Pets are in the news these days. YouTube has highlighted the importance of animals to video viewers as demonstrated by the millions of hits received on films showing sleeping kittens.
So if Digital Journal seeks to be cutting edge on topics in which everyone seems to be interested, I have decided to make sure that some of our furry friends get the focus they deserve before the year comes to a close.
National Geographic, that well-known, upstanding, and long-standing publication has accepted responsibility for ferreting out the best about the animals in 2008. A cow, photographed by Wendy Erlendson of Canada won the award in the English-Language Nature as being particularly lovely. But the cow may have been overshadowed by a moth.
Right out of a horror movie this year was the story from National Geographic about the population of vampire moths found in Siberia. Entomologists, they report, have said that these moths evolved from a fruit-eating species. Darwin’s theory comes up in the most unusual places.
A favorite of the National Geographic Picks is the story of the lizard. Per research discoveries, certain Italian wall lizards that were introduced to a tiny island off the coast of Croatia are evolving rapidly at a pace that the article states would normally take millions of years to play out. Those studying this phenomenon say that in just a few short decades the 5-inch long lizards have developed completely new gut structures, larger heads and a harder bite.
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Discovery Channel, not to be outdone by Yahoo, has its own nominations for the year’s best in the animal kingdom. In fact they even have obituaries, if the animal happens to be an important chimp. And the chimp they chose deserves top honors. Africa's oldest known chimpanzee, Gregoire, died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 66 on December 17 of this year, it was reported. Gregoire had led a valuable cause as the international symbol for the conservation of all animals. He became particularly well-known for representing those that have suffered abuse from humans.
Carol Forsloff
Neither of these creatures appears to have any problem sleeping. Mandy the cat is all curled up and sleeping sound on the couch with her favorite person. Neither need pills to sleep well it seems.
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But Yahoo has covered sleeping animals, including those kittens. Who knows why, but they have; and the public has gratefully responded by viewing those pictures millions of times. Well, here’s the scoop to add to the credibility of image and animal and popularity. A man and his cat caught napping. Now that’s appealing news, so I immortalized it with a picture before writing this story that is certain to bring avid readers from everywhere if sleeping cats are front page items.
