US Elections 2016: Animals Choose Trump Over Clinton

From various polls and different models and predictive simulations, the 2016 U.S. election has been one of the most important highlights awaited for not just by the Americans but the whole world. We've seen enough of the surveys telling who might win,but now can psychic animals tip the lead?

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TripAdvisor Stops Selling Tickets To Animal-Abusive Attractions

TripAdvisor, a leading travel website, says it will no longer sell tickets to attractions where tourists come into contact with wild animals or endangered species. The policy change includes, but is not limited to, elephant rides, "swim with" activities involving the touching or riding of dolphins, and the petting of captured wild animals such as tigers. The company also announces that is developing an educational portal, with the aid of several wildlife protection groups, to inform tourists about animal welfare practices. 

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Americans Love Animals More Than They Used To

There are 48 days until the presidential election, and it often feels as if we Americans are at each other’s throats. Sometimes it seems as though all we can agree on — or agree to click “like” on — are dog and cat videos, right? Actually, that’s not so far from the truth. Americans do broadly have positive feelings about dogs and cats — and they also feel warmer and fuzzier about wild animals, such as sharks and wolves, than they did four decades ago.

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Watch Shelter Animals Get New Beds

Stop what you're doing because we've found it — the most "aw" inducing animal video ever. The RSPCA animal shelter in Victoria, Australia, recently put out a call to animal lovers to donate their old pet's beds to the charity. The hand-me-down beds were then gifted to 100 cats and dogs still awaiting their "forever homes." The resulting video is bitter sweet — at once cute and heartbreaking. Somebody adopt these precious little guys!

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Biggest Animals in Ocean More Likely to Go Extinct

What happens when you remove all the biggest animals from the ocean? Stick around for the next few thousand years and you might find out. A new study finds that in our modern era, large marine animals are significantly more likely to go extinct than small ones. It’s a disturbing pattern that has the potential to wipe out many of the top predators in our oceans, and the researchers say it has never been seen before in the history of our planet. After analyzing marine fossil records that go as far back as 445 million years, the authors report that in the past extinction rates have been fairly egalitarian, affecting ocean animals of all sizes equally.

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Smart Animals: Ground Squirrel Use the Sun for Navigation

A new study revealed that ground squirrels temporarily rely of the position of the sun to roughly serve as a navigational aide to find the storage place of their foods. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, showed that ground squirrels either moves towards or away from the sun, with its horizontal angle of their direction deviated slightly from the direction of the sun, when searching for a suitable hiding place for its spoils.

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Pioneering 'Diaries' Reveal The Secret Lives of Animals

How do you tell if an elephant is having a good day? Or spy on the nocturnal squid-catching skills of the albatross? This week at the British Science Festival, Prof Rory Wilson of Swansea University has been divulging the secrets of the animal kingdom, including penguin diving habits, albatross hunting methods and the emotional states of elephants.  "The problem with animals is we often want to know things about them that they don't want to tell us or that aren't easy to find out. The only way to do it is to put something on [the animal] that will accompany it," Prof Wilson said.

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We Have to Stop Loving Animals to Death

Ten of the highest-grossing box-office releases are about animals, including “Finding Dory,” “The Jungle Book,” “Zootopia,” “The Secret Life of Pets” and “Kung Fu Panda.” Nearly half of our households include a dog and nearly 40 percent have a cat. Two-thirds of us view them as family members and cherish them accordingly. We love our animals to death.  Literally.

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How to Help Pets, Other Animals Affected by Louisiana Flooding

With thousands of residents displaced across East Baton Rouge Parish and throughout Acadiana by the Louisiana Flood of 2016, there are countless pets and animals likewise in need of supplies and shelter. Some of those pets landed at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center, which is serving as a shelter for thousands of people. Its stalls and rodeo area are now filled with horses, dogs and other animals displaced by the flood. Jodie Summers, a volunteer who's helping to manage a Facebook page for coordinating relief efforts, told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune photographer Chris Granger that she and others are in desperate need of help and donations. 

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Stray Dog Follows Flight Attendant Around Until She Adopts Him

Humans don't have soulmates, but we can always pretend that dogs do. Olivia Sievers is a flight attendant from Germany who routinely flies to Argentina. Earlier this year, Sievers found a stray dog hovering near the hotel where she stays in Buenos Aires. Sievers was immediately drawn to the dog. But while she had no plans to further the relationship, their connection only got stronger. Less than a year later, Sievers brought the pup home to Germany — for good. 
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Video: Italian Coast Guard Saves Kitten

A crew of the Italian Coast Guard of Marsala retrieves a kitten and revives him at sea.

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Ask Smithsonian: Can Animals Predict Earthquakes?

Earthquakes are frightening events, striking without notice. But some believe there is an early-warning system: animals.Over the centuries, people have reported seeing animals head for the hills or leave their burrows in the weeks, days or hours before a temblor hits. But is this belief grounded in science? It’s true that animals can sense a quake, usually just minutes before humans do, says Michael Blanpied, associate coordinator of the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program. Established by Congress in 1977, the program monitors and reports earthquakes, assesses earthquake impacts and hazards, and researches the causes and effects of earthquakes.

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“If Animals Matter Morally, Then We Cannot Treat Them As Commodities”

Gary L. Francione is a controversial figure in the modern animal rights movement, known for his “abolitionist approach” towards animal rights. A professor of law and philosophy at Rutgers University, Francione believes that we cannot morally justify using animals as mere resources and that we should abolish all animal use. He argues that any being that feels pain has a right to not be used as property and that veganism should be the moral underpinning of the animal rights movement. As he puts it, “To not be a vegan is to participate directly in animal exploitation.”

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Helping Malawi's Animals Back Into the Wild

The vervet monkey is on its back on a portable table when we first catch a glimpse of him. Amanda Salb, a veterinarian, holds the primate, as another vet carefully injects the animal's upper eyelid with tuberculin. The monkey doesn't flinch. It is fully sedated.  "We are conducting a quarterly check-up and checking for TB," Salb says after removing her mask.  The vervet is one of hundreds of animals at the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust in the Malawian capital.

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First Proof That Wild Animals Really Can Communicate With Us

When humans speak up, the little African birds called honeyguides listen—and can understand, a new study confirms for the first time.  Honeyguides in northern Mozambique realize that when a man makes a special trilling sound, he wants to find a bees’ nest—and its delectable honey.  Birds that hear this trill often lead human hunters to a nest, receiving a reward of honeycomb.

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Meet Cutest Little Hard-Drinking Party Animals You'll Ever See

You may not know what a slow loris is, but you'd probably have a good time partying with one. The big-eyed primates, natives to Southeast Asia, will choose the most alcoholic drink offered when given a choice -- just like your college buddies.

http://tinyurl.com/gn32l8a

Koala Crashes House, Tries Its Best to Climb Up a Dancing Pole

Koalas are great at eating eucalyptus and getting belly rubs. Dancing? Not so much.   Perhaps this little fella climbing up a pole is trying to challenge the lazy reputation of one of Australia's most well-known and beloved animals.It was captured in a video uploaded to Facebook on June 30 by Nikki Erickson, who explained in the description that she came home from work hoping to "dance the shitty day away" when the discovery of the creature "turned her day around."  "She sat there while I talked to her and took photos and did not growl once," Erickson wrote. Unfortunately for this koala, who may have mistook the pole for a tree, going for a climb didn't work out so well. 

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Are Cloned Animals Born Old?

Scientists are studying Dolly the sheep's "siblings" in order to study the health of cloned animals - and resolve a puzzle over whether they age normally.  "I'm feeling the joints for any kind of heat or swelling."  Veterinary surgeon Dr Sandra Corr puts Daisy the sheep through a very hands-on physical examination.  "I'm looking for any signs of crepitus or lameness," she says, "Anything that might indicate the onset of disease or osteoarthritis."

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Rescue Agencies Unite To Get 723 Animals Adopted

Sampson flashed a little bit of attitude at first, but it didn’t faze Richard Stewart of Jacksonville, who quickly had the 8-year-old black and silver purebred Chihuahua snuggling against his chest Sunday.

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Putting Your Self(ie) And Animals At Risk

What’s a picture really worth? What’s the price for a moment of wonder, excitement, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be just... that... close to a wild animal?  I have written these words before about the concept of having an exotic animal as a pet—a chimpanzee, a macaque, a tiger, or any number of others. I understand it. I understand the profound and emotional yearning to be close to a wild animal. To touch a wild animal. To embrace the companionship of a wild animal. It’s got to be magical and exciting.

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Woman Spends 22 Years Helping Animals Help People With Mental Illness

Eileen Bower has a job that some dream of — taking care of adorable animals like friendly goats, a horse, cats, rabbits and more. Nature is her office.  Making her job even more rewarding is why Bower does what she does everyday. Taking care of animals helps her help others. Bower is team supervisor who manages the animal care program at Rose Hill Center in Holly, a residential rehabilitation facility for adults with serious mental illness.

http://tinyurl.com/jp4om8d

Dogtown: Helping Animals Heal

There are so many pieces that make up the web of dog and cat rescue in Humboldt County. Animal Control officers watch for animals that are running loose or ones that are neglected or abused; local spay and neuter groups trap cat colonies for alter and release; local trainers and veterinarians offer their services at low or no cost to help rehabilitate animals with behavioral or physical problems, and the list goes on and on.

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TN Medical School Last To Stop Using Animals To Teach Surgery

Deep in Tennessee near the Georgia border, the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga sits in the shadows of the nation’s more prominent medical schools. But it holds the distinction of being the last in the United States to use live animals to teach surgical skills to students.  Recently, the college quietly marked the end of the controversial practice, and by extension its elimination in the United States and Canada. “Effective immediately, the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga has ceased to provide surgical skills training for medical students using live animal models,” Robert Fore, its dean, wrote to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which has fought the practice for more than a decade.

http://tinyurl.com/jhwxh6o

Goats Form Intense Connections with Humans, Too

Goats have surprisingly just been added to the very short list of animals that are known to communicate in very direct and complex ways with humans.  The other two animals, dogs and horses, are often raised as companions to humans, so the goat findings -- reported in the journal Royal Society Biology Letters -- mark the first time that an animal raised primarily for food has evolved such an intense and meaningful connection with our species.

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Dolly the Sheep Creator Calls for Biobank to Save Endangered Animals

A modern-day “ark” that holds tissues from endangered animals should be built as an insurance policy to save species from extinction, Sir Ian Wilmut, the creator of Dolly the Sheep, has said.  A biobank that preserves sperm, eggs and other material from at-risk animals would ensure that scientists had the biological tissues at hand to resurrect extinct creatures once the means to do so exists, the Edinburgh researcher said.

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8 Major Wins For Animals Since Cecil The Lion Was Killed One Year Ago

July 1, 2016 marks a year since Cecil the lion was killed by trophy-hunting American dentist Walter Palmer. Cecil had reportedly been lured out of the protected Hwange National Park before he was killed.  In the weeks following Cecil's death, Zimbabwe's beloved black-maned lion was mourned all over the world, sparking new debate about how people treat animals.  Luckily, the debate did not subside and go forgotten, but escalated, marking a new era in human concern for animal welfare — and wildlife, in particular.

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Sharks vs. Dolphins: Face Off

“Reel them in,” marine ecologist Dr. Mike Heithaus says with a laugh. No, Shark Week titles don’t get much grabbier than his, Sharks vs. Dolphins: Face Off, which premieres tonight at 10 p.m. on Discovery. As it suggests, the two species are at odds more than we suspect, and the hour looks at not only likely attack scenarios — see one in the sneak peek above — but also the strengths and weaknesses of each.

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13 Sensational Camera Trap Photos of African Animals At Night

Will Burrard-Lucas likes to photograph unsuspecting African animals with strategically placed camera traps. For his latest project, the wildlife photographer sought to capture images of nocturnal animals as they conduct their affairs at night, and the results are spectacular.  Burrard-Lucas, with the help of African Parks and Norman Carr Safaris, recently undertook two expeditions to Liuwa Plain, a remote national park in the west of Zambia. His goal was to capture striking images of animals in low-light conditions, which can be a formidable and technically challenging task.

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A Shark Week First: Watch a Great White Glide Into the Deep

Discovery’s Shark Week continues tonight with the premiere of three new specials: At 8 p.m., it’s Shallow Water Invasion, which looks at great whites moving into shallow at night at Mexico’s Guadalupe Island. At 9 p.m., it’s Jaws of the Deep, which finds marine biologist Greg Skomal and the REMUS SharkCam team deploying a new AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) at Guadalupe Island to capture footage of great whites “gliding” — and possibly “napping.” And at 10 p.m., Dr. Craig O’Connell returns to do more testing on his Sharksafe Barrier in Sharks Among Us.

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Wildlife Rehab: 'Animals Enrich Our Lives'

Linda Peck has two raccoons in the bathroom, five more in a pen outside, a robin on the back porch. In the basement, she's raising mice to feed the raptors.  A wildlife rehabilitator for 30-plus years, Peck, 74, fields calls — and takes in animals — from throughout Minnesota.  The animals arrive injured, diseased, shot, poisoned — as many as 250 of them in a single year.  "I believe (animals) enrich our lives. They enrich mine, and I think if we don't maintain a connection to the natural world we are losing some joy. We're going to lose our own existence if we don't learn how to live gently," Peck said, explaining why she continues an effort that can be as heartbreaking as it is rewarding.

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Going a Little Wild: When Animals Have Fun

It's not just humans who play around or treat themselves to junkfood! Whether they live in the wild, in zoos, or as pets in our homes, animals also like to horse around or pig out every once in a while.

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11-Year-Old Girl On Mission to Save Shelter Animals

An 11-year-old Orange County girl has made it her mission to save homeless animals.  When Emmy Perry of Dana Point was 7 years old, she created an organization to do just that, calling it Emmy's Hope."I know what I'm doing is helping," Emma Perry said. "I saw so many dogs in need of help and homes."  She's an actress and singer in addition to being a life-long animal crusader, and donates a portion of the money she earns directly to animal shelters.

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Should Wild Animals That Attack People Be Killed?

A marathon runner who was mauled by a bear in New Mexico on Saturday thought quickly, played dead and escaped injured, but alive. The female bear, which wildlife officials said was with her cubs when she was surprised by the runner, was captured and put to death.  New Mexico officials said they were “confident” they had the right bear, which wore a radio collar, and noted with regret that state law requires them to euthanize and test for rabies any wild animal that attacks or bites a person, no matter the circumstances.

http://tinyurl.com/zc72tgf

Should Wild Animals That Attack People Be Killed?

A marathon runner who was mauled by a bear in New Mexico on Saturday thought quickly, played dead and escaped injured, but alive. The female bear, which wildlife officials said was with her cubs when she was surprised by the runner, was captured and put to death.  New Mexico officials said they were “confident” they had the right bear, which wore a radio collar, and noted with regret that state law requires them to euthanize and test for rabies any wild animal that attacks or bites a person, no matter the circumstances.

http://tinyurl.com/zc72tgf

Monkey Reaches Out to Young Girl at Zoo

In the latest tragedy involving a zoo animal, Harambe the gorilla was shot dead after a four-year old boy fell into his enclosure at the Cincinnati zoo. While the child sustained no injuries, the 17-year old endangered animal lost his life, despite displaying behavior which has led experts to believe that Harambe was merely trying to protect the child. A mere week prior, two healthy lions were also shot dead when a visitor willingly entered their enclosure and reportedly tried to taunt them into attacking him in a zoo in Chile.

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Inside the Minds of Zoo Animals

Among the many reactions to this month's killing of Harambe, the gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo, is a question: Can animals, especially smart ones like gorillas, ever be truly happy in zoos?

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Do Animals Deserve to Have Rights Like Humans?

The topic of animal rights is not easy to discuss, with a lot of people sharing differing views regarding the matter.  Answers in Genesis founder Ken Ham has joined the discussion and shared his thoughts on whether animals deserve to have rights just like humans."It's not uncommon to see animals exalted and valued far above humans. Animal rights groups, such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), vehemently fight against the use of animals for anything," he writes on his blog.

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Monkey Business Backfires As Animals Take Over Chinese Village

Ambitious plans by a poor Chinese village to kickstart a tourism boom by attracting a few dozen monkeys from nearby hills appears to have backfired as locals now complain of hundreds of the animals terrorising their community.

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Best Movies Where Animals Destroy Humans

Humanity getting on your nerves? We hear you. Sometimes the best thing to do is to just hit the couch and watch a movie about nature taking its revenge on homo sapiens. But which film to watch? This list has you covered, broken down by what animal you’d most like to see dominating the dominant species on the planet.

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Exotic Animals From Italy's Underworld Get Second Chance

In ancient Rome, they would have been pitted against gladiators or served up at banquets.Now a caiman, a python and a troop of monkeys that have been confiscated from mobsters, drug dealers or collectors find safe haven at a rescue centre in the Eternal City.  Inside the majestic Appia Antica park near the historic city centre, a veterinary clinic called "Our Animal Kingdom" is now home to exotic turtles, deer, boars, parrots, vultures, eagles and even a group of excitable lemurs.  Every year, Italy's police and forest guard rescue around 400 exotic animals, according to Raffaele Manicone, head of the local branch of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

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Baby Koala Greets The World

A baby koala is experiencing life outside of its mother's pouch for the first time.  The joey was actually born back in November, but didn't emerge from her mother, Cambee, until recently. They both live at the San Diego Zoo, which is home to largest Queensland koala breeding program outside of Australia.  "It is always fun when we get to work with koala joeys and watch their personalities develop," said San Diego Zoo keeper Lacy Pearson in a statement. “At this age, she has not shown us her personality yet, but she is doing great, and has already started to eat eucalyptus leaves."

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Lincoln Park Zoo's New Camel Is Named Alexander Camelton

The Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed a new camel last month, and if its name is any indication, the animal is destined for greatness.  Born to Bactrian camels Nasan and Scooter on May 9, "Alexander Camelton" entered the world a healthy 81 pounds, already standing four feet tall.Alexander was named in honor of the founding father, who's going through a pop-culture rebirth thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical, which debuts in Chicago later this year.  Zookeepers even cited the record-shattering hip-hopera "Hamilton" in their naming decision, which they announced in a Saturday Facebook post.

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If We Value Animals So Much, What’s With All the Cages?

The sad story of Harambe, a 1-year-old silverback gorilla killed at the Cincinnati Zoo on May 28 brings into focus the value—and morality—of zoos. After a three-year old boy wandered into Harambe’s enclosure, the gorilla was shot dead to “rescue” the boy. Heartbreakingly, a bystander’s video revealed that Harambe was actually being protective of his young visitor, even holding hands with the child for a few moments until the uproar from a panicked crowd resulting in him assuming a dominating stance.

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We Love These Animals In The News

Animals are all over the news right now, with science discoveries and feel-good stories.  A Florida woman found two manatees swimming around her backyard and munching on grass after Tropical Storm Colin hit the area, causing the tide to rise over a seawall. "Another awesome experience," Nancy Smith posted on Instagram with a video of her second manatee sighting.

http://tinyurl.com/j6xqgo8

Gorilla World to Reopen at Cincinnati Zoo With 'Modified' Barrier

The Gorilla World exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden will reopen Tuesday, with a taller barrier around the gorilla enclosure, the zoo announced today.  "It takes hard work and a sustained commitment to excellence to meet AZA accreditation standards," Thane Maynard, the director of the Cincinnati Zoo, said in a statement, referring to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

http://tinyurl.com/zgpwewq

Video: Elephant Falls Asleep After Lullaby

Even though Faamai is a big elephant, every time she hears the lullaby from Lek she still falls asleep at Elephant Nature Park.

http://tinyurl.com/zahq9d6