Woof said the Lion!

China zoo under fire for disguising dog as lion

(AFP) BEIJING — A Chinese zoo's supposed "African lion" was exposed as a fraud when the dog used as a substitute started barking.
The zoo in the People's Park of Luohe, in the central province of Henan, replaced exotic exhibits with common species, according to the state-run Beijing Youth Daily.
It quoted a customer surnamed Liu who wanted to show her son the different sounds animals made -- but he pointed out that the animal in the cage labelled "African lion" was barking.
The beast was in fact a Tibetan mastiff -- a large and long-haired breed of dog.
"The zoo is absolutely cheating us," the paper quoted Liu, who was charged 15 yuan ($2.45) for the ticket, as saying. "They are trying to disguise the dogs as lions."
Three other species housed incorrectly included two coypu rodents in a snake's cage, a white fox in a leopard's den, and another dog in a wolf pen.
The chief of the park's animal department, Liu Suya, told the paper that while it does have a lion, it had been taken to a breeding facility and the dog -- which belonged to an employee -- had been temporarily housed in the zoo over safety concerns.
Users of China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo service mocked the zoo.
"This is not funny at all. It's sad for both the zoo and the animals," said one.
"They should at least use a husky to pretend to be a wolf," said another.

Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela!

What a tough guy Nelson Mandela is. 95 years old today and battling for his life in a South African hospital. It would be lovely for Africa and the world, if this incredibly respected, elder statesman, is able to live with us for a while longer. The world will be a much poorer place when he finally passes on. Mandela is an inspiration; not perfect, but a battler, survivor and a study in tolerance. A trait that all of can do with in larger doses.

Hey Big Nose!!!

Utah is a true Happy Hunting Ground for scientists and dinosaur buffs alike. This state is jam-packed with fossils all over, with new species being found frequently. In the most recent, paleontologists have discovered a new dinosaur, a Triceratops relative with a supersize schnoz that once roamed present-day Utah. Nasutoceratops titusi belonged to a group of horned dinosaurs called ceratopsids, large four-legged herbivores that thrived during the Cretaceous period, according to a study released last Tuesday. Most ceratopsids were Triceratops-style, with huge heads bearing a small horn over the nose, a horn over each eye, and an ornate frill—a bony protrusion that fanned out over the base of the neck. But the newfound dinosaur looked quite different, with a small horn over its oversize nose; extremely long, curved horns over its eyes; and a simple frill without hooks and spikes. The first part of the name Nasutoceratops titusi translates to "big nose horned face" in Latin. Cooooool. (Thanks to National Geographic).