Missing Arctic Fox found in Orchard Park

An Arctic Fox that went missing from Buffalo Animal Adventures last week has been found and is back at their enclusre in West Seneca.

The animal was spotted by a woman on her lunch break Tuesday in Orchard Park. 

A viewer, Anthony Rusinek, sent 2 On Your Side a photo of the white, furry fox saying his wife snapped the picture while eating her lunch in the parking lot of the Buffalo Medical Group on North Buffalo Road.

After the photo was posted on social media, a representative from Buffalo Animal Adventure, Anthony Kelly, called 2 On Your Side. Kelly said he thought the fox was one-year-old Cleo who went missing from Animal Adventures last Thursday.

The animal education firm says Cleo was adopted by them after a man in Ohio tried to keep her as a pet. Kelly says they have permits from the state to keep her in a special double-gated enclosure because she is technically considered to be wildlife. They stress she got loose at feeding time last Thursday because of a mistake by one of their staffers. They also say this is the first such escape from their enclosure and the staffer will be re-trained to make sure it does not happen again.  

The fox is not a public health concern in any way, an Animal Adventures representative says. She is not aggressive and has been vaccinated.  She is used for educational visits to homes, nursing homes, and evemn kids birthday parties.

The tip from a viewer prompted Buffalo Animal Adventure staffers to try to catch her in Orchard Park. They were unsuccessful on Tuesday evening. But she was spotted again near the Orchard Park Veterinary Emergency Hospital and wildlife expert Elise Able was able to successfully and safely lure her into a Have A Heart style trap. She has since been returned to the West Seneca enclosure.

Online animal lovers raise money for wounded pup

It had been more than a week since Marissa Hinrichs and Cory Stinar had last seen their dog, Orion, but the pair wasn't giving up hope.

The husky, less than a year old, had gotten away from the Grand Forks couple two weeks ago while on a walk in Alvarado, Minn., sparking a campaign of flier-hanging, Facebook-posting and general worrying about the fate of the energetic dog Hinrichs describes as "technically still a puppy" but almost wolf-like in appearance.

Eventually, their search paid off. A man in Grafton, N.D., about 30 miles from Alvarado, called their home to say he believed the dog was in his shop.

"We drove out there immediately and saw it was Orion," Hinrichs said. "That's when we saw his paw had just an awful, nasty gash on it."

The dog was stand-offish at first, favoring the wounded paw in which bone and tendon could be seen through the torn flesh and fur. But when his owners called his name, Orion limped to them, whining in recognition.

The couple drove to Kindness Animal Hospital in Grand Forks to assess the severity of the wound. The veterinary staff soon found bullet fragments embedded in the gash, Hinrichs said, indicating Orion had been shot. What's more, the bullet had caused such damage to the dog's lower leg that the veterinarians determined the paw—and possibly the entire affected leg—could not be saved.

Orion is now due for surgery Thursday at the animal hospital. Hinrichs said the staff there will determine the full extent of the damage to his leg that day to decide how much of the limb is in need of amputation. Though Orion was largely back to his old, playful self by Wednesday night, Hinrichs said the cause of his injury is still a sore subject.

"After we found out it was caused by a bullet, it's hard not to be angry," she said. "He's our family, so it's hard to imagine him going through that pain."

The initial shock of the gruesome-looking injury was followed shortly after by some sticker shock at the vet. Hinrichs said the cost of Orion's surgery is nearly $1,600, a sum she said will likely be boosted to an even greater level by follow-up care and therapy.

To help defray the expense, Hinrich's mother, Vicki, started a GoFundMe page to raise donations on the popular crowdfunding site. As of noon Thursday, the effort to raise money for Orion had raised more than $1,300 toward a $1,500 goal.

The outpouring of support has been overwhelming, Hinrichs said, and she expressed gratitude for monetary gifts and positive thoughts alike.

Even if the surgery leaves Orion a three-legged pup, Hinrichs was optimistic he'd be content no matter what. Shortly after coming home from the vet Monday, Orion had "snuggled up into his bed" to recuperate with plenty of sleep and food. By mid-week, Hinrichs said, he was "trying to play as if nothing is wrong."

"He's hopping around on three legs," she said. "I think after the operation, he's going to be just fine, going to be happier than ever."

Wallflower center pack baboons find place

Are you the kind of person who, at a party, tends to be surrounded by friends in the middle of the crowd, or do you prefer to find a quiet corner where you can sit and talk? Recent work by scientists at UC Davis shows that wild baboons behave similarly to humans—with some animals consistently found in the vanguard of their troop while others crowd to the center or lag in the rear.

Using high-resolution GPS tracking, UC Davis Assistant Professor Margaret Crofoot and her team of researchers continuously monitored the movements of nearly an entire baboon troop in central Kenya to discover how interactions among group-mates influenced where in the troop individuals tended to be found.

"How animals position themselves within their social group can have life or death consequences," explained Crofoot, an anthropologist. "Individuals at the front of their group may get the first crack at any food their group encounters, but they are also more vulnerable to being picked off by predators."

Interestingly, the team's work suggests that very simple behavioral rules may explain baboons' apparent preferences for particular spatial positions. "Animals who pay attention to more of their group-mates when deciding where to move will inevitably end up at the center of their group," said Crofoot. Differences in social sensitivity may therefore explain why younger baboons end up in the safest positions at the center of their troop, while adult males find themselves exposed on the leading edge.

Researchers have long noted that spatial positioning has important fitness implications, but where an animal is positioned in its group depends not only on its own behavior, but also on the behavior of its group-mates. "How natural selection shapes such emergent properties is fundamental to understanding the evolutionary dynamics of social organisms," Crofoot said.

10 adventures for animal lovers in Gloucestershire

Well if the little people in your life are into animals they are in for a treat as there are so many places in Gloucestershire full of furry friends.

Three Counties Show: You will be able to find thousands of fantastic beasts on display at the Three Counties Show this summer. This celebration of all things rural is taking place at the showground in Malvern between June 16 and 18 and there are plenty of activities for all ages from farming displays and a sheep marquee to a Medieval battle re-enactment.

Over Farm: The farm has a variety of farm animals including pigs, ostriches, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, donkeys and ponies. Admission is free, but if you wish to feed the animals you can purchase food in the shop, which is open 9.00am-5.00pm from Monday to Saturday and open 9.30am-5.00pm on Sundays.

St James City Farm: This is in the heart of Gloucester and is run by the charity The Friendship Café and by a group of teenage volunteers. Animals include goats, sheep, horses, cows, guinea pigs and owls. The farm is 18 years old and based on Albany Street. It is free to visit and is open 9.30am-5.00pm from Monday to Sunday. On rare occasions the farm will be closed, so if you're travelling far, call 01452 305728 to check.

Cattle Country: Cattle Country is an adventure park based in Berkeley which allows you to feed calves and goats, race ferrets and groom donkeys. Also, Cattle Country has other activities such as an indoor soft play area, an outdoor trampoline area, jumping pillows, a shallow splash pool, an outdoor assault course and a boating lake.

Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park: Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park is the winner of the 2014 Farm Attraction of the Year award; Cotswold Farm Park is the farm of Britain's most-loved farmer, Joe Henson, featuring animals like rare breeds of Cattle, Goats, Pigs and Ponies.

Birdland Park and Gardens: Birdland Park and Gardens is based in Burton on the Water. Here you can visit Penguins, Parrots, Owls, Flamingos and Birds of Prey. Day tickets are £9.95 for Adults, £6.95 for Children and £8.95 for Concessions, though this is cheaper online.

Cotswold Falconry Centre: Cotswold Falconry Centre is in Morton-on-the-Marsh. The Falconry Centre hosts Vultures, Hawks and Owls of varying breeds which you can see in the centre's aviaries or in one of their daily flying displays.

International Centre for Birds of Prey: based in Newent and was opened in 1967 by internationally-renowned falconer Philip Glacier. The birds are flown every day; in fact, up to 40 can be flown in the summer months.

WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre: Visit animals such as Otters, Water Voles, Flamingos and Cranes. Adults are £12.26, Concessions £9.45, Children 4-16 years are £6.75, and children under 4 years old are free.

Cotswold Wildlife Park: Based over the border in Burford this family favourite boast giraffes, rhinos and all sorts of other animals. Don't forget a picnic to enjoy on the front lawn after you've explored.

How a Skate Business Came to the Aid of Shelter Animals

The inspiration struck in early 2011, as surf and skate enthusiast David Hendrickson was paddling around on his longboard with his dog, William, adopted three years earlier from an animal shelter in Orange County, Calif. During the adoption process, Hendrickson was told the pup--whose mother was poisoned by cleaning supplies while pregnant--had only a month to live.

William survived, but at a cost: Hendrickson ended up dropping out of college to work three jobs in order to pay $20,000 in veterinary bills. It was during this rough patch that he had his on-board epiphany. "I was just holding [William] out in the water, and I realized I wanted to take my passion for art and design, longboarding and helping animals and combine them," he says.

Hendrickson went home, sold his iPhone on Craigslist for $250, bought a used silk-screening machine and started printing the T-shirts that would later become a key component of his company, Hendrick Boards.

With William--who's doing fine now--as the brand's floppy-eared mascot, Hendrickson started his eco-friendly skateboard and apparel business in June 2011 with a mission to help rescue animals. Hendrick Boards donates as much as 40 percent of its revenue to some 200 animal shelters, rescues and sanctuaries--a generous amount considering that 2012 revenue hit $350,000 and sales are growing between 40 and 50 percent every month.

Hendrickson notes that proceeds from the sale of a single T-shirt will house and feed a shelter animal for a month. Each donation is sent to the organization located nearest the purchaser, in order to make a palpable difference in his or her own community.

Hendrick Boards crafts skateboards from sustainable bamboo and maple, stained with coffee grounds and handmade dyes (shortboards sell for $49.99; longboards for $99.99). Apparel is priced at $24.99 and up (the top seller is the "Keep calm and rescue on" shirt). From time to time, limited-edition products are designed to help specific animals deemed "high-needs medical cases."

The company and its mission have attracted plenty of interest--and quickly. In the first month, Hendrick Boards went from working with two nonprofits to 15; in just six months, the operation turned a profit. Hendrickson says the key to growth, besides "learning from every mistake," has been using social media to up engagement levels. The Hendrick Boards Facebook page boasts more than 70,000 Likes; in a nationwide small-business contest last year, Facebook and American Express Open selected the company as a top 10 finalist.

In February Hendrick Boards and its five employees moved to new 2,000-square-foot digs in Fullerton, Calif. The plan: to ramp up production to back even more animal-rescue initiatives. "When we started, I knew we weren't ever going to be a multimillion-dollar business," Hendrickson says. "I just knew we had to be profitable, because that was the way to save more animals."

What Kind of Sales Animal Are You

Salespeople can learn a lot from the animal kingdom. Every animal has dominant traits that allow it to survive in its environment--and so does every salesperson. When it comes to your selling style, what kind of animal are you?

Bear: The bear's strengths are leverage and power. Bears are also rugged, tough, determined and tenacious. Tenacity builds sales champions. The top sellers don't give up, no matter how many setbacks they face. Never under-estimate the power of tenacity. It offsets many deficiencies and sends a message to the prospect that you believe in your product.
Of course, there's a fine line between professional tenacity and obnoxiousness. Strength and power can be misused. The next time you contact your prospect to close the deal, don't just ask for the order--bring up a new idea or solutionthat ties into your pitch.

Chameleon: Chameleons know how to blend in with the environment and adapt to a situation. Great salespeople have an uncanny way of adjusting their style to adapt to their customers' styles. They listen for clues that help them understand a customer's environment, then customize their presentation to blend in with the customer's key needs and objectives. Many great deals have been made because the salesperson noticed things the customer didn't and recommended something new that brought the customer's business added value.
Watch out, though: Customers like salespeople who believe strongly in what they sell and don't change just to please them.

Dog: Dogs are known for their loyalty and friendliness. They're also quite persistent when they want something. Everything in sales comes down to the relationship and friendship you've developed with your customers. Whether it's finding ways to help them build their businessesor taking them to lunch, look for ways to strengthen that bond.
But you should also ask yourself, How many friends do I have time for? Be careful how you spend and manage your time with all your clients.

Elephant: Elephants have thick skin, great memories and strong emotions. Being thick-skinned in sales is a big plus for dealing with all the rejection you encounter. And like elephants, great salespeople don't forget things. When you hear something your prospect says during a casual conversation and repeat it back to him weeks later, it makes a lasting impression.
Be careful not to step on people on the way up, though. We tend to meet the same people on the way down, so always leave the door open with prospects who aren't initially a good match. Situations can change, and an account that is unqualified today can be an opportunity tomorrow.

Monkey: Monkeys are intelligent and have a great sense of humor. Humor breaks down barriers. Have you ever had a belly laugh with a client and felt like the relationship reached a whole new level afterward? Life is too short to be taken seriously. It also doesn't hurt to come up with intelligent ideas on how your product can move your customer's business forward. Doing your homework on your client's business can help your solutions hit home.
Just be careful with your humor. What you think is funny might be distasteful or insulting to others. It's safest to laugh at yourself to connect with customers and show your human side.