WildCreatures

This baby cormorant has come ashore to beg for fish from a friendly family at their cottage. The GoPro catches his attention and he becomes interested in checking it out, forgetting all about the fish! Cormorants are highly intelligent and they are very easily tamed, especially when food is involved.

Syd is a cockatoo with a a sense of humour. He loves to yank Dave's eyeglasses off and he repeatedly throws them away as fast as Dave can put them on. This is a game that Syd loves. He runs right up Dave's arm as soon as he sees the glasses. Syd screams with delight and laughs aloud after the game is done. Syd lives on Hamish's Farm in Keene, Ontario. The farm is run by Hamish and his mother, Gertrud, and is home to horses, goats, sheep and cows. The animals are treated like family. Tragically, the farm burned down in November 2016. Syd spent the winter with Gertrud in a trailer on the farm as the house was being rebuilt. The barn is almost complete now too and life is returning to normal.

Stella is the most affectionate cat there is. She loves attention all day long and will even ask for her belly to be rubbed for more than the usual three seconds. What is truly unique about Stella is that she has a rare genetic mutation that caused her to be born with four ears. The smaller ears are distinct and separate from her larger ears. They sit behind the functional ears and they do not have ear drums or an ear canal. They do not cause Stella any difficulty nor do they give her superior hearing capabilities. The recessive gene which causes this to happen is extremely rare. It does not have a name and is not fully understood, but it is believed to exist in conjunction with reproductive and balance issues. Stella has a loving home at the Sherbrooke Heights Animal Hospital in Peterborough, Ontario, where she lives with two other clinic cats who were rescued. Stella was dropped off at the hospital by a man who walked in and put her on the counter in a box. He turned and left without a word. Stella was in serious distress at the time, pregnant, although her kittens were no longer alive in her womb. She was suffering from a life threatening infection and needed an emergency C-section to save her life. Stella has recovered, even though she suffers some neurological damage, possibly from her genetic mutation or possibly from the infection. Nevertheless, she is a favorite among the clients who visit Sherbrooke Heights. She has also found a friend and snuggle buddy in one of the other clinic cats named Alvin. The two are inseparable.

This gopher emerges from its den and finds a camera stationed at the entrance. It moves in for an extreme close up as it looks directly into the lens, providing us with a good look at its adorable face. Then it decides to strike a pose, displaying a wet and hairy (yet healthy) belly!

Raven is an eight month old Great Dane puppy who is already over 45kg (100lbs). Although she is enormous for a puppy, she has a lot of growing to do. She will be over 70kg (150lbs) when she is fully grown. One might expect that such a huge dog would come with a huge amount of bravery, but Great Danes are known to be adorably cowardly about the most innocuous things. This balloon is a perfect example of this. Raven has never seen an inflated balloon before. She was returning home after a long walk along her country road when the balloon drifted through her yard, blown by the wind. She became instantly aggressive, barking at it and running around it. The moment that the wind blew it toward her, Raven jumped back as if the balloon was a dangerous creature. Raven’s owner let her off the leash so she could investigate the balloon on her own terms. Raven began to relax soon after her owners started recording and she seemed to wonder if the balloon might be something to play with. In her excitement, she began running around the yard with the zoomies. Raven is a very fast runner on her long legs and she covered a great distance in a short time, running at full speed. Soon after the thrill wore off, Raven lay down on her giant dog bed for a long snooze. Great Danes have lovable and funny personalities. They often show a lack of understanding of just how big and formidable they are. They are known for hiding behind their owners or behind couches to avoid things that most dogs would not even be concerned with. Great Dane owners spend a good deal of time laughing at the personality quirks that come with this wonderful breed.

A large iguana has staked his claim over a head of juicy lettuce, but he has competition gathering. The chickens also want some but they are wary because they know the lizard is a carnivore. One brave hen steps up and holds a stare-down with him while she works up her nerve. With lightening speed, she pecks at the greens, flaps her wings and darts back out of reach. Wanting to share no more, the iguana lets out a hiss that warns the birds to keep their distance.

Raven is an 11 month old Great Dane puppy who doesn't know her own strength. She is full of energy and enthusiasm but she is adorably uncoordinated. She has been enjoying long walks with her owners in a remote and beautiful forest in Ontario, Canada. She has been working very hard on her recall training and she has been rewarded with lots of off leash time every day. Every morning, Raven's humans take her walking for 5km through endless trails over rolling hills. She walks on leash for the first part so that they are away from the road. When the leash comes off, she can't contain her joy. She affectionately bumps and leans on Kristy when she is happy and she gazes up adoringly at her during this display of love. But when she is trying to show her affection in the middle of a walk or a run, it resembles a hipcheck from a professional linebacker. Kristy is normally very coordinated and sure on her feet, but walking in deep snow makes keeping her balance more difficult. When Raven collides with her playfully with her full 60kg (135lbs), it sends Kristy sprawling into the snowbank. Luckily, it's a soft landing and it doesn't hurt. Kristy finds it difficult to get back up when she is half buried in the snowdrift, and laughing makes it all much harder. Raven seems happy about this new game and the excitement gives her a serious case of the zoomies. Kristy's husband Dave tries to help Kristy up but he's very amused by all of this too, and he can't decide whether to rush to Kristy's rescue or hold the camera and record this gigantic dog running with sheer joy all around them. Without a doubt, Raven has a sense of humour and she enjoys this prank because she continuously knocks Kristy over throughout the entire walk. But Kristy also has a sense of humour and she too enjoys this game, so she gives Raven a hipcheck now and then too. Great Danes are one of the most loveable and loyal breeds in the world. Anyone who has owned one has completely fallen in love with the breed. Raven's family has been loving their daily walks and occasionally they go for a second hike in the afternoon. Not only is Raven a ton of fun, but she's helping to keep her people healthy and young at heart!

Horses are one of the most beautiful and majestic animals. To see them run at a gallop is a sight to behold. There is a beautiful farm near Peterborough, Ontario called The Mane Intent. It is home to a herd of magnificent and wonderful horses. They have come from different places and different lives, but they have all found their way here, and they have all found a new purpose and a higher calling. The horses here are all have very unique personalities and unique skills and they work magic with people who come here for a variety of reasons. Some come to learn about themselves, others to learn about teamwork and leadership. Some come to learn about communication. The herd at The Mane Intent also works with first-responders, veterans, and with people who have experienced trauma. These are people who come here to heal or to deal with their grief and emotions. The human/animal bond works wonders with people, especially those for whom trust is difficult. Horses are exceptionally perceptive and they also respond to and react to a person’s body language, breathing, mood, and subtle behaviors. They invite connection. The relationship created with a horse gives people the opportunity to look within themselves and to understand how they can connect with other people. These connections reassure those with trauma that opening up and forming relationships is safe. To watch these horses work their magic with people is awe inspiring. And to watch them run freely in their meadows under the warm sunshine is simply breath taking. These horses are enjoying a day of leisure and they have broken into a full gallop as they enter their lush, green pasture.As they slow at the top of the hill, Belle, a beautiful giant Clydesdale with ice-blue eyes stops and begins to roll among the flowers. She is experiencing true joy in the moment and her happiness is obvious. In fact, watching her, it’s easy to share her joy as she flings her hooves high in the air in delight.

The scrawled filefish is one of the most bizarre looking fish on the reef. Like an octopus, it changes color to match its surroundings for camouflage. This serves as protection from predators. Because its diet consists partly of algae and coral, eating the flesh of the filefish can cause ciguatera poisoning. Also very common in barracuda meat, the symptoms of toxicity include headache, muscle ache, nausea, stomach upset and even hallucinations. This scrawled filefish can be seen changing its color dramatically. It is also suspending itself vertically in what appears to be an invitation for smaller damsel fish to 'clean' its body of parasites. These cleaning stations are an interesting example of a symbiotic relationship.

Three teen scuba divers are taken on a journey 45 feet beneath the waves to witness a part of history from over 50 years ago. Orestes, the divemaster, has taught these kids about Cuba's history, including the Bay of Pigs invasion. This was a field that trip involved a tour of Cuba's Bay of Pigs Museum, an unforgettable visit to a sunken gunship from the 5 day battle and exposure to the life of Cubans that few tourists are lucky enough to see. They celebrated New Year with a wonderful Cuban family and were immersed in an incredible culture. No classroom lesson could compare.

Solon Intriago is an accomplished scuba diver by any standards. With more than thirty years of experience as a dive master, he has logged more than 15,000 dives, each one in the Galapagos Islands. He has led thousands of divers on adventures under the waves. He is about to experience the most memorable dive of his life and he was fortunate enough to be recording the whole event on his underwater camera. The dive took Solon’s group over stunning rock formations in 14m (40 feet) of water. They experienced the hypnotic effect of millions of salemas sweeping past them and surrounding them. Small fish that school tightly to avoid predators, salemas are a beautiful sight as they move quickly in unison, almost like a massive organism performing an underwater dance. The dance is designed to help them evade predators, such as the Galapagos penguin and the sea lions that follow the huge schools, hoping for a snack or two. Solon was filming the salemas when a pair of Pacific green turtles cruised past, hugging the wall, looking for sponges and plants to eat. Penguins appeared and dashed past closely, also caught on film. Scuba divers are delighted to see this rare and beautiful flightless bird in its natural environment. The Galapagos Islands are the only place in the world, except Antarctica where penguins can be found. The cold water currents bring sardines and other fish here that the penguins require. Despite being on the equator, the waters around the islands are cold, but rich in marine life. As Solon was filming, he saw a gigantic shadow in the distance and recognized it as an orca. Incredibly, the orca swam directly at Solon as it searched for prey. Orcas, also known as killer whales are unmistakably the top predators of the ocean. Even great white sharks fear these intelligent and powerful animals. Hunting in packs, with a level of cunning that is unrivaled, orcas command complete respect and even awe. Solon managed to keep his camera aimed at the giant animal as it banked and swam toward the surface near him. Another diver can be seen recording the orca as well and screams of disbelief and joy can be heard as they look at each other. A sea lion can be seen chasing the salemas after the orca swims through. It would be wise for all of these animals to keep an eye out for the orca as it hunts. Any of them would be unable to escape if the orca spied them. With jaws powerful enough to crack the shell of even the largest turtle, these formidable beasts can eat anything they want. But there has never been a recorded incident of a wild orca attacking a human. These divers are perfectly safe in the water. Orcas are one of the world’s most incredible animals. These divers will never forget their close encounter with this magnificent whale.

Bees are the pollinators of the world, gathering pollen from flowers to make their honey. The pollen is made of simple sugars, protein, vitamins and minerals. When combined with bee saliva, a fermentation process begins. A biochemical transformation takes place, breaking down the walls of the flower pollen grains and making the nutrients more readily available. Ironically, the bees that gather the pollen cannot actually eat it. They lack the proteolytic enzymes to digest it. Instead, they eat a substance known as bee bread, which is created in the cells in the hive. In the process of gathering pollen, some of the grains are transferred from the male part of the flower to the female part, allowing reproduction to occur. This is the process that is crucial to the production of most fruit, vegetables and the breeding of other plants. It is widely known that without bees, the world would be at risk of losing the majority of plants, and with them, many animals. We understand our dependence on the survival and health of these tiny creatures. This bee is gathering pollen on a beautiful thistle flower. Usually, bees pack pollen on their leg hairs, resembling small yellow baskets. They carry the pollen back to the nest with these baskets that look a lot like saddle bags on a motorcycle. But this bee actually packs the pollen onto her underbelly, using a deliberate patting motion with her hind legs. The thistle is a gorgeous backdrop for such a spectacular little beast. She is more than beautiful. She is critical.

The Aqua Skipper is a bizarre device that propels the rider across the surface of the water by means of a well-timed jumping motion. The rhythm must be perfect or the rider comes to a sudden stop. This 3 second ride ended in an over-the-handlebars face plant. Our less than coordinated hopeful comes up with a look of triumph though, and you can tell he did better than he expected. Clearly a "glass half full" kind of guy, you have to admire his optimism!

Horses are beautiful animals that could teach us all about enjoying the moment and living in happiness. These incredible animals are Jasper and Banner and they have a lot of reason to be happy. They live on a gorgeous farm in Southern Ontario where they have paddocks and meadows to graze and a cozy barn for shelter. There are miles of trails through long grass and wooded areas. The horse are taken for walks or rides daily and it's hard to tell whether it's them or their humans that love the adventures more. Banner and Jasper had just finished a morning trot through the fields and around the property and they were showing their happiness at their freedom. They spend their days chasing each other or grazing together on the lush, green grass. Watching horses as contented as these two warms the heart!

Oakley is a gorgeous Golden Retriever with a gentle and loving disposition. Two months ago she spent the afternoon with a dark red Golden Retriever named Kevin. Their romance resulted in Oakley being pregnant with her first <a href="https://rumble.com/v34xkz-shar-pei-puppies-are-playing-on-their-bed.html" target="_blank">litter of puppies</a>. She's about to give birth to six boys and three girls. Oakley works hard to deliver her young and she immediately begins the job of cleaning and feeding her family. She instinctively knows to thoroughly clean each puppy and lick them until they clean and dry. This will help stimulate them to breath, move and nurse. Each pup quickly does what she expects and they squirm and explore, seeking milk and warmth from Oakley within minutes of their arrival. They are all robust and strong puppies with a healthy appetite already. The young <a href="https://rumble.com/v31ohe-mother-dog-elated-after-reunited-with-her-puppies.html" target="_blank">mother</a> also instinctively disposes of any afterbirth. In the wild, this is a very necessary precaution to prevent predators from being attracted by the smell of prey. The faster an animal can get her young nursing, the faster they will be strong enough for survival. She is very fortunate. Her litter are all healthy, robust puppies with big appetites. She will have her work cut out for her in the coming weeks. Oakley may be new to delivering puppies, but she is lucky to be assisted by Christine, an experienced breeder who knows exactly how to reassure and comfort Oakley throughout the birth. The mother is extremely trusting and has no concerns when Christine briefly removes each newborn puppy for a quick inspection and cleaning before returning them promptly to her. And Kevin, the proud father, watched from the other room with occasional noises of encouragement for Oakley. He will be a very involved father in the coming weeks.

Mola mola are fascinating and bizarre giants of the ocean, yet we know very little about them. They are one of the most elusive and mysterious of the ocean's creatures. They spend most of their time at depths where there is less light and less food. For scuba divers, venturing below 30m (100 feet) comes with complications and the time that they are able to spend at these depths is limited. Mola mola are very shy creatures and it is difficult for people to see these fish in their natural environment. Also called ocean sunfish, they have many names. People refer to them as "nature's mistake" and "the fish that shouldn't be". Their structure looks like a giant head with two fins. In truth, mola mola have a head and a body, and although they do possess a tail, it has evolved to become almost non functional. They are extremely clumsy looking animals and generally very slow moving. Mola mola drift slowly on the current, although they can actually swim at slow speeds to move throughout the day. They are also capable of impressive speeds for very short distances to avoid predators. Small Mola Mola are often prey to a variety of sharks, tuna, sea lions, and many types of large fish, but once they reach full size, their thinck skin makes them difficult to eat. Mola Mola can reach a size of 3.3m (more than 10 feet) in length and a mass of more than 2300kg (5,000lbs). Once they reach this size, only orcas, large sharks, and sea lions pose a threat to them. They are also capable of diving deep to avoid predators. The Mola Moila preys on small fish, fish eggs, squid, and other small marine life. They often seek food at deeper temperatures which causes them to lose a significant amount of body heat. It is believed that this why they can often be seen lying flat on the surface, basking in the sun. Mola Mola lay more eggs than any other fish, with a mature female laying as many as 300,000,000 at one time. These fish are a rare sight for scuba divers and this man was thrilled to be swimming among a group of these strange animals that seemed unconcerned with his presence. These fish were found swimming around the remote islands of the Galapagos.

Buddha is a rescued beagle who has a nose and stomach that are always working overtime. He suffers from seizures that have left him disadvantaged. He was abandoned by his first owner who was not willing to provide the care that he needed, but he found more than enough love in this forever home. But Buddha tests the boundaries with his antics and his lack of training. He can smell food at great distances and zero right in and his nose doesn't just lead him to food that dogs are supposed to like. He will eat or drink almost anything. He discovered that the family van often has half finished coffee in the cup holder and he developed quite a taste for it. Kristy would carry her groceries in and then return shortly afterwards to get her coffee. It was suddenly disappearing from the open van without a trace. There was little doubt about who was behind this, but it was hard to imagine that Buddha was smart enough to carefully lift out a near full cup of coffee. Hidden cameras in and around the van told the story. Buddha is crafty enough to climb in and then carry the cup out, only spilling a little bit of it on the front seat. Then he trots down the path to a quiet spot in the trees where he can gulp it down. After watching from a distance and seeing the close up footage, this family actually had to give the dog credit for this stunt. Buddha is no angel but he makes up for it by being so lovable!

Blair is an adorable baby who has just learned to crawl. His mother catches the action on video as he makes his first trip across the hardwood floor. He seems to be performing more of a butterfly kick than a crawl as he 'swims' toward his goal. It turns out that what has motivated this little fellow to move is a bowl of cat food!

These cows are living the good life on a beautiful farm in Millbrook, Ontario. It is owned and operated by a wonderful couple who truly love their animals and try tyo give them the best home possible. The cows have acres of lush, green meadows to roam and graze. They have two ponds where they can drink fresh water. The pastures are surrounded on three sides by cornfields and forest. The cows spend most of the year outside in the open, enjoying the freedom and sunshine on the wide expanse of land. It's life as close to what nature intended as possible. The herd is happy and healthy and they are very accustomed to being treated well by their owners. This is very obvious in the way that they react to the farmers and visitors alike with an abundance of trust. They are curious and affectionate animals, and much smarter than we give them credit for. When the farmers were going to be out of town for a few days, they asked a neighbor, Dave, to babysit the cows. The job involved moving a fence and opening a gate to allow them access to a fresh pasture, as well as keeping an eye on them. But Dave took things a step farther, and he saw "babysitting" the herd as an opportunity to spend some time relaxing in the meadow, hanging out with the cows himself. Armed with a little bit of corn, he found that the cows were quite happy to include him in their cow activities. Dave hand fed them treats, petted the calves and even found that several of the larger cows were as affectionate as big dogs. They were eager for head scratches and face rubs. Sometimes they were even competing for affection, trying to push the other cows out of the way, much like jealous dogs will do. When Dave had a seat in the grass to look out over the spectacular view of the rolling hills, one of them even came to join him. Flossey chewed her cud while Dave scratched her head and rubbed her face. Knowing that the farmers would want to see how seriously Dave took his job while they were away, he recorded the fun.

Giant iguanas on Little Cayman Island that live near the museum became used to being fed by people for many years. These tourists decided to take a bag of salad to give the lizards a little treat. The iguanas obviously recognized the greens in the bag as food as they literally run to get it. With a slow approach and some patience, the lizards actually walked up and ate right out of their hands. Surprisingly, the scary looking creatures were as gentle as a well trained dog!

The house wren is a small and dainty looking bird, but its behaviour is that of a feisty and competitive animal with a dark side. The female is known to be a cantankerous and demanding mate. Eager to impress her, the male builds a nest and awaits her approval. In more than half of the cases, the female discards most of the sticks and rebuilds it, having little regard for the male's feelings about watching his work being picked apart. The male house wren will often watch this process patiently and take his place alongside the female as she lays eggs. Together, they will raise the young. The female spends most of the time on the nest and the male brings her food as she does her job keeping the eggs warm. But occasionally, the male has a wandering eye while the female is dismantling his nest. In some cases, he finds himself with a more accepting female and the two will pair up as a more agreeable couple. The female house wren's cranky side extends beyond her own nest and is directed toward others in the area. She is not tolerant of other birds in the area that would compete for her food supply or nesting grounds. She fills the nests with sticks to make them unusable, driving the birds away from her territory. Those who persist and successfully lay eggs might find their nests under attack as the female house wren will peck holes in the shells of the eggs. She earns the label "homewrecker" for her aggressive intolerance of other bird families in her neighbourhood.

Public bathrooms are a serious concern for many people. Sharing facilities causes us to wonder about cleanliness and even safety. Our health can be compromised in many ways with the spread disease and bacteria. we are understandably bothered by the thought of bathrooms that are less than spotless. Yet, we cannot easily avoid using public bathrooms, at least occasionally. We hope that they will be in a clean state, but we have all experienced bathrooms that were not. In some cases, the condition of the restroom leaves us with no choice but to delay our business and bear the discomfort. But there is a very simple solution that removes most of our concern by cleverly using an item that is all around us. Throughout the day, we find an abundance of single use plastics in the form of small bags. They are used to package our food, products we buy, and even the newspapers that are delivered to our homes daily. These bags are perfectly sized to be re-purposed by slipping them over the toilet seat. All we need to do is roll them up or fold them and keep them in a handy location such as a pocket, purse, backpack or briefcase. They don't take much room and they can be stowed easily until needed. The plastic film provides a perfect barrier for anything on the seat that is undesirable. Plastic bags can be applied in seconds. They provide peace of mind and safety. They can be removed easily and tossed in a recycle box. A third bag in the pocket will allow the two used ones to be transported a short distance to the proper receptacle. With the invention of single use plastics, life became undeniably more convenient, however, the cost to our environment and to the animals that ingest the plastic is horrific. WE have many good reasons to cut down on the production and demand for single use plastics. Our best option is to refuse them at the source. By carrying reusable bags, we can eliminate much of the plastic film that ends up in our oceans and landfills. As a bonus, we avoid the small charge that is commonly applied to each bag. We can carry reusable cups to avoid paper and plastic drink containers. When it is impossible to avoid plastic bags, it helps to keep them and use them the next time so that we can avoid needing new ones. Reusing plastic film helps cut down on quantities. This easy hack will provide peace of mind to those needing to conduct their daily business, and it gives us a second use for the plastic film.

Two beavers built their lodge under the dock and raised an adorable family over the summer. A GoPro mounted below the dock captured the action as they came and went, looking for food and building their lodge. The adorable babies can be seen following the parents. The father can be identified by an old injury that left his tail missing part of the end. These beaver grew and thrived over the summer and will likely build their own lodges next year. Beaver lodges are a very good sign on any lake.

Hilton is a very lucky pig and the smile on his face shows that he knows it. Hilton belonged to a loving owner and lived in a wonderful home that he shared with his sister, Meeka. Hilton and Meeka were bought as tiny piglets that had been advertised as miniature pot bellied pigs. As it turns out, they grew much more quickly than expected into two very large pets. They soon became well over 100lbs and they became more of a handful than the owners could manage. They were people pigs now though and could not be placed on an ordinary farm. And they could not be kept indoors. The pigs faced a serious dilemma with no place to go. But there was one place where these beautiful and intelligent creatures would be welcomed with open arms. A woman named Lucy Davidson runs a pet boarding haven called Wagging Tails Pet Retreat in Millbrook, Ontario. The facility is part of a huge expanse of land and a farm where many different animals have found a home. Lucy is known far and wide for her huge heart and her history of caring for animals that had no place to go. She took one look at these pigs and knew that they would love life at her farm. Meeka and Hilton love their food, as all pigs do, and having been pets, they are used to people hand feeding them. They are gentle and careful and they wag their tails like happy dogs when they are given treats or shown love. Hilton is particularly fond of apples and he patiently waited while one was sliced for him. Hilton loves something else as much as snacks, and that's belly rubs. This wonderful farm is home to a donkey, horses, dogs, cats, pigs, and many other animals. Each of these animals is here because they have faced a struggle or challenge, but each one has found the best home an animal could ever want!

Raven is a giant Great Dane puppy with a giant appetite. She would eat all day of she could. Although she likes almost anything edible, she has two absolute favourites. One is pizza and the other is watermelon. Raven has been going into the greenhouse and picking watermelons off the vine. She chooses only the biggest, ripest melons and she picks them up in her mouth to carry them out into the sunshine for a juicy snack. She's been caught in the act and her owners try their best to scold her for her thefts. But they adore her too much to keep a straight face through the reprimand. Raven is a good dog and she deserves a healthy treat, so her owners have decided to feed her a big chunk after she ate all her dinner. Raven seems to know what's going to happen and she can't contain her excitement. Raven knows they are going to the grass before she will get it and she leaps off the deck without touching the stairs. She snatches the watermelon from Kristy's hand but drops it promptly when told to. Kristy picks it up and holds it to make it easier for Raven to eat. You can hear the teeth scraping the rind and see the juice as it runs down Raven's chin. Raven's tail wagged excitedly throughout this happy moment. She's a wonderful and loyal dog. Anyone who has ever had a Great Dane has fallen completely in love with the breed. Their haearts are as big as they are and they are beautiful animals in every way.