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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Weird Service Animals Show Up In Odd Places

A woman and a kangaroo wearing a diaper walk into a McDonald's, and the woman says: He's my service kangaroo.  No, it's not the setup for a joke. But it may be a sign of the times.  In a culture that has increasingly embraced animals as an extension of family, the kangaroo incident earlier this year seems to be part of a growing problem. With pigs flying — literally — aboard passenger flights, monkeys cruising the grocery aisles and large snakes hanging out in restaurants, the issue of what's legitimately a service animal for someone with a disability can get murky.

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What Baboons Could Tell Us About Losing Weight

From Cheerios to Hormel, even the most time-tested American brands have been bulking up their offerings with protein in response to carb-avoidant consumers—and it looks like science backs up the weight-loss trend that has fed a profitable grocery store frenzy in recent years. Nutritional ecologist David Raubenheimer has been studying the eating habits of apes and monkeys and concludes that a high-protein diet could aid weight loss after all.

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Animals Feel Pleasure

Do dogs feel pleasure? How about crocodiles? Jonathan Balcombe says yes, they do. And not just dogs and crocodiles, but also fish, monkeys, pigs and chickens.  "Why wouldn’t they?" he says. "Pleasure is nature’s way of saying 'Good behavior!' It encourages us to do it again. Little wonder, then, that food, play, sex and friendships feel so good. Fishes line up for a spa service from cleaner-fishes, crocodiles love to bask in the sun, as do chickens, and if you haven’t seen a pig eat a pumpkin then it’s time you turned your lights on."

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-Igor Purlantov

Brazil: Saving Endangered Monkey Helps Forest

Three tiny flaming orange monkeys crouched on a tree branch, cocking their heads as if to better hear the high-pitched whistles and yaps that came from deep within the dense green foliage. Then they answered in kind, rending the morning with their sharp calls and cautiously greeting each other in the forest. That the cries of Brazil's endangered golden lion tamarins should fill the air at all on a recent afternoon was cause for celebration, the result of one of the world's most inspired species restoration efforts. In fact, that campaign has transformed the lush forest where the monkeys live and has become a model widely cited for saving other animals.

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Video: Animals Covering Their Eyes: The Most Adorable Movie Cliché Ever?

Is there a movie cliché in the annals of cinema that is more enjoyable than “animal covers eyes”? No, there is not. The true measure of the trope's success is its versatility. An animal is embarrassed for someone else…covers its eyes. An animal is afraid for its life…covers its eyes. An animal is ashamed…covers its eyes. You get the idea. Also, unlike “befuddled dog cocks head” this cliché is great because it can be applied to a large cross section of beasts, though it is a particular mainstay among dogs and monkeys.

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What Were They Thinking? Studies Reveal Animal Intellect

The more we study animals, the less special we seem. Baboons can distinguish between written words and gibberish. Monkeys seem to be able to do multiplication. Apes can delay instant gratification longer than a human child can. They plan ahead. They make war and peace. They show empathy. They share. "It's not a question of whether they think — it's how they think," says Duke University scientist Brian Hare. Now scientists wonder if apes are capable of thinking about what other apes are thinking.

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Animals are Social Networkers Too: How Creatures’ Natural Relationships Are Mirrored By Human Facebook And Twitter Use

Humans didn't invent 'social networks', says a new study into animal behaviour - instead, our use of networks such as Facebook and Twitter actually mirrors group behaviours that can be found in whales, monkeys  and dolphins.  Intelligent animals 'use' groups to share information with one another - albeit without computers or smartphones - just like humans do online.  Experts found evidence of animals forming cliques and gathering information to help make group decisions - in much the same way as humans use Facebook Groups to streamline discussions.  The famous 'six degrees of separation' rule - which states that anyone can be related to another person in six steps - also applies to the way animals group with one another.  .

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6 Things Animals Do Just Like Us

Being a human is a pretty sweet gig, all things considered. We've got opposable thumbs so dexterous they could start their own Cirque du Soleil troupe and brains so ripped our skulls can barely contain them. But before you grab your dog and give him a triumphant "IN YOUR (FAITHFUL, ADORABLE) FACE!" you should know that some of the traits and behaviors that make us human are also demonstrated by other animals. Animals that apparently think they're people.

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