First Cloned Dog To Father Puppies
April 25, 2008
First Cloned Dog To Father Puppies
The world’s first cloned dog is set to become a father, three years after being created by South Korean scientists.
Snuppy the cloned dogAfghan hound Snuppy impregnated two cloned bitches of the same breed through artificial insemination, according to Seoul National University researchers.
Tests have shown the offspring are healthy and are expected to be born in May.
If the births take place, it will be the first time that cloned dogs have reproduced successfully, Professor Lee Byung-Chun told the Korea Times.
He said: “The second generation of cloned animals used to be malformed but we have not found any abnormal aspects about the foetuses so far.”
Scientist Lee Byung ChanSnuppy was created in 2005 using genetic material from the ear of another Afghan hound and was delivered by caesarean.
His name stands for Seoul National University puppy, after the centre where the cloning was carried out.
University authorities could discipline Professor Lee for speaking in the media before publishing his academic papers, something staff are banned from doing.
This restriction follows cloning expert Hwang Woo-Suk having been caught faking research into stem cells.
Professor Lee, a colleague of Woo-Suk, has led his own research team since Hwang was indicted in 2006.
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Meet N’kisi : The Parrot with an outstanding example of interspecies communication”.
April 21, 2008
A parrot was found to have a remarkable ability to communicate with people. Scientists were baffled by this finding.
The bird, a captive African grey called N’kisi, has a vocabulary of 950 words, and shows signs of a sense of humour.
He invents his own words and phrases if he is confronted with novel ideas with which his existing repertoire cannot cope - just as a human child would do. N’kisi is believed to be one of the most advanced users of human language in the animal world.
He uses words in context, with past, present and future tenses, and is often inventive. One N’kisi-ism was “flied” for “flew”, and another “pretty smell medicine” to describe the aromatherapy oils used by his owner, an artist based in New York.
When he first met Dr Jane Goodall, the renowned chimpanzee expert, after seeing her in a picture with apes, N’kisi said: “Got a chimp?” He appears to fancy himself as a humourist. When another parrot hung upside down from its perch, he commented: “You got to put this bird on the camera.”
Dr Goodall says N’kisi’s verbal fireworks are an “outstanding example of interspecies communication”.
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Beating Odds of One in a Million : Birth Of Five Lambs
April 20, 2008
A sheep gave birth to a whopping FIVE lambs - beating odds of one in a million.
The plucky ewe held on to her tiny offspring after the amazing delivery at Solomon’s Farm in Rolvenden, Kent.
Farmer Jenny Homewood said today: “It’s incredible - my husband and I have got a combined 55 years experience in farming and we’ve seen this only once before.”
Woolly herd: This sheep beats odds of one in a million to have five lambs
She continued: “The mother is so small as well - none of us can believe that she was pregnant with so many.”
The 52-year-old added sheep commonly give birth to two or three babies - but almost never to five.
She said: “We’ve rear thousands of sheep every year - the odds must be one in a million.
“It’s too many lambs for her to look after, though.
“We’ve already fostered one out to ease the burden on her. And we’re bottle-feeding the others.”
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WOW : Rare Giant Turtle Found in Vietnam
April 18, 2008
Biologists have identified a soft-shell giant turtle of cultural significance in northern Vietnam that was believed to be extinct in the wild, researchers said on Thursday.
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Animals : Amazing Canine Loyalty
April 13, 2008
These Pictures are really very impressing, showing the loyalty of animals. These photos speak much louder than words can, and need none to say what they want to convey.
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Exceptional : Making Love kills Frogs and Toads
April 11, 2008
Last weekend children found hundreds of dead frogs in a fishing pond in the Dutch village of Montfort.
According to frog expert H. van Buggenum from the local environment foundation the frogs paired themselves to death.
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Amazing : Blind Owl Gets Contact Lenses
April 9, 2008
Madison, Wisconsin - A great horned owl found starving in the wild because it had gone blind could be released this spring after having new eye lenses implanted.
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