06:58 PM EDT 05/31/2012
Zoo Animals
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Trunk Show! Baby Elephant Plays Soccer
Originally posted 05/30/2012 08:00PM
Let's kick it!
A young Asian elephant named Donna showed off her athletic prowess while playing with a soccer ball at England's ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.
Donna displays considerable dexterity when it comes to kicking the ball around, not only with her feet, but with her flexible trunk. Not bad for a 2-year-old!
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Bindi Irwin: I Never Want My Dad's Message of Conservation to Die
Originally posted 05/30/2012 03:00PM
For Bindi Irwin and her brother Robert, the best way to get moving in the morning is with footage of their dad, the always-enthusiastic Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin.
"We'll get up and put on a Daddy DVD, just to remember all of our wonderful adventures with him," says 13-year-old Bindi, who was 8 when her wildlife conservationist father was killed by a stingray in 2006. "We'll often put in a documentary and watch him and have a smile on our face – it's a great way to start the day."
Smiles abound at the Australia Zoo, where Bindi and 8-year-old Robert live, along with 1,200 animals. It's the same place where her father discovered his passion for animals as a child. This month, they're inviting audiences to meet some of their favorite creatures in the online series Growing Up Wild, debuting on the new Pet Collective YouTube channel.
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Rare C-Section Cheetah Cub Gets a Helping Hand
Originally posted 05/24/2012 04:35PM
She had a bumpy beginning, but this 1-month-old female cheetah cub has been getting help from her human friends.
The young cheetah's mother, 5-year-old Ally, was giving birth in April when she abandoned the first cub she delivered. Veterinarians at Virginia's Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute decided to perform an emergency Cesarian section – a procedure rarely performed on cheetahs – in order to save the other three cubs and the mother.
Ally made it, but only one of the three other cubs lived. Since then, the two surviving cheetahs have been in the care of the staff at Washington, D.C.'s National Zoo.
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'Gay' Penguins Find Purpose After Getting an Egg
Originally posted 05/23/2012 01:45PM
First came love, then came nest-making, and now, after six months of feeling like they were missing something, two male penguins at Madrid's Faunia Park have filled the void – with an egg to call their own.
According to the U.K.'s Telegraph, the gentoo penguins, named Inca and Rayas, have been loyal partners, and it seems parenting has given them a sense of purpose.
"We wanted them to have something to stay together for, so we got an egg," says keeper Yolanda Martin. "Otherwise they might have become depressed."
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Nicki Minaj Lands Spot on Koala Hall of Fame
Originally posted 05/21/2012 04:00PM
Nicki Minaj and the Pope have shared more than just a date at the Grammys.
Both the entertainer and the leader of the Catholic Church (Pope John Paul) have spent time with the stars of the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Queensland, Australia.
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Cute Photos: Pandas at Play
Originally posted 05/18/2012 04:55PM
These young giant pandas may be carefree and happy on their playground set, but what they don't know is that their species is endangered and relies on conservation efforts to survives.
The giant panda is one of many endangered species that we'd like to consider in honor of Endangered Species Day, which is today, May 18.
Click here to find out what you can do to help protect endangered wildlife in your area and around the world.
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Aww! Tiny Tortoises Have That Just-Hatched Glow
Originally posted 05/17/2012 05:15PM
Wee! No, really!
This 1-week-old Egyptian tortoise is so small, it's no bigger than a 20-pence piece – and that's smaller than a quarter! The tortoise is one of four that hatched at England's Marwell Wildlife, and they have already caused a stir with the visiting public.
"They are adorable, so cute and tiny," says keeper Kimberley Goodfield. "They've had a great response from visitors."
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Nicole Richie & Joel Madden Enjoy a Family Day at the Zoo
Originally posted 05/16/2012 04:00PM
Nicole Richie is going wild Down Under.
The star, who is in Sydney with husband Joel Madden, a judge on The Voice Australia, spent a family day at the Taronga Zoo with children Harlow, 4, and Sparrow, 2.
They met a friendly giraffe and took turns feeding the animal carrots by hand. Both young and old seemed thrilled by the encounter: The children were googly-eyed, while Richie looked awed as she took photos of the giraffe on her phone.
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Cute Photo: Jaguar Cub Gets on the Scale
Originally posted 05/14/2012 04:30PM
How much does cuteness weigh?
This adorable jaguar cub – in spite of its outsize good looks – needed some help getting on the scale at the San Diego Zoo last week.
Just 12 days old, the young cat weighed 4.2 lbs. at its last check-in. The cub is one of two that were born at the zoo on April 27.
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Prince Harry the Pygmy Hippo Dies
Originally posted 05/10/2012 03:00PM
Less than two months after his birth, a pygmy hippo named after Prince Harry has died. The hippo, a resident of the Cango Wildlife Ranch in South Africa, had been undergoing surgery Wednesday morning to repair a hernia.
"Unfortunately at the conclusion of the operation, he went into respiratory arrest and ultimately heart failure," announced Tammy Moult, a spokesperson for the ranch, in a statement. "Despite repeated attempts to resuscitate him, Harry passed away on the operating table."
Since his arrival at the ranch on March 22, Harry had been cared for by trainer Toni Inggs, because he had been rejected by his mother. The calf was receiving round-the-clock care, including bottle feedings.
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