Amazing Animal Stories
Here are some that got our attention in recent weeks.
Animals make headlines almost every day -- from silly stories to scary tales to heartbreakers.
Sound specialists at a British community college recorded the purr of a housecat named Smokey and said it was 16 times louder than the average purr. How many decibels?
It didn't take long for the alleged adventures of a cobra that disappeared from the Bronx Zoo to start entertaining followers of a fake Twitter account (one silly tweet) and a Facebook page.
Talk about jumping the shark! A Texas fisherman was out hoping to catch some red snapper when a 375-pound mako shark (how long was it?) flopped onto the back of his boat in the Gulf of Mexico.
A raccoon attracted quite a crowd when he spent eight hours perched on a utility pole with his head stuck inside a peanut butter jar. The animal (what's his nickname?) quickly scampered off after the Long Island Power Authority came to his rescue.
Authorities suspect that a rare tortoise might have been stolen from a zoo in Colorado Springs, Colo. Butti, who is 13 and eats a special diet because of health problems, was last seen in an exhibit where visitors can handle him and his brother, Tutti.
It's not every day you see a fluffy herding dog riding a scooter. So, it's no wonder that video of Norman the Briard (what kind of breed is that?) cruising down the street went viral. He's appeared on a morning news show and on a late-night talk show.
A Humboldt penguin named Tomas waddled miles away from his beach home into Peru's bustling capital. Police took him in, and he became something of a celebrity, reportedly posing for pictures as people flocked to see him. Humboldts are endangered (how many are left in the wild?).
Fire officials say a pet African tortoise (what's his name? | how big is he?) knocked over the heat lamp in his terrarium and sparked a fast-moving fire that ignited a pile of art supplies and quickly spread through a New York City apartment.
For a few long minutes, a coyote wandered onto a runway and delayed flights at the world's busiest airport. Federal Aviation Administration officials say flights resumed after an airport vehicle chased the animal into a ravine.
A Boston woman was overjoyed when she found Lola, her beloved dachshund, living in the wreckage of her burned-out home -- a month after the fire. Veterinarians said Lola had somehow found food and water in the home and that she's expected to fully
There are many stories of dolphins rescuing humans from shark attacks. Recently, a pet shop owner came to the rescue of a baby dolphin after spotting it in a flooded rice field almost two weeks after the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan. Ryo Taira and some friends wrapped the dolphin in wet towels and drove it back to the sea, where they set it free.
A deaf couple who rescued a springer spaniel from a UK animal shelter is teaching the pup sign language. So far, little Alice has learned to follow signed instructions for sit down, sit up, come and roll over.
An Oklahoma woman suffering from depression is fighting to keep a therapy pet that has city officials concerned about possible public safety risks. Christie Carr is asking for an exemption that would allow her to keep her 25-pound partially paralyzed great red kangaroo named Irwin.
A video "investigation" featuring two dogs and one empty bag of cat treats became an online sensation.