ANIMAL » WILDLIFE

The Tale of the D Train Riding Opossum

Bucky Turco — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:30:57 +0000

After hearing about the opossum that rode D train and the NYPD’s response to it, one major part of the story was missing: What the hell happened to the night crawler? Thankfully the New York Times brings some closure.

As it turns out, after the critter was contained in the subway car and deported to a Bronx train yard, it was kept isolated for about nine hours as the MTA attempted to recruit experts to remove the nocturnal marsupial.

Eventually, cops from a nearby precinct stopped by and later called in an “elite squad” of “emergency service officers” to handle the beast. According to a police spokesman, the opossum was “released into an adjoining wooded area.” So now you know.

Nocturnal Creatures Hops On the Subway

Bucky Turco — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:30:19 +0000

While it has become commonplace to find furry things with tails riding the subway, they tend to be rats. But late Friday night, passengers were greeted by a much rarer sighting: an opossum. It was spotted underneath the seat of a Manhattan-bound D train in Brooklyn. Cops attempted to evict the fare-beater at the West Fourth Street station, however, after it started acting pissed off, they retreated. Although the New York Times reports that police called in animal control agents to meet them at a Bronx subway yard, it’s not clear who removed the marsupial.

Video of “Dangerous” Wolf-Dog Looking Docile

Bucky Turco — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:45:36 +0000

The wolf-dog that was strolling around the streets of East New York has been transferred to the Howling Woods Farm in New Jersey and is not only doing just fine, but also doesn’t appear to be nearly as “dangerous” as the Daily News described her.

According to Sangay Glass, who posted this YouTube video, the canine is “adjusting well” and “making fast friends with volunteers and other dogs at the farm.”

Organization Will Try and Find a Home for Wolf-Dog

Bucky Turco — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:30:45 +0000

According to Animal Care and Control spokesman Richard Gentles, a wolf-dog found roaming around East New York was “wearing a collar and a chain and appeared to have been kept as an exotic pet.” No one has claimed the bitch, which is not surprising, since hybrids like her are illegal. But apparently they’re not uncommon. “She will not be put up for adoption or freed into the wild, but likely sent to a sanctuary for unwanted wolf-dogs,” said Gentles. They have those?

Hawk Just Chilling In Downtown Brooklyn

Bucky Turco — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:30:05 +0000

A reader who shares my affection for a certain local tabloid, was on his way to an art exhibit in Downtown Brooklyn recently and saw a hawk hanging out on the sidewalk. He snapped a few photos of the bird and then it was gone, but a New York Post reporter appeared. Blown away by the shots, the scribe asked the photographer to email them to the paper. However, his Occupy Wall Street conscience got the best of him and although he did send an email, the photos were not attached, those he sent to ANIMAL with this amusing account:

(Photos: Clams Rockefeller/ANIMALNewYork)

“I walked over to check out ESPO’s show on Livingston street Saturday afternoon, and ran across this hawk, who was apparently just spending his Saturday hanging out near the Fulton Mall. He seemed pretty calm, hung around for about ten minutes, and only flew away when a dog eventually got too close to him– at which point everyone started yelling at the dog owner and calling him an asshole. People love hawks as it turns out.

Also, a mother walked by with her two small kids and told them to “check out the owl.”

I wouldn’t have really thought any of this newsworthy, but some dude showed up a few minutes later and was asking all about what happened. I showed him these photos, and then he left, but returned a minute later to ask if I would send him some copies. I said yes at first, then asked what he wanted them for. It turned out that he works for the NY Post, so I took the email address he gave me for the photo desk, then went home and emailed them this message:

***
Hello,

I met someone from your publication in front of 200 Livingston street, where he was looking for a hawk that had landed on the sidewalk and attracted a crowd. He seemed like a nice enough fellow, and since he had missed the spectacle, I showed him some of the photos I had gotten– including one of a dog who scared the bird away. He mentioned that your photo desk would like to have a copy of it for the paper, and I would have been happy to provide it to him for free– if it wasn’t for the fact that I am a supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

I think that your publication’s coverage of the movement has ranged from shoddy and erroneous, to down right obnoxious, and as a result, I have decided that I am not willing to support the New York Post in any way. If you know of a publication with a more positive attitude towards the OWS movement, please let me know, as I would be happy to share the image with them.

Sincerely,

Jeremy

It occurs to me now that Animal does indeed have a better attitude about OWS, so I figured I would send the pics over in case you wanted them. Either way, fuck the Post.”

Missing Turtle Is No Big Deal for NYC

Bucky Turco — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:42:24 +0000

And this is making the New York Times sad. The male eastern box turtle escaped from the Inwood Hill Park Nature Center in Upper Manhattan last week, but unlike previous instances involving wildlife fugitives, this one hasn’t generated much media attention. Missing since Thursday, the reptile seems to lack the fanfare that a cobra or a peacock attracts, as no one has even bothered to make a Twitter account for it, which apparently has become the barometer for determining public interest. UPDATE: It’s tweeting! Will New Yorkers care now?

Brooklynites Take the Piss out of Puss With Piss

ANIMAL — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:42:57 +0000

In the ongoing battle of humans vs. animals, Prospect Heights resident Dylan Thurston and his roommates have come up with a novel solution: coyote urine pellets.

Though not endorsed by animal control agencies for use against cats, Dylan has found that the popular folk remedy has its merits and started using it to keep the feral felines from treating his backyard as a community litter box.

We at ANIMAL have no problems with the creative use of urine, especially in the struggle against feline dominance. However, a back yard sprinkled with a few of these bad boys would probably do the trick and not stink up the place, which is the whole purpose in the first place.(Photo: Ari Moore/flickr)

5th Avenue Peacock Flies Back Into Captivity

Bucky Turco — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:00:36 +0000

The peacock that escaped from the Central Park Zoo on Tuesday, flew back to its artificial home early this morning, averting a full scale rescue operation. It spent the latter part of the afternoon and all evening just chilling on the ledge of a ritzy Fifth Avenue apartment building, which seems rather fitting for the regal bird.

Listen as Compassionate Pilots Refuse to Commit Turtle Murder

Bucky Turco — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:00:25 +0000

An American Airlines pilot could have easily ran over a turtle that was obstructing his takeoff at JFK Airport during takeoff yesterday and avoided any delays, but when he was given the option to have it removed by an air traffic controller, he light heartedly responded: “Suuure.”

Other pilots then began to chime in the positions of other slow moving terrapins that were crossing the runway, all of which were removed without incident. You can listen to their official sounding empathy below:

Good News for Pennsylvania’s Poor: NYC Geese Will Be Served

Bucky Turco — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:00:32 +0000

Last year’s mass slaughter of geese was so successful, that officials said they won’t be killing nearly as many this summer. According to NYC’s Department of Environmental Protection, about 700-800 of the birds will be slaughtered for air safety compared to 1,676 in 2010, and per the new plan, fed to poor people in Pennsylvania. Miraculously, the few geese survivors of Prospect Park don’t have anything to fear, they’ll be spared.