When the fox named Fergie was found as a baby with mom nowhere to be seen, she was mistaken for a puppy and was brought to a wildlife carer. This mistake saved Fergie’s life. As soon as she arrived at the sanctuary, Fergie bonded with an 11-year-old girl, Phoenix, forming an inseparable friendship.

In Australia, under the Rural Lands Protection Act 1998, it is an offense to keep, supply, or release foxes because they threaten biodiversity by hunting and killing native wildlife. Due to this act, foxes have only 2 options; either be left where they were found, unable to get veterinary attention, or get euthanized.

Even though foxes are classified as wild animals, in an enclosed country like Australia, it is different. “Foxes in Australia are a declared pest animal and it’s actually illegal to move them, keep them without a permit or provide them with veterinary attention.”

“According to the law, Fergie should have been either left where she was or euthanized. Thankfully the person who found her didn’t even know she was a fox and took her to a wildlife carer who then contacted us,” shared Rachael. “We’re a farm animal sanctuary and never dreamed we’d find ourselves faced with foxes in need. We hate keeping animals in captivity but sadly it was the best of 2 options.”

“We try really hard to keep their living space interesting (she has a friend called Toby who was also found orphaned). We spend time with them and provide them with enrichment. We’d love to improve and expand their enclosure one day soon… We were unfortunately hit incredibly hard with huge vet bills last year so will need to get on top of those first,” Rachael wrote.

Luckily, by mistake, a person who found Fergie thought that she was a puppy and brought her to a wildlife carer, who then contacted Rachael. To save Fergie, Racheal took in the fox to live in a family-run farm animal sanctuary that she founded

Image credits: greenerpasturessanctuary

Meanwhile, Fergie and Phoenix have formed an inseparable bond and spend a lot of their time together

Source

The largest equestrian complex in the nation opened its doors Tuesday to shelter more than 3,000 horses and other animals from Hurricane Ian – and they did it for free.

As Hurricane Ian intensified and knocked on Florida’s door, horse owners began arriving early in the morning to set up their animals in 25 barns across the center’s 600 acres, according to Vinnie Card, operations manager of the World Equestrian Center. Since the center’s schedule had plenty of open space in its barns, Card said, the facility was happy to take in animals in need of shelter.

“The love for the animals, that’s why we do what we do,” Card said.

As horses and a variety of other animals found shelter the center began to feel like a modern-age Noah’s Ark.

One barn will shelter Turbo the tortoise, 46, and a kangaroo named Spanky, both from The Peeps Foundation based in Ocala, mere steps away from the Equestrian Center. And another barn with a separate owner will house donkeys.

Josh Dolan, founder of the miniature horse rescue, said Hurricane Ian will be the organization’s first hurricane since moving to Ocala a year and a half ago.

Without the space at the World Equestrian, he said, more than 50 miniature dwarf horses and other animals under his care would have been moved to Georgia to avoid the storm.

Laura Casati and Bill Lacy sat with four horses and their dog, Rihanna, in a barn Tuesday afternoon. They were just across the street from the on-site hotel where they will stay during the hurricane.

Card said the facility’s staff began preparing for extreme weather Friday. Although space for boarding horses is filled at WEC, each barn is temperature controlled and outfitted with a back-up generator. He said the facility is unlikely to lose power for more than a few minutes.

“It’s one thing we can control,” he said.

Source

Currently in Fort Myers, Florida. Video by Loni Architects #flwx #Ian #hurricane pic.twitter.com/8nfncFlG9G

— Kaitlin Wright (@wxkaitlin) September 28, 2022

Pictures of a pouting boxfish, a giggling lion and ninja prairie dog are among the 'best entries so far' in the 2021 Comedy Wildlife Photography awards, organisers say.

The annual photography competition is free to enter and is still open to anyone with a funny photo of our feathered or furry friends June 30, 2021. Now in its seventh year, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has already received thousands of entries from around the world, with six weeks still to go.

This year, the competition organisers are releasing some of the shots that have already had them howling like hyenas, to inspire both professional and amateur photographers to enter their own images before the deadline.

The chosen photographs show animals from across the planet, from Africa, the Caribbean to Brazil, captured at the perfect time. They include images of a moody pied starling showcasing its best frown, a bald eagle receiving a surprise from a prairie dog in Colorado and a group of penguins enjoying a surfing session in the Falkland Islands.

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards was co-founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam.

The duo wanted to create a competition that focused on the lighter side of wildlife photography and help promote the conservation of wildlife and habitats. An image of an Eagle being surprised by a prairie dog was captured by Arthur Trevino in the US, he described it as a 'real David vs Goliath story.'

A young lion in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, apparently laughing at the photography skills of Giovanni Querzani

'When this Bald Eagle missed on its attempt to grab this prairie dog, the prairie dog jumped towards the eagle and startled it long enough to escape to a nearby burrow.'

Each year, the competition highlights a charity working tirelessly to protect vulnerable species, donating 10 per cent of its total net revenue to the charity.This year they are donating to Save Wild Orangutans, an initiative that safeguards wild orangutans in and around Gunung Palung National Park, Borneo.

Arthur Trevino from Longmont, US, caught this bald eagle being surprised by a prairie dog, saying the dog jumped towards the eagle, startling it long enough to escape into a burrow

Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE, Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards Co-Founder, said: “A lot of wildlife shown in these images are facing threats to their populations and habitats that are heart-breaking.

'With this competition, we wanted to capture people’s attention and energy by giving them a giggle. In order to protect animals, we need people to fall in love with them.

'We think these wondrous shots show a side of wildlife that we don’t often get to see. They remind us of the beauty, and comedy, in our natural world that needs protecting.'The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2021 is free to enter, with photographers able to enter up to ten photographs across six different categories.

Lea Scaddan from Perth caught the image of these two Western Grey Kangaroos who were fighting

The images shared by the awards organisers are designed to showcase the 'best so far', but suggest many more images could still be submitted and the first prize award is 'wide open'.

One image they shared was taken by Lucy Beveridge from Spain, it shows a young springbok 'all ears and spindly legs pronking' at the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa.

Lucy Beveridge from Madrid, Spain caught this young springbok, all ears and spindly legs, in midair while pronking as the sun started to rise over the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa

'There's not much information on why the Springbok pronk but some theories suggest it is a way of showing fitness and strength to ward off predators and attract mates.

'It has also been said that this small, dainty and largely unappreciated antelope also pronks out of excitement, jumping for joy!'

Source By Kevin Biskaborn

By Tom Svensson

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has released some of the best images of animals in funny poses submitted for this year’s competition.

The annual contest highlighting hilarious photos of animals in the wild, now in its sixth year, is free to enter and aims to raise awareness about wildlife conservation.

For amateur and professional photographers, the contest — open for entries until June 30 — selects an overall winner and finalists for different categories from thousands of candid photos of animals in the wild.

They appear to be caught in comic, compromising situations, or making dramatic or silly faces when a photographer, at the right place, at the right time, was able to capture the humorous moment.

Every year, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards highlight the funniest photos of animals taken in the wild. Talented photographers from around the world manage to capture moments where animals seem to be experiencing very human emotions or dilemmas.

Founders Tom Sullam and Paul Joynson-Hicks started the contest to raise awareness about wildlife conservation. They hope the pictures encourage people to shop responsibly, be mindful of their water use, and speak out about environmental issues — in addition to making people laugh.

An army of animal lovers has taken to India's streets to feed millions of strays dogs and cattle left to starve amid the coronavirus pandemic, but say there is 'never enough' food to go round.

Strays used to scavenging scraps from hotels, restaurants and roadside stalls were abandoned following the country's stay-at-home order imposed on March 24.

Around 30 million dogs and five million cattle now roam across India's usually bustling streets, weaving in and out of traffic and sheltering under highway overpasses during the scorching afternoons as they fend for themselves.

Priyanka Gusain is one of an army of activists bringing food to the animals in her spare time, along with her mother Vilochna.

Dressed in personal protective equipment including a face mask and gloves, she brings sacks of cattle fodder, dog pellets and water for her evening feeding rounds in Delhi.

The activist also lays down grass for cows and horses, otherwise left to fend for themselves. Gusain said: 'No-one is taking care of them. That thought made me do all of this.'


Animal activists have pressed local authorities to issue 'feeding passes' that will allow them outside to help the animals at risk.

Many launched online campaigns to raise funds and set up WhatsApp chat groups to coordinate feeding runs.


The mercy missions from animal lovers are not universally popular, though. Gusain, who obtained a pass through a Delhi shelter organisation, has faced pushback from people who say: 'You are doing so much for dogs, what about humans?'

Even working animals have become casualties. With tourism and mining having ground to a halt, horses, donkeys and ponies were being 'thrown out left, right and centre', said Gauri Maulekhi of People for Animals India. Stray cattle, left to roam the streets by their owners or abandoned when they get old, are also struggling to survive.


'If there are a hundred mouths to feed, we are perhaps able to feed only 10. There is never enough. There is a huge shortage,' Mauleki added.

In the southern city of Chennai, Vinod Kumar from animal welfare charity Blue Cross of India said the situation was desperate.


'In many cases, the dogs... in places where there are not many residences, they actually starve,' he said.

Several shelters said people are also abandoning pets in fear they could contract and spread the virus to human owners.
Source

A Philadelphia woman found a groundhog outside of her home munching on a piece of pizza for over an hour, completely unfazed by her two dogs.

A groundhog chowing down on pizza in Philadelphia couldn't be more relatable. The rodent was spotted sitting outside Kristin Chalela Bagnell's sliding glass door in a deep stare, munching on the pizza slice and unfazed by the two dogs on the other side.

Bagnell told CNN this went on for about an hour Tuesday until the groundhog finished eating and scurried away. Probably off for a nap after all the carbs.

"Before I recorded, we noticed that pizza was out in our backyard and we didn't know where it came from," she said. "Then both of the dogs were very intently looking out the glass."

Bagnell started recording and saw the pizza culprit was the neighborhood groundhog. She said he has been spotted several times before but never with a whole slice of Sicilian.

The hungry rodent is giving New York's infamous "Pizza Rat" a run for its money. In 2015, the rat attempted to drag a slice of pizza double its size down some subway stairs.


The groundhog prefers open country and the edges of woodland, and is rarely far from a burrow entrance. The groundhog has a wide geographic range. It is typically found in low-elevation forests, small woodlots, fields, pastures and hedgerows. It constructs dens in well-drained soil, and most have summer and winter dens. Human activity has increased food access and abundance allowing M. monax to thrive.

The etymology of the name woodchuck is unrelated to wood or chucking. It stems from an Algonquian name for the animal, wuchak.