Author: LATimes

MANILA, Philippines — Researchers have concluded that a giant, golden-spotted monitor lizard discovered in the forested mountains of the Philippines six years ago is a new species, according to a study released Wednesday.

The 6 1/2-foot-long lizard was first spotted in 2004 in the Sierra Madre mountains on the main island of Luzon when local researchers saw local Agta tribesmen carrying one of the dead reptiles.

But it took until last year to determine it was a new species. After capturing an adult, researchers from the University of Kansas and the National Museum of the Philippines obtained DNA samples that helped confirm the lizard was new to science.

The Northern Sierra Madre Forest Monitor Lizard or Varanus bitatawa feasts on fruits and snails rather than carcasses, unlike many monitors, including its larger relative, the Komodo dragon, according to American and Filipino researchers who wrote about the discovery in Wednesday’s peer-reviewed Royal Society journal Biology Letters. It spends much of its time in the treetops and has unique claws that allow it to reach its favorite fruits.

"I knew as soon as I saw the animal that it was something special," Luke Welton, a graduate student at the University of Kansas and one of the co-authors of the study, said in a statement.

It is not that unusual to find a new species of tiny fish, frog or insect these days. But Welton and his colleagues said it was a "rare occurrence" to discover such a large vertebrate, particularly on an island hit by deforestation and nearby development. They compared their find to the 1993 discovery of the forest-dwelling Saola ox in Vietnam and a new monkey species discovered in the highlands of Tanzania in 2006.

"The discovery of such a large, charismatic, and strikingly distinct new species of vertebrate in the unexplored forests of the northern Philippines accentuates the degree to which the diversity of this global conservation hotspot is still poorly known," Mundita Lim, chief of the country’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, said in a statement.

Eric R. Pianka, a lizard expert at the University of Texas at Austin, said in an e-mail interview that it was an "incredible find."

"This is truly a spectacular discovery," Pianka said. "Worldwide, there are about 60-plus species of monitor lizards. In all probability, some as yet undescribed species will be found on various islands in Indonesia," he said.

The new lizard is related to two other fruit-eating monitors in the Philippines, all of which have seen their numbers drop significantly due habitat destruction, as well as hunting and trapping for the pet trade.

"We hope that by focusing on protection of this new monitor, conservation biologists and policy makers can work together to protect the remaining highly imperiled forests of northern Luzon," Rafe Brown, leader of the team that discovered the new species and curator of herpetology at the University of Kansas, said in a statement.

— Associated Press

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Photos: A golden-spotted monitor lizard rests on a tree trunk in the Sierra Madre mountains of the Philippines in April 2006. Credit: Arvin C. Diesmos / Associated Press

Alaska authorities say a man featured in a television series about his life among wild bears at his Alaska cabin has pleaded guilty to illegally feeding the bears dog food and cookies.

Assistant state Atty. Gen. Andrew Peterson says 71-year-old Charlie Vandergaw pleaded guilty to eight counts last week. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss an additional 12 counts in the case.

If terms of the plea agreement are accepted by a judge at Thursday’s sentencing, Vandergaw would get 180 days of suspended jail time and a fine of between $20,000 and $72,000.

A documentary broadcast last year on Animal Planet shows Vandergaw scratching the belly of one black bear and feeding a cookie to another at his cabin, about 40 miles north of Anchorage.

Game officials consider feeding bears a danger to humans.

— Associated Press, in Anchorage, Alaska

Stay up-to-date on animal news: Follow Unleashed on Facebook and Twitter.

Video: Animal Planet via YouTube

Monday’s adorable video showing a cat enthusiastically cleaning a sleeping dog started us on a bit of a mission to find other cat-loves-(insert non-feline species name here) videos. Our favorite so far: YouTube user aublet‘s video of Molly the cat and her good pal Chiquita the rat.

When the animals first came to live together, aublet explains, the cat was kept in a separate room whenever Chiquita and aublet’s other rats were let out of their cage. One fateful night, "Chiquita broke herself and [the other rats] out of their cage and she woke me up by climbing on my face," aublet recalls. "I was terrified that Molly had hurt the others, but when I got up, Molly was just patiently watching the rats run around." Good kitty!

After that incident, aublet decided to let the cat interact with the rats — only while they were under the supervision of a watchful human caregiver, of course. Molly and Chiquita became the best of friends and remained so until Chiquita’s death last year. (R.I.P., little rat!)

RELATED:

Your morning adorable: Patient dog meets duckling

Your morning adorable: Gentle horse nuzzles cat

— Lindsay Barnett

Video: aublet via YouTube

What’s more charming than a deer emulating a human’s polite bow? We’re hard-pressed to think of a thing — and a bowing deer almost seems too adorable to be true. But it’s just what visitors to Nara, Japan, are likely to see when encountering the city’s large and storied sika deer population.

Nara, according to travel writer James Dorsey, is a place where "there seem to be as many deer as people, and they have the complete right of way. Deer, by the way, are grazers, which means they eat around the clock. The deer of Nara live to eat and are not fussy about what that may be."

Dorsey, who recently visited Nara with his wife, explains that the animals have become a major part of the city’s commerce, with many vendors selling deer treats called shika senbei to residents and tourists. Vending machines offer shika senbei as well.

Even a visit to a local sushi restaurant didn’t mean distance from the deer, who go where they please in Nara. Fortunately, the restaurant staff are prepared for four-legged dinner guests; they’ve provided "a stack of biscuits on every table to be used as an offering to buy a moment’s peace for people trying to eat," Dorsey writes. "I became adept at handling chopsticks with one hand and feeding the marauding deer with the other."

The deer gobbled up everything in their path, Dorsey continues — whether or not the items they chose to snack on were, technically, edible. A purse, a camera and a set of keys are among the things the deer tried to steal from the couple. While they picnicked in a park, deer descended, making off with sandwiches and sodas.

Replacing sandwiches and sodas stolen by a swarm of hungry deer: $12. Having those thieving deer bow to you as they depart: Priceless.

Learn more about traveling to Nara and visiting with the city’s army of animal panhandlers in Dorsey’s recent story in The Times’ Travel section.

— Lindsay Barnett

Video: sbake608 via YouTube

Nearly 2 million robins ruled the roost in the 2010 Great Backyard Bird Count, outnumbering all other species in the 13th annual tally of North American birds reported by 63,000 volunteer bird watchers.

The large number of American robins was mainly because of a massive roost in St. Petersburg, Fla., where birders reported 1.4 million during the four-day event in February.

"They sometimes gather in a large roost like that before they start migrating," Pat Leonard of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology said Tuesday. "There’s a big mangrove swamp in St. Petersburg that they like."

The count also showed a dramatic increase in tree swallows and a decrease in winter finches such as redpolls, pine siskins and evening grosbeaks, which were unusually abundant in northern states in the previous two winters.

The count, sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Bird Studies Canada, helps document changes in the number and distribution of birds over time. Changes may reflect variations in food supply, reproduction, habitat loss and other factors.

"We don’t want to overstate what the data show," Leonard said. "You can’t draw conclusions from one count. The value is in looking at such a large area, an entire continent, and collecting long-term data."

The 13-year-old Backyard Bird Count is relatively new compared with Audubon’s 110-year-old Christmas Bird Count and is more loosely structured, with volunteers recording birds they see in their yards over a four-day span. The Christmas count, from Dec. 14-Jan. 5 each year, takes a census under strict methodology in designated areas.

Both can help scientists spot trends that may warrant a closer look.

The introduction of the Eurasian collared dove from the Caribbean to Florida and its subsequent expansion across North America is illustrated in bird count data. In 1999, about 1,000 doves were reported in nine states. This year, more than 14,000 doves were found in 39 states.

Winter finch numbers can vary dramatically from year to year because of changes in food supply or reproductive success in the far northern part of their range. Annual fluctuations in the number of northern gulls along the Pacific Coast are less understood. The numbers were down markedly this winter in California, Oregon and Washington state.

Rare bird sightings recorded in this year’s backyard count included a black-legged kittiwake in Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; a crimson-collared grosbeak in McAllen, Texas; and a red-billed tropicbird along the San Diego coast.

In addition to robins, the most numerous birds were Canada geese, snow geese, American crows and European starlings.

The Great Backyard Bird Count data "become more and more valuable with each passing year," said Dick Cannings of Bird Studies Canada. "Over time we’ll be better able to see significant changes that may occur in the numbers and distributions of birds which may be tied to climate change, habitat loss, disease or other factors."

— Associated Press

Video: jezcooper via YouTube

Photo: A Canada Goose honks loudly as another stands behind in North Bonneville, Wash., on Feb. 10. Credit: Don Ryan / Associated Press

Despite the efforts of the LAPD and the Business Improvement District to eradicate illegal animal vendors from downtown L.A.’s Fashion District, the practice of selling live animals on the street — unweaned baby rabbits, turtles and birds, among others — continues.

On Easter Sunday — perhaps a poetically appropriate day for a bunny rescue — Los Angeles police officer Matthew Shafer, while completing routine rounds, happened upon a man rustling plastic in a van parked in a Wall Street garage. Suspicious, Shafer went to investigate — and found that the van contained a whopping 118 turtles. In the van parked next to the one with the turtles, Shafer discovered 23 underage rabbits.

The situation is hardly an unusual one; illegal animal sales are a long-running problem in the area. Worse still, many of the animals sold there are babies too young to be taken from their mothers; others are sick or malnourished. Our colleague Carla Hall reports:

When animal services officials can certify that animals are in bad condition, their vendors can be charged with animal cruelty — as was Raymundo Hernandez, the man Shafer arrested in the parking garage.

The confiscated rabbits were turned over to Lejla Hadzimuratovic of L.A.-based rescue group the Bunny World Foundation.

Hadzimuratovic and a group of Bunny World volunteers will attempt to nurse the babies back to health. (On the menu: a mixture of kitten formula, goat milk and colostrum pills. Despite the TLC they’ll receive from the dedicated team, it’s unlikely that they’ll all survive.)

The group has also put out a call for volunteers to provide foster care for rabbits confiscated from Santee Alley and to help socialize them so they can be adopted into new homes. Also on its wish list: donations of baby-bunny necessities like towels and blankets, heating pads and incubators.

Learn more about the effort to stop illegal animal sales in Santee Alley in The Times’ local news blog, L.A. Now, and check out a photo gallery for images of rescued animals.

— Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Lejla Hadzimuratovic, right, watches as a vendor is arrested for selling animals in L.A.’s Fashion District. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Food stamps won’t be helping a disabled man fill his service dog’s food bowl.

James Douris lost a key court decision Tuesday in his yearlong effort to qualify his male boxer, who is fed everything Douris eats, as a dependent member of his household in calculating food stamp benefits.

A three-judge Commonwealth Court panel upheld an earlier Department of Public Welfare’s determination that the dog was ineligible because he is not human.

"This court is sympathetic to [Douris’] argument that his service dog is a necessity for him due to his disability, and that he lacks the funds to properly feed his service dog," wrote Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer. "We hope that there is some other state or federal program that might provide for the maintenance and upkeep of [the] dog."

Douris, 55, a resident of Newtown in the Philadelphia suburbs, is a disabled and unemployed veteran who lives alone and relies on the dog to pull his wheelchair and fetch items. Although Douris has represented himself in the legal proceedings, he said Tuesday that news of his case prompted lawyers to offer their help, and he plans to appeal the decision.

"This is a mistake on the part of the court and also the welfare board," said Douris, who cited security concerns in deciding not to disclose the dog’s name. "My phone’s been ringing off the hook."

He appealed a Bucks County Assistance Office decision to grant him $176 a month in food stamps in February 2009, saying the amount was insufficient to feed himself and the dog. Douris later testified that he feeds the animal dog food as well as "meat, poultry, vegetables and everything [he] eats," according to Jubelirer’s written opinion.

The dog requires supplemental nutrition because of its work for him, Douris said.

Extending benefits to the dog would fundamentally change the food stamp program, Jubelirer wrote. He rejected Douris’ argument that the denial of food stamps to the dog would effectively kill the animal and therefore constitute an act of criminal animal cruelty.

Douris said Tuesday the dog has not been starving and that he would not let that happen.

Department of Public Welfare spokesman Mike Race said the agency was sympathetic to Douris but pleased that the court ruled in its favor.

"As the court noted, federal law is ’’unambiguously clear’ that food stamp benefits are intended for humans only," Race said.

— Associated Press

Animal news on the go: Follow Unleashed on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: Dog food on supermarket shelves. Credit: Los Angeles Times

We’re big fans of YouTube user caybat‘s video of a cat who simply must clean its dog friend’s face (even if it has to wait until the dog’s asleep to do it).

We’re not sure if the dog would be as inclined to sit still for a thorough bathing if it were awake — but we suspect it’s used to receiving its share of attention from this affectionate cat.

If your own pets — awake or asleep — are as friendly with each other as these two, we’d love to see it! Share your photos and videos in the Four-Legged Friends
album at Your Scene, The Times’ photo-sharing site. Be sure to include a
caption that tells us about your pets!

RELATED:

Your morning adorable: Gentle horse nuzzles cat

Your morning adorable: A cat masseur in action

— Lindsay Barnett

Video: caybat via YouTube

Many animal advocates were outraged last week when a Hawaiian House committee advanced a resolution that, if passed, would have recognized cockfighting for its cultural significance in the state. Although the resolution wouldn’t have legalized cockfighting, which is illegal in all 50 states, many animal-rights and animal-welfare groups viewed it with disgust.

One of the most vocal opponents of the proposal was Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States. Pacelle took to his blog last week to protest the action of Hawaii’s House Committee on Tourism, Culture and International Affairs.

"A wide array of animal abusers use the smokescreen of culture as a defense for their depravity, whether they are bullfighters, dogfighters, or seal clubbers," Pacelle wrote. "It is just amazing that a group of elected officials … would provide a defense for a group of known, professional lawbreakers who enjoy the sight of animals trying to hack each other to death and like to gamble on the outcome."

Apparently in a direct response to the flap over the proposal, Hawaii lawmakers have quietly decided to shelve the idea to recognize cockfighting on cultural merits by sending it back to committee, according to the Associated Press.

"Lots of people had strong concerns and objections to the bill and so, at the end of the day, we thought it might be a distraction to the bigger work we have to do," the state’s House majority leader, Blake Oshiro, a Democrat, told the Star-Bulletin newspaper about the decision. "Absent some extraordinary maneuvers that I’m not aware of, it’s dead."

Rep. Joey Manahan, also a Democrat and chairman of the Committee on Tourism, Culture and International Affairs, said he was disappointed that the proposal failed to advance because cockfighting enthusiasts had invested so much energy into it. He told the Associated Press that he’ll consider bringing the issue back to the House next year.

— Lindsay Barnett

Animal news on the go: Follow Unleashed on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: A cockfight in Pakistan on Jan. 29. Credit: K.M. Chaudary / Associated Press

Coats, wraps and other clothes that are made with animal fur would need to have special labels in California under legislation adopted Monday by the state Assembly.

Lawmakers voted 46-7 to close a loophole in federal law that allows many fur products to go unlabeled. Current law requires labels only for garments that have $150 or more worth of animal fur.

The bill now goes to the state Senate for consideration. If it’s signed into law, California would become the sixth state to impose the labeling requirement, joining Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Wisconsin.

"I think there is an expectation that if clothing isn’t labeled as real fur it must be fake, but this isn’t always the case," bill author Fiona Ma said in a statement after the vote. "People have a right to know if they are buying raccoon dog or a polyester blend."

A raccoon dog is a canine species from Asia.

The bill by the San Francisco Democrat would require that all garments containing fur are labeled with the type of animal and the country of origin. Currently, manufacturers avoid labeling requirements by using cheap fur from raccoon dogs and other animals raised in foreign factories, Ma said.

Critics argue that the labels would burden retailers. Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine) said the measure would lead to added regulations and fines for retailers. He said consumers should instead take recourse in the courts.

"I believe, and based on current civil code, you can in fact bring a lawsuit if something is said to be one thing and it is really something else and you suffer harm," DeVore said during the floor debate.

— Associated Press

Stay up-to-date on animal news: Follow Unleashed on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) looks over a vote tally after the fur-labeling measure she co-authored with Assemblyman Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) was approved by the state Assembly on April 5. Credit: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press

We couldn’t believe our eyes when we first saw the amazing moment between Miller the boxer and 7-month-old baby Peyton shown in YouTube user defrostyman’s video. (Hat tip to "The Bonnie Hunt Show" for airing defrostyman’s video in a televised segment, which initially brought it to our attention.)

We’ll be the first to admit it: We are suckers for animals that are great "big brothers" or "big sisters" to the human children in their families, and for animals that help children in other ways, like so-called "reading dogs" whose calming presence can encourage young children to read aloud to them.

If your own animal friend is great
with kids, we’d love to see it! Share your photos or videos in the Best Babysitters album at The Times’ photo-sharing site, Your Scene. Be sure to include a caption that tells us a bit about your pet!

RELATED:

Your morning adorable: Husky ‘big brother’ cries along with baby

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— Lindsay Barnett

Video: defrostyman via YouTube

A Virginia man is suing PetSmart for $1 million after he slipped in a pile of you-know-what at a Newport News store location during a trip to purchase dog food and bird seed in early 2009.

The man, Robert Holloway, says he badly injured his back, requiring surgery, and lost four false teeth in the incident. (His attorney, Michael Goodove, acknowledged in an interview with the Virginian-Pilot that Holloway had an existing back problem at the time of the accident but says that his client’s condition worsened as a result of the slip.)

The suit alleges that PetSmart staff "negligently allowed animals to enter the premises and deposit feces in such a manner as to create a dangerous and hazardous condition," according to documents acquired by the Virginian-Pilot. Goodove says Holloway didn’t see the feces because they blended in with the color of the store’s floor.

The Virginian-Pilot reports that the suit was initially filed in Norfolk Circuit Court, but PetSmart succeeded in getting it moved to U.S. District Court, where a similar suit against the company was dismissed in 2008.

In court documents, PetSmart denied the allegation of negligence, according to the Associated Press.

— Lindsay Barnett

Animal news on the go: Follow Unleashed on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: Who, me? A poodle-mix puppy greets customers at the cash register at a PetSmart store in Victoria, Texas, in 2007. Credit: Roni Gendler / Associated Press

NEW YORK — If anyone knows why the bunnies have disappeared from Central Park, wildlife officials are all ears.

Though abandoned pet rabbits perennially turn up after each Easter in what’s affectionately called New York’s backyard, a wild cottontail hasn’t been spotted in the park for about four years.

"I’ve been here for 17 years, and there were not many when I got here," Regina Alvarez, director of horticulture for the Central Park Conservancy, a nonprofit that manages the huge Manhattan park for the city, said in an e-mail. "But I would see them once in a while."

No other New York park has seen a decline in wild rabbits, said Sarah Aucoin, director of Urban Park Rangers for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

Cottontails seek habitats with lots of food sources and thick brush for protection, so it’s possible there are still some hiding out. No one introduced the rabbits, which have been living there since well before the park was established 161 years ago.

Because bunnies "mate like rabbits," if there are still a few, "we’ll see an increase, definitely," Aucoin said. "Only time will tell."

The bunnies are especially vulnerable to weather, predators and automobiles — all features of the park, said Alan Hicks, a state wildlife biologist.

A recent storm took out large trees throughout the park, and several city streets cut through it. Hawks and falcons are a common sight there, and a random coyote is not out of the question. One was spotted in the park in 2006.

But Aucoin said she didn’t think an increase in predators was to blame, because they generally don’t decimate their own food source, she said.

"That’s not smart, evolutionarily speaking," she said. "That predator population would die off if they didn’t have anything to eat."

So since no one has the answer, officials are doing what they can to encourage repopulation. The city has been working to remove invasive plants and planting others to make the park more livable for small animals, including rabbits, Aucoin said.

"When people see a wild animal, even if it’s just a bunny, it helps people connect to the environment in a more tangible way," she said. "That’s a really important relationship we’re trying to encourage here in the city."

But if you’re dying to see a bunny in the park, visit on Monday.

Some people give them to their children as pets, discover they require feeding and cleaning, and set them free in the park, Aucoin said. When that happens, park rangers rescue the domesticated bunnies and take them to a shelter.

"It’s a horrific problem," said Mary Cotter, who teaches veterinary technology at LaGuardia Community College in Queens and has founded a rabbit rescue group in the city.

Her group put up posters around the city reading, "Setting Your Pet Rabbit Loose Doesn’t Make Her ‘Free.’ It Makes Her ‘Food.’ "

"Domestic rabbits do not survive in the park," she said. "The ones that are caught and are taken to a shelter are the lucky ones."

— Associated Press

Stay up-to-date on animal news: Follow Unleashed on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: A cottontail sits in brush in Malibu, Calif. Credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

Whether you want to have your pet (be it a garden-variety dog or an exotic reptile) blessed by a priest or just pet a bunny, the coming days and weeks are full of events for Southern California animal lovers. We’ve got the details on a number of upcoming events; if you think we’re missing something, let us know by leaving a comment or tweeting the details to us @LATunleashed.

This Weekend:

Friday-Sunday, April 2-4, the L.A. Zoo hosts Big Bunny’s Spring Fling, an event at which zoo visitors can celebrate the humble-but-adorable rabbit. Guests can pet rabbits, learn about them and explore their world at the Bunny Discovery Zone, have their faces painted to resemble rabbits, make their own bunny ears, plant carrot seeds and enjoy a puppet show. (We certainly hope it’s a rabbit-themed puppet show.) The zoo’s "Big Bunny" character will also take photos with visitors for a small fee. The event is free with paid zoo admission and to Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn. (GLAZA) members. More information at LAZoo.org.

Saturday, April 3, the American Humane Assn. asks pet owners to remember the importance of tagging and microchipping companion animals. The organization is hosting "Every Day Is Tag Day" to increase awareness about this issue. Only 15% of dogs and 2% of cats that enter U.S. animal shelters and humane societies without an identification tag or microchip are reunited with their owners, according to American Humane. Not only is that statistic scary, it’s also completely preventable. Learn more about pet identification and what to do if your pet gets lost at AmericanHumane.org.

Saturday, April 3, the North Shore Animal League joins forces with the L.A. Department of Animal Services for the Tour for Life 2010 special adoption event at Venice Beach’s Windward Plaza,

1800 Oceanfront Walk, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tour for Life is an annual event presented by NSAL and Purina that has helped thousands of needy pets find new homes since its inception in 2001. To see photos of adoptable pets, visit LAAnimalServices.com; for more Tour for Life dates and locations, visit NSALAmerica.org.

Saturday, April 3, the Olvera Street Merchants invite animals of all sorts to the 80th annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony at L.A.’s famous El Pueblo Historical Monument from noon to 5 p.m. A procession begins at 2 p.m., after which Cardinal Roger Mahony will begin the blessing ceremony. Animals from run-of-the-mill dogs and cats to more exotic boa constrictors and iguanas have been blessed at the ceremony in previous years. Event is free, and those without pets are also welcome to attend. More information at LACity.org.

Upcoming:

Thursday, April 8, the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals invite California animal advocates to the California Humane Lobby Day in Sacramento. Through Humane Lobby Day, California voters can converse directly with their elected representatives about animal welfare issues in California and learn from legislators in the state’s newly formed Animal Protection Caucus about ways to be a citizen advocate for animals. Event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the State Capitol, located at the corner of 11th Street and L Street in Room 4202 (4th floor) in Sacramento. Advance registration is required; for more information or to register online, visit HumaneSociety.org.

Saturday, April 10, the L.A. Department of Animal Services hosts mobile pet-adoption events at Fred Hesse Jr. Memorial Park, 29301 Hawthorne Blvd. in Rancho Palos Verdes, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and at the Canoga Park Petco location, 6615 Fallbrook Mall Ave., from noon to 4 p.m.

Saturday, April 10, spcaLA invites potential "foster parents" to learn about its fostering program from 10 a.m. to noon at its South Bay Pet Adoption Center, 12910 Yukon Ave., Hawthorne. "Foster parents" are needed to care for puppies and kittens that are too young to be adopted, as well as older dogs and cats with special needs. More information at spcaLA.com. (The L.A. Department of Animal Services offers a similar program for underage puppies and kittens; more information on that program is available at the department’s website.)

Saturday, April 10, spcaLA hosts PAWS to Read at the Hermosa Beach Library, 550 Pier Ave., from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Through the PAWS to Read program, children practice their reading skills by reading to a decidedly nonjudgmental audience: certified therapy dogs. Beginning and independent young readers up to age 12 are eligible to participate; the program is free, but advance registration is recommended. More information at spcaLA.com.

Sunday, April 11, the L.A. Department of Animal Services hosts mobile pet-adoption events at Moorpark Park, 12061 Moorpark Ave. in Studio City, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and at the Santa Monica Kiehl’s cosmetics store location, 1516 Montana Ave., from 1 to 5 p.m.

Friday-Sunday, April 16-18, America’s Family Pet Expo returns to the Orange County Fair and Event Center, 88 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa. The event features informational displays on dog breeds, adoptable animals, pet-themed vendors, a petting zoo, pony rides and demonstrations of activities such as dog grooming, K-9 police dog work and dock-diving dogs. Tickets are $12, $10 for people over age 60, $6 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and younger. More information at PetExpoOC.com.

Saturday, April 17, the L.A. Zoo invites its Safari Club supporters to its Sunset Safari from 6 to 8 p.m. Beginning at 6 p.m., Safari Club members will get an up-close look at the Brazilian giant otters that debuted at the zoo last year, and have a chance to experience other wildlife species. From 6:45 to 8 p.m., guests are invited to enjoy cocktails, a buffet dinner and live music. More information at LAZoo.org.

Sunday, April 18, local rescue group New Leash on Life presents its fifth annual Nuts for Mutts 5K walk-a-thon in conjunction with the Calabasas Rotary Club and the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center. The walk-a-thon is a fundraiser for New Leash on Life’s work on behalf of needy pets in the L.A. area and includes pet-themed exhibits, children’s activities, a canine fashion show, a dog training clinic and more animal-related activities. The walk begins at 8 a.m. at the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center, 27040 Malibu Hills Road, and continues through the hills of Calabasas. Well-behaved and leashed dogs are welcome to participate. For more information or to register, visit NewLeash.org.

Saturday, April 24, spcaLA hosts PAWS to Read at the Redondo Beach Public Library, 303 N. Pacific Coast Highway, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Participation is free; sign-up begins at 9 a.m. at the Children’s Information Desk. More information at spcaLA.com.

Saturday, May 8, the L.A. Zoo invites visitors to celebrate Mother’s Day with an informative presentation about motherhood in the animal kingdom. The event begins with a reception at 10:30 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. presentation by naturalist and zoo docent Joleen Lutz. Docent-led walking tours showcasing the zoo’s most interesting mothers and their offspring begin at 11:45 a.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children under 12, plus the price of zoo admission; tickets for zoo members are $10 and $5 for children under 12. For more information or to make a reservation, visit LAZoo.org.

Sunday, May 23, Best Friends Animal Society holds its annual Spring Super Adoption Festival at Westchester Park, at the intersection of Lincoln Boulevard and Manchester Avenue in Westchester, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hundreds of pets from area animal shelters and rescue groups will be on hand to meet potential adopters, and the event will give special attention to senior pets, which are often overlooked in favor of younger animals. (Take it from us, kids: Adopting a senior pet is great, particularly if said pet is already house-trained!) More information at BestFriendsEvents.net.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County will open its newly restored 1913 Building with a brand-new "Age of Mammals" exhibition beginning July 11. The exhibition traces the history of evolution "from the extinction of the dinosaurs to the rise of humans — within the context of epochal changes in the Earth’s geology and climate," John Harris, the Natural History Museum’s head of vertebrate studies and chief curator of the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, told our sister blog Culture Monster. Visitors will get to see specimens like the Simi Valley mastodon, a saber-toothed cat and a brontothere (a species with possibly the most rock ‘n’ roll-sounding scientific name: "thunder beast").

Ongoing:

Through Earth Day, April 22, 2010, secondhand-clothing store chain Buffalo Exchange and the Humane Society of the United States jointly host Coats for Cubs. Animal lovers are encouraged to clean out their closets (or parents’ and grandparents’ closets) and donate any real-fur items found there (including fur trim, accessories and shearling) back to the animals. Of course, it’s too late to give the fur back to its original owner, but it can still be used as bedding for orphaned and injured wildlife — and it doesn’t do your conscience any harm, either. Fur in any condition is accepted and can be taken to any Buffalo Exchange location. (If you’d like to claim your fur donation as a tax deduction, you’ll need to mail it directly to the Humane Society rather than dropping it off at Buffalo Exchange; mailing information is available at HSUS.org.) More information at BuffaloExchange.com.

The Origins skin care store at The Shops in Mission Viejo has partnered with the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center to offer free mini-facials, gifts with purchase and a chance to win a $100 Origins shopping spree in exchange for items donated to the animal services center. Taking Origins up on this offer is simple: Just head into the retail store located on the second level of The Shops in Mission Viejo and drop off an item on the animal services center’s wish list. Wish-list items include blankets, towels, newspapers, heating pads, unused collars, bottles for unweaned kittens and dog and cat toys. More information at MissionViejoLife.org.

— Lindsay Barnett

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Photo: Cardinal Roger M. Mahony strokes a python after blessing it during Olvera Street’s Blessing of the Animals ceremony in 1998. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times

TOKYO — Prosecutors Friday indicted an anti-whaling activist from New Zealand on charges that could lead to a years-long prison term after he boarded a Japanese harpoon boat to protest the ship’s whale-hunting expedition in Antarctic seas.

Peter Bethune had jumped aboard the Shonan Maru 2 in February during the annual face-off between whalers and their opponents, with the stated goal of making a citizen’s arrest of the captain while handing over a $3-million bill for the destruction of a Sea Shepherd protest ship a month earlier.

The 44-year-old was held on board and arrested March 12 immediately after the ship returned to Japan. He has since been in custody in Tokyo.

On Friday, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office charged Bethune, a member of the U.S.-based group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, with five criminal counts: assault, illegal possession of a knife, destruction of property, obstruction of business and trespassing.

The prosecutors’ move comes a day after Japan’s coast guard added a set of new allegations against Bethune, which were reflected in the indictment, said coast guard spokesman Tatsuya Fujino.

Assault and business obstruction each carry a prison term of up to 15 years or a fine up to 500,000 yen ($5,340). His initial trespassing allegation can bring a prison term of up to three years or a fine up to 100,000 yen ($1,100).

Bethune’s Japanese lawyers declined to comment.

Sea Shepherd described Bethune as a "political prisoner" Thursday, when it released a statement on its website after it learned of the impending indictment. The group expected a trespassing charge against Bethune but denounced the other four.

"These charges are bogus, and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society questions the credibility of the entire Japanese judicial system for entertaining such absurdities," the statement said.

Japan’s annual whale hunt is allowed by the International Whaling Commission as a scientific program, but opponents call it a cover for commercial whaling, which has been banned since 1986. Japan hunts hundreds of mostly minke whales, which are not an endangered species. Whale meat not used for study is sold for consumption in Japan.

The Sea Shepherd sends vessels to confront the fleet each year, trying to block the whalers from firing harpoons and dangling ropes in the water to try to snarl the Japanese ships’ propellers. They also hurl packets of stinking rancid butter at their rivals. The whalers have responded by firing water cannons and using sonar devices meant to disorient the activists.

The group described its efforts this year as its "most successful" Antarctic campaign against Japanese whalers.

— Associated Press

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Photo: Pro-whaling protesters hold banners during a demonstration in Tokyo before the arrival of Japanese harpoon ship Shonan Maru 2, carrying Peter Bethune, on March 12. Credit: Toshifumi Kitamura / AFP/Getty Images

Former Los Angeles County Assistant Fire Chief Glynn Johnson, who was found guilty earlier this year of felony animal cruelty and using a deadly weapon in the November 2008 beating of his neighbor’s puppy, received his sentence Friday.

Although Johnson could have been sentenced to up to four years in prison for beating Karley, a 6-month-old German shepherd mix, he received instead a 90-day sentence and three years’ probation. He’ll serve the sentence on weekends and is also required to complete anger management training, 400 hours of community service working with dogs and repay Karley’s owners for the money they spent on veterinary care in the wake of the beating.

Johnson’s beating of the puppy — whose injuries were so severe that she had to be euthanized — reportedly followed a longstanding feud with the Toole family, the neighbors who owned Karley. During the trial in Riverside County Superior Court, defense attorneys argued that Johnson beat Karley in self-defense after she attacked him so severely that he feared for his life.

Johnson himself testified that he "was in a combat situation with this dog … I was doing everything I could to kind of hold the animal at bay so it wouldn’t get close to my eyes and face."

Prosecutors countered by arguing that Johnson’s attack on Karley was unprovoked.

Travis Staggs, a friend of the Tooles, told The Times in 2009 that he was walking the dog back to her home from his yard on the day of the beating when Johnson offered to take her the rest of the way. "Then something in his head snapped and he started beating the dog," Staggs said. Johnson used both his fist and the "deadly weapon," a 12-pound rock, to beat Karley.

The dog’s injuries included multiple skull fractures and a broken jaw. The veterinarian who treated her for her injuries recommended euthanasia as the best option for her, and the Tooles agreed to have her put to sleep.

Outraged animal activists spent weeks demonstrating in front of the district attorney’s office to demand Johnson be arrested for the beating.

After a guilty verdict was handed down in the case, owner Jeff Toole told KTLA that the family "knew all along what Glynn was guilty of. It won’t bring Karley back, but justice will be served, and our family can move forward."

— Lindsay Barnett

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Photo: Animal activists demonstrate to protest Karley’s beating death
on Dec. 18, 2008. Credit: Los Angeles Times

MONKTON, Vt. — Future generations of salamanders in one Vermont town are going to be getting some help crossing the road.

The Monkton Conservation Commission says it has won a $150,000 state grant to install one or two culverts under a stretch of road to protect salamanders, other amphibians, reptiles and small mammals crossing between a swampy area and the uplands.

The Burlington Free Press says the project will be the first wildlife-crossing retrofit of a Vermont highway.

Reptile expert Jim Andrews says the crossing is "one of the most important of the known amphibian crossings in the state."

For the last nine years a group of Monkton residents has monitored the swamp-side road crossing, in some cases helping the creatures cross the road.

— Associated Press

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Photo: A spotted salamander in New Haven, Vt., in 2009. Credit: Alden
Pellett / Associated Press

We can’t help it — it delights us to no end when animals make it known how much they enjoy being petted or scratched.

As evidence of our deep and abiding love of animals who appreciate the human touch, may we present the ticklish kitten, the ticklish anteater, the baby beaver who loves to get his neck scratched and the baby squirrel (squirrelet?) who demonstrates its enjoyment by kicking its rear leg like a dog? (Ticklish slow loris may be too adorable for even we seasoned cute-watchers to bear.)

To that list, we now have the distinct pleasure of adding Eye-Rolling Owl — so named, of course, because its sheer enjoyment of having its head scratched causes its eyes to roll back in its head. Naturalist and Discovery News blogger David Mizejewski says he thinks this unusual-looking creature resembles a puppet — but we’re inclined to agree with YouTube uploader cutebreak, who compares its appearance to onetime-toy-of-the-moment the Furby.

— Lindsay Barnett

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Video: cutebreak via YouTube

Long Beach City College’s Liberal Arts campus has long been a breeding ground — quite literally — for rabbits, many of which were abandoned by their owners, who decided they didn’t want, or couldn’t care for, the rabbits anymore.

At last count, more than 300 rabbits roamed the campus — and that was several months ago. (The phrase "multiplying like rabbits" became a cliché for a reason, after all, so it’s safe to guess that new babies have been born since the tally was completed.) So college staff are cracking down — in a humane way, we hasten to add.

Their approach to dealing with the burgeoning bunny population is twofold: Trap and neuter the existing rabbits while warning would-be rabbit abandoners against the idea, and punishing anyone who drops off a rabbit despite the warnings.

The rabbits’ arrival on campus, back in the 1980s, was innocent enough. A few jackrabbits are believed to have wandered onto the premises from the Long Beach Airport, according to the Long Beach Press-Telegram. From there, things took a turn for the worse when owners started dropping their unwanted pets on campus.

Now, of course, the population has gotten out of control. It’s a dangerous situation for students and staff — it would be all too easy to break a leg or twist an ankle after accidentally stepping in a rabbit hole — and the little guys are a landscaper’s nightmare. But the campus is also a dangerous place to be a rabbit, according to Jacque Olson, who works at the college and has cared for the feral bunnies for more than 10 years. "They can be attacked by predators, or attacked by other rabbits. They have colonies and are very territorial," Olson told the Press-Telegram.

So she and other volunteers have begun capturing the rogue rabbits. Once a rabbit is caught, it’s spayed or neutered by a veterinarian from Western University of Health Sciences; volunteers care for the post-op animals and are working with local rabbit rescuers to address other medical concerns (some show signs of disease, others are infested with fleas and mites, according to rescue group the Bunny Bunch) and place the adoptable animals in new homes.

"These rabbits are not wild rabbits — they are pet rabbits who have been abandoned," Dr. Diane McClure, an associate professor of veterinary medicine at Western University of Health Sciences, said in a statement. "These bunnies are so happy and relaxed to be in a sheltered environment with adequate food and water. They deserve to have a forever home."

Signs, like the one shown above, are being placed around the campus to warn owners against dropping off pet rabbits. Campus police officers will also begin enforcing an existing law that could mean a $500 fine and/or up to six months in jail for anyone caught abandoning an animal.

Many abandoned rabbits started out as Easter gifts; the L.A. Department of Animal Services announced recently that it’s doing its part to prevent to prevent its adoptable rabbits from meeting the same fate. To prevent adopted rabbits from being given as Easter gifts, the six shelters operated by the agency will allow adopters to fill out the paperwork necessary to adopt a rabbit in the week leading up to Easter, but the animal won’t be released to its new family until after the holiday is over.

For more on what Long Beach City College is doing to combat its bunny problem, or for more information on how to adopt one of the college’s resident rabbits, visit The Times’ local news blog, L.A. Now.

— Lindsay Barnett

Image: New campus warning signs. Credit: Long Beach City College

Okay, so it’s not quite as cute as Shiba Inu Puppycam — after all, Shiba Inu puppies are far less likely to be caught on video eating a rat — but the Live Barn Owl Cam produced at the National Audubon Society’s Starr Ranch preserve in Orange County is still pretty compelling viewing.

The live cam project was started a few years ago by Pete DeSimone, the ranch’s manager, and Sandy DeSimone, its director of research and education, who worked with techie folks to bring barn owl viewing opportunities to the masses.

The live cam documents the lives of a nesting pair of adult barn owls and their offspring, and the DeSimones told the Orange County Register that viewership nearly doubled between last breeding season and the current one. Virtual bird-watchers from five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, if you’re keeping score) have tuned in to watch the owl family.

Broadcasting the owls’ activity online isn’t just about entertaining viewers, Pete DeSimone told the Register; the online community of bird-watchers can also help him study the birds and document their activities. (That’s not just a nice idea — it’s one that has some precedent to back it up. Keepers at a wildlife park in Scotland were alerted to the impending birth of a southern white rhinoceros by a webcam viewer who noticed that its mother’s water had broken last year.)

About 6,000 viewers tune in to see the birds each day, according to the Register.

For the DeSimones, it’s gratifying to have people respond so positively to the owl cam project — particularly elementary school classes that have been tuning in during school hours. "I hope gets kids more interested in owls, wildlife, and biology in general," Pete DeSimone writes on Starr Ranch’s website.

Regular viewers are apt to leave comments on the site about the barn owl behavior they’ve observed; to date, the owl cam has received nearly 14,000 comments.

Another live cam that broadcasts from Starr Ranch, Black-chinned Hummingbird Cam, is somewhat less popular — but that’s mostly because the hummingbirds aren’t currently nesting, and the camera points at an empty nest. Despite that tricky little detail, hummingbird fans check in from time to time hoping the birds will have arrived. Best of all, some of them leave comments with varying degrees of desperation. "cant really see the bird though but the nest is really cool and sometimes you can see bugs on the nest," Jordan wrote on Feb. 3. A slightly more panicked-sounding Jenna asked a short time later, "where are the babys? where is mom and dad? iLOVE HUMMING BIRDS BUT I DONT SEE ANY!!!!!!!!!! MY GRANDMA LOVES TO GO BIRD WATCHING!!!!!!"

There’s just one problem brought about by the success of the owl cam, Pete DeSimone writes: As more viewers tune in, it costs more to maintain. To help combat the rising costs of maintaining it, he asks that viewers close out of the owl cam when not actively watching it to conserve bandwidth. (Viewers so inclined can also make a financial contribution to the project through Audubon.org.)

See the barn owls in action at StarrRanch.org.

— Lindsay Barnett

Video: The owl family as seen from the Live Barn Owl Cam in February. Credit: Trishrg via YouTube