this is what’s right in the world

Who says that animals and humans cannot coexist? One English town slammed their brakes to make room for this family of swans to pass through unharmed. They were safely escorted to a nearby pond.

I would imagine that this was quite a sight!

Source: Swan family halts city rush hour

Biologist Frank Fish realized that humpback whales have bumps on their fins and decided to investigate. After learning that these bumps make the whales more ‘aerohydrdynamic’ he decided to see how this could be applied to everyday technology and is working with a Canadian company to make more environmentally friendly fans. This technology could potentially be used with anything that cuts through water and air.

Fish learned from the best teacher–nature. By learning how an animal in the wild is optimized to move through water, he was able to research how this can affect human technology.

The best solutions are usually the simplest.

Source: Whales better inspire blade designs

Lulu, a Colorado Springer Spaniel, survived 8 days in rubble after an explosion. Her owner was injured and hospitalized, but a passerby heard her and pulled her out.

The veterinarian said she probably survived by drinking melted snow and foraging for food in the rubble. Lulu was able to visit her owner in the hospital to make sure he was doing well.

Dogs are resilient, loyal creatures who will go through a whole lot to see their owners again. Lulu is an inspiration!

Source: Dog survives 8 days trapped in rubble after Colo. explosion

I would say that animal testing is normally despicable, but in this case, the doctor doing the research tested on himself also, putting himself at great risk. During WWII, there was a struggle to figure out how to get planes higher without making the pilots ill, so among other methods, researchers used a St. Bernard to test the effects of altitude. This dog enabled the researchers to learn enough about the situation to allow pilots to go even higher, and eventually bomb the Axis powers into oblivion. No worries about the dog–he landed securely in his parachute.

Source: Parachuting dog helped win WWII

A ten year old monkey in Utah had cataracts, so the zoo veterinarian took them out, and gave him artificial lenses. They now think the monkey can see again because he is running around and playing.

It is pretty amazing to see what ‘human’ technology can do for animals!

Sources:

10-year-old monkey at Utah zoo gets artificial lenses

Monkey see? Yes he do.

A seventh grader was so upset when she learned of the death of a police dog that she raised money to help another police dog get a bulletproof vest.

Police dogs are serving their communities every day–props to Allison Pastene for doing something to help them do their jobs better!

Source: Cop K9 safer thanks to teen

Dogs have often been lambasted as the source of allergies, but it appears that children who have dogs will be less likely to have allergies later in life. The pollen and germs that dogs bring in supposedly build immune resistance to things like asthma and hay fever.

Go ahead, bring in the dogs!

Source: Dogs help keep children’s allergies at bay

Who says that humans cannot alter the environment without damaging it? In this story a senior. balding penguin was rescued from the discomforts of a naked bottom by an aquatic biologist in California. She saw that Pierre (the penguin, of course) was cold and shivering without his plumage and decided to do something about it.

They do not know if the suit helped him grow back his feathers, but he is well on the way to being the robust gentleman he once was.

Source: Balding penguin gets wetsuit

Animals become family members and it can be heartbreaking for their caretakers when they go missing.

The Heffernan family has a greyhound, Prince, who took off one day when a door was accidentally left open. A community effort to locate him failed. Finally, a month later, Clinton Waddell was in the woods and spotted what he thought was a coyote. It turned out to be Prince, who was dangerously underweight. He called the number on his collar and Prince was reunited with his family.

What a relief for the Heffernan family! Remember, if there is any chance of your pets getting outside, make sure they have collars clearly identifying how you can be reached. A happy reunion like that of the Heffernan family could be at stake!

Source: Dog survives a month lost

Not every theft is permanent. Police were able to recover stolen parrots in England.

See the article for an uplifting image of a parrot returned home.

Source: Stolen birds reunited with owner