyed support “doing more for Native Americans,” while 5 percent argued for doing less.

•36 percent of those surveyed believe they have some Native American ancestry.

•Among the positive stereotypes of Native Americans: "committed to preserving their culture," "committed to family and community," "spiritual/mystical,""resilient in the face of discrimination, oppression and genocide," "close to the land or stewards of the environment" and patriotic Americans/serving in military.


•Protests at Standing Rock lifted the profile of Native Americans, reminding Americans and people around the world that they still exist, united tribes, leveraging non-traditional media and bringing issues of tribal sovereignty to the public.

•Most people, from elected officials to the media to the general public, didn't understand tribal sovereignty. Most lumped all Native Americans into one group instead of recognizing tribal differences.

•College-educated people, people of color, people who are or know Native Americans, people in the Northeast, liberals and young women are more likely to support Native Americans. White people in Indian Country, seniors, conservatives and older men without a college degree were considered the toughest to convince to be allies.
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This is the adorable moment a playful lion cub jumps on her dad to welcome him back to the pride after a few days away.

Photographs show the cheeky youngster leaping on to her father’s back and grabbing his mane. In other snaps, she can be seen sat on his head with her paws clasping his ears. Although mostly unfazed by the antics of his offspring, the elder lion does appear to let out a roar at one point – but this doesn’t put the youngster off.

The images were taken by photographer Daryl Dell at the Phinda Private Game Reserve in Hluhluwe, South Africa, earlier this year. The 40-year-old said: “There was a whole pride of lions with cubs.

“The male had been apart for a couple of days and when he came back it was very exciting for his cubs to see him so they were jumping on him and playing.

“He was totally unfazed by it. It was amazing to watch.

“You don’t see the cubs jumping on their dad and playing that often so it was special to see. “You think of lions as animals that hunt and kill things so it was lovely to see the fun side of the father.


“We spent a good few hours watching them. I think we were there for about four hours.

“It was a nice cool day and we spent a lot of time watching them sleeping waiting for them to be more active.


“They played for quite a while then started to relax.”

Having worked on safari for 15 years, sometimes waiting up to 17 hours a day for sightings of Africa’s most impressive animals, Daryl said it’s still special to capture moments like this one.

Nicholas was rescued with advanced mange which was causing him a lot of pain…

Many people consider foxes to be pests; destructive animals who should be “controlled” so they do not interfere with what is ours. Foxes are often cruelly targeted by people who view them as a threat to their property and, when in need, they are often denied help.

Fortunately, many people are working to change this harmful reality. The Fox Project, a British charity dedicated to helping the red fox, has been rescuing and treating foxes since 1991. Recently, the organization has rescued Nicholas – a red fox found suffering from a bad case of mange.

Once under the care of The Fox Project, he started to receive the much-needed care – extensive treatment and a lot of oil massages to alleviate his skin condition.

Sarcoptic mange is a highly contagious skin condition, which makes it especially important to report cases of foxes with signs of the illness so that it will not spread to other wild animals and pets.

Thanks to the work of his carers, Nicholas started to feel better very quickly.

Soon, his eyes were once again bright, and he started looking more like a fox is supposed to – all because of the specialized care, treatment, and some delicious food.

Although he still has some bald patches, Nicholas was finally ready to be released. He already had lots and lots of new fur growing in and the process will now be stimulated further by him being out in the air. The sweet fox was more than eager to get back to his home.


The Fox Project admits and treats around 800 foxes every year, including some 250 cubs. As the charity emphasizes, the team always strives to return foxes to their home as soon as possible to minimize any possibility of the territory being taken over. Because of the team, Nicholas now has his own territory back.
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Hundreds of thirsty cows swarm a water truck, revealing the harrowing impact of Australia’s biggest drought in decades.

A herd of thirsty cows swarmed a water truck in Australia, drone footage of the event shows.

A farmer in New South Wales drove more than an hour to deliver water to 1,300 cows, according to FOX13 News. The region has been battling one of the worst droughts in years.

The drought, likely intensified by a dry winter, has made it extremely difficult for many farmers in the region to feed and give water to livestock, as well as keep crops alive, according to the BBC.

“It's like you are in jail every day," Ashley Gamble, one farmer, told a local Australian news outlet. "You turn up here because you've got to turn up. It's just depressing."

The dry weather is expected to last for at least another three months. The bleak outlook has prompted the state government to ease up on rules that cap how many kangaroos farmers can shoot. Kangaroos are known to steal the scant food the cows do get.


"Many farmers are taking livestock off their paddocks, only to then see kangaroos move in and take whatever is left," Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair told the Associated Press.

Additionally, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday announced a roughly $140 million package that will include payments to farmers to make up for lost income, as well as mental health support efforts, the Washington Post reported.

“These are bleak times, and a lot of people find it very hard to cope,” Turnbull said, according to the paper.

In 2003, New Jersey state officials decided to bring back managed bear hunting after it had been banned in the state for three decades.

Proponents of resuming bear hunting portrayed this disturbing practice as a necessary step in controlling the state’s bear population and limiting human-bear encounters.

Under this same faulty reasoning, then-Governor Chris Christie established an annual organized bear hunt in New Jersey in 2010. Since then, hundreds of bears have been legally culled each year in the state. In 2017 alone, 409 bears died at the hands of hunters, all under the guise of a “pest control method” which, in reality, hasn’t been proven to solve the issue of bear overpopulation in any way, shape or form.

Recognizing that bear hunting is cruel and unjustifiable, current New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently announced a ban on bear hunts on state land, something which he pledged to do during his campaign. Effective immediately, killing bears will no longer be allowed in any of New Jersey’s state parks, state forests or recreation areas.

As Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, reportedly stated, Murphy’s recent executive order is the “first real step we’ve had in a long time to limit the unnecessary bear hunt.”

Indeed, it is a great stride towards protecting New Jersey’s bears, but there is still work to be done. After all, Murphy does not have the authority needed to outlaw bear hunting on privately-owned lands, leaving around one million acres on which the animals can still legally be killed in New Jersey.


In hopes of getting bear hunting outlawed throughout the entire state, Governor Murphy is urging other government officials to act. As he reportedly said in a statement, “I am also calling on the Legislature to take action on this critical issue.” He went on, “My first concern has always been public safety and before we authorize another hunt, we should review all non-lethal options.”

We totally agree with Murphy that New Jersey (and other U.S. states) should try out the many effective, humane options for solving animal population issues and preventing conflicts between critters and humans before resorting to managed hunting. By implementing such solutions across the nation rather than allowing people to slaughter living creatures for sport, we can live in harmony with wild animals.
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Three terrified newborn puppies are alive and well after being discovered in a grocery bag hidden in a bush.

Susanna Bergamaschi, an animal rescue volunteer in Norma, Italy, found the petrified little pups while she was out walking.

“I was out walking with a friend when I came across a dog walker who said he’d heard noises coming from a hedge, and indicated at the place where the noises were coming from,” she said.

With help from a few other people, the tan bag was retrieved from the bushes and opened. Inside were three newborn puppies, one black and two white, who can be seen quivering and mewling.

They were so young their eyes were not even open yet. It was upsetting for the rescuers who cradled the puppies in their arms before they were whisked off to get medical care.

But now Susanna is nursing the puppies back to health, hand feeding them and also being assisted by a mother dog still lactating.


The video below shows the heartwarming moment the three terrified puppies are rescued.
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Native American Woman Legislator Reminds Anti-Immigrant Politician He Was An “Illegal” Immigrant, Too

The Legislature's annual attempt to repeal a statute allowing in-state tuition for Kansas students without legal residency drew an emotional crowd to a House committee Wednesday.

Students who have lived in the United States most of their lives got choked up as they described the academic lifeline in-state tuition has provided to improve their lives. A counselor who works with such students in Wichita high schools shed tears as she showed legislators a scrapbook of success stories. Murmurs of unrest were heard in the gallery as one House member asked about the prevalence of illegal immigrants from gangs and drug cartels in American prisons.

But nothing drew a bigger reaction than when Rep. Ponka-We Victors, D-Wichita, wrapped up a series of questions to the bill's chief proponent, Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

“I think it’s funny Mr. Kobach, because when you mention illegal immigrant, I think of all of you,” said Victors, the Legislature's lone American Indian member.

The heavily pro-immigrant gallery burst into cheers and applause — a rare reaction in normally staid hearings.


"Please don't do that," said Rep. Arlen Siegfreid, R-Olathe, the chairman of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee.

Wednesday's hearing on House Bill 2192 would have repealed a nearly 10-year-old statute that allows students who graduate from Kansas high schools and have lived in Kansas for at least three years to pay in-state tuition at state universities and community colleges, regardless of residency status.


Kobach, a lightning-rod for controversy on immigration issues, told the committee federal law conflicts with that statute.

“U.S. citizens should always come first when it comes to handing out government subsidies,” Kobach said.


Kobach also pointed out that natives of foreign countries who seek student visas to attend Kansas universities must pay out-of-state tuition. “I think that is an absurd reverse incentive," Kobach said. "If you follow the law, we’re charging you three times more.”

A kind couple in Crete noticed a Griffon vulture perched on a wall next to a road that seemed thirsty and needing a drink.

The approached and, amazingly, the bird let them get right up close to him and touch his beak.

Moments later they pulled out a water bottle to give the bird a drink, which it welcomed, scooping up the water with its beak from the man’s cupped hands. The bird also drank from a cup as several people gathered around.

Crete is home to the largest insular population of Griffons in the world. The vultures feed on carcasses of livestock animals of medium or large size (sheep, cows, goats, etc). But as people leave behind pastoral farming, the birds’ numbers have dropped.

The birds are considered helpful in rural areas where they help clean up dead animals that could cause contamination to flocks in the warm climates.

This particular vulture was very grateful for the helping hand. He posed for a few photos with the couple.


He even spread his wings as if giving them a hug.
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