Animals are Magical

[Ravenlocke]

What would you do if you heard cries coming from rising floodwater?

Most would keep walking. But this student chose to stop and help.

As torrential rains battered Prayagraj, floodwaters rose fast, swallowing streets, homes, and hope. In the chaos, one dog was left behind.

Tied. Abandoned. Struggling to stay above the water.

Avinash Kumar, a student living in Gangapur, was locking his door when he heard faint whimpers. He followed the sound and found her.
Soaked. Shivering. Still tied to a post.
He didn’t think twice.

He found a basket, waded through the flood, untied her gently, and placed her inside. Then, carrying her with both hands, he walked through chest-deep water to get her to safety.

“I couldn’t leave her like that, so I used a basket and brought it out safely,” Avinash told India Today.

In a city drowning in fear, Avinash chose compassion.
And that made all the difference.

#PrayagrajFloods #DogRescue #Student #Kindness #RealLifeHero #AnimalRescue #GoodNews

https://x.com/thebetterindia/status/1952613897757708745

[rgray222]

The intelligent and deadly quiet design of the owl.

[Johnnycomelately]

Manxians are conflicted about their Wallaby problem. Who woulda thunk?

Apparently they only come out at night, to feed on grasslands, so the Isle of Man TT racers are probably safe.

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/ani...es-isle-of-man

The wallaby controversy

It surely goes without saying that the wallabies should not be on the Isle of Man, and especially not in the Ballaugh Curragh, the island’s only Ramsar site and area of special scientific interest. The macropods are native to mainland Australia and Tasmania, but they were brought to the government-owned wildlife zoo in 1965.

Shortly afterwards, it seems, a few wallabies escaped (no one knows how many but it was probably fewer than 10), and they’ve been living as a feral population ever since. Until a couple of years ago, it was assumed the total population was fewer than 100 animals. But in 2023 and 2024, two surveys using drones enabled with thermal-imaging cameras blew this assumption far out into the windy Irish Sea.

Instead of dozens of wallabies as had been believed, a staggering 870 individuals were counted in the north of the island alone, and it’s now believed there are somewhere between 950 and 1,150 animals living wild. Because they are all descended from a handful of individuals, they are almost certainly inbred, with some individuals suffering from afflictions that leave them with milky white eyes and probably blind. These same animals are described as appearing disorientated.

Arguably more urgent are the impacts the wallabies are having on the Isle of Man’s native wildlife, and farmers’ fears they could spread diseases to their livestock. Everyone agrees that something has to be done but no one wants to use the word ‘cull’, not least because the wallabies have become embedded within Manx national identity and are a tourist attraction, too.

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

https://x.com/Enezator/status/1952784937813147858
Enezator
@Enezator
Dogs who love water very much

[rgray222]

I was out for a walk tonight with Lily, and we came across this beautiful Luna Moth. They are different colours depending on the region you're in; this one was approximately five inches (12.7 cm). This remarkable creature does not eat and lives for only 7-10 days for the sole purpose of breeding and laying eggs.

Luna Moth



Not to be forgotten here is my magical Lily



Here is what Google says about this moth
The luna moth (Actias luna) is one of the largest and most striking moths in North America, known for its vibrant lime-green wings, long, twisted tails, and white, hairy body.
Its wingspan typically measures 3 to 4.5 inches (76 to 114 mm), but can reach up to 7 inches (178 mm), making it one of the largest moths on the continent.
The moth's name derives from the Roman moon goddess, Luna, and is also attributed to the moon-like eyespots on its hindwings, which are thought to deter predators by making the moth appear larger and more intimidating.

A remarkable fact is that adult luna moths possess vestigial mouthparts and lack a functional digestive system, meaning they cannot eat. Their sole purpose in their brief adult life, which lasts only about 7 to 10 days, is to mate and lay eggs.
They rely entirely on energy reserves accumulated during their caterpillar stage to survive. This short lifespan is why they are often considered rare, though they are actually common; their nocturnal habits and fleeting adult lives make sightings uncommon.

To defend themselves against predators, particularly bats that use echolocation, luna moths employ a unique strategy. The long, spinning tails on their hindwings are believed to deflect bat sonar, causing the bats to attack the non-essential tail instead of the moth's body, with success rates exceeding 55% in experiments.
Additionally, the caterpillars can deter predators by emitting clicks and regurgitating a foul-tasting liquid.

They are primarily active at night and are often attracted to artificial lights, making them easier to spot during evening hours. Their caterpillars feed on the leaves of trees such as walnut, hickory, sweet gum, and paper birch, and they form a papery cocoon before emerging as adults.

[RunningDeer]

Squirrels' reactions to nut muffins (4:48)

• Squirrels at the Window
• 1,248,669 views
• March 31, 2025

Recipe: Mix the entire quantity of ground walnuts (1 pound), chopped walnuts (1 pound) and Kirkland nut butter, and add 2 tablespoons of vitamins and 1 teaspoon of calcium. You can make less of a quantity, but I like to make it all at once and store it in the fridge.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ljlDOR4YLyc

Training the squirrels to catch nuts

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=h5YVytxwAzk

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

The Colugos, native to southeast Asia. A curious, noisy little thing. I'm quite sure I'd never heard of them before, and I don't think I've seen one in a zoo.

https://x.com/AMAZlNGNATURE/status/1953469355460600107

[RunningDeer]

Doggy Day Care

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=D-jdedABklc

Chico, the Alarm Clock

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=3ThOWffJRYU

When I first called my cat on surveillance

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=FXWvKbSrSVk

Play with me

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=TCo-5TmFnEc

[onawah]

More kitty surveillance
(It takes a minute to download)

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

An older video but pops up every now and again. Well worth a repost, it's a belter.

https://x.com/itsme_urstruly/status/1953822137132654886
Wholesome Side of 𝕏
@itsme_urstruly
Still one of the best all time videos

[mountain_jim]

https://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status...20347114352910

Timeline cleanse involves a couple adopting a baby Otter.

This is beautiful.

— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) August 9, 2025

[grapevine]

The shark and the Manta Ray -thrilling chase

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=aqfgxP4gaMw

[Johnnycomelately]

Birds can be amazing. Voice copy skills, mostly of their main human, but also from other contacts.

Lady just recently re-invigorated her chan, couple or threeish years of family- and homestead-building.

http://<a href="https://www.youtube....v9O42M9_5k</a>

Edit: looks like YT Shorts needs a new ~syntax for embedding.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=wv9O42M9_5k

Mod note from Bill:
Embedded above. YouTube shorts (like YouTube livestreams) won't embed using the [video]...[/video] tags. But they do both embed fine using the [YOUTUBE]...[/YOUTUBE] tags.

[RunningDeer]

Posted by Johnnycomelately (here)
Burds can be amazing. Voice copy skills, mostly of their main human, but also from other contacts.

Lady just recently re-invigorated her chan, couple or threeish years of family- and homestead-building.

http://<a href="https://www.youtube....v9O42M9_5k</a>


Edit: looks like YT Shorts needs a new ~syntax for embedding.

It’s the same process for short and regular vids.

Trouble shooting suggestions:

• There was an extra space between the first tag and address.
• Leave off the URL & /URL tags, i.e. only include wv9O42M9_5k.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=wv9O42M9_5k

[RunningDeer]

Birdie chuckles

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=HcjUPSfmV1A

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=xjGPe124JoE

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=TPyurPSuy5g

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Well, someone had to ruin it...



BIRD SWEARING COMPILATION | TRY NOT TO LAUGH
D00T00M

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=iF2Qj3SGtY4

[rgray222]

This horse wouldn't refuse the baby.

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Some are saying this is a Great White, not a Basking Shark, in cool, Norwegian waters. Estimates put it at least 20 feet long.

https://x.com/i/status/1955396000316850419
Dudes Posting Their W’s
@DudespostingWs

Dude who went out to sea in Norway captured footage of a massive shark he encountered.

[mountain_jim]

https://x.com/ClownWorld_/status/1955447918372196648

Only in Russia 🇷🇺

— Clown World ™ 🤡 (@ClownWorld_) August 13, 2025


on the other hand


https://x.com/ClownWorld_/status/1955391758646514120

We had a big black bear stepping up the steps onto our porch 10 feet from our front door this week

I only first noticed because I looked out to see if our cat was in the rocking chair and saw him running across the deck looking behind him, then saw the bear.

on a day when 4 different bears were near house at different times. (The mama's 2 cubs have grown a lot in 2 months.)

We opened door, yelled, got bear horn out, I followed him up into upper mowed area where he pulled chestnut tree branches down and sampled the not-yet-ripe chestnuts, then left with some disappointment I imagine.

I presume this was same bear that climbed 30+ feet up in that tree last year harvesting ripe nuts, and destroying major branches doing it. Had seen scat near the 2 chestnut trees in late spring as he (or they) were checking on things and recalling past bounties.

We gave up on bird feeders late spring, and also had cat food indoors, not sure what he was checking on, hopefully not the cat.

[RunningDeer]

Massive Yellow Jacket Ground Nest Removal. SWARM!

• It's A Wild Life
• 227K subscribers

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=c4LgAGMd_-w

Yellow jackets are a type of wasp, not bees. They often build nests underground, in wall cavities, or in trees/shrubs. They’re extremely territorial and aggressive, especially in late summer and fall when colonies are at peak size.

A swarm happens when multiple yellow jackets emerge from the nest to attack an intruder. It’s triggered by vibrations near the nest like mowing. Unlike bees, yellow jackets can sting multiple times and do not die after stinging. A large swarm can result in dozens or even hundreds of stings.

What to Do If Attacked

• Run away immediately. Don’t swat or flail.
• Cover your face, especially eyes and mouth.
• Seek shelter in a building or vehicle.
• Once safe, remove stingers though yellow jackets don’t usually leave stingers.
• Apply ice and antihistamines for swelling and itching.
• Seek emergency help if you have difficulty breathing, stung many times or experience signs of a serious allergic reaction (e.g., hives, dizziness, swelling of face/throat).