A few nice facts about animals images I found:
SAFE SPRING GRAZING FOR DONKEYS AND MULES
Image by Donkey Sanctuary Press Images
PRESS RELEASE from The Donkey Sanctuary
23 March 11
SAFE SPRING GRAZING FOR DONKEYS AND MULES
As spring makes a very welcome return to the UK, international animal welfare charity The Donkey Sanctuary is calling for donkey owners and vets to be particularly vigilant about the potential hazards this could bring for donkeys and mules.
One thing to keep a particular eye out for is laminitis, a complex disease that can cause severe pain and damage to the donkey’s feet. There are many suggested causes for this disease, but in the UK and other developed countries it is most likely to be a result of inappropriate feeding, including excess access to lush grass and feeding cereals. It has also been strongly linked to obesity.
The key factor at this time of year is the rapid growth of spring grass, which is very rich and can contain high levels of sugar. Allowing donkeys and mules to access large amounts of this sugary treat can mean that their digestive system becomes overwhelmed and the vital bacteria in their gut become damaged. Research shows that the resulting release of toxins can lead to serious issues in their feet.
It is possible that donkeys are particularly susceptible to laminitis due to the fact that they evolved to live in the desert. As a result, their ‘good bacteria’ are even more sensitive to sugar overload than those of ponies and horses.
Unfortunately there is no ‘cure’ for laminitis apart from good veterinary care and management; if a donkey has a serious episode or recurrent problems sadly it may need to be put to sleep. Thankfully good nutritional management can help to prevent laminitis and should be an important consideration for the owner of any donkey or mule.
Faith Burden, Veterinary Research Manager for The Donkey Sanctuary, explains how donkey owners can reduce the risk of laminitis:
“To keep your donkeys and mules safe and healthy you need to follow the simple mantra of keeping your donkey in a healthy body condition, restricting grazing and giving them lots of exercise. Donkeys should have their access to grazing limited by restricting the total amount of land they have available to them whilst making sure they have access to alternative food sources.
“Laminitis is an awful disease and prevention is better than cure. Simple steps to keep your donkey in a trim body condition will help to lower the risk of laminitis. Make yourself aware of the signs and symptoms that your donkey may exhibit - increased digital pulses, increased periods lying down, a ‘pottery’ gait and reluctance to move quickly. If you spot any of these signs or are at all worried you must seek veterinary attention immediately; laminitis can be a life threatening disease and one which should be assessed and treated quickly. Every donkey is a laminitic in the making and good management is the best chance you have to prevent your donkey suffering from laminitis.”
Further information and advice for donkey owners, including fact sheets about feeding and foot care, can be found online at www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/donkeycare. The Donkey Sanctuary also run a series of free training courses around the UK, for course details please visit www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/trainingcentre.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITOR
For an interview, further information or images, please contact The Donkey Sanctuary press office on 01395 573097/573014 or mobile 07970 927778
About The Donkey Sanctuary
The Donkey Sanctuary aims to protect donkeys and mules and promote their welfare worldwide.
The charity was founded by Dr Elisabeth Svendsen M.B.E. in 1969 and has since provided a sanctuary for life to more than 14,500 donkeys and mules in the UK, Ireland and Mainland Europe.
The Donkey Sanctuary supports projects to relieve the suffering of donkeys in 29 countries worldwide, including sanctuaries across Europe and major projects in Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Mexico, where donkey welfare is improved through community education and veterinary work.
For further information telephone: 01395 578222, view www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk or visit the charity’s headquarters near Sidmouth in Devon (open 365 days/free admission).
Precious Water
Image by Camerons Personal Page
They say you can go a couple of weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Having been severely dehydrated a few times over the years I can attest to this fact. In fact, a 10% drop in your body’s water supply can equal an 80% drop in physical and mental capacity. Water is that important.
Our planet is truly the water planet, it is the giver of life and in some cases it takes life away too. Here at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas, water is A#1 King. Nothing happens without it. These little pools known as ‘tanks’ in desert parlance, are what sustains wildlife through the dry spells and the long brutally hot summer. Savvy wildlife photographers know how to set up near to these tanks in the dark with long lenses and sit absolutely quiet as the sun rises. If you do that you can catch just about every animal in the park coming down for a drink including the elusive big kitties, or so I’m told.
This season here in Las Vegas I’ve got one of my trademark obsessions going with the summer monsoon. Every time we get a storm now I’m tossing everything in the car and running out to Red Rocks in the hopes of catching some of the hundreds of seasonal waterfalls that crisscross the park. I’m even preparing to don a wetsuit, booties, and the dry bag (from the Cabo adventure this past February) and climb right into them for shots that have never been taken before.
On this day however the rain ended early and wasn’t heavy enough to come down the washes and activate the waterfalls. My B plan was to climb in some slot canyons and caves which I did, and spend some time at the edge of these little tanks, dreaming of the flash floods that will surely come.
Soon my friends, soon….
Right after I shot this and in absolutely classic Cammy style, I of course slipped and fell into it. Yuk!
Alike but different
Image by dbarronoss
This is a brother and sister red fox, despite the fact that the female is a silver fox.
I hadn't realized how musky/pungent foxes were, till they were running under my feet.
Also...talk about hyper animals...geez!!!!
In nature it's the widest ranging terrestrial carnivore, being native to North America, Europe, Asia, North Africa, and Asia. South America and Australia would be fox free zones, except someone imported them for hunting in Australia...and well....they must know how to breed quite well :)
