London Zoo To Create Map Of City's Cats

The London zoo is taking stock of an animal you don't often find behind bars, launching what it says is the first interactive map of the British capital's domestic cats. The zoo said Friday that its interface would allow Londoners to upload scientific survey-style photos, descriptions, and locations of their cats — creating a capital-wide census of the city's felines. The map may not ultimately have much in the way of scientific value, but it could prove popular among Britain's cat owners.

http://tinyurl.com/cswz42r

Video: Cat vs. Crocodile: Brave Feline Takes On Reptile At India Zoo

Nine lives or not, this kitty was ready for a fight. A particularly brave cat took on a crocodile recently at a zoo in Jaipur, India. According to the video's description, the ginger-and-white cat somehow found its way into the reptile's enclosure. Perched near the water, the feline eyes the menacing reptile as it inches toward the shore. As soon as the croc is within paw's reach, the cat reacts instinctively, bating the creature on its snout as excited onlookers react.

http://tinyurl.com/aohvzf8

Video: Sea Lion Pup Jumps Into OC Man's Kayak

A Garden Grove man got the surprise of his life when a young sea lion jumped up on his kayak. Rick Coleman was able to capture the incident on video. He says he was scuba diving off the coast of Redondo Beach last week, and when he surfaced, the sea lion pup jumped right up.

http://tinyurl.com/a5u7p77

De-Stressing Inspiration From Cats And Dogs

After a long, hard day on the job, there's nothing like a loving tail-wag or an empathetic purr to help you feel at peace. Pet owners will tell you that their dogs and cats help them de-stress and feel good, and there's science to back those claims: Studies have shown owning a pet makes you more likely to be happy and have a better sense of self. An office dog might even help to lower workers' stress.

http://tinyurl.com/bjhflau

Dogs Recognize Faces Of Their Own Species, Video Experiment Shows

They may have the largest physical variety among all animal species on Earth, but dogs can still recognize one of their own over any other animal based on simple images of their faces.

Since their domestication somewhere between 15,000 and 100,000 years ago, dogs have been learning to use facial cues as an important part of their social communication. When interacting with us, dogs can read and use our facial expressions to gauge where our attention lies and sometimes what we’re feeling. 

http://tinyurl.com/bj9v5gx

Video: Kasatka, SeaWorld Killer Whale, Gives Birth Underwater In Amazing Video

One of SeaWorld's killer whales gave birth this Valentine's Day, and the natural amazing, natural moment was caught on camera in San Diego. Kasatka the orca, gave birth to her fourth calf at 6:33 a.m. on Feb. 14, according to SeaWorld's blog. Trainers, vets and animal-care specialists were at the scene. The new calf marks the sixth successful killer whale birth at the San Diego park.

http://tinyurl.com/atdqm8f

Chimpanzee Memory Study Suggests Apes' Short-Term Recall Better Than Humans'

Chimpanzees may have more smarts than humans, at least regarding short-term memories, new research suggests. A Japanese researcher presented a video showing the remarkable abilities of a chimpanzee named Ayumu, here at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Thursday (Feb. 14). When the numbers 1 through 9 appeared randomly on a screen and then disappeared, the chimpanzee was able to recall the exact sequence and location of each number.

http://tinyurl.com/bcu6wvy

Westminster Dog Show 2013: Banana Joe The Affenpinscher Wins Best In Show

Banana Joe is very appealing, in any language. The little affenpinscher with a monkey face added to his world of success Tuesday night, winning best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club. "He speaks German, Dutch, Spanish and English," co-owner and breeder Mieke Cooijmans offered. She was set to take Banana Joe back to the Netherlands on Wednesday. Now, the trip has been postponed for his victory lap. 

http://tinyurl.com/d8mtew5

California Great White Sharks Get Protections For Now

The most feared predator in the ocean received new protections today when a California commission decided the great white shark should be studied as a potential endangered species. The Fish and Game Commission unanimously voted to advance the candidacy of the shark, which means during a one-year study review it will receive the same protections it would if it were listed as endangered.

http://tinyurl.com/a6rpks7

Video: Goldfish Uses Harness To Help Stay Afloat While Swimming

We’ve seen plenty of animals aided by human ingenuity lately: “Flipper,” a cat who lucked into a sweet set of wheels, and “ Chris P. Bacon,” the piglet given a new lease on life with K’Nex toys, rank pretty high on the cute list. But, as it turns out, we hadn’t seen anything yet. Enter this goldfish. The fish has trouble staying afloat, so her owner — apparently an aquatic MacGyver — fashioned her a homemade, floating harness.

 http://tinyurl.com/alj84nm

Sam, The Cat With Eyebrows, Is Slightly Concerned About Everything

Maybe the catnip just isn't doing it any more -- or maybe he's worried Internet fame could be his ultimate downfall. Whatever the cause, this permanently-furrowed feline need not worry: He's too cute to fail. Internet, meet Sam, the cat with eyebrows. Unsurprisingly, Sam's unique eyebrow-shaped markings have rocketed the kitty to viral fame overnight -- he now has more than 10,000 Instagram followers.

http://tinyurl.com/bf36ysb

Video: Altruistic Dolphins Help Seal Find Its Way Back To Sea

A lone seal pup found itself in a tricky situation when it floated into shallow waters near a beach. Though it tried to swim away from the shore, the strong current inhibited its progress. Luckily, a group of dolphins swimming nearby arrived to help the young seal and gently nudged it in the right direction. The benevolent act, captured on film by Canadian nature channel Oasis HD, is just another example of the "mysterious altruistic behavior that dolphins are known to show to other animals," the narrator explains in the video clip.

http://tinyurl.com/colpkar