Cowa-BAAAH-nga! Surfing Goats Hang Four Hooves

Now this is something you just don't see everyday. Two goats, Goatee and Pismo, rode the waves at San Onofre State Beach in California and showed off their spectaular surfing skills this past weekend where they wow-ed beachgoers nearby. 

http://tinyurl.com/d9j9epo

Kitten Survives 6,500-Mile Trip In China-U.S. Container

A three-month-old kitten is recovering in California after surviving a journey across the Pacific in a shipping container from China, without food or water, officials said Tuesday. The orange-and-white animal has been named Ni Hao, or Hello in Mandarin, after being found when the container was opened last week, following the two-week, 6,500-mile (10,450-kilometer) trip from Shanghai. At first he was too weak to stand, but the shorthaired kitten is finally taking its first steps -- and officials are now seeking a local cat-lover to adopt him. 

http://tinyurl.com/cbwuvnm

Mysterious, Colorful Lobsters Being Caught

Lobsters sporting rare, unexpected colors and patterns are becoming more common in catches, and no one knows why. Blue, pink, orange and even calico lobsters are winding up in traps. The orange ones are perhaps causing the most problems, since some chefs think they've already been cooked. But then the live, snapping crustacean reminds them otherwise.

http://tinyurl.com/cbgg7bo

So A Bear Walks Into A Mall...

Now here's something you don't see everyday! A one year old bear cub leisurely strolled into a Sears store at the Pittsburgh Mill Mall in Frazer, Pennsylvania last weekend. The bear entered through the automatic doors and wandered about the mall for an hour (...searching for 'bear-gains?').

http://tinyurl.com/p6y3t4

Caribou Huddle Together To Avoid Insects

Humans are not the only creatures bothered by mosquitoes and flies. They harassed caribou so much that earlier this month, about 300,000 of the animals huddled closely together in Northwest Alaska to avoid being bitten and parasitized. It's one of the most spectacular gatherings of wildlife in the world, rivaling the migratory herds of Africa's Serengeti, said Kyle Joly, a wildlife biologist with the National Park Service based in Fairbanks, Alaska.

http://tinyurl.com/d5oggj4

Dolphins May Be Math Geniuses

Dolphins may use complex nonlinear mathematics when hunting, according to a new study that suggests these brainy marine mammals could be far more skilled at math than was ever thought possible before. Inspiration for the new study, published in the latest Proceedings of the Royal Society A, came after lead author Tim Leighton watched an episode of the Discovery Channel's "Blue Planet" series and saw dolphins blowing multiple tiny bubbles around prey as they hunted.

http://tinyurl.com/cfrjdoj

21-Pound Lobster To Be Released Back Into Cape Cod Waters

The 21-pound lobster that has been on display at Capt’n Elmer’s restaurant will be released back into the waters of Cape Cod. The restaurant was holding a drawing, but after an outpouring of concern, they did not want to “allow the future of this noble lobster to be determined by chance.” The lobster was caught off Nauset Beach in Orleans.

http://tinyurl.com/d667a6h

'Love Hotel' For Dogs To Open In Brazil

Home to a 32-million-strong canine population, the world's second largest after the United States, Brazil is to open a "love hotel" for pets in the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte. The economic daily Valor reported that Fabiano Lourdes and his sister Daniela planned this week to inaugurate "Animalle Mundo Pet," an eight-story building with an entire floor devoted to dog tryst. Dog owners will have to pay $50 a day for a room, which comes complete with a heart-shaped mirror on the ceiling, red cushions on the floor and dimmed lighting.

http://tinyurl.com/caeypob

Three Canadian Elephants Are Flying To California

For elephants to fly, you have to do more than load trunks on a plane. Pat Derby, co-founder of the Performing Animal Welfare Society, has been working for two years to get three 10,000-pound elephants in the air. The elephants are scheduled to take off on Aug. 2 in what could be a million-dollar move. The African elephants, Iringa, 42, Toka, 41, and Thika, 31, are being retired from the Toronto Zoo and moved to PAWS' 2,300-acre sanctuary in San Andreas. 

http://tinyurl.com/896m3a7

Phuket Elephant Beach Day: Playful Pachyderm Frolics In Thailand Sand

Scottish photographer John Lindie snapped these awesome photos of an elephant frolicking on the beach at Thalang, Phuket in Thailand in November 2009. While there's no way to know exactly what the pachyderm is thinking, he sure looks pretty happy rolling around in the sand to dry himself after a swim.

http://tinyurl.com/cbq2fgf

Video: Cat Has Been Mayor Of Alaska Town For 15 Years

National polls show that voters all over the country are losing faith in their elected leaders. But the 900 residents of Talkeetna, Alaska, say their mayor is doing a great job bringing in tourist dollars and has served in office for over a decade. "He's good. He's probably the best we've ever had," resident Lauri Stec tells KTUU. "He was just in the Alaska Magazine, and he's been featured in a few different things."

http://tinyurl.com/7otxtzm

Top 5 Summer Pet Hazards

The recent heat wave that cooked much of the U.S. killed dozens of people across the country, but in addition to the human casualties, animals also perished in the sweltering heat and humidity. Just as heat and sun can be hazardous to human health, animals are vulnerable to the numerous risks summer poses.

http://tinyurl.com/7dku7vl

Sky Hive Gives Bees An Urban Dwelling

Urban beekeepers often keep their operations on the downlow for fear of violating local ordinances, but a new adjustable-height hive prototype being tested in Europe could mean sweet success all-around. Meet the "Sky Hive." The Dutch city Maastricht, population around 120,000, is currently testing out a new system that places beehives on an adjustable stand that beekeepers crank up to the top of a pole nearly 20 feet tall. The bees get to do their thing while staying far above the potentially allergic and freaked-out public.

http://tinyurl.com/8xkkkja

'Modern Family' Star Unveils $500K Ala. Dog Park

It's a good time to be a dog if you're in the Birmingham, Ala., suburb of Alabaster. A star of ABC-TV's "Modern Family" series, Eric Stonestreet, was in the Shelby County city on Thursday to help introduce a $500,000 dog park that opened at a city park. The dog park was funded with a grant from Beneful dog food. It includes agility hoops; a path with tunnels; a field for playing fetch; water sprays for cooling off on hot days; and a wash station. On Thursday, dogs ran around on the grass, chased after balls and slurped up water at a fountain.

http://tinyurl.com/7dpzv3w

Hey, Kitty! Museum To Host First-Ever Cat Video Fest

Nominations are open for the world's first Cannes for cats. The al fresco Internet Cat Video Film Festival will unspool -- in the space of an hour or so, given how short cat videos can be -- on August 30 on the grounds of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minn. "While enjoyed by a broad online audience of millions, cat videos are normally viewed alone. Until now," wrote organizer and "self-proclaimed borderline cat lady" Katie Czarniecki Hill on the Walker's blog pages.

http://tinyurl.com/824yt9c

Video: Watch Shanti, An Elephant, Play A Harmonica

A musically inclined elephant named Shanthi not only plays a harmonica, but composes her own tunes on it as well, according to keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. The 36-year-old Asian elephant plays of her own free will (except when she gets a request) and even has her own signature style. Each of her tunes ends with a dramatic crescendo that keepers wait for, knowing she's reached the end. Listeners then applaud, which Shanthi seems to enjoy since she comes back for more.

http://tinyurl.com/7cxr37e

Human Yawns Unleash Dog Yawns

Dogs catch yawns from their sound alone, new research indicates. They also catch their owner's yawns easier than those from others, supporting the theory that contagious yawns are empathy-based and emotional in nature, the researchers say.

http://tinyurl.com/6qrpcl9

Study: Dogs May Protect Babies From Some Infections

Babies who spend time around pet dogs have fewer ear infectionsand respiratory ailments than those whose homes are animal-free, said a study released on Monday. The study, published in the US journal Pediatrics, did not say why but suggested that being around a dog that spends at least part of its day outdoors may boost a child's immune system in the first year of life. 

http://tinyurl.com/87rtq2u

Video: Baby Pandas On A Slide

China's Chengdu Panda Base has released what may be the most adorable video you will see all day: four baby pandas racing down a slide. Chengdu is marking its 25th anniversary with Panda Awareness Week (PAW), which includes several events around the world to spotlight efforts to increase the numbers of healthy panda bears in the wild.

http://tinyurl.com/8yocjeg

Bear Cubs Caught Red-handed Breaking Into Car In Snowmass Village

Three cubs didn't quite learn the entire lesson from mamma bear about breaking into cars for food. The part they missed? When the police arrive -- run! The mother bear and her three cubs, credited recently with no less than 14 car break-ins in Snowmass Village, Colo., were in the process of another when police came upon the scene and scared the animals off.

http://tinyurl.com/6tcyvfx

Twitter To The Rescue! Social Network Helps Irishwoman Find Pet Dog That Took Train To Dublin

When Patch hopped aboard the train to Dublin, the power of Twitter reunited the dog with his master. Irish Rail sent a "Lost dog!" tweet with a photo attachment after the Jack Russell terrier arrived with Wednesday morning commuters on a train from neighbouring Kilcock, County Kildare. By all accounts, the friendly dog had spent his hourlong journey being petted vigorously. After more than 500 retweets in just 32 minutes, the photo found Patch's owner, Deirdre Anglin, who tweeted the state railway: "That's my dog!"

http://tinyurl.com/85fys9s

Pets and Fireworks: How to Keep Furry Citizens Safe on the Fourth

While the Fourth of July arouses patriotism for many Americans, the festivities – namely, the explosive extravaganza that is a fireworks display –aren’t as inspiring for the U.S.’s furry citizens. Fireworks can turn an otherwise normal evening into a warzone for pets, activating their flight instinct. "They’ll do anything to get away from the noise," said John Welsh with Riverside County Animal Control.

http://tinyurl.com/c2c52l8

Video: 'Man-Eating Super Croc' is World's Largest, Says Guinness

A saltwater crocodile weighing more than a tonne and suspected of killing two people in the Philippines has been declared the largest such reptile in captivity by the Guinness Book of World Records. The 6.17-metre (20.24-foot) male, nicknamed "Lolong", was captured in the Agusan marsh on the southern island of Mindanao last September after a two-year search following the killing of a girl and the disappearance of a fisherman.

http://tinyurl.com/854jgfr

Video: Whale Blows Out A Rainbow

You've heard of Nyan Cat, but a Nyan Whale? While this whale doesn't necessarily resemble a poptart, that's most definitely a rainbow we're seeing shooting out of his blowhole. Check out the action at 0:18.

http://tinyurl.com/8x2g84o

Wild Animals Give 'Stamp' Of Approval For Conservation

Australian animal activists have taken a new approach towards conservationism by gathering 'signatures' from all furry, scaly, and feathery animals to protect elephants in Thailand. Animals of all walks of life dipped their talons, paws, hooves, and flipper into animal-friendly paint and provided their stamp of approval at the Taronga Zoo in Australia. As of recently, the project has gathered over 4,000 critter signatures over the course of a few weeks.

http://tinyurl.com/p6y3t4