STUDY: Cats Are Kind of Weird
According to findings from a new study out of Emory University, a majority of cats are very difficult for humans to understand. ”We found that almost all cats do completely inexplicable things on a regular basis,” said Daniel Turley, lead researcher for the study, which will be published next month in the Journal of Feline Kinesiology. ”One moment they’re just sitting there then, BAM, total freak out. Weird.”
This confirms the findings of another study out earlier this week that most Americans perceive cats as weirdos. “In this case, perception definitely aligns with reality,” said Turley.
Via elekesmagdi.
To Save Some Species, Zoos Must Let Others Die | NYT
Ozzie, a lion-tailed macaque, will never father children. Lion-tails once flourished in the tops of rain forests in India, using their naturally dark coloring to disappear into the height of the jungle. Though there are only about 4,000 remaining in the wild, not one among Ozzie’s group here in St. Louis will be bred. American zoos are on the verge of giving up on trying to save them.
As the number of species at risk of extinction soars, zoos are increasingly being called upon to rescue and sustain animals, and not just for marquee breeds like pandas and rhinos but also for all manner of mammals, frogs, birds and insects whose populations are suddenly crashing.
To conserve animals effectively, however, zoo officials have concluded that they must winnow species in their care and devote more resources to a chosen few. The result is that zookeepers, usually animal lovers to the core, are increasingly being pressed into making cold calculations about which animals are the most crucial to save. Some days, the burden feels less like Noah building an ark and more like Schindler making a list.
Graciela, you should really link this back to where you found it, via Internet Manners
(P.S. Sorry for nagging)
(Source: shaggingandshortcake)
