When you live in a wooded area, the better chances for some lovely encounters with wild animals. But even so, it’s pretty hard to spot those elusive, shy creatures. Like foxes for example. 

Between 5,000 and 7,000 tigers are kept as “pets” in the United States – more than exist in the wild!

In 2011, approximately 50 exotic animals escaped near Zanesville, Ohio, raising awareness about the complex issue of ordinary citizens keeping wild animals as domestic pets. The incident was a result of Terry Thompson releasing a hoard of lions, tigers, bears, monkeys and other creatures from their cages before committing suicide. As a result, authorities were forced to shoot and kill nearly fifty of the untamed animals to protect nearby residents.

Ohio is one of many states that does not regulate or restrict keeping wildlife captive. It’s for this reason that millions of wild creatures, including large felines, reptiles, and non-human primates, are kept in private possession all across the U.S. As one might suspect, it is a difficult feat properly caring for an animal that should ideally be allowed to thrive freely in the wild. Exotic animals require special care, housing, diet and maintenance that most people cannot provide.

Like orcas and dolphins at SeaWorld needing to live freely in the wild, exotic animals deserve to thrive in their natural habitats. The following infographic makes a compelling case for the above argument and is likely to change your perspective on keeping wild creatures as “pets”.


Because there are few restrictions on caring for wild animals, there are now between 5,000 and 7,000 tigers kept as “pets” in the U.S – more than exist in the wild! To make matters worse, tigers can be purchased for as little as $300, which is less than the cost of a purebred dog.

Though exotic creatures might be fun to handle, there are compelling reasons as to why humans and certain animals are not meant to co-exist in close proximity. For example, approximately 90% of all reptiles carry and shed salmonella in their feces. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 93,000 cases of salmonella are a result of exposure to reptiles.

Additionally, as many as 90% of all macaque monkeys are infected with herpes B virus. The virus is harmless to the monkeys but can be fatal in humans. Finally, there have been numerous incidences in which wild creatures have escaped and injured – and in some cases killed – their “owners.”

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Photographer Pamela Underhill Karaz captured an amazing wildlife moment two years ago, and now the images are going viral. On the photographer's 48-acre rural New York property, a coyote appeared in the driveway. Coyote sightings are frequent in the area.

The coyote spotted an object on the ground. It was a stuffed toy belonging to one of the photographer's dogs. Curious, the coyote approached the object and sniffed it. The coyote then picked up the toy and began playing.

The coyote played for five to 10 minutes, throwing the toy in the air and tossing it in the snow. Then the coyote trotted off with its prize.

The action was caught on camera in a series of photos titled, “The Toy Thief.” After being profiled by Mother Nature Network, the photographer's Facebook page has gone viral.

Credit: Pamela Underhill Karaz / Facebook


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Illegal Amazon rainforest loggers ambushed a young indigenous leader on Friday, murdering him in cold blood and wounding another member of the Guajajara people in Brazil.

Paulo Paulino Guajajara, 26, was shot in the head during the ambush. The murder occurred in the Araribóia Indigenous Reserve, an area under serious threat from illegal miners and loggers attempting to exploit the indigenous land.

Paulo was a prominent member of the Guardians of the Forest indigenous land defense group and took on the task of becoming a land defender. Guardians is a group of 120 indigenous Guajajara who risk their lives to defend theirs and other indigenous groups’ homes against loggers.

Reports say that during the attack, fellow member of the Guardian, Laércio Guajajara, was shot twice, grazing his arm and back before escaping the aggressors. He was later taken to hospital, said the Guardians’ leader who has also received threats from loggers.

Why Does The Government Allow This To Happen?
Violence has escalated against the forest protectors under the current far-right government of President Jair Bolsonaro. According to the Brazilian pan-indigenous organization APIB, a group that represents almost one million indigenous people throughout Brazil, the President is to blame.

“The Bolsonaro government has Indigenous blood on its hands.

The increase in violence in Indigenous territories is a direct result of his hateful speeches and steps taken against our people,” APIB said in a statement.

Despite federal law enforcement investigating the murder—allegedly a logger was also killed—Paulo’s body remains missing.


APIB leader Sonia Guajajara blasted the government over dismantling the environmental and indigenous agencies and urged lawmakers to refuse a deal that will see the sign off on a major trade deal with the EU. The deal, Sonia told Reuters, could see farmers and loggers driven by open markets to drive production and invade further indigenous lands.

“It’s time to say enough of this institutionalized genocide,” she said.



Just like other governments around the world (Australia and the United States), Bolsonaro condemns activist groups, NGOs and blames environment laws for hindering economic growth. Following his election last year, President Bolsonaro vowed to reverse indigenous protections that keep 15 percent of Brazil’s land reserved for indigenous tribes.

While Bolsonaro has yet to make good on his threats, his continued racism against the indigenous peoples has encouraged illegal logging, mining, and violence.

Amazon Watch program direction Christian Poirier spoke to Democracy Now!:

“[The Guajajara are] doing this on behalf of all of humanity, because they are protecting the critically important Amazon forests that sustain our climate, protect our climate, power or, I should say, fuel the rainfall all over Brazil, but also here in this country. In the state of California, rainfall is slackening due to the fact the Amazon is being decimated today.

Their rights are enshrined in Brazil’s Constitution—their rights to territory and to their way of life … Yet they have been systematically deprived of these rights.

And what we witnessed today—or, two days ago, with the murder of Paulino, was an example of that, a manifestation of the violence that’s growing in these communities.”

Before his death, Paulino spoke to Reuters in September about the inherent dangers he faced by guarding the rainforest:

“There is so much destruction of nature happening, including trees with wood as hard as steel being cut down and taken away.

I’m scared sometimes, but we have to lift up our heads and act. We are here fighting.

We have to preserve this life for our children’s future.”

See rare video of a swimming great horned owl. Hikers walking through a canyon in Lake Powell between Arizona and Utah stumbled upon the rare sight. It’s likely a young great horned owl and still has some of its nestling feathers.

Great horned owls often roost on cliff ledges, so it’s possible the young owl fell into the water from its nest. Seeing an owl swim is unusual, and they have no way to defend themselves while in the water. Owls are unable to take flight while swimming, so they must leave the water and dry their feathers before flying.


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Leatherbacks are know for being among the largest sea turtles on the planet. They can reach up to seven feet in length and grow to be over 2,000 pounds in weight.

This video shows the amazing moment when a giant leatherback turtle came to shore for a break in the sand. It was filmed at an unknown location.

Several tourists looked on with excitement as the massive creature used its flippers to crawl across the beach and make its way towards the ocean.

Eventually, after a few attempts and a couple of of pitstops, the sea turtle reached the waves and swam off. Never to be seen again!

These types of turtles typically live in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, near the equator. They are often found swimming off the coast of Central America.

The reptiles crawl out of the water during nesting season in order to dig a nest and lay their eggs in the sand near the water.

Once the eggs hatch, the baby sea turtle are close enough to make it back into the ocean. The babies take 15 to 50 years to reach maturity and can live for over 100 years!

Click below to watch the video:


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Located in the Amazon, there is a unique photograph that was captured by Mark Cowan when he was touring the Amazon and studying more about the diversities of amphibians; while collaborating with the Herpetology Division of the University of Michigan. While on this tour, he was able to capture one of the best photographs ever clicked. In the photo, you can see caiman that has a vibrant crown of butterflies on its head.

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As per their biology, the butterflies need salt for survival and hence, the salt that gets accumulated on the skin of caimans serves to be highly useful. There are different breeds of animals that also rely on commensalism for their nutrition. Although the caiman does not have any noticeable advantage due to this type of arrangement, it adds to the appeal of the caiman and it looks majestic!


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Over the last nine months, 130,000 submissions were sent in for a chance to win a spot as a Top 50 finalist in the #AGORAawards2019… and at long last, the finalists have been revealed.

Photographers from all over the world, professionals and amateurs, have sent in their best work.

From ants balancing the world atop their head to snails kissing lizards, these photos will blow your mind. Photographers traveled all around the world to capture these gems – from the far stretches of Antarctica to the heat of the Sahara Desert.

Lucky for you, there’s no need to leave the comfort of home. You can marvel at the beauty this world has to offer by simply looking through these pictures.

The AGORA Awards 2019 was hosted by the free-to-use photo app AGORA Images. The grand prize winner received $25,000.

While most photo contests include different genres and categories, this unique competition simply awards the single most voted photo of the year.

The fifty finalists come from 21 different countries, and all are hoping to win the grand prize. On November 6th, the official winner will be announced at the AGORA awards ceremony held in Barcelona.

1. Ant Balancing Weight of the World

Photo taken by Analiza De Guzman (@anadgphotography), Philippines

The photographer took his time to capture this photo. In fact, it took four hours to capture this shot of an ant carrying water droplets that were spread on a tiny piece of thread.


2. A Lizard and a Snail Share a Sweet Moment

Photo taken by Andi Halil (@andihalil), Indonesia


3. Hoopoe Bird Feeding Its Chicks

Photo taken by Phyo Moe (@phyomoe), Myanmar


4.Red-eyed Tree Frog on a Rainy Day

Photo taken by Hendy MP (@hendymp), Indonesia




5. Reaching for Heaven

Photo taken by Konrad Paruch (@thedronelad), UK

The Mont Saint Michel in France surrounded by fog


6. Colorful Life

Photo taken by Pranab Basak (@pranab_basak), India

Women hard at work fishing in West Bengal before heading to the market


7. Incense Work

Photo taken by Khánh Phan (@ptkhanhhvnh), Vietnam

In Vietnam, it is believed that incense help connect the living to their ancestors and the Gods.


8. Desert Solitude

Photo taken by Carles Alonso (@carlesalonsophotography), Spain

This picture was captured from atop a high dune in Merzouga, Morocco. It shows Nomads moving through the Sahara Desert.


9. Rainbow Cast Over the Lofoten Islands

Photo taken by Paal Lund (@uglefisk), Norway


10. Sand Wasp Carrying its Prey

Photo taken by Imam Primahardy (@pokokemoto), Indonesia


11. Shipwreck Graveyard

Photo taken by Charlie Berthaume (@charliieb), Monaco

You’re looking at shipwreck graves in Brittany, France. Some of these boats have been here for over 100 years.


12. The Look of Wild

Photo taken by Sergio Saavedra (@saavedraphotography), Spain

Lynx traversing through Cábarceno Natural Park


13. Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, East Java

Photo taken by Jonathan Rogers (@jprphotos), UK




14. Earth’s Veins

Photo taken by Hugo Healy (@hugohealy), UK

This image was captured over East Sussex, where the Cuckmere river splits up the grasslands.


15. The Love of a Mother

Photo taken by Santiago López (@santiagolopezfotografia)

The photographer waited two hours to capture this sentimental photo of a mother loving on her little one at the Tenerife Zoo.


16. Sea Hearts

Photo taken by Nguyen Phan Xuan (@phannguyen5285), Vietnam

Aerial photo shows fishing nets in Vietnam


17. Crabeater Seals Resting on Ice in Antarctica

Photo taken by Florian Ledoux (@florianledoux), France


18. Winter in Mongolia

Photo taken by Zay Yar Lin (@zayyarlin), Myanmar


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Photographer Franco Banfi and his fellow divers were following this pod of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) when the giants suddenly seemed to fall into a vertical slumber. This phenomenon was first studied in 2008 when a team of biologists from the UK and Japan inadvertently drifted into a group of non-responsive sperm whales floating just below the surface.

Baffled by the behavior, the scientists analyzed data from tagged whales and discovered that these massive marine mammals spend about 7 percent of their time taking short (6- to 24-minute) rests in this shallow vertical position. Scientists think these brief naps may, in fact, be the only time the whales sleep.

Photo by Franco Banfi, a finalist in the 2017 Big Picture Competition.

You can see more of the Switzerland-based photographer’s underwater photography on his website and Instagram.


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An amateur photographer's photograph of a bald eagle is taking the internet by storm.

The wildlife photographer Brent Cizek decided to visit north Minnesota lakes for some photos. He was hoping to capture some intimate scenes of animals in their natural habitat. But in the end, Brent had no idea how intimate he would get.

“WELL, IT WASN’T THE GREATEST IDEA AS IT WAS QUITE WINDY THAT DAY AND THE WAVES WERE TOSSING MY BOAT AROUND IN ANY DIRECTION THAT IT WANTED TO,” CIZEK TELLS MNN. “I DECIDED TO CARRY ON, KNOWING THAT IT WASN’T LIKELY THAT I WOULD SEE ANYTHING, MUCH LESS BE ABLE TO TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH WITH THE CHOPPY WATER.”

After a ride with his tiny boat on the lake, he then steer it at the shoreline. In the next moment he spotted what seemed to be a bevy. When he edged nearer he could see there was a mother duck and few ducklings. Only that the few turned into few dozen.

Credit: Brent Cizek
The closer that I got, the more my heart started racing as I had never witnessed something like this before,” Cizek recalls. “As I got closer, the group decided to start swimming back out into the lake, and ‘Mama Merganser’ got out front and all of the chick got in tow.”

“I knew that this was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity, so I immediately tried to fire off as many shots as I could, just hoping that one of the photos would turn out.”

The super duck mama was being followed by a staggering 56 ducklings. “I found one image that was in focus and that I just loved,” says. “I knew that it would do good on social media, so I posted the photo right away.” And it doesn’t took to long until his image went viral on social media.

Credit: Brent Cizek
But at a closer look it turned out there were even more. “I was able to then count 76 babies with her, so she had picked up more babies along the way,” he says. “It’s been remarkable. It’s going to be a sad day when they continue their migration.”

Most likely that wasn’t just a single brood, but a mixed family. But despite that, this duck is certainly the mom of the year!



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