The Daily Beast - January 31, 2012

AFP PHOTO / ROLAND WEIHRAUCH

Orang-utan "Lea" takes a break on January 24, 2012 at the zoo in Krefeld, western Germany.    

The Daily Beast - January 30, 2012

REUTERS/Jaime Saldarriaga

A spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), born in captivity four months ago, is seen at the zoo in Cali January 21, 2012.

 

 

 

The Daily Beast - January 29, 2012

AFP PHOTO/VIENNA ZOO/DANIEL ZUPANC

Fu Hu, a panda born at Vienna zoo plays in the snow in his enclosure on January 17, 2012. Pandas, even when conceived abroad, are the property of the Republic of China and only loaned to foreign zoos.

The Daily Beast - January 28, 2012

REUTERS/Jaime Saldarriaga

A pink flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), born in captivity ten days ago, is seen at the zoo in Cali January 21, 2012.

The Daily Beast - Sedivackuv Long Dog Sled Race - January 27, 2012

The Associated Press

DESTNE, Czech Republic — A dog sled race considered one of the toughest on the European continent is under way in the northeastern Czech Republic.

Almost 100 mushers from eight countries with some 500 dogs are competing in the Sedivackuv Long. They have to overcome 240 kilometers (149 miles) in deep snow and freezing condition in the Orlicke mountains located on the Polish border in four days. Competitors also have to spend one night sleeping in the snow.

The 16th edition of the race will be completed on Saturday. It is part of the European extreme dog sled race series.

Race organizer Pavel Kucera said Thursday: "It is one of the longest races and with it's difficulties it belongs to some of the toughest races in Europe apart from the Nordic countries where the conditions are little different."

 

AP Photo/Petr David Josek

A musher competes with his dogs during the Sedivackuv Long dog sled race near the village of Destne v Orlickych horach, Czech Republic, on Jan. 26, 2012.

 

 

REUTERS/Petr Josek

Dogs rest during a break in a stage of the Sedivackuv Long dog sled race in Destne v Orlickych horach, January 26, 2012.

 

 

REUTERS/Petr Josek

A musher rides his dog sled during a stage in the Sedivackuv Long dog sled race in Destne v Orlickych horach, January 26, 2012.

 

 

REUTERS/Petr Josek

Dogs run alongside a house during a stage in the Sedivackuv Long dog sled race in Destne v Orlickych horach, January 26, 2012.

 

 

REUTERS/Petr Josek

Dogs run at the start of a stage in the Sedivackuv Long dog sled race in Destne v Orlickych horach, January 26, 2012.

 

REUTERS/Petr Josek

A musher rides his dog sled during a stage of the Sedivackuv Long dog sled race in Destne v Orlickych horach, January 26, 2012.

 

 

REUTERS/Petr Josek

A dog rests during a break in a stage of the Sedivackuv Long dog sled race in Destne v Orlickych horach, January 26, 2012.

 

 

AP Photo/Petr David Josek

Dogs start  a stage of the Sedivackuv Long dog sled race near the village of Destne v Orlickych horach, Czech Republic, on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012.

 

 

REUTERS/Petr Josek

A musher dressed in a dog costume gets a lick from his dog during a break in a stage of the Sedivackuv Long dog sled race in Destne v Orlickych horach, January 26, 2012.

 

 

 

 

REUTERS/Petr Josek

A musher feeds dogs during a break in a stage of the Sedivackuv Long dog sled race in Destne v Orlickych horach, January 26, 2012.

 

REUTERS/Petr Josek

Dogs run during a stage in the Sedivackuv Long dog sled race in Destne v Orlickych horach, January 26, 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

The Daily Beast - January 26, 2012

AFP PHOTO / JIJI PRESS

Japanese wild monkeys enjoy an open-air hot spring at the Jigokudani (Hell's Valley) Monkey Park, at Yamanouchi town near Shigakogen ski resort, in Nagano prefecture, on January 24, 2012.

The Daily Beast - Westminster New Breeds for 2012 - January 25, 2012

Six dogs will make history this year as the newest breeds eligible to compete at Westminster. The six new breeds bring to 185 the number that will compete this year for the best of show grand prize in the annual contest, the oldest sporting event in the United States next to the Kentucky Derby.

The names of some of these rookie breeds competing in this year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Feb. 13-14 at Madison Square Garden are a mouthful: the Entlebucher Mountain Dog, the Norwegian Lundehund, the American English Coonhound, the Finnish Lapphund, the Cesky Terrier and the Xoloitzcuintli, previously known as the Mexican Hairless.

Here are the new breeds and their profiles.

AP Photo/Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

ENTLEBUCHER MOUNTAIN DOG (Herding Group)
The Entlebucher Mountain Dog is a native of Switzerland, and the smallest of the four Swiss breeds. A medium-sized drover, he has a short, tri-colored coat with symmetrical markings. Purpose and heritage have resulted in an unusually intense bonding between the Entlebucher and his master. Prized for his work ethic and ease of training, he can transform from a high-spirited playmate to a serious, self-assured dog of commanding presence. The Entlebucher should not be considered a breed for the casual owner. The guardian traits of this breed require thorough socialization, and he will remain an active, energetic dog for his entire lifetime.

 

AP Photo/Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

CESKY TERRIER (Terrier Group)
The Cesky Terrier was developed to be a well-muscled, short legged and well-pigmented hunting terrier that could be worked in packs. The Cesky Terrier has natural drop ears and a natural tail. The Cesky is longer than it is tall and has a topline that rises slightly higher over the loin and rump. It sports a soft, long, silky coat in shades of gray from Charcoal to Platinum. The correct coat is clipped to emphasize a slim impression. The hallmarks of the breed should be unique unto itself with a lean body and graceful movement. They are reserved towards strangers, loyal to their owners, but ever keen and alert during the hunt.

AP Photo/Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

FINNISH LAPPHUND (Herding Group)
The Finnish Lapphund is a reindeer herding dog from the northern parts of Scandinavia. The breed is thought to have existed for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, as the helper dog of the native tribes. In modern day, Lapphunds are popular as family pets in their native Finland. They are devoted to their family, friendly with all people, highly intelligent and eager to learn. The dogs have a thick, dense coat that comes in a variety of colors and beautiful, soft, expressive faces. They are strong but very agile.

AP Photo/Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

AMERICAN ENGLISH COONHOUND (Hound Group)
The American English Coonhound evolved from Virginia Hounds, descendants of English Foxhounds. Originally these hounds were used to hunt fox by day and raccoons by night and were named the English Fox and Coonhound. Today's American English Coonhound is a wide-ranging hunter that possesses tremendous speed and endurance, and excellent voice. A strong and graceful athlete, he needs regular exercise to stay in peak shape. The breed's hard, protective coat is of medium length and can be red and white ticked, blue and white ticked, tri-colored with ticking, red and white, and white and black. The breed is pleasant, alert, confident and sociable with both humans and dogs.

AP Photo/Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Namina, left, a Mexican Xoloitzcuintli, and Eowyn, a Norwegian Lundehund.

XOLOITZCUINTLI (Non-Sporting Group)
The Xoloitzcuintli - "show-low" as it is commonly called - is the national dog of Mexico. Previously known as the Mexican Hairless, it comes in three sizes as well as a coated version - seen in the show ring only in the US and Canada. These dogs descend from hairless dogs prized by the Aztecs and revered as guardians of the dead. Over 400 years later, these dogs were still to be found in the Mexican jungles. Shaped by the environment rather than by man, their keen intelligence, trainability and natural cleanliness have made them a unique and valued pet today.

NORWEGIAN LUNDEHUND (Non-Sporting Group)
The Norwegian Lundehund - or Puffin Dog -- spent centuries on the rocky cliffs and high fields of arctic Norway hunting and retrieving puffin birds, an important meat and feather crop to local farmers. Uniquely equipped for their task, this little Spitz-type dog has at least six toes on each foot for stability in the near vertical environs where puffins nest. A flexible skeletal structure enables the dog to squirm out of tight spots or spread-eagle to prevent slips and falls. Lundehunds have a protective double coat, reddish-brown, often with white collar and feet and a white tip on the tail. Today puffin birds are protected and the puffin dog has taken up its new role as an alert, cheerful and somewhat mischievous companion.

 

 

The Daily Beast - January 24, 2012

AP Photo/Chicago Zoological Society, Jim Schulz

Sarani, a 1-year-old female snow leopard enjoys the snow around her outdoor habitat at the Brookfield Zoo, Jan. 12, 2012 in Brookfield, Ill.

The Daily Beast - January 23, 2012

AFP PHOTO / Ed Jones

A panda keeper sits with a four-month-old cub at the Panda Research Base in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on January 13, 2012. The breeding facility for giant pandas will on January 15 loan a pair of giant pandas to France after the two countries agreed upon a deal that will see the pair staying in a French zoo for 10 years under a conservation and research programme.

The Daily Beast - January 22, 2012

AFP PHOTO / CAROLINE SEIDEL

An African Penguin swims in a pool at the zoo in Berlin, on January 13,  2012.  At temperatures of 5 to 3 degrees celsius, the penguin enjoys its bath.