It's Time for Eagle Cam!

Last winter I got hooked on Eagle Cam: Decorah Eagles (in Iowa). Watching these magnificent birds hatch and raise their eaglets was amazing and addictive. I was so proud and sad to see them grow big enough to leave the nest.

At the same I discovered another cam: Eagles at Norfolk Botanical Gardens. This eagle family suffered a tragedy when the mom was killed by an airplane. The dad eagle couldn't feed three rapidly growing eaglets alone, so they were rescued, raised, and later released by the Wildlife Center of Virginia. I, along with thousands of other viewers, became very attached to "our babies" as we watched them grow at the Wildlife Center. Watching their release into the wild was stunningly beautiful and emotionally overwhelming.

And it's all starting again with the new nesting season! Mom and Dad Decorah have been seen mating and nesting. Dad Norfolk has a new lady. They, too, are mating and nesting. Soon, both sets of parents will be protecting their eggs as we watch in awe. I learned so much about eagles (and other wildlife) last year that I'm looking forward to this season. I wish both sets of eagle parents safe and long lives with many healthy eaglets.

Want to join the Eagle Nation? The web cams are free and both sites include links to lots of info about Eagles. The Wildlife Center of Virginia also has lots info on animals is it treating and their own wildlife cam.

Warning: Eagle watching can be addictive may lead to lack of housework and cooking, excessive Eagle Cam viewing to the exclusion of TV, DVDs, etc., and obessesive talk of "beaking," "nesting," and "branching."

Tenth Life Fund-Raiser

The Cat Who Fetches

Misty, our 9.5 month old kitty, likes to fetch. She brings toys for me to throw, but she also likes to explore the basement and bring me whatever she finds. Here's what she's fetched so far:

* bubble wrap sheets (on several occasions)

* a strip of dried caulk (I have no idea where she found that!)

* a phone jack

* a tupperware lid (I have no idea where the matching freezer container is)

Isn't she clever? She certainly keeps me guessing! I just hope she doesn't start bringing me mice. (So far, so good.)

Barney Cam 2008

Every year I look forward to Christmas at the White House. I've never been there but I always enjoy the photos and descriptions on the White House Web Site. My favorite part is always Barney Cam, a Christmas video of the Bush Scotties Barney and Miss Beazley decorating the White House, with cameos by Willard (the Bush cat), President Bush, Miss Laura, their daughters and son-in-law. Other than First Family, the guests vary from year to year.

To see the White House decorated for Christmas or watch this year's Barney Cam, visit the Red, White, and Blue Christmas page. There also link for the previous seven years, in case you'd like to see the decorations or videos.

This is Barney's last Christmas in the White House and I sure am going to miss Barney Cam! I wonder if we can buy them all on DVD? (If so, I haven't yet found the link.)

Skidboot, the World's Smartest Dog

A friend sent me this link about Skidboot, the World's Smartest Dog, and I was so impressed that I visited his web site.

Rest in Peace, Skidboot. You really did have a wonderful life and continue to inspire others.

Not Mozart, too!

In yesterday's news: Death Stalks the Meerkats Yet Again. Poor Mozart has also died -- and so has her mate, Carlos.

I'm so glad I'm not watching Meerkat Manor! I can't stand to see these adorable little critters (who sound just like my Saffron!) die. I don't know how the researchers working on Cambridge University's Kalahari Meerkat Project can stand it. They watch these little guys 24/7 for years and must be very attached -- as are fans who watch Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet.

---

Death Stalks the Meerkats Yet Again
By EDWARD WYATT
The New York Times
Published: October 27, 2007

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 26 — Another tragedy has befallen the meerkats.

Mozart, the troubled daughter of Flower, the late matriarch of the Whiskers clan on the popular Animal Planet series “Meerkat Manor,” died at the end of Friday’s episode; it was the second death to shake fans of the show’s lovable but hard-luck stars in a month.

After Flower’s death — from a snake bite — in the Sept. 28 episode, fans flooded the Internet with tributes in poem, picture and song. Early this week, as news of Mozart’s demise leaked out, similar tributes began to crop up online.

For the uninitiated, “Meerkat Manor” traces the lives of the members of several colonies of meerkats in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa as they procreate, fight for territory and scarce resources and race around looking as cute as all get-out. The Whiskers clan is part of a 13-year study that was originated by Cambridge University and has been followed on camera by producers from Animal Planet for the last three years.

To the dismay of the show’s more fervent fans, the life span of a Kalahari meerkat turns out to be not much different from that of the average soap opera villain. Despite calls from some fans after the death of Flowers for the repeal of the Darwinian laws of the desert, the producers have no such refinements in mind.

But they did learn something from the uproar created after the first season, when Shakespeare, a lovable scamp of a meerkat, disappeared and was presumed to have died. The producers place radio collars on each family’s dominant female, the better to track the families’ movements, but because Shakespeare, a male, simply went missing, there was no visual evidence of his demise. When Flower succumbed to snakebite, the radio collar let producers track her movements closely and provide viewers with visible closure.

With Mozart, the cause of death was uncertain — it was likely that she fell prey one night to a passing jackal, the show’s narrator intones — but viewers are shown her lifeless body, if from a tasteful distance. Although one meerkat looks much like another, the producers mark each animal with a strategically placed spot of hair dye to tell them apart.

All is not lost, however. Fans of the show are likely to see more of Flower, and perhaps Mozart, in a feature film, “Queen of the Kalahari,” tentatively scheduled for release next year.

Golden Retriever Nurses Stray Kitten

Isn't this the sweetest dog in the world?

---

In the news yesterday: Honey the golden retriever nurses stray kitten: Dog starts lactating to nourish Precious after feline is brought into home

Scott Mason / AP file

Precious, right, a 6-week-old kitten, gets a meal from Honey,
a 7-year-old golden retriever, Oct. 2 in Stephens City, Va.

STEPHENS CITY, Va. - A stray kitten has found a new mother in a golden retriever, who began producing milk for the little feline after hearing its cries.

Honey hadn't given birth in 18 months, but after her owner, Jimmy Martin, brought home the kitten, she suddenly found herself playing mom.

"She started licking her and loving her. Within a couple of days, Honey started naturally lactating," said Kathy Martin, Jimmy's wife. "The kitten took right to her, and she started nursing her."

Jimmy Martin noticed the kitten, which the family dubbed Precious, about six weeks ago, when she ran in front of his concrete truck. After following her and realizing there was no mother cat in sight, he took her home.

The kitten refused to drink from a bottle, and Jimmy's mother, Ruth Martin, feared Precious would die.

The family initially tried to keep Precious and Honey apart, fearing the dog would play too roughly with the little gray-striped kitten. But Honey was elated at Precious' presence, wagging her tail and prancing all over the house trying to sneak a peek at her. Eventually, the family let Honey approach Precious, and the dog immediately took to her.

The Martins said they told a veterinarian about Honey and Precious and learned that interspecies nursing does happen on rare occasion.

Precious now sometimes plays with dog bones, and Honey lets Precious gnaw on her like a puppy would.

"She thinks she's a dog," Kathy Martin said. "She's really fit right in."

RIP Flower

I'm so glad I'm no longer watching Meerkat Manor. I nearly cried yesterday when this story popped up on MediaNet on my cell phone: Meerkats Mourning Lady of the Manor. (I'll paste the story below in case the link moves.)

I love Meerkat Manor but had to stop watching during season 2. I was heartbroken when Shakespeare died and little Blossom's tragic death was the last straw for me.

Poor Flower. Apparently I'm not the only fan who feels sad. Animal Planet has added a In Memory of Flower page to its Meerkat Manor site where fans can watch video of Flower, talk about her, and read about the upcoming movie on her life.

I wonder what will happen to Flower's family but I can't stand to watch and see more meerkats die. Please, somebody keep me updated on what happens to Yosarian, Mozart, Mitch, etc., without Flower to lead them.

---

Meerkats Mourning Lady of the Manor by Natalie Finn
Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:09:16 PM PDT

The Whiskers clan is without a matriarch.

Flower, the leader of the central gang of meerkats that is the focus of Animal Planet's documentary cum soap opera Meerkat Manor, died in February during filming of the show's third season after being bitten by a cobra. She was six.

Friday's episode of the hit series, "A Journey's End," featured the events leading up to Flower's untimely death, which occurred during yet another meerkat struggle for survival in South Africa's Kalahari Desert—an inevitable part of the frequently compelling, albeit furry and adorable, drama that has made Meerkat Manor Animal Planet's number-one show.

"Flower's courage and strength in life was mirrored in her passing," said senior executive producer Mick Kaczorowski. "Viewer and fans have become attached to Flower because she exemplified the qualities of a true hero and a veritable leader."

According to Kaczorowski, Flower was buried onsite in a market grave by the Cambridge University scientists who preside over the Kalahari Meerkat Project.

Although Animal Planet didn't televise news of Flower's passing, in order to stave off the viewer confusion that resulted when Flower's son Shakespeare was injured at the end of season one and then was gone by season two, a statement was posted in March on the network's Meerkat Manor message board informing fans that Flower hadn't survived a snakebite and would be missed.

"When Shakespeare disappeared over the season, we weren't filming—there was no evidence, no body," Kaczorowski told the Los Angeles Times. "When we came back in Season 2, everybody was completely frustrated. Conspiracy theories came up. The most important thing is to track down the remains or stay with the body so we could put an end to the story."

Animal Planet is planning a commemorative spot, an online tribute and a press event in New York to honor the Meerkat Manor heroine. There is also a feature film in the works, Queen of the Kalahari, which is intended to be a prequel about Flower's life prior to her small-screen stardom.

"Flower was larger than life," said Marjorie Kaplan, general manager of Animal Planet and Discovery Kids Media. "She stood tall against her foes, readily and regularly faced conflict and was a pillar of strength for her family.

"The circle of life is very much a reality in the animal kingdom. We at Animal Planet are devastated by the loss of Flower and recognize that her death will have a deep impact on our viewers. Life in the Kalahari will never be the same."

Up in the air now is the fate of Zaphod, Flower's partner and the dominant male of the Whiskers mob. If losing his mate proves too much to handle, his brother Youssarian—a former top meerkat who has been pegged as having "social problems"—could rise again.

Flower and Zaphod's son, Mitch, also has exhibited leadership qualities in the wake of his brother Shakespeare's death, and he could be a force to be reckoned with, as well.

It's also unsure who will become the new female leader of the extensive clan. Flower's daughter Mozart is a possibility, but despite being caring and compassionate, she has estranged herself from the family more than once.

No, the above was not a summary of a Dallas episode. Although just as it was for the Ewings when J.R. was shot, the Whiskers' societal order now hangs in the balance.

The daily goings-on at the so-called manor may read like a page from any prime-time soap, replete with jealous exes, sibling rivalry, (meer)kat fights, pregnant daughters getting kicked out of the house and a lot of mating, but the stars of this show don't follow any script.

Instead, it's a group of intrepid researchers, their specially built fiber-optic cameras and some crafty editors that have captured a slice of life that just happens to be taking place, at times, in a burrow.

And while regular watchers of the series might sometimes trick themselves into thinking that they're watching teeny-tiny humans who just happen to have tails, crescent-shaped ears, tapered faces and particularly beady eyes, these mammals are members of the mongoose family.

Sean Astin narrates the U.S. version of the Emmy-nominated series, while Brit Bill Nighy is the human voice of the U.K. and Canadian installments.

Helping Hands

Yesterday I met a capuchin monkey named Gregory. He came to visit a linguistics class taught by one of my colleagues. Gregory has been to Monkey College and is trained to assist a disabled person but is retired due to health problems. In college he learned to cook food in the microwave, serve it, wash a human's face, brush a human's hair, and fetch and carry objects. He has a 500 word vocabulary and can provide love and companionship for 20-30 years.

I had never heard of this wonderful program, but if you would like to learn more visit Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled. There is also a nice article in in Greater Boston: Monkeys Assist Disabled.

If you are looking for a charity to donate to this Christmas, this is a worthy cause!

No More Meerkats for Me!

It's over. I can't stand to watch Meerkat Manor any more. I love every one of those little critters and am still upset about the deaths of Shakespeare, Tosca, and little Bubble. Little Blossom's tragic death last night was the last straw.

Poor little Blossom, just one month old, wandered away from her family, exploring the world, and while she was just out of sight (hidden by the tall, summer grass) she was killed by a bird of prey. It was awful! I know one in four baby Meerkats don't make to adulthood, but I don't need to see why.

If anyone watches, keep me updated, but don't tell me if anybody dies!

Jesse the Hero

Today on CNN: Dog saves owner from fire, dies trying to rescue cat. I was touched by the sad story of this brave dog and feel very sorry for owner who survived but lost both pets. Extra hugs for my kitties today!

Meerkat Manor Season 2

It may come as a surprise to those who know I can't watch or read anything where animals die (like March of the Penguins or Eight Below), but I'm hooked on Meerkat Manor. It's the story -- real life and death events -- of the Whiskers Meerkat family in the Kalahari Desert on Animal Planet every Friday night a 8:00 p.m.

Cambridge University biologists have spent 10 years studying the Meerkats and the critters are acclimated to humans, allowing humans to film them inside and outside their burrows, weight them, water them, etc.

Of course, to make it easier for viewers to keep track of the Meerkats, the biologists have given them all names. Like other animals, each Meerkat has a distinct personality and they have a complex society. (I never realized how complex!) Viewers get to watch them hunt, have pups, grow up, and have wars with rival families. Yes, that includes tragic and/or untimely deaths but we never actually see them die or see the bodies (except for one poor pup). We care about the Whiskers but we also see how tough life is for them and how hard they have to work to survive.

At the end of Season 1 we were left wondering about the fate of courageous little Shakespeare, who single-handedly defended his family's pups against a raid by a rival Meerkat family. Shakespeare is a tough little guy. He survived two bites from puff adder (enough poison to kill a human) and he only weighs two pounds! He survived and was one of the Whiskers' best fighters, but also a compassionate babysitter who took good care of the pups.

We were also left to wonder about the fate of Tosca, the rebellious female who was cast out of the family after having pups without the permission of Flower (Tosca's mom and the alpha female). The family was too big, so Tosca had to go. Tosca's odds of surviving on her own are slim, as are her odds of being accepted back into the family, so if she doesn't start her own family or get accepted by another tribe she will die.

SPOILER ALERT. If you don't want to know the fates of Shakespeare and Tosca, stop reading now.

I was looking forward to Season 2, but was very disappointed to learn that Shakespeare was never seen again after defending the pups (who survived unharmed). Unfortunately, Tosca wasn't seen again after the winter, so she presumably died. Poor little Shakespeare and Tosca! The good news is: 1. we didn't actually see them die or see any bodies, and 2. although the narrator said Tosca is probably dead, he didn't actually use that word to describe Shakespeare. Although it's implied that he is dead, there is still hope. He's a tough little guy and I still hope he somehow made it!

The US Meerkat Manor site and the UK Meerkat Manor site have lots of info about meerkats and the Cambridge study. They even need volunteers -- if you can commit to a year in the desert. I'd love to volunteer (if they had very short stints) but I'd be horrible at it. Instead of objectively studying the Meerkats, I'd try to save them all from predators, prevent rival families from fighting, and feed them all. If I lived closer to the Fellow Earthlings' Wildlife Center, Inc. in California I'd adopt a Meerkat so I could visit my furry little friend nose-to-nose. :)

UPDATE Oct. 7: I may not be able to watch Meerkat Manor any more. I'm still upset about Shakespeare and Tosca and this week we saw a baby from the Lazuli family killed by the Commando family. Poor little Bubble was carried away, crying for help, then the Commandos descended on her and killed her.

I'm also worried about Mozart. She's Flower's oldest daughter (and an altruistic and loving sister and babysitter) who may get kicked out of the family to fend for herself and probably die, just like her sister Tosca. Why? Because Flower is pregnant and cranky, food is in short supple in the winter, and Mozart has just mated with a roving male from another family.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who is worried and waiting to see what will happen next. Go to Google News and search for Meerkat Manor to see a surprising amount of news coverage. This real life-and-death soap is an unexpected hit for Animal Planet.

Did I Miss My Calling in Life?

I've been watching more on Animal Planet lately and I've been wondering if I chose the wrong profession. After seeing how much fun they have at Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo and the devotion of the zookeepers in The Little Zoo That Could (which is on right before Meerkat Manor), I want to be a zookeeper!

I would love being able to care for wild animals and teach people about them. Of course, I'd be heartbroken when they died or had to move to other zoos, but what a privilege it would be to be one of the lucky people who get to be close to wild animals.

Imagine getting to feed/pet/care for wolves, coyotes, lions, tiger, bears, otters, penguins, meerkats, etc. The critters seem very attached to their human family, too, like dogs and cats but bigger and more dangerous. Like the critters we saw in the Traverse City zoo, they are used to human companionship.

I wonder if zoos need volunteers, what kind of training you need to care for wild animals, and where you might get it?

Fashion Accessory or K9 Cop?

Today on CNN.com: Tiny drug dog sniffs out big career.

Isn't he just the cutest K-9 cop you've ever seen?