Rare live birds found wrapped in socks and taped to passenger's body by security agents at LAX

The bird was bound in a sock and tape and tied to the woman's body



Airport security guards just got another good reason why they need to be careful with pat-downs at checkpoints.

A woman passenger was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle two endangered birds wrapped in socks and taped alive to her body.

Transportation Security Administration officers found one of the bright yellow birds taped to the woman’s chest and another was taped to her leg as she tried to get onto a flight at Los Angeles Airport.

Cruel: The bird was bound in a sock and tape and tied to the woman's body

Xia Jian Pan was booked on a China Southern Airlines flight bound for Guangzhou Baiyun Airport.

Free: The bird after it was released from its strapping

She was arrested by US Fish and Wildlife officers on suspicion of smuggling and exporting an endangered species out of the country.

TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said the birds both appeared to be in good shape after their ordeal. He wasn’t aware of the type of birds.

‘It was just one of those weird things that happen at our checkpoints,’ he added.

The incident came just days after a traveller was arrested trying to smuggle snakes and turtles under his clothes at Miami International Airport.

The species of the bright yellow birds was not immediately known. 

Little and large: The colour co-ordinated kitten and Great Dane who are the best of friends

An abandoned kitten who was rescued when he was just days old has found a safe haven after striking up an unlikely friendship with a Great Dane.  

Bemused owner, Eve Hughes, 39, from Felixstowe, Suffolk, said the pair are 'inseparable' and love to curl up together for a snooze.

George, who is 13 weeks old was adopted in June after he was rescued by the RSPCA.and soon won the affection of his owner's three-year-old Great Dane, Shadow.

Me and my Shadow: George the kitten is followed everywhere by his 7ft friend

Weighing over 10 stone and measuring 32in high to the shoulder and 7ft long, Shadow towers over the 2lb kitten.

But despite being 65 times heavier and eight times taller, doting Shadow follows his companion around the house and even stands guard while he eats.

Ms Hughes, a manager of an RSPCA shop said: 'I was unsure at first because if Shadow sees a cat on the street he does like to chase them.

 

'But they just sniffed each others noses and have been inseparable ever since.

'They have an amazing bond, it really is very sweet because Shadow is so protective of George.

'George sits between Shadow's feet to eat his food and they always go out into the garden together in the morning.

Dinner's up! The cat and dog also love to curl up for a snooze

'Shadow just follows George around the house and they curl up together on the sofa for a nap.

'They even give each other kisses on the nose.'

Ms Hughes said she grew concerned about Shadow after he became depressed when his canine companion Dizzy fell ill and had to be put down.

But she said he found a new lease of life after she brought George into the home.

Eve added: 'Shadow loved Dizzy and he was devastated when he died.

Safe at last: Abandoned kitten George now has a new home and best friend

'He didn't eat or play, he just buried his head under the cushions on the settee.

'I was worried and thought a new playmate would cheer him up but I would never have guessed he would befriend a kitten.

'The RSPCA said they had a kitten who needed a temporary foster home but when they got on so well I was more than happy to keep him.'

Baby elephant born at Disney's Animal Kingdom takes centre stage after mother's 22-month pregnancy

The elephant herd at Disney’s Animal Kingdom got just a little larger with the birth of a baby calf.

Weighing 311lbs, the male African elephant was welcomed into the group by his mother Vasha, 10 herd members and a team of animal care professionals assisting with the birth.  

The 25-year-old mother delivered the herd’s sixth offspring after gaining more than 800lbs during a 22-month gestation. This latest addition, which has yet to be named, is the second calf for Vasha, who gave birth to a female calf, Kianga, in 2004.   

Newborn: The African elephant calf (pictured here) weighs a staggering 311lbs

With support from the animal care team, the newborn, whose first tentative steps are becoming stronger and more confident, is now successfully nursing from his mother.

A spokesman for Animal Kingdom said Vasha has been getting to know the calf, gently touching the young animal with her trunk and keeping a watchful eye on him. 

 

Jackie Ogden, PhD, vice president of Disney’s Animal, Science and Environment Programs said in a press release: 'The natural bonding between mother and calf is fascinating. The team is encouraged by the early interaction between mother and calf and will continue to monitor them closely for the next several weeks.'

Joining the herd: This is the sixth elephant born at Disney's Animal Kingdom in the last eight years

The next critical milestone is for the calf to continue the bonding process with his mother who will teach him important lessons and protect him as he gradually acclimates to the rest of the savannah herd over the next several weeks. With 12 elephants, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has one of the largest African elephant herds in North America, including four males and eight females.

BABY ELEPHANT FACTS:

• The elephant's gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal
• At birth, an elephant calf typically weighs 230lbs and stands over two-and-a-half ft tall
• Depending on the calf, it could take several days for the calf to coordinate trunk movements
• Initially, it may only be able to wave it in the air, suck on it or trip over it. Typically within a week the calf has gained enough control to begin picking up small objects and food
• Suckling up to 12 liters a day, baby elephants may depend on mother's milk for up to three years, although they can be weaned at two years of age
• Calves learn how and what to eat by watching the older elephants

Vasha became pregnant through artificial insemination in October 2009 and received extensive pre-natal care throughout pregnancy. Since early August, animal care teams have provided round-the-clock monitoring, regular ultrasounds and daily hormone monitoring to more accurately predict the beginning of labour. 

In the past few years, Disney’s animal care teams have been able to narrow the birth window to within four days, which enables them to better prepare for the delivery. With this birth, the team had been on heightened baby-alert since Monday.

This is the sixth elephant born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Others include Tufani, a male, born in 2003; Kianga, a female, born in 2004; Nadirah a female, born in 2005; Tsavo, a male, born in 2008; and Luna, a female born 2010.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is part of a breeding program coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) that is focused on sustaining the elephant population in North America.

AZA’s Elephant Species Survival Plan has called for a five-fold increase in African elephant reproduction efforts - using both natural and artificial breeding methods - in order to create a self-sustaining elephant population among North American zoos and wildlife centres.

Peek-a-moo: Yvonne the runaway cow taunts pursuers three months after escaping the slaughterhouse

I really hope they didn't take her back to the Slaughter House T_T

They seek her here, they seek here there, but those Bavarians still can't track down Yvonne the elusive cow and now she's popping up to taunt them on camera.

The fugitive, dubbed the Scarlet Pimpernel of the bovine world, escaped from her farm in Zangberg, Germany, moments before she was due for a trip to the abattoir.

Having successfully evaded capture for 92 days, Yvonne has now been spotted on a CCTV camera happily chewing the cud in a field of maize.

Hide that hide: Yvonne pops her head out of a corn field near Zangberg, Germany, having been on the run for 92 days

Catch me if you can: Yvonne appears to taunt her pursuers relaxing in the corner of a field near the town of Mühldorf in Bavaria, Germany

A full-scale cow hunt has been underway for months under the name Operation Yvonne but every time the net closes in she somehow manages to give her pursuers the slip.

A recent attempt to lure her out of the Bavarian forest where she is hiding failed because the bull, with which they were trying to woo her - described by its owner as the George Clooney of the bull world - turned out to have been castrated.

The team then tried tethering her sister, Waltraut, to a tree in the hope that a friendly face would bring her out of hiding but that too proved unsuccessful.

She was spotted last weekend when when she was in a near miss with a police car after which an order was issued to hunters to shoot her on sight.

But this infuriated Germany's animal lovers who offered to buy her from the farmer and the shoot-on-sight order has been rescinded until Monday.

German tabloid newspaper, the Bild, has put up a €10,000 reward for the safe return and they claimed an 11-year-old schoolboy had found a fresh hoofprint in woods near his home.

Hans Wintersteller, the owner of a local animal sanctuary and co-ordinator of Operation Yvonne, told the Times: 'We know roughly where she is.

'But she always seems to keep on step ahead of us.'

Experts now believe that when she first escaped she was taken in by a herd of deer who taught her how to evade capture by foraging at night and lying low during the day.

One of the more desperate attempts to get hold of Yvonne was to try using an animal psychic to contact her and tell her to come home.

Most wanted: Animal lovers were upset when an order was given to shoot Yvonne on sight so they offered to buy her from the farmer

Sisterly love: Not even Yvonne's sister, Waltraut (pictured), has been able to lure her home

Before she escaped she was fattened up and ready to be taken to the slaughterhouse where she would have been made into sausage meat.

It is estimated that she would have shed around 200lb in weight since breaking free.

Members of the sanctuary have now embarked on a mission to find another bull to tempt Yvonne from her woodland hideaway.

As those who want to save her and those who want to eat her race to find the cow, her fame continues to grow and one newspaper described her as a 'freedom fighter'.

A helicopter has been leased to track her down and the next step is to take her two-year-old son, Friesi.

The cow has been on the run since escaping and evading slaughter on May 24

Dognapped: Motorbike thieves caught on camera grabbing a 16-week-old puppy from under owners' noses

"The raid was as well-planned, swift and clinical as any smash and grab" It seems they wanted to avenge the owner for some reasons


Anyone with information about Alfie's whereabouts is asked to call the police. Dog Lost can be contacted on 0844 800 3220.

The raid was as well-planned, swift and clinical as any smash and grab.
Two men roared up on a motorbike, one leapt off – and scooped up Alfie the spaniel puppy.

His owners looked on in stunned disbelief as the thief leapt back on the pillion and wedged the 16-week-old animal between him and the getaway rider before they sped off.

'It was over in seconds,' said 45-year-old Pauline Parsons. 'We are gutted. We've only had him for ten weeks.'

Stolen: Alfie was snatched in front of his owners by two men on a motorbike

A treasured photo of Alfie: Ashleigh Parsons pleads for help

Alfie, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel worth around £400, was seized from a playpen outside the family-run Metal Supermarket in West Bromwich.

Mrs Parsons and her husband Ian had noticed the motorbike pair riding around their trading estate but were taken by surprise when their pet was spirited away. 

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'It happened just ten feet from where we were standing,' said Mrs Parsons, from Brierley Hill. 'One of the men just jumped off and grabbed him by the neck.'

She said her daughters Ashleigh, 18, and Jordanne, 16, were 'heartbroken' at the loss of their pup.

Dog thieves: The dognappers are caught on CCTV after stealing Alfie

The incident last Thursday afternoon was captured on CCTV and the couple are appealing for help in finding the two thieves.

Mrs Parsons said one of them wore a helmet with a black star and  silver lining.

They were riding a scrambler-type machine with yellow wheels.

She added that the dog was microchipped, which will prevent him being passed on to a pet shop, though he could still be sold privately.

Devastated: Pauline with her puppy Alfie before he was stolen

She added: 'He's just gorgeous and a brilliant dog – really clever. The customers really took to him as he's a real character. Everybody turned soft when they saw him – even the biggest blokes were reduced to mush.'

She added: 'We have never had a puppy before. We decided to get one because we could take him to work with us.

'It felt like having a little baby when we first got him, and now it feels like we've lost a baby.'

She said the family were offering a reward for information leading to the pet's return.

As well as printing hundreds of posters, they have also knocked on doors in the neighbourhood and set up a Facebook group.

Mrs Parsons added that Alfie has a distinctive marking on his muzzle – half his top lip is brown while the other half is white. Jayne Hayes, founder of the charity Dog Lost, said the number of pedigree dogs being stolen had soared since the recession began.

'We see 150 to 200 cases a week. People just grab the dogs and sell them on and they get away with it because the police don't do much.

'I've never seen a theft like this before, though. This a worrying development, but there is definitely a market out there for expensive pedigree dogs like Alfie.'

• Anyone with information about Alfie's whereabouts is asked to call the police. Dog Lost can be contacted on 0844 800 3220.

Guy Hawks: Ospreys return to Wales for first time since the Gunpowder Plot

With his wings outstretched and a satellite receiver on his back, Einion the osprey is unaware that he is making history –one of the first of the beautiful birds of prey to hatch in Wales for more than 400 years.

A trio of the majestic birds –named Einion, Leri and Dulas after local rivers – hatched three months ago  in the Dyfi Valley, also home to their father Monty.

He has soared in the skies above the valley for two years but it was only this year that he managed to attract a mate, a female named Nora.

Proud parents: Nora heads to the nest with a fish

After a rather hasty 16-day courtship, she laid her eggs in their nest on top of a 50ft telegraph pole.

 

Einion, Leri and Dulas are now fully fledged and will soon migrate 3,600 miles to spend the winter in Africa. The trip is fraught with danger for young ospreys, and only one in three lives to make the journey back to Britain.

To track their progress, the trio have been fitted with the tiny solar-powered transmitters.

Spreading his wings: Einion's migration to Africa will be monitored via the transmitter on his back

‘The osprey is Wales’s rarest bird and to see them take flight is a truly incredible sight,’ said Emyr Evans, of the Dyfi Osprey Project, which fitted the transmitters. ‘We hope they will fly back to us safely after spending the winter in Africa.’

Also known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, ospreys live mostly on a diet of fish and have a 6ft wingspan.

In common with other birds of prey, they had been hunted to extinction in Britain by egg-collectors and trophy-hunters.

Majestic: Monty rests on a branch

In the Fifties, conservationists reintroduced them to parts of Britain – most notably, the birds have re-established themselves in Scotland, where there are now some 200 pairs.

There is also another breeding pair at Glaslyn, Gwynedd, North Wales. It is suspected that Monty may have been born there and that he has returned to Wales to breed.

The last reported sighting of an osprey in the Dyfi Valley came in 1604 – the year before the Gun¬powder Plot – when a Flemish engineer wrote of ‘fishy hawks’ on the Dyfi Estuary.

Since the young ospreys hatched, they have been seen by more than 40,000 birdwatchers.

Clucky find: Man lays claim to world's smallest chicken egg... and it's no bigger than a penny!

A West Virginia man is laying claim to one of the world's smallest chicken eggs. Whether it's a record remains to be seen.

The Reverand Donnie Russell said he found the egg last month on his farm. 

It's 2.1 centimetres long, or a bit bigger than a penny, and weighs 3.46 grams - a little more than one-tenth of an ounce.

Tiny: The chicken egg is 2.1 centimetres long, or a bit bigger than a penny, and weighs 3.46 grams - a little more than one-tenth of an ounce

'It's really something. If you want to know the truth, I can't put it into words,' Mr Russell said.

Mr Russell, of Raleigh County, said his wife is an animal lover and she's collected cats, geese, ducks, chickens and other types of birds over the years.

'Lo and behind, we went out and gathered these eggs. We had to do a double take. We both looked with our mouths open for about five minutes before we said a word. We said this has got to be a record.'

The chicken that he believes laid the egg is normal sized.

'When you see something like that, you wonder how in the world did that ever happen?' Mr Russell said. 'We're still taking it in.'

The state Department of Agriculture has certified the egg's size.

Guinness World Records lists the smallest recorded chicken egg as 2.7 centimetres, although a man from Great Britain in May claimed earlier this year to having one that was 2 millimetres smaller.

Mr Russell said he's still undecided whether to make an application with Guinness. He does plan to preserve the egg, which he's named the John Spencer Russell egg in honour of his two grandsons - John Kenny Russell and Spencer Matthew Russell.

State Agriculture Commissioner Gus Douglass said: 'West Virginia's hills are full of surprises - we have a little bit of everything, it seems. I'm very pleased that Rev Russell and others are keeping agriculture alive in the Mountain State, and that he takes obvious pride in being a West Virginia farmer.'

by dailymail.co.uk