15 Animal Stories From 2013 You May Have Missed

[Turk]

Humans weren't the only ones making news in 2013. From monkeys in space to sea eagles taking selfies, here's a look back at some of our favourite stories from the animal kingdom.

1. Iran said it successfully sent monkey Pishgam into space

Photo: A man holds a monkey, said to have returned from a safe trip to space, during a press conference in Tehran in January. (AFP: ISNA: Borna Ghassemi)

One of the first animals to make international news this year was a monkey named Pishgam - Farsi for "Pioneer" - which Iran said had successfully returned from a trip to space.

But the experiment's success was disputed when an apparently different monkey was presented to the media after the landing in January.

In December, the Islamic Republic said it had success with its second monkey astronaut, this one named Fargam, Farsi for "Auspicious". Read more.

Iran claims monkey sent into space

2. Adelaide dog Charlie claimed loudest bark record

In March, six-year-old golden retriever Charlie was confirmed to have broken a Guinness World Record for a bark that measured 113.1 decibels.

Judges confirmed that Charlie beat the previous record of 108 decibels, held by a German shepherd in London since 2009. Read more.

Adelaide dog claims loudest bark record (ABC News)

3. Lone goat Wategoat evaded capture after daring rescue bid

Wategoat was a female goat that lived near Byron Bay's Wategos Beach in northern New South Wales.

In April she was stuck at the base of a cliff for several days with little food and water, prompting the RSPCA's animal rescue squad to attempt to save her by abseiling down the cliff.

But she had other ideas and bounded away from her would-be saviours. Read more.

Local newspapers said in September the old and arthritic goat had not been seen by rangers for six weeks and was believed to have died.

Wate-goat makes dash for freedom

Photo: Wategoat, Cape Byron's last remaining goat, makes a dash for freedom after a bid to rescue her. (ABC: Bruce Mackenzie)

4. Gippsland covered in veil of spider webs after heavy rain

Don't let it be said we overlooked the contribution of arthropods to the year in news.

In June, torrential rain across Gippsland stirred the local spider population into a web-making frenzy.

Rising floodwater from the Latrobe and Thomson Rivers pushed the linyphidea spiders off ground level and up onto drier territory on the top of the grass tussocks, onto fences and into the trees, where they spun webs that turned the landscape into an eerie scene. Read more.

Spider webs cover the landscape in the wake of flooding.

Photo: Spider webs cover the landscape in the wake of flooding in the wetlands around Sale in eastern Victoria. (ABC News: Mark Debono)

5. Bazz the beekeeping dog suited up for a day in the hives

Normally dogs can't get near a hive of bees without being aggressively chased away.

But Josh Kennett, a beekeeper from Tintinara in South Australia's south-east, developed a suit for his dog Bazz to wear to avoid being stung while working near the hives. Read more.

Ready for the beehives

Photo: Josh Kennett's beekeeper suit for his dog trained to sniff out the bee disease American foulbrood. (Josh Kennett)

6. Couple told to get rid of dozens of pigs living in their home

Vicki and Morry Jackson moved their 40 miniature, long-haired pigs into their house in Tasmania's north-east after heavy rain created a quagmire in the yard.

Some were in pens that were once bedrooms and others roamed free in the main living area, where the wooden floor was covered in pig feed and mud.

Following complaints about the smell from neighbours, the local council ordered the Jacksons get rid of the animals. Read more.

Pigs get marching orders (7pm TV News TAS)

7. 'Teddy bear' carnivore discovered in cloud forests

In August, a long-tailed, orange-furred carnivore from South America was identified by US researchers as the first new mammal discovered in the Americas in 35 years.

The raccoon-sized creature is called an olinguito and lives in the trees in the Andean mountain forests of Ecuador and Colombia. Read more.

An olinguito, described as the first carnivore species to be discovered in the American continents in 35 years.

Photo: An olinguito, described as the first carnivore species to be discovered in the American continents in 35 years. (Reuters: Mark Gurney/Smithsonian Institution/Handout)

8. Australian blobfish won title of world's ugliest animal

A slimy pink Australian fish which resembles a grumpy and obese old man with a bulbous nose was voted the world's ugliest animal through an online poll.

The blobfish lives at depths of up to one kilometre off the southern Australian coast. While it is capable of enduring otherwise crushing pressures at great depth, it is now becoming a casualty of deep-sea trawling.

The runner-up was New Zealand's kakapo, a rare flightless owl-like parrot, and third was the axolotl, a Mexican amphibian also called the "walking fish". Read more.

Gallery: World's ugliest animals

9. Booze-stealing feral pig Swino ran riot at camp sites

A booze-stealing feral pig nicknamed Swino wreaked havoc this September, drinking up to 18 cans of beer and ransacking bin bags left by clean-up crews at the DeGrey River rest area, east of Port Hedland.

But less than a month later, crews confirmed the same animal had been hit by a vehicle about one kilometre north of the rest area. Read more.

The feral pig rests under a tree

Photo: Clearly exhausted by all his shenanigans the beer swilling swine stopped for a rest. (Main Roads Pilbara)

10. Farm animals Kevin Bacon and Bradley got lost and found

Kevin Bacon the pig and Bradley the lamb

Photo: Kevin Bacon the pig and Bradley the lamb were stolen from a Sydney cafe in October. (Facebook)

Meanwhile, a more domesticated pig was making headlines after being kidnapped from an inner Sydney cafe in October.

CCTV footage showed a woman and two men breaking into the complex and stealing the pig, named Kevin Bacon, and his friend Bradley the lamb, from a barn outside the cafe.

The pair were eventually located interstate, at a sanctuary near the Victorian town of Orbost, about 10 hours' drive from their trendy abode. Read more.

11. Military Working Dog Turk retired to live with handler

Military Working Dog (MWD) Turk was the first dog from the RAAF base at Amberley to be allowed to retire after completing his service.

Historically, the animals considered too dangerous to go back into the community and were put down at the end of their working lives.

But Turk switched the base for the backyard and now lives with his former handler, Corporal Bruce Ross. Read more.

Gallery: RAAF dogs

12. Abandoned puppy Rupee trekked to Everest Base Camp

An abandoned puppy rescued from a rubbish dump in India trekked to Everest Base Camp in November, becoming what is believed to be the first dog to tackle the peak.

Former professional golfer Joanne Lefson says she adopted the 11-month-old dog, called Rupee, in the mountainous Indian town of Leh last September, and decided to take him on a trip to the base camp, at 5,364 metres. Read more.

Rupee, rescued from a rubbish dump in India, poses at Everest Base Camp.

Photo: Rupee, rescued from a rubbish dump in India, poses at Everest Base Camp. (AFP: worldwooftour.com/Joanne Lefson)

13. Emus took over Longreach streets searching for food

Emus stopped traffic in the main street of Longreach in western Queensland as the drought forced them into town to look for food.

The emus walked residential streets for some months but eventually made it to the main street, halting traffic and feeding in garden beds.

Police asked drivers to take care and give the emus the right of way. Read more.

Emus take to the streets in Longreach

14. Unlikely friendship developed between baby goat and bullock

Just east of Longreach, at the Newstead cattle station near Ilfracombe, an unlikely friendship blossomed between a baby goat, named Moe, and an 800-kilogram Brahman bullock called Lickity Split. Read more.

One-month old kid goat 'Moe' has taken up with 800-kilogram Brahman bullock 'Lickity Split'

Photo: Owner Tracey Walker says one-month old kid goat 'Moe' has taken up with 800-kilogram Brahman bullock 'Lickity Split'. (Audience submitted: Tracey Walker)

15. Sea eagle filmed itself stealing camera near croc meat trap

In December, rangers discovered a sea eagle had recorded unusual footage of itself stealing a video camera and taking it on a 100-kilometre journey.

Aboriginal rangers had set up the motion-sensor camera at a gorge on the Margaret River in May, to try and capture images of freshwater crocodiles.

When the device was eventually discovered, rangers extracted clips that revealed the culprit to be a thieving sea eagle.

Eagle steals camera near crocodile meat trap

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-24/animal-stories-from-2013-you-may-have-missed/5173368

Edited December 24, 2013 by Turk

[Tharixxx]

Good post bro Thank for share :angelnot: :angelnot: :angelnot: :angelnot: :angelnot:

[nIGHT]

#8. Australian blobfish

That is a very weird fish. :s

[Turk]

# 11 Turk retired LoL :)