98 - Big pl 5k

Cassanova is a wild Nassau grouper, but he has become very fond of humans. He lives in a marine park off Little Cayman Island and he sees scuba divers on a daily basis. Because groupers are highly intelligent, he has quickly caught on that scuba divers do him no harm and are gentle creatures. Being inquisitive, he is also very likely to follow divers, just to see what they get up to on his reef. He has even become fond of having his chin scratched or his belly rubbed. Perhaps groupers see this as grooming and a potential way to rid themselves of parasites. It's also possible that it's a social thing. Another theory about why he follows scuba divers is that it has to do with an association that he makes, connecting humans with food. Feeding groupers, or any other wild animal on this reef, is strongly discouraged because it alters behavior of the animals and it creates a dependency on people. It can also upset the delicate balance of the ecosystems, having unpredictable consequences. Scuba divers have been working hard to remove a dangerous and invasive predator, the Pacific lion fish. These creatures were introduced to the Caribbean and have been devastating reefs with their voracious appetites. They have venomous spines and no natural predators in the Atlantic waters. Groupers will eat them if they are injured, but they cannot avoid the venomous spines of an uninjured lion fish. Groupers have learned that scuba divers occasionally spear the lion fish, leaving them vulnerable. For this reason, they follow divers. Capable of inter-species communication, the groupers will actually signal divers when they have located a lion fish in a crevice. For this reason, Nassau groupers will occasionally perceive humans as a means to get a free meal. Whatever the reason, Cassanova's friendly personality makes him very endearing, and a welcome member on any dive adventure.

Driving on a multi lane highway can be a hair raising experience. There is always somebody in far too much of a hurry. And there always people who don't pay attention to what is going on around them. Sometimes they even find themselves in the same place at the same time and it's a recipe for an accident. The driver with the dashboard camera has been traveling in the left lane and has allowed himself a safe distance between his car and the car in front. Going any closer would be an unsafe following distance. But the Honda Civic behind him is being driven by a very impatient person who has been tail gating dangerously closely for the past few minutes. The Civic made an abrupt lane change and passed on the right, then pulled in front of the car with the dash cam. He's only gained a second or two in time and he will now be stuck at the same speed. The Civic signaled briefly and pulled in with less than an ideal amount of space. As he closed in rapidly on the cars in front, the driver of an SUV in the middle lane decided that he was also in a hurry and wanted the fast lane. He moved to the left with warning or a signal of any kind. This caused the Honda Civic to swerve left and brake hard to avoid hitting his back end. It's a combination of the abrupt and unsafe driving of the Honda Civic, along with the abrupt and unsafe driving of the SUV that almost had these two drivers meeting each other in a collision. Driving on these highways presents the safe drivers with unfortunate choices. If you allow a safe distance between your car and the car in front, somebody will always try to squeeze in. If you don't, then you will be following too closely and risking your own collision, or a traffic ticket. The driver of the Honda Civic signaled and might have been OK, but he certainly wasn't allowing any room for error or unanticipated movement of the other cars around him. Had there been a collision, both drivers would have been able to blame the other, at least in part, but that is little consolation if you or somebody else are hurt when it could have been avoided. And one of the most important things to consider is that this type of driving saves very little time.

Watching this dog, it's hard to believe she was moments from death just three weeks ago. River is a beautiful one year old dog, who is part Australian Shepherd and part Akbash. She belonged to a very loving family but she developed severe health problems a few days before Christmas. River’s owners took her to an emergency veterinary clinic and received some tough news. The cost of diagnosis and treatment was going to be overwhelming, and the care she would need for her illness would be impossible for them to manage. It seemed River had Addisonian disease, a hormonal imbalance with serious and complicated symptoms. Grief stricken, they believed that their only option was to end River’s suffering and have her euthanized. They were struggling with the thought of explaining this to their children who were in love with this wonderful animal. Even their other dog was very attached and would be devastated. River lay helplessly on a blanket on the floor, too weak to move, yet still able to lick their hands and wag her tail slightly. As River was seconds from death and the couple said their tearful goodbyes, Serena, a veterinary assistant at the emergency hospital realized that she had also fallen in love with this gentle dog. When River’s final moment came, Serena asked her owners if they would consider a last resort that could spare River. They were eager to hear Serena’s plan. It so happens that Serena is a university student, pursuing a career as a veterinarian. Her mother is also a veterinarian who owns a clinic nearby. Serena’s family is no stranger to Addisonian’s disease as they had a dog with this condition a few years ago. Together, their experience and access to treatment could provide River with the ideal home and a good chance at successful management of her illness. Serena called her parents and asked if she could bring the dog home. It would take all of them together, along with considerable expense, to properly care for her. Her emotional phone call and obvious love for this little dog were obvious and her parents agreed to come to the clinic to see what could be done. River’s beautiful personality was obvious and the decision was not difficult. With very mixed emotions, River’s owners gave her to Serena, knowing that this would be the second chance at life that she deserved. Serena and River have become inseparable. This video shows River at her first puppy class, where she met the other students, all golden retrievers. River is a very friendly dog and she quickly discovered how much fun can be had in a room full of playful puppies. River is feeling much better now as she receives the care and medication needed to treat her illness. It is heart warming to see that this dog who was seconds away from death can be so full of love and joy!

Mudpuppies are one of nature's true mysteries. They are a type of large salamander. In fact, they are the largest salamander in Canada and one of the largest in the United States. They can live an incredible 30 years and can easily reach a length of 13 inches. Some grow even larger. They have lungs and are capable of breathing air, yet they can also get oxygen through their skin in the water. And because they often live in water with low oxygenation, they have external gills that they can spread out to get even more oxygen. They are so capable of breathing underwater that they never actually go on land, which makes them the only completely aquatic salamander. And if all of that were not enough to make them one of the most fascinating creatures on the continent, they are also most active in the winter. A team of biologists have just put on hip waders and warm clothing to go to a special location in Eastern Ontario where conditions are ideal for mudpuppies.

These two dogs are determined to both bring the stick. When their owner, Tom throws it out into the lake, they race each other to get it. They are Dia and Jaxx, a pair of Labradoodle sisters who are living the good life in Sault St. Marie in Northern Ontario, Canada. They love the water and any of the games that give them an excuse to go in it. Instead of giving up when Jaxx gets to the stick first, his sister, Dia heads over and grabs on as well. Although she is slightly smaller, Dia is the dominant of the two and she won't let Jaxx win so easily. This is a game that these two dogs love, and they will literally play it all day long. They happily bring the stick to Tom and hand it right to him. They wait eagerly for him to throw it right in the water to replay the whole thing again and again. This age old game of fetch is one of the things that we love so much about dogs. It is an endearing game that helps people and dogs bond, although we usually end up asking ourselves what it is about this game that amuses dogs so much.

Imagine meeting not one whale shark face to face, but twelve! These scuba divers have traveled from Canada to the Galapagos Islands for the trip of a lifetime. They embarked on a 7 day voyage aboard the Galapagos Sky, a tour boat that would take them to one of the most remote, hostile, and challenging environments on the planet. It is also one of the most beautiful places on Earth. They were hoping for a sighting of a whale shark, the most massive and majestic shark in the ocean. It is the biggest fish and also the biggest animal in the world, with the exception of a few species of whale. They are beautiful creatures and despite their intimidating size, they are harmless and gentle. For a scuba diver, there is no greater experience than to swim with a whale shark. These divers were about to experience something beyond their wildest dreams. The tourists were under the guidance of Christian Rueda, a very experienced and talented nature guide and scuba diver. They are seasoned adventurers, but they needed specific training about how to dive in the strong currents in the Galapagos. It took Christian several days of intense instruction to increase their skills to the point that they were ready for these dives. Entering the water in rough waves and strong current is not for the faint of heart. After investing so much in this trip, Christian understandably felt a lot of pressure to provide them with the view of a whale shark they were hoping for. As they braved the waters around Darwin Island, Christian was faced with the biggest challenge. Actually finding these whale sharks is often a nearly impossible task. Studying the conditions carefully, he chose the time and the spot and led the divers to a rock ledge under Darwin's arch, 70 feet below the surface. Incredibly, one of the massive creatures appeared on the second day. Christian had the divers lined up on the wall to watch and wait. Surrounded by hammerhead sharks, sea turtles and fish, it was like watching the most massive and spectacular IMAX screen. When the whale shark slowly cruised past on the ocean current, the divers followed their guide out into the blue to meet it face to face. What they saw and felt when they came close enough to touch this majestic animal cannot be described. For the next five days, Christian found his guests whale sharks 11 more times. Their experience in the waters of the Galapagos Islands left them in awe. This video provides us with a few highlights from their adventure. Few people have ever met one of these creatures close up and even fewer have met 12 in one week.

These groundhogs are the cutest things ever as they happily munch away on their apples. A litter of three pups is a serious handful, even for a dedicated mother like theirs. Their furry little faces resemble stuffed childrens' toys, especially as they peer closely into the camera. What they don't realize is that in a few days they will have a very important job to do. All of the USA and Canada will be watching to see if they predict an early spring, or six more weeks of winter. It's that age-old, high pressure position of predicting the weather. Every February 2nd the groundhog will emerge from its burrow to peek around at the world outside. If it sees its shadow, it will flee back down into its burrow and have a 6 week snooze that will leave the continent at the mercy of the winter cold for those extra 6 weeks. If the sky is overcast, there will be no shadow and the groundhog will not be startled back into the burrow. We will be blessed with an early spring. Famous groundhogs such as Punxsatawney Phil in Pennsylvania and Wiarton Willie in Ontario, Canada, have been predicting the weather since 1886. This has been a tradition ever since those early days, and the legend and traditions have spread so far and wide that clubs have formed, celebrating February 2nd in crowds as large as 40,000 people. Originating in German speaking settlements of North America, the earliest forecasting animal was actually the badger. The groundhog tradition inspired the 1993 world famous Hollywood movie named Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray. Many cities in the USA and Canada have named their own groundhogs and started their own ceremonies. Despite all of the hype and the festivities surrounding this popular weather predictor, scientists and meteorologists have found no consistent correlation between our weather and the habits of these adorable rodents. Even though few people would truly believe that an lovable furry rodent seeing his shadow is an accurate way to forecast the weather, the fun and festivities that surround this age old folklore make it a big event that is national news every year.

Groupers are among the smartest and the most entertaining of the Caribbean reef fish. They actually have personalities and impressive memories and ability to understand people. This is a Nassau grouper that lives in a protected marine park in the waters surrounding Little Cayman Island. They can grow to over three feet in length and reach an impressive weight of more than 80 pounds. This one is about two feet long and half that weight. They are one of the largest fish on the reef, except for sharks and rays, and they have very little concern about predators. They are curious about scuba divers and will often follow them, hoping they will have an opportunity to catch a fish that is distracted by the humans. Groupers are also intelligent enough to communicate with Moray Eels, demonstrating a very rare ability for inter-species communication. This grouper is also showing a similar form of inter-species communication and incredible trust in this display of symbiosis with the cleaner shrimp in a crevice among the coral. In one big inhalation, the grouper could easily suck every shrimp in the vicinity right into his mouth for a meal. Yet, he will never do this and the shrimp know it. They are fulfilling an age old contract with the grouper, combing his skin, gills, and mouth for tiny parasites and chunks of decaying skin. They also clean the large fish of food particles that can also decay and cause health problems. The grouper will signal the shrimp, and even wrasses in the area by opening his mouth and gills, or by tilting his body upward to let them know that they have an agreement. The cleaners will then get to work and perform this very vital service. Watching this behavior is fascinating and it reminds us that animals enjoy much more complex relationships and communication than we once believed.

Fling is an amazing horse with a beautiful personality. She is calm and patient, and remarkably trusting of the humans around her. But her display of patience on this day was nothing short of unbelievable. Fling lives on a beautiful farm near Peterborough, Ontario, run by Ali and her husband. She had given birth to Felix three weeks earlier, and not surprisingly, he was also a horse with an exceptional personality. Spunky and energetic, he plays enthusiastically in the sunshine each day and runs and bounces in the meadow. He is as friendly and trusting of humans as his mother is. He loves new visitors and he will greet each one happily. But today would be an unusual day for Felix and for everybody at the farm. Ali had invited her friend, Dave to meet Fling and Felix. Dave is a big animal lover with a soft spot for horses but he had never met a foal. Ali was sure that the two would hit it off and she knew all about the joy that horses can bring to everyone. Felix greeted Dave with enthusiasm and Fling sniffed him cautiously. Felix was in the mood to play and he showed Dave how fast his new legs could carry him around the barnyard. After an hour or two of playing chasing each other, Fling sat down on a mat of hay, as if he was out of steam. Dave sat down beside him, watching Fling to make sure she was okay with this. Amazingly, Fling grazed nearby and acted as if everything was perfectly alright with her. Even more surprisingly, Felix rolled onto his back and his side and acted like a giant dog who wanted a belly rub. He leaned on Dave and nuzzled affectionately. Dave and Ali were surprised that Fling showed no sign of concern. She munched away happily on hay and grass and wandered around them. Ali texted Felix’ owner, Shauna about what was going on, and she sent him a picture. All three were in awe over how snugly and playful Felix was and Ali commented that she had never seen anything like this in all the years that she had raised horses. Shauna was understandably jealous. For Dave, the biggest surprise in all of this is that Fling, a new and protective mother would allow a stranger to get on the ground and snuggle with her new baby. Her patience and acceptance was very impressive. You can see the joy on Dave’s face and hear it in his voice. This was a day that he would never forget.

Flo is a wonderful and good-natured cow who lives on a beautiful farm in Millbrook, Ontario. Referred to as an ethical farm, the animals here roam freely on lush, green pastures with rolling hills and ponds for drinking water. It is surrounded by forest and corn fields and the air is fresh and clean. The farmers live here as well, and their house sits on a hill overlooking the pastures and the cows as they graze happily. The farmers do not raise veal and the calves are allowed to nurse and stay with their mothers as nature intended. Flo has just given birth to a beautiful and healthy young male calf. He was born on this sunny and warm spring day at the side of the meadow. Unfortunately, her little calf slid under the electric fence in the moments after he was born and he was stuck on the other side, unable to get to his mother to nurse. This same fence that is designed to keep out predators and to keep the cows from wandering out onto the road was now keeping a mother and her baby apart. A passing motorist stopped at the side of the meadow to get a few pictures and video of the other cows in the pond, and he noticed Flo's distress. He was eventually able to understand that she was upset about her calf outside the fence and he walked over to the long grass where it lay. He managed to push the calf back under the fence to join his mother, but they both received a few mild shocks in the effort. For this reason, the calf was named "Sparky". As Sparky and Flo wandered through the meadow, he nursed happily and Flo grazed contentedly. Flo had demonstrated an impressive emotional attachment to the calf, evident by her distress at being apart, as well as an impressive amount of intellect in being able to show the motorist that she needed help. Now, after being reunited, Flo also shows a protective and motherly side of her nature as she clearly demonstrates that she is willing to intervene firmly when other cows come too close to her new baby. Cows are far smarter than we realize, and their capacity for emotion is more than we give them credit for. Flo clearly shows us that a mother's love is not just for humans, it's something that cows, and other animals, feel too.