A CHEETAH ENCOUNTER IN THE SERENGETI




Cheetah Encounter with photos by Bobby-Jo Clow
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. A family of young cheetahs came very close to 
full-time Elephant Keeper at a Tanzanian Zoo, so close to smell her hair, until their mother called them back into the grasslands. When Bobby-Jo Clow got the photograph, the cheetah hissed and bared teeth.





 



All Photos by Bobby-Jo Clow

The cubs were born at the start of February

Sumatran tiger cubs born at London Zoo

Hidden cameras have captured the birth of three tiger cubs at London Zoo.

The tigers were born to five-year-old Sumatran tigress Melati on 3 February after a 106-day pregnancy.
The entire birth process was monitored using remote camera technology. The zoo has yet to establish the sex of the cubs.
Footage courtesy of the Zoological Society of London.

Abandoned Dog Found Nursing Kitten

By Amy Sinatra Ayres | vetstreet.com

Beignet the dog adopted Gumbo the kitten after they were abandoned by their owners.After a California family moved away, their neighbors discovered they'd left their longhaired Chihuahua and a kitten behind. Neighbors could hear the pair in the backyard of their home, where they found the 1-year-old dog nursing the 5-month-old kitten she'd decided to adopt as her own.
They were brought to a local shelter, and arrived at the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., last week. Today, they'll be introduced to the public in the rescue's 2 nd Annual Doggie Gras Parade and Fat Cat Tuesday Celebration.
The two have been aptly named for their Mardi Gras debut - the pup is now called Beignet and her kitten son is known as Gumbo. "They love each other. That's all there is to it. It's not complicated," said the center's inventory manager, Labeth Thompson. "They needed each other and they were there for each other." The parade serves as the kickoff to find a new home where the bonded duo can live together. -

STRIKE UP THE BAND!

Mother Chihuahua and “Her” Kitten Son Have Much to Celebrate…   

(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:  Orphan Chihuahua mother Beignet sheds a tear of relief.  Kitten Gumbo stays near his mother’s side.  Beignet and Gumbo keep close for comfort.)

Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.– At Helen Woodward Animal Center an unlikely mother and baby pairing are proving that love has no bounds.  Found nursing a tiny kitten in Barstow, CA, a Longhaired Chihuahua canine is redefining the mother/son bond.  The pair was discovered by neighbors of a family who had moved away in early January.  The adorable twosome were turned in to the Barstow Humane Society days later and arrived at Helen Woodward Animal Center to begin the next step of their journey together on Thursday, February 27th.  Center staff intends to keep this special duo together and is seeking one adopter for both the mother and son.  The public will be introduced to the pair at the Center’s 2nd Annual Doggie Gras Parade and Fat Cat Tuesday Celebration on Tuesday, March 4th at 11am.   In honor of the celebration, the mother canine has been named Beignet and her darling kitten son has been named Gumbo.
Will you help us save more pets like Beignet and Gumbo? Your gift today will go directly toward the care of orphaned pets.
The road traveled by an orphan animal is often filled with mistreatment, loneliness and fear.  How each of these creatures adapts to their challenging circumstances becomes a major factor in their unique personalities and often leaves rescue workers inspired by their unwavering ability to accept, love and trust.  Beignet and Gumbo’s inspirational story began when neighbors reported hearing what sounded like a relocated family’s abandoned dog tending to a new puppy in their former backyard.  With evening temperatures falling to 20 degrees, efforts were made to rescue the canine family.   Instead of a new puppy, however, the mother dog was found nursing an abandoned kitten.  The strength, nourishment and incredible comfort the two had provided to one other during their time alone was miraculous and their bond was beautiful.
The mother/son team is currently being cared for by the Helen Woodward Animal Center veterinary staff.  Beignet is currently 1 year and 7 months old and Gumbo is 5 months old.  Both pets will be altered, receive deworming, vaccinations and microchip-ing and will begin their official search for a forever home on Tuesday, March 4th following the Doggie Gras Celebration. 

“This incredible little family really demonstrates the pure hearts of the orphan animals we meet each day,” said Helen Woodward Animal Center Inventory Manager Labeth Thompson.   “They love each other.  That’s all there is to it.  It’s not complicated.  They needed each other and they were there for each other.”
For more information on Beignet and Gumbo, or for inquires about adoption, please contact the Adoptions Department at: 858-756-4117 ext. 1, or stop by at 6461 El Apajo Road in Rancho Santa Fe.
About Helen Woodward Animal Center
Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 57,000 people and thousands of animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the international Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive and the Animal Center Education Services program, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world.