Carol: February is one of my favorite months, Hurst! Do you know why?
Hurst: Is that because you get paid monthly and so you only have to wait 28 days between checks?
Carol: Um, yes, that’s actually spot on, but not what I was thinking of this moment. I am always pumped about World Pangolin Day that happens the third Saturday in February!
Hurst: Is that the scaly anteater thing that looks like a dinosaur’s and pine cone’s love child?
Carol: Yes, again, that’s a strange but accurate response. Of course, February is Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month, International Hoof Care Month, and National Bird Feeding Month.
Hurst: Of course. And don’t forget Serpent Day (February 1), National Hippo Day (15th), World Whale Day (18th), and International Polar Bear Day (27th). But enough with the parties already, this week had some weighty news pieces to discuss. My favorite was the story about the mutant coyotes with blue eyes!
Carol: Mutant? Like those teenage ninja turtles? I guess that qualifies as weighty. I was thinking more about the articles on undercover farm investigations, antibiotic resistance, and poaching; all good stuff for our readers to take in. I certainly learned a lot from them. See you next week, Hurst!
There’s No Federal Ban on Animal Cruelty. Lawmakers Want to Change That from The New York Times
Hillary Clinton and John Kasich: We cannot cede ground on animal poaching from the Washington Post
Ag gag: Undercover farm investigations reveal systemic animal cruelty from Des Moine Register
Bacteria found in ancient Irish soil halts growth of superbugs—new hope for tackling antibiotic resistance from Phys.org
Citizen scientists discover pinhead-sized beetle in Borneo from Science Daily
Elephant seals take over beach left vacant by US shutdown from The Guardian
Why a Border Wall Could Mean Trouble for Wildlife from The New York Times
Mutant blue-eyed coyotes spreading through California from National Geographic
Sonar Can Literally Scare Whales to Death, Study Finds from Live Science
Denmark builds anti-pig border fence amid swine fever fears from BBC News
Shout out to Beth Wilson, John Delconte, and DawnWatch for sharing a few of these stories. Photo credit to Fabian Blank on Unsplash.
Creature Feature 