The humpback dolphins usually mingle with visitors at Barnacles Cafe & Dolphin Feeding at Tin Can Bay, north of the Sunshine Coast.

But it’s been weeks since visitors lined up to feed the animals due to coronavirus restrictions. Among the treasures the marine creatures have provided are sea sponges, barnacle-encrusted bottles and pieces of coral. 

“The pod has been bringing us regular gifts, showing us how much they’re missing the public interaction and attention,” said a post on the cafe’s Facebook page. “They are definitely missing you all.” A volunteer told the ABC while the pod has displayed the behaviour before, it had increased while the venue was closed. 

“Nothing surprises me with dolphins and their behaviour anymore,” told McGovern, a UQ PhD student. “They do everything - they use tools, they have culture, they have something similar to names in signature whistles. 

“In all likelihood, they probably don’t miss humans per se. They probably miss a free meal and the routine.” He speculated it may be a “play-like behaviour”. “They often play with bits of weed and coral and all sorts of things and just leave it on their rostrum (nose),” he said. 

“They’re used to getting fed now, so they’re used to humans coming in. “When it’s not happening, maybe it’s just out of boredom.”
Source

The mother duck will bring her babies here to say hello to her old friends! Every year, when the mother duck arrives, she walks through the MM Ewing Routine Care Center’s main hallway. 

Even more special, all of the current residents come out of their rooms to cheer on the little boys as they make their way through the building! The ducklings didn’t seem to understand what was going on, but they were clearly proud to be greeted! 

They even put up old signs to gently guide the mother duck and her babies if they appear to be going astray. The ducks are at ease walking through the building with the residents. The entire population of the building gets involved in assisting the ducks’ journey. 

To finish their journey, they went to the light through an open door at the end of the hallway. They enthusiastically led the way to this parade to ensure that no ducklings were left behind! As we learn more about animals, it seems that many of them have high intelligence, behavior, and emotions that blow our minds. 

This mother duck knows she’ll be safe there, so she keeps returning! Someone joked that this adorable story is like a new episode of “Duck Adventures” every year! 

That is so cute bless her and her ducklings that must make the residents day having her and her babies visit them. The mama duck obviously senses that the nursing home is a safe place, and I’m sure the residents enjoy this annual parade. 

Do you look forward to this adorable family of ducks’ annual journey? Who wouldn’t looove them?
Source

He was hard to catch at first, but once he arrived at the animal shelter, he was friendly, well-behaved and felt at home with everyone. 

“I met him the first day he came in, and he sat for me immediately before I even showed him I had treats. Then, of course, as soon as the treats came out, he was even more eager to sit. The more he got to know me, the more he would press himself up against the bars of his kennels to let me pet him.” Katie Pemberton, community engagement specialist at Memphis Animal Services, told The Dodo. 

The clever little guy would greet anyone who passes by and would look up with his puppy eyes and his food bowl in his mouth. This is how he got the name Oliver, like the fictional character Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens who was famous for the phrase “Please sir, I want some more.” Oliver always brought his food bowl with him, everywhere he went, as if he was asking for more treats or food. 

The staff was so amused by Oliver’s tricks that they started taking photos of him and posted them on social media. Thanks to the internet, Oliver was adopted and found his forever family just before the deadline. 

If no one adopted him, Oliver would have been put down like all the other pups who unfortunately did not get adopted. The photos posted on social media definitely helped Oliver to get adopted, given the unusual amount of inquiries the shelter received after publishing them. 

Oliver’s new owners fell in love with him when they saw him on the shelter’s Facebook Page, and they immediately filed for his adoption, and managed to take Oliver home with them… with his food bowl, of course!

  This clever little guy goes around with his food bowl in his mouth as if he was asking for more treats or more food. This is how he got the name Oliver. The volunteers at the Memphis Animal Services in Memphis, Tennessee thought the name would be a great fitm since the fictional character OIiver Twist was known for saying “Please sir, I want some more.” Oliver was found lost in a family’s backyard. He was brought in by the animal control officers and on his first day, Oliver was befriending everyone at the shelter. He loves to be petted, he likes treats and he adores his food bowl. The volunteers posted photos of Oliver online and they quickly went viral. Adoption applications were filed for him just before his adoption deadline, otherwise, he’d have been put down. Oliver was adopted at the last minute, bringing along his dog bowl with him to his forever home.
Source

Luckily, there are plenty of good people out there who will go out of their way to help a missing pet reunite with their owner. 

That’s what one family discovered when they got the most unexpected “package delivery” at their front door. Lisa Menzies, from Castle Pines, Colorado, is the owner of a three-year-old golden retriever named Catcher. Recently, while the family was out of town while having some home repairs done, the wind blew their front door open and Catcher escaped. 

They couldn’t get home in time to track him down, and they feared for the worst: “She could have wandered out to a busy road and you hate to think what’s going to happen then,” Lisa told KDVR. Luckily, an unlikely hero stepped up to save the day: their FedEx driver! Lisa got a message saying that the driver found the dog, and he would bring Catcher home using the address on her collar. 

Video captured on the family’s Ring doorbell camera revealed just how seriously this driver took his mission: he carried the dog to the door, like something out of a movie. 

“He put her in the house with such care,” Lisa said. “In my head, I was thinking of the theme song from the Titanic.” “He was taking such care and love with her that it was really amusing.” The driver even put the dog inside the house, making sure she would be safe and secure. Lisa was incredibly touched—not only did he keep the dog from getting into danger, he took time out of his own schedule to do it. 

“He interrupted his day and his package delivery schedule to pick her up,” she told KDVR. “I don’t want to think about where else she could have ended up,” she said, “He is certainly our family’s hero.” But she doesn’t know her hero personally, not even his name. 

She’s thanked him via text and reached out to FedEx, wanting to thank him in person, but hasn’t heard back yet. Still, she’s forever grateful for his good deed.

  Thank you to this FedEx driver for going above and beyond to help this dog! It goes to show the big difference a small act of kindness can have.
Source

But most of his grub had gone - after a crafty hedgehog got there first. There were no hard feelings, however, and the animals were spotted happily sharing what was left in Sue Massey's back garden in Leicester. 

Ms Massey, 60, was taking a video of a hedgehog lapping from a bowl in her garden in when a fox decided to join in. She said: 'I'd never seen anything like it before. 'We've got a lovely window for looking out at the garden and foxes and hedgehogs come regularly, but I nearly fell off my chair when I saw this. 'The hedgehog was there first and was just drinking away when the fox came along. There was no animosity and the hedgehog didn't seem fazed. 'After a while, the fox just seemed to give up and wander off.' 

Foxes have been known to eat hedgehogs but are more often than not put off but the layer of spikes covering the body. Hedgehogs are more likely to be a predator.
Source

Despite what people think, bears absolutely loves fruits, with forest fruits and apples in particular. So when this sanctuary decided to spoil their little residents with a pile of delicious apples, they captured the moment on video, and they had the sweetest surprise. 

The sound these rescued bear cubs make over their tasty meal is just heartwarming. They surprised even the caretakers, as black bears rarely vocalize. The adorable scene was caught on camera at the Kilham Bear Center, by John Fusco – writer, producer and wildlife enthusiast – who then shared the moment on Twitter. 

“Have you ever heard bear cubs make their ‘sound of contentment’?” he wrote in the description of the now viral footage. Kilham Bear Center is a sanctuary in Lyme, New Hampshire, where are taken orphaned black bears from New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. 

Here, the cubs are cared for and rehabilitate, until they are ready to get back in the wild. Speaking for Los Angeles Times, Rae Wynn-Grant, a conservation scientist said upon the video: 

“They’re obviously in a healthy sanctuary … it kind of makes sense that they would be cooing and telling us how great they feel.” Needless to say the apple pile stand no chance in front of these sweet little devourers! 

You can watch the adorable moment in the video below!

Have you ever heard bear cubs make their ‘sound of contentment’? @RaeWynnGrant pic.twitter.com/CpuuM86imw

— John Fusco (@JohnFusco12) September 25, 2020

Source

While these two dogs were on a boat with their fur parents, enjoying the moment, a really unusual encounter takes places. One of the dogs and the most clever marine being re about to share a unique and so touching moment. Driven by curiosity, a lovely dolphin has spotted the furry creatures and decides to get closer. 

But, the marine mammal is not the only excited creature, as the dogs could not hide their enthusiasm when seeing the huge creature standing right in front of them.

Thankfully, someone managed to capture the sweet scene on camera. The footage is part of the award-winning IMAX classic that depicts the life of the dolphins in their natural habitat. 

“Dolphins” is a movie by MacGillivray Freeman Films, founders of the One World, One Ocean Campaign. 

Watch the heart-melting moment here:

 
Source

Zira’s charming smile has gone viral, and it’s tearing Twitter down! Jesse, the dog owner, has this to say: “This was her second trip, although her first one she just slept the entire time. She reminded us so much of Rose from Titanic, the way she leaned against the front of the cart, looking out into the world of Target for the first time! We could tell she loved it so much.” 

The cute Corgi and Mini Aussie mix Zira has the habit of chewing anything she gets hold of, and she’s only four months old. “She loves getting new toys, ones that squeak, crinkle, or bounce. And since she’s our first dog, she gets spoiled as much as possible!” 

The viral photos of the Monterey, CA-based puppy, Zira on Twitter have amassed a whopping 487k and 127k retweets. Not only that, the shopping trip also got her some real love. 

“While we were turning a corner, this woman shopping saw her and freaked out,” shared Jesse. “She couldn’t stop going on and on about how cute Zira was. Zira just started licking her, and the woman loved it. She even picked Zira up and let her kiss her face!” 

 More info: Facebook | Instagram Turns out, Zira wasn’t the only cutie to enjoy a trip to Target:
Source

But according to an Opossum Awareness & Advocacy worker, this perception is changing, although we still see cases of violence towards these animals due to misinformation. “Not everyone sees opossums in the same way and the perception is changing, but for a long time people have believed that opossums were giant rodents that spread rabies, as they look a little like rats. 

Historically people killed them as pests and also ate them. There are places where that behavior has not changed. One of the reasons they are seen as pests is because opossums seek heat in the colder months and can make homes in basements and attics. 

Many horse owners hate opossums because they can carry a virus that can kill horses. Not all of them carry this virus, some get it when they eat another creature that has it. That’s why some horse owners kill opossums on sight. 

Others don’t and take precautions to keep opossums away from anything their horses might eat,” they said. Obviously, there is no need to call animal control (or take more severe measures) when these creatures visit your garden. 

In fact, they are more beneficial than many think. Opossums are the unsung heroes responsible for quietly reducing Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, not only in other animals but also in humans. 

How do they do it? Well, it turns out their favorite snack is not leftover food from your trash can. They prefer to eat ticks and it’s estimated that they eat 5,000 of them in a single season. 

More info: Facebook | opossumpower.org 

 Recently, a trail camera captured a touching moment between an opossum and a deer

Not long ago, the Vermont Wildlife Coalition posted a touching photo showing how useful opossums are at eliminating ticks. 

The picture shows an opossum eating ticks directly off a deer’s face. It quickly went viral, and it perfectly illustrates a symbiotic relationship between two different species, which managed to coexist and help each other. Photo credit: ramendan
It also shows that opossums have a very important task, as they are the “cleaners” of nature. These nocturnal creatures not only eliminate ticks, but also combat pests such as mice, snakes, slugs, and other garden pests. 

They are also not filthy animals as they are believed to be, since they clean themselves as much as cats do. In addition, they rarely contract or spread rabies because of their very low body temperature. Photo credit: James Gates
Although they try in different ways to appear intimidating, they really scare easily. That’s why they play dead, whistle and even pass out when they’re scared. They can also be pretty adorable. Photo credit: Tony Alter
If you encounter them, the best thing is to leave them alone. It is also not recommended to keep them as pets and it is even illegal in many states. Photo credit: born1945
The Opossum Awareness & Advocacy worker said that humans are causing these creatures significant damage by destroying their natural habitat and being misinformed about them. 

“It was very early and my husband shouted at me to go and see something. I didn’t know what he was talking about, but then I saw a tiny koala curled up on top of Asha,” Kerry told News.com.au. “I started laughing. Poor Asha didn’t know what to think, she looked at me in confusion. She even looked guilty when I went outside to see what was going on. It was so funny.” It’s a mystery how the koala ended up with Asha. 

The most plausible explanation is that the baby was separated from its mother, as it is very young. “I think the koala fell out of its mother’s bag and didn’t know what to do. It could have come into our yard and seen the dog on the bed and grabbed Asha because she was nice and warm.” 

“Asha definitely saved his life by keeping him warm. He would have died there alone all night. He could have been taken by a fox or something.” He claims that it was not easy to separate them, as the koala did not want to let go of Asha. 

But the little one is fine. After being taken to the vet, a local koala keeper has kept it until it can be taken back to its habitat. 

The experience was “an amazing thing to see and uniquely Australian.”

Photo credit: Kerry McKinnon / Caters News
Source