When the Obamas announced in November that they would be getting a puppy for Sasha and Malia the whole world breathed a collective “aww” and envisioned the presidential kids carrying the young pup around like a doll. Well, the Obamas have officially announced the big reveal. Their new four-legged family member is a male Portuguese Water Dog named Bo. Bo is 6 months old rather than being under 16 weeks. He’s already too big to be carried around by Sasha and Malia, but he’s just the right size to be cuddled by everyone in the family. Some people might be

There are two different types of elephants, Asian and African. Up until my visit to Have Trunk Will Travel, I could never tell the difference. But Kari Johnson gave me a fool-proof method. Now I can’t believe I couldn’t distinguish between the two in the past. Asian elephants have a humped back whereas African elephants have a sway back. You probably also notice from the photos that Asian elephants have shorter trunks, wider legs, and their leg does not taper much above the foot. Asian elephants have a bilobed forehead whereas Africans have domed head. ElephantsHTWT3-19-09-31326 ElephantsHTWT3-19-09-31326 Asian elephants have a

Easter is typically a time when families come together and participate in numerous traditions. For some this means going to church. For others the focal point is the Easter egg hunt and Easter baskets. But for one little dog representing a not-so-unusual case, it involved some Cadbury chocolates and a veterinary visit. It was the day after Easter, and while his owners were out, Chico the scrappy fox terrier was planning an hour of mischief. Finally, his chance had come to examine the previous day’s delivery. One by one he plucked the morsels from their bright yellow baskets. It was

Ask any rabbit fancier and they’ll tell you what makes rabbits so great. These affectionate, high-spirited herbivores are full of mischief and games. Their amusing behavior coupled with their quiet nature and convenient size makes them wonderful house pets, for those owners who can meet their unique needs.

Jan30PhoebeChickens I went through the picture in my head. Chicken number one climbs up the ladder onto a one-foot-wide platform, makes a 180-degree turn and tightropes across a narrow bridge to a second platform, where it pecks a tethered ping-pong ball, sending the ball in an arc around its post. The chicken then turns 180 degrees and negotiates a second ladder back down to ground level, where it encounters a yellow bowling pin and a blue bowling pin in random arrangement. It knocks the yellow one down first and then the blue one. Chicken number two grasps a loop tied

Have you ever wondered how show biz elephants are trained and housed, and how they spend a typical day? Last week I found out when I visited an American Zoos and Aquariums certified elephant training and conservation facility called Have Trunk Will Travel.