PetSugar

Creature Features: Beluga Whales

PetSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:30:24 -0700

I just couldn't get that song out of my head so I dove right into a bunch of wild whale facts! Do you know anything about those baby Belugas (and adult ones too)? Test yourself when you take my quiz!

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Super-Cute Video: Baby Belugas Blowing Bubbles

PetSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:15:04 -0700

Sing it with me: Baaaa-by Be-luuuuga. Am the only one getting flashbacks to childhood whenever I see pictures of Beluga Whales? Anyway, the endangered mammals are best recognized by their distinctive white color and large foreheads (forget "fivehead" . . . more like twenty-fivehead). Prominent noggins or not, they are pretty cute . . . especially when blowing bubbles. Check it out in the video below!

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Five Fun Zoo Cams to Keep You Occupied!

PetSugar — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:00:54 -0700

I looooove webcams, and I've got some time to kill before the Fourth of July fun gets started. If you're also sitting around waiting for the food to be grilled, now's a great time to check out some live zoo action. To be fair, I've included a variety of creatures as well as three cams with baby animals . . . ummm, adoro. Go ahead, blow kisses at your screen, I'm not telling.

Lions! My current zoo cam of choice, I love to check in to see what the baby lions are up to. Nevermind that I can't understand a single word on the site except for "live" (as this zoo is all the way in Norway), my glimpses of mama lion canoodling and caring for her four cubs are too precious to pass up.
Giant Pandas! Classic cam with lots of action, check out the Giant Pandas live from the San Diego Zoo. There are seven pandas there which makes spotting at least one fairly likely. And don't forget the other cams of the Apes, Polar Bears, and Elephants afterwards.

See three more webcam suggestions when you read more.

Ferrets! I already mentioned the ferret cam because of the adorable lil one, Georgia, now visible . . . she's an endangered Black-footed Ferret. This is just one of the many great action capturers at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Beluga Whales! I couldn't forget our underwater pals. Because I'm a sucker for baby animals, I love watching Qila the Beluga and her new calf born June 10. They're both super cute (and swim a lot) so see these two (and their Sea Otters) for some splashy laughs.
Penguins! I adore penguins and the Penguins' Rock webcam has some of the most active birdies I've seen. Check out Macaroni and Gentoo penguins live from Chattanooga's Tennessee Aquarium – if you're lucky, you'll see them take a dip, too!

Cancer Deadly to Humans and Wild Animals Alike

PetSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:00:18 -0700

It's heartbreaking enough to see your furry friends go through the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, but imagine being a wild animal and not having the medical care or love that a family pet would. Cancer not only affects people and pets, but wild animals as well. A new study conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society shows that cancer accounts for 10 percent of human deaths, and wild animals are dying from cancer at about the same rate.

And although you may want to wish away these similarities as a natural occurrence, take in this fact first: high levels of a chemical called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are found in the St. Lawrence river system, where beluga whales and many species of fish are frequently found hunting for food. Studies show that this (human-produced) pollutant is the leading cause of intestinal cancer in the beluga whale population. Coincidence? I'm not so sure about that. Although there isn't much you can do to monitor signs of cancer in wild animals from your home, you can keep an eye out for common signs of cancer in your pets!