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Photo reblogged from The Animal Blog
FEELING BLUE? An azure-accented mouse is part of a medical study about the effects of blue dye No. 1 on spinal injuries. The same food coloring that tints Gatorade turquoise may also protect your nerves. (Read more at Wired)
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Even if it’s been taken off, we’re going to sew it right back on when we win the civil case. What good is a four-legged puppy to a freak show?
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A study published Wednesday found that rapamycin, a drug used in organ transplants, increased the life span of mice by 9% to 14%, the first definitive case in which a chemical has been shown to extend the life span of normal mammals.
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These elephants prefer to roam
Hollywood legend Lily Tomlin has thrown her weight behind three elephants at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo.
Animal rights protestors have taken issue with the elephants’ exhibit, which confines them to a 2,200-square-foot barn. The facility meets the standards of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, but the zoo’s three pachyderms, Watoto, Bamboo and Chai (above), are nonetheless afflicted by chronic foot and joint problems.
Says Tomlin, “I don’t think anyone in their right mind would think that’s enough space for an elephant, the earth’s largest land mammal.” Bam.
Tomlin and other elephant liberationists have suggested that the animals be relocated to a sanctuary in Tennessee, where they can freely roam and essentially walk off their ailments.
Zoo management has faulted Tomlin for “her desire to have us truck our elephants 2,500 miles from their home … despite having no firsthand knowledge about the excellent care provided for our elephants.”
A side note: a fourth elephant at the zoo, named Hansa, died from complications related to a strain of herpes in 2007, the article neatly points out.
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These pigs are tired of the stereotypes
At the very base of the New York Times’ online swine flu Q&A lies this gem:
“We live in a residential neighborhood (lots of about 6-8,000 feet, and homes 2,000 square feet or less). Our neighbor has a potbellied pig that lives in the backyard. Should we concerned about this?”
The answer? Absolutely not. Sez one doctor interviewed: “The infection is being transmitted among swine living in close quarters in Mexico, not among isolated domesticated pigs.”
Sez the pig in question: “How dare you?”
Update: The World Organization for Animal Health has said that the slaughter of pigs as a precaution against swine flu (ahem, Egypt) is “inappropriate.”
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This turtle knew where to go
A sick sea turtle swam to the only animal hospital in the world that specializes exclusively in turtles.
Doctors at the Florida Keys Turtle Hospital found a 73-pound loggerhead turtle paddling near the dock of the treatment center Sunday morning, says NBC Miami. The animal was suffering from a bacterial infection and stuck around until it received attention. Now he’s happily medicated and resting in a saltwater tank until he’s well enough to be released.
According to Fox News, when the animal arrived his shell was covered in barnacles and he “looked emancipated [sic].” (Sigh.)
