Posts tagged Animals at Switched

Posts with tag animals

National Geographic to Make Video Games

by Kaiser Hwang, posted Nov 19th 2008 at 3:49PM

Games are recession-proof, right? Well, maybe not, but that's not going to stop National Geographic from making a videogame label. Dubbed National Geographic Games, the for-profit division will focus on creating software to further spread geographic knowledge. The new division's first game, 'Herod's Lost Tomb,' will be available as a free download for PC, Mac, and iPhone, while upcoming games will be developed for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, and other handheld devices.

Believe it or not, National Geographic already has a game, made in partnership with Namco Bandai for the Nintendo DS, titled 'National Geographic: Panda.' Similarly, Sony has a National Geographic-like PlayStation 3 game released in Japan titled 'Afrika.' Could this the National Geographic: Africa game referred to National Geographic Games' press release? Hmm...

Chimp Rides Segway While Man Chases After Him (Video)

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Oct 21st 2008 at 9:40AM

Why do we not learn our lesson? First, we created bionic chimps. Now, as can see in the above video, we're training chimps to ride Segways. What's next -- a motorized cavalry of android apes?

Okay, maybe we're getting all worked up over nothing. It's just a Japanese TV show, right? (One thing's for sure -- if they ever do a third remake of 'Planet of the Apes,' they'll all be riding Segways.)

Well, on the bright side, our chimpanzee friend, Pan-kun, does seem to have a little trouble steering the preferred dork transportation method, so perhaps we have a little while to prepare our defenses. [From: Neatorama]

Kenyan Elephants Sending Text Messages Before They Raid Crops

by Evan Shamoon, posted Oct 14th 2008 at 11:01AM

While the lack of opposable thumbs might make the news something of a shock, word from Africa is that elephants are now sending text messages to warn wildlife rangers when they are heading towards the crops of nearby villages.

Allow us to explain.

Elephants in Kenya have SIM cards inserted into their collars, which automatically send out text messages if they come too close to neighboring farms. Then, spotlights are used to frighten them away from the premises and back onto their wildlife preserve. The Save the Elephants group has implemented the system after the Kenya Wildlife Service (reluctantly) shot five elephants from the conservancy who refused to stop raiding the crops.

One bull elephant named Kimani has been intercepted 15 times since the project began. While he used to raid crops on an almost nightly basis, he hasn't been near a farmer's field for four months.

Of course, it's not all fun and elephant texting: Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants, said the project is still in its infancy, and has had its share of problems. Collar batteries wear out every few years (you think your ceiling light bulbs are tough to replace?), and the project is expensive: five full-time staffers and a standby vehicle are stationed at all times, to respond when a message comes through.

Still, Kimani is totally going in our Top Five. [From: Daily Mail]

About a Cow...and a Washing Machine

by Evan Shamoon, posted Sep 2nd 2008 at 9:02AM

Proving once again that cattle and home appliances just don't mix, a cow in the UK got its head stuck in a "fly-tipped" (read: illegally discarded) washing machine drum earlier this month. And it was awkward.

The animal was eventually freed by the Royal Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which was called to rescue it from a field in Cornwall, England.

There are two theories going around at the moment, one being that the cow thought there might be some food to be eaten. "It is one of the more unusual things we have had to rescue an animal from," said Jo Barr of the RSPCA. "Young cows are quite curious, and she probably thought there was some food inside the drum." Looking at the fields of grass surrounding the cow in the above photo, we're hesitant to back that hypothesis.

RSPCA inspector David Hobbs, on the other hand, believes it was something more to do with the washing machine itself. "Most people hate to see fly-tipping as it is an ugly blight on the landscape, but incidents like these highlight that as well as the visual impact the rubbish can also endanger animals. The heifer was probably curious to see a new item dumped in the field, and curiosity would have turned to panic once she got her head stuck in the drum and was unable to get it out. If people disposed of their rubbish properly many animals would be saved from injury and death."

Given the fact that "fly-tipping" washing machines and "cow-tipping" cows are both distinctly destructive, human instincts, we're going with Mr. Hobbs here, folks. [From: The Telegraph]

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Ice Machine Helps Arctic Seal Survive Mediterranean Vacation

by Peter Mychalcewycz, posted Aug 27th 2008 at 5:48PM

Arctic seals tend to prefer the cold. Actually, they tend to prefer arctic cold. They are Arctic seals after all.

That being said, Sahara the seal (seen above) has decided that the cold just isn't for him. He has been rescued twice after swimming 1,000 miles, twice, in the wrong direction to enjoy the warmth of Mediterranean waters.

Sahara is now a quasi-permanent resident of the National Seal Sanctuary in Gweek, Cornwall, England. Care- givers at the Sanctuary have gone the tech route to rehabilitation, utilizing a massive ice machine to reintroduce the seal to his roots. After initially shunning the section of his enclosure equipped with the ice machine, Sahara has been increasingly interested in the frigid white stuff. He is now enjoying his time laying on the ice and looks set to be re-released into his native waters off Greenland.

He is obviously playing the researchers. We fully expect him back in the Mediterranean, fruity drink in fin, as soon as his little toosh hits the open ocean. [From: DailyMail]

Google Earth Study Shows Cows Usually Point North

by Dan Reilly, posted Aug 26th 2008 at 11:06AM

Yes, you read that headline correctly. Somebody took the time to study cows using Google Earth and found out they tend to point north. It isn't just a coincidence, though – bovines actually have an innate sense of direction that's in tune with Earth's magnetic fields.

Scientists from Germany's University of Duisburg-Essen used Google satellite images to study hundreds of herds of the mammals in England, Ireland, India and the United States. They saw that two-thirds of the cows were oriented in a north-south direction, which supported their theory that the animals, like other breeds such as bees and whales, have tiny organs in their brains that contain magnetite, which is used like a compass.

So what's in it for the cows? According to the researchers, probably nothing. They say the sense may help cows find their way home or might just be a vestigial sense with no benefits. Other experts have confirmed with what you might have already suspected -- this study has probably no practical use, anywhere, ever, to anyone or any cow. [From: Telegraph.co.uk]

Pigeon Taught to Play iPhone Video Game (Video)

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 4th 2008 at 8:57AM

It's hard to say if the pigeon you see above actually understood what he / she was doing, but apparently these birds can be taught to at least play App Store games in a very poor manner. The creature's owner does note that Mr. Pigeon was pretty awful at racking up high scores on Tap Tap Revenge, but the important thing to realize here is that pigeon pecks do register as presses on the screen. Now that this is all out in the open, we fully expect a follow-up video next week of someone teaching their bird to dial a number on command. Vid's after the break.

Continue reading Pigeon Taught to Play iPhone Video Game (Video)

Baby Seal Sends Text Messages to Scientists

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 25th 2008 at 3:09PM

The Society for the Study and Protection of the Mediterranean Seal (what a mouthful), or MOm, have fitted a baby monk seal with a cellular transmitter that will keep them updated via text message. After the seal was rescued in rough seas only a few hours after being born, MOm nursed the adorable creature back to health and trained it to survive on its own.

Before setting the newly feral seal free, researchers strapped it with a transmitter that will relay the seal's position, depth, times spent in and out of the water, and swimming speed all via standard SMS messages. Thankfully for the researchers, the whole thing is automated.

The seal might have trouble banging out "I'm on the island of Rhodes" with those tiny little flippers.

From Textually.org

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Kitty Bum Pencil Sharpener

by Terrence O'Brien, posted May 4th 2007 at 2:04PM

We've got the perfect office accessory for anyone who, to put it lightly, considers him or herself "more of a dog person." The hilarious Cat's Arse Sharpener not only looks stylish on your desk, but it also does a pro job of keeping your pencil tips razor sharp -- which it does with its bum. Simply stab the poor creature in the rear, wait for the electronic "meow" and twist away. The shavings are collected in the kitty's litter box!

Wait 'til PETA gets a load of this . . .

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