I found the following blurb in Guatemala City´s Nuestro Diario. Please pardon any translation errors.

Adopted by a Monkey
A female monkey was seen carrying a baby dog on the branch of a tree in a rural zone of the Indian state of Jammu and Cachemira. According to the local residents, the monkey lost her baby and adopted the puppy in its place to satisfy her maternal instincts.

It´s an interesting story, although I would categorize the locals´ rationale for the adoption as speculation. I did a quick google search, and was surprised to discover that with the exception of Koko the gorilla, it is actually much more common for pets to adopt primates than vice-versa.

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The following feel-good story comes from the May 16, 2008 issue of The Week:

Pierre, a 25-year-old African penguin, was getting so old that he was losing his feathers. He shivered with cold and refused to go near water. But his handlers at the California Academy of Sciences had a novel solution: a custom-made diving suit. Working with Oceanic Worldwide, a supplier of diving gear, academy scientists made Pierre a close-fitting rubber garment with openings for his flippers, tail, and feet. “I would walk behind him,” said biologist Pam Schaller, “and look at where there were any gaps, and cut and refit and cut and refit until it was extremely streamlined.” Since wearing the suit, Pierre has gained weight and is again splashing with his fellow penguins.

I hope for Pierre’s sake that his handlers remembered to fit the suit with an opening for his cloaca. I’m sure they did.

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This article from the Associated Press and MSNBC isn’t about veterinary medicine, but I couldn’t resist posting it.

Hunter recovering after being shot by dog

Pooch accidentally stepped on owner’s shotgun, Iowa official says

DES MOINES, Iowa - A hunter is recovering after he was shot in the leg at close range by his dog, who stepped on his shotgun and tripped the trigger, an official said Tuesday.

James Harris, 37, of Tama, was hit in the calf Saturday, the opening day of pheasant season, said Alan Foster, a spokesman with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The article reports that Mr. Harris underwent surgery and is doing well.

What is truly amazing to me, however, is not that this incident occurred. Rather, it is the frequency with which incidents like this occur. Try googling “dog shoots man” if you don’t believe me. Or, check out this story, this story, or, for those of you who are fans of poetic justice, this story.

And just in case you were wondering, the following quote is from the original article.

No one else was hurt, and the dog was not injured.

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This article from Livescience discusses studies that show some people get the same feelings from robotic “pets” as they do from the real thing.

[S]everal studies show that robotic pets . . . invoke the same feelings and reactions as real pets.

In a recent study at the University of Missouri, levels of cortisol dropped among adults who petted AIBO, Sony’s dog-shaped robot. Cortisol is a hormone that indicates stress. AIBO has some convincing dog-like behaviors; it responds when stroked, chases a ball and perks up when it hears a familiar voice.

Purdue psychologist Gail Melson gave AIBO to children ages 7 to 15 for a few play periods; 70 percent felt the robot could be a good companion, like a pet. When AIBOs were provided to elderly residents in independent living facilities for six weeks, residents reported being less depressed and lonely.

A robotic pet would never get into the trash or need its litter box cleaned. It would not scratch the sofa or demand to be walked. But I doubt that many people would find them as rewarding and companionable as a live cat or dog in the long run. It’s an interesting concept, but for now I don’t think my job security will be challenged by this trend!

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