We had some interesting visitors from the deep sea the past week.

Not your usual fried calamari variety, definitely.  Scientists didn’t know how to classify this slimmy creature when they saw it because it looked part-octapus, part-squid. The confusion was due to the 8 tentacles (simliar to the octapus) on a squid’s body. After further investigation, the scientists discovered that it was missing the 2 other tentacles, probably from injuries as it was travelling up the pipeline which sucked it out of the deep sea off the cost of Hawaii. You can find more info from the national geographic site entry here.

This giant squid washed up on the shores of Tasmania, on the western coast of Australia. The size if the giant squid was as long as a school bus (around 8 meters or 26 feet) and weight around 550 pounds (250 kilograms).  Unfortunately, the squid was badly injured. You can read the full details from this national geographic site entry as well.

After reading Tingal79’s entry on her Night Safari experience in Singapore, I now have the strong urge to go and visit Calauit Wildlife Safari when I visit Palawan soon.

Calauit Wildlife Safari has an area of around 3700 hectares and features animals from Africa and native to Palawan. It was declared as a protected wildlife safari by the former President Marcos. How did the animals from Africa get there in the first place? Rumor has it that it was brought there by some rich and powerful govt official who wanted to do some huntin in his own jungle.

POSTED: 1:12 p.m. EST, February 8, 2007

 • Humane Society found 24 of 25 “faux fur” jackets made from dog hair
• Fur is taken from the raccoon dogs native to Asia and Northern Europe
• Jackets sold in major department stores, Humane Society says
• Lawmakers introducing legislation that would ban import of raccoon dog fur

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By MATTHEW VERRINDER, Associated Press Writer Sat Mar 17, 3:55 PM ET

UNION, N.J. - Pet owners were worried this weekend that the kibble in their cupboard may be deadly after the recall of millions of containers of dog and cat food sold at major retailers across North America.

Menu Foods, the Ontario-based company that produced the pet food, said Saturday it was recalling dog food sold under 46 brands and cat food sold under 37 brands including Iams, Nutro and Eukanuba. The food was distributed throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico by major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kroger and Safeway.

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Interesting facts:

Status: Data insufficient to categorize
Total Remaining: Unknown. Irrawaddies rarely show themselves above water and with many similarities to other whale and dolphin species, they are difficult to identify.

Photo and details from the official WWF website.
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MANILA, Philippines — Bound by land on two sides and protected by Mt. Capaoas, Malampaya Sound in northern Palawan is the last haven of the rare Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) in the Philippines.

As another dawn breaks, a few of the dolphins can be seen cavorting among themselves.

The Irrawaddy is a light-gray to white marine mammal with a small, triangular dorsal fin.

While Bottlenose Dolphins rule over the outer Sound, the smaller and more delicate Irrawaddies inhabit its inner portions.

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The year of the pig brings with it it’s many surprises as most Chinese Zodiac believers expect… but none of them expected this!

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More animal love…

Tiger and Orangutan Babies Become Playmates at Indonesian Zoo

By NINIEK KARMINI

CISARUA, Indonesia Feb 28, 2007 (AP)— Call them the odd couples. A pair of month-old Sumatran tiger twins have become inseparable playmates with a set of young orangutans, an unthinkable match in their natural jungle habitat in Indonesia’s tropical rainforests.

The friendship between 5-month-old female baby primates Nia and Irma, and cubs Dema and Manis, has blossomed at the Taman Safari zoo where they share a room in the nursery.

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