Did gorillas teach humans the basics of fair play on the sporting field?

Good sports: Apes advance the concept of fair play by helping to keep games going and giving younger competitors the advantage


Gorillas play competitive games just like humans, although they are more likely to also be good sports, say scientists.

Apes advance the concept of fair play by helping to keep games going and giving younger competitors the advantage, psychologists at the University of St Andrews claim.

Their study has helped trace the evolutionary origins of how humans understand each other.

Dr Joanne Tanner and Professor Richard Byrne watched gorillas at play to learn more about how apes are able to take account of each other's aims and abilities.

The results trace the evolution of human ability to take the perceptions and goals of others into account, back to six million years ago.

The researchers watched gorillas play games involving balls, bags and leather pieces as the focus of attention, typically with play partners changing possession of a play object many times.

'Just like we would, the gorillas used gestures and displays of the object to keep the action going, and if the game slowed down or stopped a gorilla would use varied tactics to get it going again,' said Professor Byrne.

'The players were also considerate of other's abilities: an older and more skilled gorilla seeming to realise that if it used all of its potential, the younger one wouldn't be able to compete, so the older gorilla would slow down the pace.'

This kind of shared activity and joint attention with another person begins around nine months of age in humans.

Although this process has been suggested to be unique to humans, there have been some previous signs that our closest relatives among the African great apes might also show similar abilities.

As a result of the new study, scientists can map the evolution of this process back to the time that humans shared ancestry with gorillas, over six million years ago.

Dr Tanner added: 'Though the age at which gorilla games begin may be later in gorillas than in humans, and may depend on the challenges and artefacts available in a particular group's habitat, gorillas definitely enjoy the same kind of sporting competition we do!'

The research is published by the journal Animal Cognition.


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Horse owners on alert after outbreak of swamp fever

By David Derbyshire

Hurdle: Swamp fever was last seen in Britain more than 30 years ago

More than a million British horse owners were on alert last night after two horses tested positive for the deadly disease swamp fever.

It is the first case of the virus in this country for more than 30 years.

The horses, imported from Romania and kept at stables in Wiltshire, will be destroyed, the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs said.

The stables, which have not been identified, are under strict movement restrictions. Other horses there are being tested.

The virus, which is spread by flies and midges, poses no danger to people but can be fatal for horses and donkeys.

It causes fever, anaemia and emaciation. Infected animals can carry the virus for life and pose a permanent risk to others.

The disease was found during routine tests on horses from Romania, where swamp fever is rife. Seven other imports tested negative.

The British Horseracing Authority said the infected horses were not racehorses or animals used for breeding and experts said horseracing is unlikely to be affected unless there are more cases.

The disease is named swamp fever because it typically occurs in marshy areas. It is endemic in America, South Africa, Russia and parts of Europe.

Defra's chief veterinary officer Nigel Gibbens said: 'This is the first case of equine infectious anaemia-infected animals being imported into Great Britain since 1976 and shows the success of our post-import testing regime.'

Experts say that horseracing is unlikely to be affected in the UK.

A spokesman for the BHA said: 'It is spread by biting flies and such spread is unlikely at this time of year and with the current weather'.


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The canine long jump competition that ends with a soggy doggy

By Luke Salkeld

One giant leap: Dash n' splash contests see dogs compete to jump the furthest distance

The competitors fly through the air with the greatest of ease before landing with a belly-flop in the water.

And they never stop wagging their tails.

Introducing the long jump for dogs - a sport which has been popular in the U.S. for years and is now gaining a pawhold in Britain

The event usually involves the animal's owner tossing a toy or tennis ball over a large pool of water. The dog runs up a 30ft ramp and launches itself into the air in the hope of catching it.

Whichever pet jumps the farthest wins the prize.


Rover the moon: The dogs take off through the air and land in the water to the amusement of the crowd


The current British record holder is Dash, a labrador-pointer cross from Newmarket, Suffolk, with a leap of 28ft - not far short of the 29ft 41/2 in human world record.

Last year up to 700 dogs at a time entered six 'Dash 'n' Splash' contests held across southern England, and more events are planned for this summer.


Splash landing: A competitor hits the water


The jumps are measured electronically and there is a supervisor in the 4ft-deep water to help the dog get out.

Organiser Anton Wittwer said: 'There is a lot of noise and kids love to sit right next to the pool because they get wet.


Spectator sport: Adults and kids alike love watching the dogs jump


'Cross breeds which have a retriever instinct and longer legs tend to make the best jumpers. Some dogs run straight into the water but most will do it while retrieving an article. The only thing that can go wrong is the dog changing its mind at the last moment and just falling in rather than jumping.'

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It's all white, deer: The incredibly rare sight of an albino fawn hiding in the wilderness

Astonishing: The rare baby albino deer dubbed 'White Bambi' is spotted in the Italian wilderness by two bush walkers Massimo Del Din and his daughter Deborah


These are the amazing pictures of an incredibly rare baby albino deer dubbed 'White Bambi' hiding with its mother in the Italian wilderness.

Disturbed by a rustling in the forest the brilliant white deer turns to face it's stalker, luckily this shot is only with a camera.

The little fawn, thought to be only eight months old, was sighted in the woods by walkers Massimo Del DIn and his daughter Deborah.

The pair had been trekking in the beautiful Dolomite region, in Belluno, in the Italian Alps, when they caught sight of Bambi through the trees.

Through the branches the little deer and it's mother, who has normal colouring, can be seen turning to face the camera.

Italian authorities have been quick to declare Bambi out of bounds to hunters in the region, which number some 3,500 with a licence to shoot.

It is hoped the measure will stop this Bambi aping his Disney film namesake who famously lost his mother when she was shot by hunters.

Giammaria Sommavilla, provincial police chief of Belluno, confirmed the sighting as extremely rare.

He said: 'I could not believe my eyes, I have never seen an animal like so.

'It is indeed an albino fawn in the picture, taken together with her mother, who instead is normal colour.

'This is not very often we spot something like him, it is very rare and the last records date back many decades.'


Protected: White Bambi stays close to her mother. Hunters in the region have been told they cannot shoot the albino fawn

Leandro Grones, from the local hunting association, said Bambi has nothing to fear from any other kind of shooting except the camera.

He said: 'Animals like this increases the appeal of the mountain and also feed legends.

'Luckily for Bambi according to one such legend a hunter spotting an albino deer is seeing a soul's journey toward death and the hunter who kills him will suffer the same fate that year.

'Rules are respected here and we have no problems with poachers.

'In every case, his presence gives us pleasure and enriches our valleys and he is a creature almost magical in winter to see.

'But the colour of the skin and eyes do make him very visible when there is no snow, and this could create problems for the rest of the herd,' Mr Grones said.

'Deer have a tendency to isolate others for fear of being spotted by predators.

'Albinism is not a disease, however, it can have some drawbacks in roe deer, such as, for example, being unable to withstand prolonged exposure to the sun.'


source: dailymail

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Is the pet food you are serving up killing your four-legged friend? (and making your vet rich)

By Alison Smith Squire

Warning: Few people are aware of the little-publicised concerns about processed pet foods

Like millions of pet owners, Fiona MacMillan was anxious to do the very best for her cat. 'When I got my first kitten, Jaggers, I asked the vet for some advice on feeding, and when she directed me to a well-known brand of dried food, I was happy to take her professional advice,' she says.

'My vet said she gave it to her own cats and had never had any problems. I was delighted. It never smelled, I could tip some in Jaggers' bowl before I went out to work in the morning and leave it out all day without any fear that it would go off.
And he loved it.'

Today, Fiona, 59, a former university librarian, bitterly regrets her decision to feed Jaggers on the convenience food. For when he was just seven, Jaggers was diagnosed with kidney disease. The same vet prescribed some more dried food, especially designed for cats with urinary problems.

Yet, despite Fiona religiously following her vet's advice, Jaggers collapsed three months later. And by the time Fiona got him to the animal hospital for treatment, it was too late. Her beloved cat was so unwell he had to be put to sleep.

'I was devastated, but at the time I thought there was nothing I could have done to prevent Jaggers' kidney disease,' she says. But then she decided to do some research.

'Was it genetics? Do a lot of cats suffer from it? I just wanted to know,' she recalls.

'And then I came across a website created by Lisa Pierson, a pet nutritionist, that completely shocked me. It explained that processed dried food - the exact kind I'd been feeding Jaggers for years - is linked to urinary and kidney problems.

'I was horrified. This had never even been raised as a possibility by my vet. But after I'd read about this, I spoke to another vet, who agreed with Lisa Pierson.

He knew about the problems caused by processed foods, and said that if I'd fed Jaggers a more natural diet - such as raw meat or cooked chicken - he might never have fallen ill.'

Her story is sure to concern anyone with a pet, particularly because few people are aware of the little-publicised concerns about processed pet foods - and that includes 'wet' (i.e. tinned and packet) foods as well.

And part of the problem, as a Mail investigation can reveal, is that much of the veterinary industry is inextricably linked to the pet-food manufacturers.


Some processed foods are linked with poor behaviour in dogs, and even with cancer


Research into pet food is carried out by the pet-food companies but, more surprisingly, the training of vets at some universities is also funded by pet-food manufacturers.

Crucially, lectures on nutrition at a number of vet schools, and for veterinary nurses at individual practices, are also often paid for - and even taught - by these huge corporations, giving them the ideal platform to promote their products.

One could argue that given this information, it's hardly in vets' interests to promote a more natural diet for pets.

That suspicion has certainly occurred to Catherine O'Driscoll, 52, who like Fiona MacMillan saw a pet die. In her case, it was all three of her golden retrievers, two from cancer and the third from a disease that paralysed his hind legs - all at a relatively young age.

'I'm a dog trainer and have had pets for years. I know how to care for them,' says Catherine, from Kinross, Perthshire. 'But none of my three dogs lived past the age of eight, and I began to think I was the world's worse owner.

'I had two other dogs, and was determined to see them live longer. And it was after I read an article in a magazine by an Australian vet, which explained that feeding animals processed food could be bad for their health, that I switched away from commercial processed food.

'Afterwards, I saw a huge difference in their vitality. They both lived to 17, and I now believe that changing their diets saved their lives.

'A decade ago, I took the advice of my vet that feeding tinned and dried food was best for my dogs. I had no reason to question the professionals and many dog owners don't now.'

Catherine and Fiona are not alone in thinking they were misled. In internet chatrooms dedicated to pets, increasing numbers of people have been sharing concerns about processed pet food.

They believe that, just as junk food is responsible for myriad health problems and obesity in humans, our love of convenience pet food - be it processed meat in cans or pouches, or dried biscuits - is doing the same to pets.

A generation ago, people mostly fed their pets on butchers' scraps such as heart, liver and bones. Convenience pet foods were an expensive luxury. But now the pet food industry is valued at £2 billion and growing.


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Come on in, the water's freezing: Amazing underwater photos show beluga whales meeting divers at Arctic rehabilitation farm

Up close: A beluga whale, Delphinapterus leucas, eyes a diver a few feet away as it swims under ice at the Arctic circle Dive Center in the White Sea, Karelia, northern Russia


They don’t get visitors in these parts that often.

That’s because these beluga whales live under three feet of ice in the freezing waters of northern Russia’s White Sea.

But when some underwater photographers arrived, they certainly weren’t shy - as these stunning images show. The whales are not endangered but under threat from pollution and loss of habitat.

They are thriving, however, at this whale sanctuary, where a natural bay under the ice provides a haven from the strong currents of the wider ocean.

The 'natural farm' acts as a nursery for breeding whales, as well as acting as a rehabilitation centre for former performing animals before they are set into the wild.

Photographer Franco Banfi, who took these shots after his team carved through the ice with a handsaw, said: ‘When a whale comes up to us and swims by, it looks you right in the eyes. Sometimes, I’m sure they’re trying to figure out what we are and where we came from.

‘I’ve always been driven to take photographs of animals one hardly ever sees.’

The whale sanctuary was designed and built by marine biologists from St Petersburg University.

Occasionally, guests at the local Arctic Circle Dive Centre can swim with the friendly giants, and get close enough to touch.

Arctic diver and photographer, Franco Banfi, 58, who captured these shots said: 'When a whale comes up to us and swims by, it looks you right in the eyes.

Obviously we don't know what they think, but they are very curious creatures.


Close encounter: A scuba diver braves temperatures of -10C to approach the whale
'Sometimes, I'm sure they're trying to figure out what we are and where we came from.


'As photographer, I've always been driven to bring photographs of animals one hardly ever sees to a printed page.'

But while the beluga, or white whale, is built for these harsh surroundings, the diving team face extremely tough conditions to get close to the gentle creatures.

Before each dive the team have to create holes in the three-foot-deep ice using a hand saw, just to get through to the sea below.

Once they're in they have to swim around in heavy layers of clothes to keep alive in the -10C waters


Open wide: The whale tries to eat the camera, unsure of what it is


And it's definitely a case of choosing the short straw for one volunteer who gets to stay above ground in -30C winds, making sure the ice hole doesn't freeze over and trap the group.

'Photographing a story in very cold water can turn into a logistical nightmare,' admits Franco.

'But, if we are well trained, the underwater part of things is not really as harsh as you might think.'

'When we come out on land, temperatures can get down to -10C or -20C and things will instantly freeze, so we can barely move.

'Cold itself will not hurt the equipment, but it may slow down some of its functions as well as our own.


Safe: The animals in the natural farm are a mix of wild animals and former performing animals, who are allowed to rehabilitate in the safe environment before being released into the ocean


'Because of the ice-layer and snow cover, there is not sufficient light to shoot with ambient light and batteries lose their charge more quickly in cold weather.'

Franco added that he was keen to show the beauty of the undersea world to those who can't face the icy deep themselves.

'As photographer, I've always been driven to bring photographs of animals one hardly ever sees to a printed page,' he said.

'I want to see these amazing animals in a way that only a few people have seen and I want to share it with others.'


source: dailymail

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The dog who tried to catch a deadly snake... and bit off more than he could chew

By RICHARD SHEARS

Barking mad: Bronson the labrador dog retrieved something unusual on his walk - a deadly copperhead snake which had clamped itself around his mouth


No, it's not the latest fashion in dog muzzles - although Bronson the labrador's forlorn look leaves no doubt he's not happy about not being able to bark with a deadly snake wrapped around his mouth.

The extraordinary photo was taken by Bronson's owner, Deborah Allen, after the black lab trundled home from the nearby fields with the poisonous reptile hanging from his face.

Bronson is often bringing objects he finds in the fields back to his owners' farmhouse at Yarragon, near Melbourne, Australia, but the day he brought home the deadly copperhead snake topped them all for Deborah and her husband Peter.

The snake's tail was in Bronson's mouth, its body was wrapped around his jaw and the reptile's head was dangling down between the dog's feet.

Deborah and Peter were terrified that the snake might raise its fangs and give Bronson a deadly bite, but it appeared to have come off the worst in the battle between canine and reptile and was in a dazed state.

'The first thing we did was grab a camera and take a picture, because this had to be believed,' said Deborah. 'The look on Bronson's face left us in no doubt he was feeling very sad about having his mouth clamped shut by the snake's body.

'You could see by his expression that he just wanted the picture session to be over with as soon as possible.'

Bronson, aged 11, had been trained by the couple to always remain totally rigid when ordered to do so if he was found carrying something he'd found in the fields. Once, he even found Peter's lost phone and brought it home.

But the snake was a different matter altogether. Deborah and her husband agreed they had to approach the reptile very carefully.

'We weren't sure if it was alive or not and we touched its head, which was down at ground level and it moved - it appeared slightly stunned,' she told Melbourne's Herald Sun.

The couple were eventually able to remove the snake by lowering a grain bag to the ground and then pulling it up over the reptile, while at the same time pulling its body from Bronson's mouth. 'As soon as I said "give" Bronson dropped the snake right into the bag and we sealed up the ends.

They then rushed Bronson to a local vet, where a blood test confirmed he had received a bite from the snake. He was put on a drip and after four days was allowed to return home in the best of health.

Vet Peter Gibbs said a large number of pets had been brought in to the clinic during the current Australian summer for treatment of snake bites.
He warned owners to avoid areas where snakes are likely to be active.


source: dailymail

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Soccer-mad lion gets to grips with the game as World Cup fever takes over South Africa

The lion's den: Triton has become a popular tourist attraction at Johannesburg Zoo for his love of soccer

A soccer-mad lion gets to grips with the game at Johannesburg Zoo - showing that football fever has well and truly taken over South Africa.

Casting an image that could inspire England's Lions when the national team heads to South Africa for the World Cup, Triton the lion has become popular with tourists for his obsession with his beloved football.

The 11-year-old male is so enamoured with the game he refuses to play with any of the seven females he lives with at the zoo's lion enclosure.


Wild at heart: Triton plays with his football in his enclosure at Johannesburg Zoo

Curator Agnes Mululeke said: 'I think Triton could teach a few real footballers a thing or two with his skills.

'We have 10 lions in the zoo and he is the only one who likes the football.'


Obsessed: Triton refuses to let other lions participate in his games

'He doesn't like any of the females to come and interfere if he's playing with his ball. It's clear he thinks its a man's game. He won't share it with any of the ladies.

'He is a definitely a great mascot for the England team.'

The England campaign will kick off on June 12 against USA in Rustenburg.

Many supporters will first travel to transport hub Johannesburg before flying or making the two hour drive north-west to the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace for England's opener.



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Cat who boarded same bus every day for four years killed in 'hit and run'

Casper, pictured with owner Sue Finden, was killed while crossing the road to board the bus


A cat which became famous for catching the same bus every day for four years has been run over and killed - while crossing the road to catch its daily lift.

Casper died in the 'hit and run' accident as he tried to board the No3 service in Plymouth, Devon.

The cat hopped on the bus around 10am every morning and sat on the back seat throughout its entire 11 mile route.

He travelled around the city for up to an hour before arriving back at the same stop.

But after an estimated 20,000 miles on the bus Casper was killed crossing the road to catch his daily ride.

Devastated owner Susan Finden , 65, said whoever ran over her cat failed to stop and help him.

She said: 'Many people knew Casper, who loved everyone. He enjoyed the bus journeys. Sadly a motorist hit him and did not stop.

'He will be greatly missed - he was a much loved pet who had so much character.'

During his regular trips the 12-year-old cat passed an historic dockyard and naval base, a city centre, several suburbs and a red light district.

He took his daily rides for so long that all First Bus drivers were told to look out for him to ensure he got off at the right stop.

Grandmother-of-three Susan added: 'I called him Casper because he had a habit of vanishing like a ghost. But then some of the drivers told me he had been catching the bus.


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Croc shock as scientists discover alligators betray their roots and breathe like birds

Coming of for air: Alligators use a breathing method which is believed to have first appeared 251 million years ago


Alligators betray their distant ancestral roots by breathing like birds, scientists have discovered.

Researchers found that, just as it does in birds, air flows in one direction as it loops through the lungs of alligators.

The breathing method is believed to have first appeared in ancient reptiles called archosaurs which dominated the Earth 251million years ago.

In contrast, mammalian breath flows in and out of branching cul-de-sacs in the lungs called alveoli.


Archosaurs evolved along two different paths, one of which gave rise to the crocodilian ancestors of crocodiles and alligators. The other produced the flying pterosaurs and eventually birds.

The research on alligators suggests that bird-like breathing probably evolved earlier than previously thought, before the archosaur split.

It may explain why archosaurs became so dominant in the Early Triassic Period which followed a devastating mass extinction known as the 'Great Dying'.

Prior to the extinction event, which killed off 70% of all land life and 96% of sea life, reptile-like mammals called synapsids were the largest animals on Earth.

After it, mammals were overshadowed by reptiles in the form of archosaurs and, later, dinosaurs.

As the Earth recovered from the 'Great Dying' conditions were warm and dry, with oxygen levels almost half what they are today.

But despite the lack of oxygen many archosaurs were capable of vigorous activity.

'Lung design may have played a key role in this capacity because the lung is the first step in the cascade of oxygen from the atmosphere to the animal's tissues, where it is used to burn fuel for energy,' said lead researcher Colleen Farmer, from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, US.


Dominant: An artists impression of the archosaurs which roamed the earth in the Early Triassic Period


Little is known about the archosaur that was the common ancestor of crocodilians, pterosaurs, dinosaurs and birds.

It was likely to have been a 'small, relatively agile, insect-eating animal,' said Dr Farmer.

In modern birds, oxygen enters the bloodstream via tubes known as 'parabronchi' through which air flows in one direction before exiting the lung. The efficiency of this design helped birds fly at altitudes that would 'render mammals comatose' said Dr Farmer.

Some scientists have argued that unidirectional airflow only evolved after crocodilians split from archosaurs, arising among pterosaurs and meat-eating theropod dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex.

Dr Farmer measured the one-way passage of air through alligator lungs using surgically implanted flow meters in live animals. She also conducted experiments on dead alligators.

Her findings, published today in the journal Science, showed that air looped in a single direction through 'aerodynamic valves' in an alligator's multi-chambered lungs.

'Our data provide evidence that unidirectional flow of air in the lungs predates the origin of pterosaurs, dinosaurs and birds,' she said.


source: dailymail

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