#animal-care

#animal-care

The serval did not want to go into her crate. The spotted cat's name was Naomi, she had just been weighed, and now it was time to do as she was told. "C'mon - in your crate," urged Thomas Barber, a student at Moorpark College. Naomi, held on a leash by student Trinity Astilla, was the picture of lithe, feline elegance as she slunk around a dusty enclosure, briefly hopping atop her crate - but not into it.

Some kids start their mornings with cereal and cartoons, but my daughters start theirs with rubber boots and feed pails. In 2010, I moved to a cattle and grain farm in east-central Alberta, Canada, to be with my now-husband. Fifteen years later, our two daughters - who are 13 and 12 - have never known another home. Life here is unconventional, especially compared to my previous lifestyle in the city, because there's always work to do.

Claude isn't your average alligator. He's bright white, nearly blind and has regrown thousands of teeth. Claude is believed to be one of the oldest albino alligators in human care. In the wild, he likely wouldn't have survived past infancy - his bright white skin makes camouflage impossible and leaves him vulnerable to predators. At the Academy, though, Claude may live another three decades.

Nicky, a 28-year-old Masai giraffe, and Kalluk, a 24-year-old polar bear were euthanized, marking a tragic day for the San Diego Zoo.

The beloved panda Tenzing received medical care for neurological episodes but ultimately passed peacefully, helped by a dedicated animal health team in the San Francisco Zoo.

"The Fourth of July is one of the scariest days for pets," San Jose Animal Care and Services field operations supervisor Jaysen Jenkins said. "They just want to get away from the noise - which means they'll jump fences, we've even had reports of dogs breaking through plane glass windows."