News

We bring you the latest from around the World in wildlife and conservation news.

How To Calculate The Age of Your Dog

It’s a real shame that dogs age so much quicker than humans as any pet owner will tell you. One attempt at measuring the lifespan of a dog is to use the dog year to quantify the difference between humans and dogs.The usual technique for calculating dog years is simply to multiply the dogs age in human years by seven. This would mean a one year pooch would be 7 years old and a 2 year old dog would really be 14. This method basically assumes that humans have an average lifespan of 70 years and dogs have an average lifespan of 10 years.

Adopting An Animal Can Improve Quality of Life

An increasing number of studies show that having a pet and in particular dogs means owners not only get a great companion but have an improved quality of life.Dogs have a long history of making their owners feel good, and can have an extremely calming effect.Peggy McCardle from the National Institute of Health says there is growing evidence that pets have psychological and physical health benefits.According to research from the Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne, pet owners have a lower probability to developing heart disease and have lower cholesterol and blood pressure irrespective of income levels, body mass index or smoking habits.

Military Dolphins Fall Under Russian Control

After last month’s annexation of Crimea by Russia, residents of the region were asked to switch allegiance however not all of those residents are in fact human.In addition to the 2 million people who are the newest Russian citizens, combat dolphins which were formerly a part of the Ukrainian navy now have new masters. According to a state run news agency the dolphins are under the control of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.

Horses Latest Threat To Panda Habitat

There are just 1,600 pandas living in the wild and they seem to be facing a new threat from horses.Chinese farmers in Sichuan Province seeking a safe investment have been buying an increasing number of horses and then allowing them to feed in protected areas belonging to the Panda according to the latest research. The horses end up consuming all the bamboo the pandas rely on for food.

Sea Turtles Take A Shorter Route Around The Atlantic

The path travelled by baby sea turtles may not correspond with what scientists had assumed until now. In fact according to satellite tracking some of the turtles actually opt for warmer browner pastures.Until recently scientists have believed that young sea turtles hop on the back of a big sea current called the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre which should take them all the way around the ocean and helping them turn up on their original coastline after one or two years. The first study conducted using satellite technology shows that many young turtles drop out of the current and choose to follow brown floating seaweed known as Sargassum which provides food, shelter and heat.

Killer Whale Documentary Makes Waves In California

The documentary film “Blackfish” is making some serious waves in California after on law maker proposed legislation that would effectively end Killer Whale shows at SeaWorld the San Diego Tribune is reporting.

PETA Files Legal Action For Elephant’s Release

A court in Mumbai will hear the case of Sunder the Elephant and decide his fate after a PETA investigation found that the 14 year old elephant was the subject of cruel treatment and horrible living conditions.A petition was filed citing the inaction of the Forest Department despite the fact that Dr. Patanagro Kadam Maharashtra State Minister of Forests had ordered the elephant to be released.

Dogs In Synch With Owners Emotions According To Study

If you believe your dog is able to tell whether you are happy or sad it turns out you may well be right.According to a new study which was published in Current Biology, Dogs are sensitive to emotional cues present in the human voice. Researchers think that the part of the brain which processes voice and sounds in both humans and dogs evolved at the same time 100 million years ago when both species shared a common anscestor.