AFP PHOTO / Torsten BLACKWOOD
A female koala cuddles her joey in the fork of a gum tree at Wild Life Sydney on December 15, 2011. Koalas are now considered critically endangered in large areas of Australia, which is one step away from extinct.
AFP PHOTO / Torsten BLACKWOOD
A female koala cuddles her joey in the fork of a gum tree at Wild Life Sydney on December 15, 2011. Koalas are now considered critically endangered in large areas of Australia, which is one step away from extinct.
AP Photo/Chris O'Meara
Kidogo, a Southern White Rhinoceros, keeps an eye on her one-week-old calf as the newborn runs Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Fla. The zoo has launched a naming contest on it's Facebook page. The contest ends Dec. 23, 2011, in order for the newborn to have her name for Christmas.
AP Photo/The Winchester Star, Scott Mason
Sassy, a two-year-old Labrador retriever, leaps into Wilkins Lake in Winchester, Va. Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011, at sunset to grab a tennis ball thrown by her owner, John Crawford.
AFP PHOTO / JULIAN STRATENSCHULTE
A cat plays with a mouse on December 8, 2011 in Arnsberg, western Germany. Due to their ability to hunt mouses and other vermin, cats have been domesticated by humans at least 9,500 years ago.
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Walker the polar bear plays with a hard hat on his third birthday at the Highland Wildlife Park on December 7, 2011 in Kingussie, Scotland.
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Walker was born in Rhenen Zoo in Holland on 7th December 2008.
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
He came to live at the Highland Wildlife Park after his aunt, Freedom, became pregnant and needed to retire to her cubbing den, his mother was also due to come on heat and be reintroduced back to the Zoo's adult male, Walker's dad.
REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Walker a 58 stone (368 kg) polar bear sticks his tongue out at the photographer.
AP Photo/Mark Baker
A pair of Western and Victorian crown pigeons eat from a feeding plate at the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. The bird park houses more than 3,000 birds representing more than 200 species, in an enclosed aviary. Out of these birds, 90 percent are local birds and 10 percent were imported from overseas.
AP Photo/Mark Baker
An Indian Blue Peafowl flies across a pond at the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 5, 2011. The bird park houses more than 3,000 birds representing more than 200 species, in an enclosed aviary. Out of these birds, 90 percent are local birds and 10 percent were imported from overseas.
AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Johnny Hanson
A giraffe licks its lips at the Houston Zoo Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Houston. The Houston Zoo started its Gift of Grub campaign to raise money to help feed the more than 6,000 animals at the zoo. It costs more than $600,000 a year to feed the animals, and due to the abnormal weather conditions across the country the cost of feeding the animals has gone up.
Associated Press
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Forty-nine penguins rescued from an oil spill off New Zealand have been set free after being cleaned and nursed back to health by wildlife officials.
The birds released Tuesday are among 343 little blue penguins that have been cleaned of oil since a cargo ship ran aground on a reef near Tauranga on Oct. 5 and spilled some 400 tons of fuel oil.
More than 2,000 sea birds died in the spill.
The penguins were nursed back to health at a wildlife facility manned by specialists from New Zealand, Australia and the United States. They were fitted with microchips so they can be monitored after their release.
Wildlife Response Manager Kerri Morgan says it's important that wild penguins do not remain in captivity for too long because they can develop injuries and illnesses.
The penguins were nursed to health at a wildlife facility manned by specialists from New Zealand, Australia and the United States. They were fitted with microchips so they can be monitored after their release.
Wildlife Response Manager Kerri Morgan says it's important wild penguins do not remain in captivity for too long because they can develop injuries and illnesses.
AFP PHOTO / MARTY MELVILLE
Wild life workers and school children release Little Blue Penguins back into the sea at Mount Maunganui beach in Tauranga, on December 8, 2011.
AFP PHOTO / MARTY MELVILLE
The Penguins were among those affected by New Zealand's biggest sea pollution disaster when the Monrovia-flagged container ship 'Rena' ploughed into a reef on October 5.
AFP PHOTO / MARTY MELVILLE
A Little Blue Penguin encouraged by a wild life worker to head back to sthe sea at Mount Maunganui beach in Tauranga on December 8, 2011.
AFP PHOTO / MARTY MELVILLE
Little Blue Penguins runs towards the sea after being released by wild life workers and school children at Mount Maunganui beach in Tauranga on December 8, 2011.
AFP PHOTO / MARTY MELVILLE
A Little Blue Penguin moves towards the sea after being released by wild life workers and school children at Mount Maunganui beach in Tauranga on December 8, 2011.
AFP PHOTO / MARTY MELVILLE
Little Blue Penguins run towards the sea after being released by wild life workers and school children at Mount Maunganui beach in Tauranga on December 8, 2011.
