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Royal Mini March of the King Penguins

PetSugar — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:00:25 -0800

In wintry months, plenty of zoo animals have less exercise time. Unless they're cold weather fans, they can need extra motivation to move it, move it around that enclosure.

At the Asahiyama Zoo in Japan, keepers created a special path to let their King Penguins stroll (monitored) daily to counteract this lack of exertion . . . and invite zoo guests to watch nearby.

It's so cute that I couldn't resist sharing additional photos when you read more.

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Baby Wallaby Gets a Foster Mom With Makeshift Pouch!

PetSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:30:03 -0700

Look at this cute lil face, but does that seem to be a wallaby mama? (Answer - no.) See more of the baby's unlikely parent, provisional pouch, and daytime activities - like typing! - in this slideshow.

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That's a Big Fishie Tank!

PetSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:00:53 -0700

If you wanted to visit the world's largest fish tank, you'd have to go to Okinawa, Japan, home of the "Kuroshio Sea," otherwise known as the Churaumi Aquarium. Their fish tank is so humongous, it holds four whale sharks – the biggest fish alive!

Not only is the local sea life that's housed in the tank beautiful to look at, but the observation window at the Churaumi is a marvel on its own. The acrylic-resin window clocks in at 26 feet high by 73 feet wide, and almost two feet thick in order to hold the pressure of the water which is pumped in from 300 feet offshore. Don't the people in this picture look like fish food compared to these massive sea creatures!?

And I thought Aquatica was huge!

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Hello, I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura . . . Now Take Me Home!

PetSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:30:40 -0700

Forget "ringing" like a cell phone - this bird has even more amazing things come out of his mouth. When the African grey parrot was found and rescued two weeks ago in Nagareyama, Japan, the officials promptly brought him into the police station and were about to start the interrogation process. Turns out this bird was just not talking . . . hey, maybe he was waiting for his lawyer! What happened next? Find out when you read more.

After leaving the parrot in this ~~cell~~ cage for a night, they transferred it to a nearby vet hospital hoping they could care for the bird and begin searching for clues about his family. Suddenly the parrot became a regular chatterbox, telling the veterinarian "I'm Mr. Yosuke Nakamura," and provided his full home address - even street number! - and sang songs to entertain the hospital staff. In a totally happy ending, the address checked out, and the wordy birdy was returned to the Nakamuras! The family began teaching Yosuke his name and address about two years ago - makes a lot of sense when birds don't often have ID tags or microchips standardly embedded!

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Globetrotters: Tokyo's Parading Irish Setters

PetSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:30:25 -0700

While we played guess that breed with another Irish pup, there are still several other breeds deserving a shout out yesterday. From the Glen of Imaal Terriers to the Irish Water Spaniels, among the pretty pups coming from this country are my mom's fave – the lovely Irish Setters.

And clearly she's not the only one. Check out members of Tokyo's Irish Setter Club donning green and orange – and similarly adorned pups – for their own St. Patrick's Day Parade. Some 2,000 people took part in the festivities to commemorate the Irish patron saint, so see some photos when you read more.

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Wow, Your Dog Has a Great Smile!

PetSugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 08:00:07 -0700

I always know where North is in the apartment by the squeaking of his favorite toys. Although they don't provide much entertainment for me, he seems to be perfectly content to munch on them all day. So, when I saw these crazy doggie toys on InventorSpot, with the giggle-inducing smiles on the front, I knew I had to have them. Errr, I mean, North would have to have them!Leave it to the Japanese to come up with these inventive dog pacifiers – called "Oshaburi" – to entertain not only your pooch for a few hours, but to give you a good laugh as well! For only about three bucks each, you can have these comedic gems shipped to your door and happily YouTube your pup wandering around with a big, red grin on his face. Each pacifier comes with a rounded back for your dog to clamp down on, and is available in four different styles: Lip, Tongue, Teeth, and Chicken (for the big eaters in the house). Although I'm not sure how long they would last if your dog is a super chewer, at least you can have some fun at your pup's expense for a little while! What?! It's funny!

The Scoop: Hayden Protests Dolphin Hunting in Japan

PetSugar — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:22:55 -0700

Hayden Panettiere attempted some real-life heroism on Tuesday when she, and other animal activists, paddled out into the open sea on surfboards to try to rescue dolphins from an annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan. The mission was unsuccessful, however, as she and the others were threatened and forced to turn back... and the fishermen continued.

"This baby stuck its head out and kind of looked as us, and the thought that the baby is no longer with us is very difficult," Panettiere, who stars in the NBC show Heroes, said after coming ashore in tears.

Hayden is a known animal-lover, seen here with her two dogs, Penny Lane and Madison. About 14,000 dolphins are killed for food in Japan each year in these coastal hunts, which involve herding groups of dolphins into a cove where they are netted and killed by divers.

Pacific Coast News

Pet Rescue Jacket: Spoiled Sweet or Spoiled Rotten?

PetSugar — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 13:27:24 -0700

Don't be fooled – this pup isn't planning a costume of caught-in-a-torrential-downpour for Halloween this year. He's actually sporting a new, top-of-the-line pet rescue jacket (along with attached emergency kit and food pockets) at this week's Security and Safety Trade Expo in Tokyo. As cute as he looks in this get-up, the first thing that came to mind was the amount of time and patience it would take (in an emergency no less) to get this onto my squirmy guy. And, ranging between $238 and $425, that price tag is not so easy to swallow either. Would your pet stand for this? Would you?

Flashback to 2005: Where Is the Honda Dog Car?

PetSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:00:39 -0700

Back in 2005, Honda featured a minivan that was made for you and your best friends - furry and non-furry alike. With passenger seating for up to six people, you'd think there would be plenty of room for Fido to ride along without any problems. But Honda thought that having an abundance of room wasn't enough. The "Dog Car," based on Honda's "Wonderful Open-Hearted Wagon" (or W.O.W) concept, had a spot for your pooch either right up front in the dash or in the second row seat in a popup dog crate that folds down into the floorboards when not in use.

Even better, the "Dog Car" offered wider doors and a floor-mounted seat belt to secure your larger breeds. My question is: where are you, Dog Car!? Although this was a concept in Japan four years ago, it would be amazing to check this out now. I'm sure there are plenty of dog owners that could benefit from the car's safety features and the convenience of having a builtin crate for your dog to ride easy. If the "Dog Car" were real, would you consider driving it?

Bowlingual iPhone App: Spoiled Sweet or Spoiled Rotten?

PetSugar — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:00:59 -0800

You may remember Bowlingual, the doggie-speak-to-human-speak translator that was re-released last year in Japan. Well, if you're intrigued, yet still not willing to shell out the $247 for it, soon there's an app for that.
Noisy pups do their thing into the phone's mic, the thing is then translated, and you - along with the rest of the world - are informed of his deepest desires as you can post his statement straight to Twitter. Since the iPhone app will first let your pups bark in Japanese and emoticons, with the English version slated for mid-August, you've got time to scratch his head over this one.