Animals

Wisconsin ice storm causes migrating loons to be "encased in ice," fall from sky "like rocks"

By Aaron Rupar Thu., May 9 2013 at 8:13 AM
Categories: Animals, Weather, Weird Wisconsin
looncrash.jpg
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A crash-landed loon rehabs in a Wisconsin bathtub.
Image you're a migrating loon headed north for the summer. All of the sudden, you find yourself thinking what the hell? as you fly into a nasty, unseasonal ice storm. And next thing you know, you wake up in some random human's bathtub.

SEE ALSO: Minnesota Zoo selling unintentionally (?) morbid shirts in tribute of relocated dolphins

That's the fate that befell some of the more than 50 loons who tried to fly through a nasty ice storm late last week but ended up freezing in midair.

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Mall of America

Mall of America's aphid population under attack from 72,000 ladybugs

By Aaron Rupar Fri., Apr. 26 2013 at 7:34 AM
Categories: Animals, Mall of America
ladybugsmoa.jpg
Image by Tatiana Craine
At the Megamall and broke? Take some ladybugs home as free souvenirs!
There are 30,000 air-purifying live plants, including 400 trees, in the Mall of America. And there are also thousands of aphids trying to eat them.

SEE ALSO: Sarah and Bristol Palin receive a lukewarm welcome at Mall of America

So officials have decided to one-up the aphids by releasing a whole shit ton of ladybugs into the mall.

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Animals

Oldest known wild bear in the world lives in Minnesota [PHOTO]

By Aaron Rupar Mon., Feb. 11 2013 at 2:09 PM
Categories: Animals
bear no 56.jpeg
Video screengrab
Bear No. 56 was born during the Nixon administration -- all the way back in January 1974.
The oldest known wild bear in the world by a longshot lives in the woods near Marcell, Minnesota.

FROM LAST MONTH: Lily the black bear gives birth to two cubs live on webcam [VIDEO]

She doesn't have a name, but is simply called Bear No. 56 by DNR officials. And at 39 years of age, she's six years older than any of the 60,000 bears included in an 2010 DNR study.

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How We Live

Wisconsin woman found living in trailer home with 300 rats

By Aaron Rupar Fri., Feb. 8 2013 at 5:30 AM
Categories: Animals, How We Live, Weird Wisconsin
rat rect.jpg
Most people shudder at the thought of living with one of these things, let alone 300 of them!
I'm not particularly creeped out by rats, but this still sounds likes hell on earth.

SEE ALSO: Humane officers find cat feces oozing out of Minnesota cat hoarder's front door

A Plover, Wisconsin woman named Darlene Flatoff has been evicted from her trailer home after she found to be living with more than 300 loose rats.

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Darlene Flatoff, rats
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Animals

Is the bald eagle still an at-risk species? The DNR wants your take

By Andy Mannix Mon., Feb. 4 2013 at 10:35 AM
Categories: Animals

Bald Eagle-560.jpg
Photo: Yathin S Krishnappa.
The bald eagle would be among animals taken off the list under a new proposal.
Should a bald eagle remain on Minnesota's list of species at risk from disappearing? How about the gray wolf?

SEE ALSO:
Wolf hunting season opposed by 80 percent of DNR survey respondents


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Animals

Lily the black bear gives birth to two cubs live on webcam [VIDEO]

By Aaron Rupar Mon., Jan. 14 2013 at 2:48 PM
Categories: Animals
lily birth cubs.jpeg
Lily looks tired after giving birth to two cubs.
Early Saturday morning, internet sensation Lily the black bear gave birth to two cubs at the North American Bear Center in the woods near Ely, Minnesota.

SEE ALSO:
-- Frogtown black bear shot and killed by DNR
-- Hibernating bears have remarkable wound healing capabilities, finds Minnesota researchers
-- Minnesota Bear Center releases "the cutest footage to date" [VIDEO]

And as was the case the last time she gave birth in 2011, the cubs first moments were broadcast across the world via webcam.


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Lily the black bear, North American Bear Center
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Animals

Minnesota Zoo selling unintentionally (?) morbid shirts in tribute of relocated dolphins

By Aaron Rupar Thu., Dec. 27 2012 at 1:20 PM
Categories: Animals
dolphins shirt MN zoo.jpg
Matt Logelin's Twitter
If you want to create new Allie or Semo memories, you'll have to travel to Illinois or California, respectively.
No, Allie and Semo haven't died. But if you didn't know that and came across one of the shirts for sale at the Minnesota Zoo paying tribute to the relocated dolphins, you'd probably think they'd passed on to marine mammal heaven.

SEE ALSO: Minnesota otter attacks: Why do they suddenly hate us?

The "Thanks for the memories" shirt visible above was brought to our attention by author Matt Logelin, who was in Minnesota and visited the zoo as party of a holiday getaway.

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Minnesota Zoo
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Scary

Some jerk reportedly leaving glass-laced treats at Crow Hassan dog park

By Aaron Rupar Thu., Dec. 20 2012 at 1:19 PM
Categories: Animals, Sad, Scary
dog park.jpeg
Who would do such a thing?
Some jerk is reportedly making a late bid for Biggest Ass of the Year by leaving dog treats laced with broken glass in the Three Rivers Park District's Crown Hassan off-leash dog park.

SEE ALSO: Southwest Mpls dog park that was originally supposed to cost $45,000 now costs $215,000

Park officials say they haven't been able to confirm anything, but have heard reports of glass-laced treats in September, October, and December 17.

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Animals

Oliver the cat's best friend was an elderly sheep [PHOTO]

By Aaron Rupar Thu., Dec. 20 2012 at 8:30 AM
Categories: Animals, Love
oliver ada.jpg
Photo submitted to Minnesota Historical Society Press
Oliver's favorite place to hang out was on Ada's back, and she didn't seem to mind.
Sometimes living creatures form hard-to-explain connections transcending age, appearance, and even the ability to see and hear.

SEE ALSO: 43 years after they first met at McDonalds, man again serves sweetie a side of love

Or such was seemingly the case with Oliver the cat and Ada the sheep, two Alexandria-area farm animals that became the unlikeliest of best friends.

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Alexandria, Oliver the cat
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Animals

47-pound Asian carp caught in Lake Pepin -- it's one of the ugliest fish you'll see [PHOTO]

By Aaron Rupar Wed., Nov. 21 2012 at 2:33 PM
Categories: Animals
bighead carp rect.jpeg
DNR
This monster was caught in Lake Pepin earlier this month.
Asian carp are invasive. And they're frickin' ugly.

SEE ALSO: Asian carp can kick your ass

On November 16, a commercial fisherman on Lake Pepin hauled in the 47-pound bighead carp pictured above. The DNR says it's the largest Asian carp they've seen to date.

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Asian carp, Lake Pepin
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