Pet shop girl

Source: Wikipedia

I was amused the other day seeing a lady at a petshop going really close up to a little dog inside its glass enclosure which was placed on eye-level standing up. It was like nose against nose. Didn't want to disturb this mutual admiration, I moved on. For some reason when I see a dog, I think of the reality television series Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan.

Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan is a documentary-style reality television program centering on animal behaviorist Cesar Millan as he works to rehabilitate dogs with behavior problems ranging from inconveniences like excessive barking, to behaviors that could leave the owners little choice but to medicate or euthanize their dogs if not corrected.

The program is a demonstration of his rehabilitation techniques, not a guide to training, so you don't see a sportdog field trainer 400 in use, for instance.

This program was aired exclusively on the Nat Geo Wild channel. The series finale aired on 15 September 2012. I hope Astro reruns this series which dog owners would be able to pick up a tip or two handling dogs.

Do you have your own experiences handling dogs? We would love to hear from you.

How did they know? 31 elephants travelled 12 miles to pay respect..

An email from my Inbox made me stretch for a Kleenex. Not sure if it'll have the same effect on you but this real-life episode is a great read and is worth passing on..

HOW DID THEY KNOW?
SOMETHING IN THE UNIVERSE THAT IS MUCH GREATER AND DEEPER THAN HUMAN INTELLIGENCE.

Lawrence Anthony, a legend in South Africa and author of 3 books including the bestseller The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild,bravely rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe from human atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo animals during US invasion in 2003.

On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died.

He is remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons and numerous elephants. Two days after his passing, the wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs. Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say goodbye to their beloved man-friend.

A total of 31 elephants had patiently walked over 12 miles to get to his South African House.

Witnessing this spectacle, humans were obviously in awe not only because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these elephants sensed about Lawrence 's passing, but also because of the profound memory and emotion the beloved animals evoked in such an organized way:
Walking slowly - for days - Making their way in a solemn one-by-one queue from their habitat to his house.

Lawrence's wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that the elephants had not been to his house prior to that day for well over 3 years!
But yet they knew where they were going.
The elephants obviously wanted to pay their deep respects, honoring their friend who'd saved their lives - so much respect that they stayed for 2 days 2 nights without eating anything...

Then one morning, they left, making their long journey back home............


Source: Unknown.. but if you know the source, please leave a comment below.

Pandas in Malaysia

Malaysia is in a sweet spot currently as China will loan two pandas to Malaysia as part of a collaboration between the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Malaysian government. This is an honour as Malaysia joins the ranks of only a few countries that have received pandas.

Source: Wikipedia
A little about Panda Diplomacy from Wikipedia:
Loans of giant pandas to American and Japanese zoos formed an important part of the diplomacy of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the 1970s, as it marked some of the first cultural exchanges between the People's Republic and the West. This practice has been termed "Panda diplomacy".

By 1984, however, pandas were no longer given as gifts. Instead, the PRC began to offer pandas to other nations only on 10-year loans, under terms including a fee of up to US$1,000,000 per year and a provision that any cubs born during the loan are the property of the PRC.

Not sure if there is a fee involved for the two pandas coming to Malaysia but one thing is for sure, Malaysians and people visiting Malaysia will get a chance to see pandas in person although it may be a challenge for the keepers in keeping the pandas comfortable in our hot and humid weather.

The pandas, to be on loan for 10 years, mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relationship between both countries in 2014. Bilateral relations between Malaysia and China started during the tenure of late Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, who was the father of the current Prime Minister, Najib Abdul Razak.

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said that the presence of the pandas would promote public awareness on panda conservation undertaken by China. This will encourage the public to appreciate and learn the importance of biodiversity and wildlife conservation in Malaysia.

A nationwide contest to name the pandas would be held to spur interest among Malaysians to learn more about this unique animal.

The two pandas will be placed in a special exhibit in Taman Wetland, Putrajaya. There, now there's another reason to visit Putrajaya, the Federal Government Administrative Centre replacing Kuala Lumpur as the administrative capital.


Source: The Star..China to loan two pandas to Malaysia for 10 years


Update:
China news reports in April reported that Malaysia would spend a whopping RM20mil for the upkeep of the pandas.

The budget is expected to cover for the construction of an air-conditioned sanctuary for the pandas, importing bamboos from China for their meals as well to train local handlers for the animals. (Source:Giant Pandas for Malaysia)

The Duck and her black eggs are soon parted

There is a duck here in Kampung Seri Murni in Kuala Pegang, near Baling, Kedah, that is getting a lot of attention. No, she did not lay golden eggs but laid two black eggs instead. A trader offered RM30,000 for the eggs but offer was declined.

What does it tell you when a duck lays black eggs when her neighbours are geese and turkeys? :O
Read the story here..

Image source: The Star

Lizards in Love

This must be a new worldwide movement - lizards showing affection in public. I have seen this show of affection on four other occasions and this is the fifth, the second submission to have won The Star's RM50 prize. This one is submitted by Khoo Chin Lye. Here is the earlier pair. One pair was even spotted on a snowy ground.

Have we encroached so much onto their natural habitat and that they are protesting by taking to the streets? hmmm..

Monkey on the Job

Hey, a monkey, but not on a tree! I find this image interesting so thought I'd borrow this Thumbnail submission by Isa Mohd Zain for a post.

I may be right when I say most of us city-dwellers, even in Malaysia, have not seen a real monkey. Unless you visit the Zoo or maybe a circus that is in town, monkeys are a rare sight let alone the sight of one sitting pretty on a vehicle built-for-two.

Here in Malaysia, those of us who live on the outskirts away from the city or near a forest reserve, will maybe get to see these primates in the neighbourhood. There are lots of monkeys too at Batu Caves.

This monkey here on such a vehicle could be a common sight in small towns where monkeys are still employed (with banana salaries) to pluck coconuts. This image was taken in Terengganu, a north-eastern state on the peninsula.

Green young coconuts (as in the picture) are more for their coconut-drink value while the older (brown) ones are for cooking as in the form of coconut milk (santan) and shredded coconut in curries and other dishes on the domestic front. On a larger scale, coconut products include coconut oil and copra as fodder.

Talking about monkeys, if you remember Shirley, the former “chain-smoking” orang utan, here's good news. Shirley and her three fellow primates are adapting well to their new life at the Matang Wildlife Centre in Kuching. I have been to this centre on my trip to Sarawak some two or three years ago. I was surprised that there is no barricade or whatsoever between the visitors and the primates. Visitors are in the same reserve grounds where the orang utan are except that they (the primates) are on a higher level in the branches or picking up their supply of bananas on a man-made ledge some 15-20 feet above the ground. Not to worry, they never did touch the ground even once. I suppose they are more concerned for their safety thus keeping their distance. We saw five orang utan (literally meaning 'man of the jungle') when we were there otherwise we would have to venture deeper into the reserve to get a glimpse of them.

Okay, enough of monkey-talk.

Dog Abuser, he is not

Alamak! A case of mistaken identity.

Yesterday, I agonised for over 15 minutes watching that video of a brown poodle being abused by its owner. The video is 15:07-minute long, I believe. The news was all over the papers the past few days and complaints officially lodged with the relevant authorities.

Fingers were pointing at a chef in Malacca (name, shop location and even his mobile phone number were provided) and his ex-wife as being the perpetrators - one did the actual beating, the other did the recording.

Well, whaddayaknow! As it turns out as confirmed by The Star today, it is merely a case of mistaken identity and his business experienced a sudden increase as curious people thronged his shop to catch a glimpse of him. Meanwhile, the dog-abuser is still not known.

I will spare you the agony by not linking the video here but one thing is for sure, I think people like that need professional help, help they can only get at a residential rehab centre where they have expertise for all sorts of rehabilitation treatments.

By the way, the video is posted not by the dog-abuser himself but by the person who found the lost pen-drive with the video in it, with the hope of highlighting this inhumane act.


Image source: The Star

Poodle-grooming

If animals could speak, I wonder what would these poodles say to their humans.

These poodles are all competing in the annual 'creative grooming' top dog title across the U.S. Something of a canine fancy dress contest, it takes just two hours for owners to transform their pets, which are sheared and coloured to achieve each look.

Read article..Poodle doodles: Dogs are transformed into pandas, horses and even snails in a barking mad grooming craze

So You Want A Pet Dog?

Keeping pets is serious business though there is limited choices of animal or rather pet products here. I am referring to pet dogs in particular.

Even if my life depended on it, I wouldn't know where to look for a pet shop that stocks something as important as a dog bedding or other dog care products.


I mean, if one has a pet dog, wouldn't it make sense to give him or her the best or at least the best of the minimum necessary? I know I would treat him or her as one of the family though just short of having him or her at the same table at mealtimes.

Many of my friends who keep a dog or two at home resort to online shopping for their dog grooming needs. Travelling to more advanced countries also enable them to bring back gifts and toys for their pets.

Cute Cat Moments

Cats do the darnedest things. Watch..


10 Cutest Cat Moments - The most amazing bloopers are here


What's the funniest thing or aww-moment act your pet has ever done?

Me? I don't have a pet but I remember a neighbour used to have a duck, a drake, actually, and we used to play tag with him when we were kids. No kidding! Whenever we saw him passing by we would call out "Itik gila, itik!" (translated as "crazy duck!"). He would swiftly waddle towards us and we would all split in different directions. And after he caught up and pecked one of us, we would all chase him in return and this would go on for a few more rounds until he or we gave up. Fun times. No idea what happened to Mr Drake in the end. He probably ended up in my neighbour's cooking pot. hmm..

Pulau Ketam - 400 Dogs left on an island to fend for themselves

The sad look on the puppy's face tells it all. 400 stray dogs were banished to an uninhabited island by residents of Pulau Ketam or Crab Island in English. This is a fishing village off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.













News of this act first appeared in the papers late last month. MSNBC has a story on it. There has been financial aid from overseas.

Local animal activists and animal shelters such as Furry Friends Farm (FFF) and SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and others are in the process of rescuing the dogs which have resorted to cannibalism due to the lack of food and water. Many have died of starvation or drowned trying to swim back to Pulau Ketam.

If you would like to know more about it, Google has more news. For updates on the rescue missions, TV Smith's blog is a good source. TV Smith is a blogger and together with Sabrina of Furry Friends Farm are actively involved in the rescue efforts. Two other islands are also being used for this dog-dumping exercise. Below are pictures from TV Smith's site.






Aid is still needed. Below is from TV Smith's site requesting for aid:


Kind folks are asking how they can donate. Funds can be banked in or transferred to:

Furry Friends Farm account at CIMB 1457-000-1182-05-6

You can also transfer via PayPal to tvsmith@gmail.com

Please retain transaction record / slip for verification and audit purposes.

Thank you all for your generosity. Keep em coming as it is still insufficient.

Updates by TV Smith




While we are at this animal rescue topic, this Cat Shelter in Singapore also needs help.

Fun with Pandas for A Sunday Evening...

The cutest and cuddliest animal in the world has got to be the Panda bear. 30% of the world's pandas can be found in the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary in southwestern China and the place has been named a World Heritage site.

Visitor number to the Wolong Valley has skyrocketed from 200,000 people a year to 1.8 million.

Only about 1,600 giant pandas are left in the wild.

Recently, someone sent me some images of these cute darlings, shots of which were taken at the Panda Sanctuary in China. The captions add spice to the already-lovely shots. Take a look.






















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Where Pigeons Gather

Here in Malaysia, it is not uncommon to see man-made pigeon lofts or homes in the backyard. But this is only found in homes in the suburbs or in the less concrete-jungle part of town. In Malaysia, pigeons are reared sometimes for their meat but oftentimes just as a hobby. In Hong Kong, grilled pigeons are a delicacy.

Last week, I was surprised to see pigeons homing in at a parking lot one morning. Of course, it wasn't like the number found in Paris or New York parks but enough to cause a stir. A young man was scattering seeds and the birds were there to get their share. I thought that's a pretty awesome sight of someone feeding the birds. Delightful to watch.

Over here, the pigeon population is not large enough to warrant any ban on feeding them unlike in Trafalgar Square where you can be slapped with a 50 pound fine, while in New York, there is a proposal for a $1,000 fine for feeding the winged creatures. Talk about feeding, time to grab a bite.