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As
the Greek economy continues to tumble, there's a glimmer of hope for "retirees"
who are offered a luxurious retirement abroad by a British royalty: great
food, great room with a view of the English Channel, all-expense-paid
travel.
The catch? You'd have to be an ass, (unfortunately) literally:
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron has refused bailout help for Greece. But that hasn't stopped British citizens from organizing the rescue of Greek donkeys abandoned by cash-strapped owners.
Last December, Christoforos and a companion, a white-nosed donkey named Fotis, made a five-day journey to the south of England on a special equine transport truck.
Today, they live on an 11,000-acre estate called Angmering Park, owned by Anne Herries, the daughter of a late Duke of Norfolk.
The two donkeys wander green rolling fields during the day and dine on fresh hay and ginger snaps. They enjoy frequent tooth and hoof cleaning. At night, they sleep in a heated stable with a view of the English Channel.
As Greek pensions shrink to help narrow government deficits, these animals enjoy a luxurious retirement abroad. "They must think they've landed in some sort of donkey heaven," said Gwen Ware, a British citizen who helped raise funds for their emigration through her charity, Saving Greek Animals.
Link (Photo: Sara Schaefer Muñoz/The Wall Street Journal)
This little guy is the offspring of a female zebra and a male donkey, born in Haicang Zoo in China. His unusual genetic make-up has graced him with a donkey-shaped body and zebra-like head, with just a smattering of black and white stripes in his mostly brown hide. There were difficulties during birth, but zoo officials say the donkra is thriving and already weighs in at over 30kg. To watch a video of the cutest little crossbreed in China, check out the report on BBC News. Link
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A leisure firm in Golubitskaya on the Azov Sea launched a donkey into the air on a parasail as a promotional stunt. After the video was released, Russian police began investigating the matter and may file charges of animal cruelty. If convicted, those responsible could be sentenced to up to two years. Link
How can you make basketball more fun? Just add donkeys!
Donkey basketball is a popular annual event at the Snohomish High School in Washington. The donkeys themselves seem to have a good time, but not everybody’s tickled at the fun:
But not everyone thinks it’s fun and games. Animal rights activists quietly protested outside, saying it’s simply cruel.
"The donkeys are pushed, kicked, shoved, and prodded to do something that is unnatural for them and confusing," said protester David Schirk.
Some say the event is bad enough, but having it at a school makes it worse.
"I think it sends a really bad message to children on how to raise them and cruelty to animals and to all beings, and what does that teach our children?" said protester Carol Guilbault.
After two years of economic blockade, the zoos in Gaza are suffering. Only one has a zebra, but there’s something about this zebra that seems, um, un-zebralike.
“It’s really a painted donkey,” admitted Mahmud Berghat, the director of Marah, when asked about the creature. Making a fake zebra isn’t easy—henna didn’t work and wood paint was deemed inhumane, so they finally settled on human hair dye. “We cut its hair short and then painted the stripes,” Berghat explained behind the closed door of his office.
It did the trick—if not for zoologists, then at least for legions of Gaza schoolchildren who have never seen a real zebra. When I asked him whether anyone had ever caught the ruse, the director admitted that two sharp university students had IDed the counterfeit creature. “But don’t tell anyone,” he said. “The children love him.”
Most zoo animals have to be smuggled in through tunnels, but a zebra was too expensive for the Marah zoo. Link -via Arbroath
(image credit: Sharon Weinberger)
