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animals (Page 50)

“Where are ya!? I’ll fight ya!!!” Cat battles air for over a minute in adorable video

Philip Kendall
Mar 5, 2014
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All this time, we thought cats knew exactly what they were doing; that they were the calm little centres of the world and were not swayed by puerile whims or emotions. But as this video – which sees one cat sitting atop what appears to be an air purifier, batting and grabbing at nothing for over a full minute – shows, they’re just as clueless as the rest of us.

Internet, Japan
(animals • cat • cute • funny • pets • video)

Too cute! Donald plays with real-life feathered friends at Tokyo Disney 【Photos】

Fran W
Feb 27, 2014

Millions of visitors take photos with their favourite characters at Disney parks every year. In these adorable pictures, though, Donald is posing with a different kind of visitor for once – his own kind!

When some little critters wandered out of their area at Tokyo Disney and onto the road, Donald and friends were at hand to help keep them out of harm’s way, and took the chance to have a little fun while they were at it.

Japan
(animals • cute • Disney • Donald Duck)

Cover up out there! 21 dead in Japan from virus spread by mites

Casey Baseel
Feb 26, 2014

In general, Japan has very few animals that’ll kill you, as most local wildlife falls outside the three danger areas that trained zoologists refer to technically as poisonous, gigantic, and fangy.

However, you only need to kill a man once to show him you mean business. A check mark in any one of those boxes is cause for concern, which is why authorities in Japan are warning people about deadly poisonous mites that’ve been found in the country.

Japan
(animals • gross • health • safety)

Ah, isn’t that cute? This rice omelet thinks it’s a corgi!

Casey Baseel
Feb 15, 2014

There are certain meats you can find at restaurants in Japan that aren’t exactly common in the western world. Whale is the one most likely to get foreign visitors up in arms, but with some pretty extensive searching, you can also find establishments serving up monkey and frog.

That isn’t to say Japanese culinary/cultural values are completely different from those of Europeans and North Americans. For example, people in Japan don’t really believe in turning dogs into food.

But turning food into a dog? That’s something the whole world can get behind.

Japan
(animals • cooking • cute • dogs • food)

From hot spring to hot pot: One restaurant in Tokyo is actually serving wild monkey

Fran W
Feb 14, 2014

Imagine yourself sitting down to a delicious warming winter meal. There’s nothing like nabe (Japanese hot pot) on a dark, cold evening. And there are so many choices! Pork, chicken, fish, seafood, monkey… Hang on a second … MONKEY?!

As soon as they heard that monkey hot-pot was on the menu at the Sakagura Niigata restaurant in Tokyo, a reporter from our Japanese sister site headed out to find out if it could possibly be true. Here’s what they found.

Japan
(animals • food • monkey • Tokyo • weird)

We knew elephants could paint, but we didn’t expect them to be so good at it!【Video】

Joan Coello
Feb 10, 2014

We’re all talented in ways that others aren’t; some of us are born artists, while some can barely draw anything more complex than a stick man. It seems that would be the case with elephants too. It is said that in every 200 elephants trained to paint, only about four manage to master the skill.

Of course, in the case of elephants, painting is skill they are trained to remember, not an inborn talent. Even with that said, some of the drawings they make are so impressive, we can’t help but wonder if some natural talent is involved!

Global
(animals • elephant • painting • Thailand)

SoftBank’s mascot dog behaving badly at bizarre press conference

Cara Clegg
Feb 8, 2014

Japan’s SoftBank Corporation recently put together a typically bizarre commercial to advertise their new student discount service, and held a press conference to announce it. In attendance was the famous SoftBank dog, and a couple of large pears, who all got a little over-excited. When dealing with huge talents like these, things don’t always go to plan…

Japan
(animals • dogs • Funasshi • funny • Softbank • video)

Ape escape! Emergency manoeuvres at Ueno Zoo as world’s least-threatening gorilla gets loose

Philip Kendall
Feb 7, 2014

Visitors to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo were asked to evacuate the premises yesterday after it was reported that a gorilla had become loose from its enclosure. More than 50 members of staff immediately leapt into action, preparing giant nets and tranquilizer guns to take down the rampaging, and undeniably cuddly looking, animal.

Japan
(animals • escape • funny • wtf • zoo)

Perfectly timed photo reminds us that life’s not all bad

Philip Kendall
Feb 5, 2014

Yes, it’s still only Wednesday, and that means we’re only half way through the week. But if you’re a glass-half-full kind of person like the little guy pictured above, that means we’re now half way through the week, and the weekend is in sight!

Global
(animals • cute • funny • photo • seal)

Nine places where cat lovers in Japan can step up their devotion to worship

Casey Baseel
Jan 29, 2014

Japan loves its cats. When feline fans here aren’t going online to swap trivia about their favorite members of the animal kingdom, they’re playing with cute kitties between sips of coffee at one of the nation’s many cat cafes.

At times, it even seems like “love” doesn’t properly convey the depths of their emption, and that it would be more appropriate to say some people worship the creatures, which is exactly what you can do at these nine shrines and temples dedicated to cats.

Japan
(animals • cats • culture • pets • shrines • temples)

Japan seems just a little more terrifying with discovery of local leech’s superpower

Casey Baseel
Jan 27, 2014

Japan is rightfully billed as being an extremely safe country, and for the most part this extends to its natural environment. Lacking the wolves of Europe and North America, the lions and hippopotami of Africa, and the poisonous everything of Australia, there really isn’t a whole lot lurking in the Japanese animal kingdom that frightens us.

Or at least there wasn’t, until we heard the news that Japan is home to a species of super leeches that can even survive being frozen.

Japan
(animals • science • weird)

Fishermen (illegally) save endangered Japanese fish species

Mike
Jan 16, 2014

In a somewhat complicated story we’re not sure is heartwarming or kind of devastating, three middle-aged Tokyo fishermen have accomplished what experts thought was impossible by single (triple?)-handedly bringing an area fish species back from the brink of extinction by illegally catching them.

The three men, according to their accounts, caught the fish and, upon learning that they were on the endangered species list, contacted experts and aquariums for advice on breeding them – either for the sake of fishkind or for the sake of tons of delicious illicit fish meat.

Japan
(animals • endangered species • fish • science • Tokyo)

If you give a mouse a cookie… you might get some chocolate in return

Jessica
Jan 15, 2014

Twitter user @sazaki0 recently got an unpleasant surprise when she discovered a mouse had taken up residence in her house, but this particular mouse had far better manners than your average rodent, offering a gift of chocolate to the lady of the house. Her full story after the jump.

Japan
(animals • strange • twitter)

How glam is your pussy? Cat wigs hot in 2014

Philip Kendall
Jan 8, 2014

Meet Shiro and Mimi, just two of the stars of Kago Neko, a blog all about one Japanese cat fan’s pets. Sadly, the pair were not, in fact, born with such luscious barnets, but their owner, perhaps sensing their inner glam rock star, provided them with a couple of rather fetching blonde wigs. We think you’ll agree that they look pretty rockin’.

Internet, Japan
(animals • cats • cute • funny • video • wig)

Nullify your New Year’s weight loss resolution with Year of the Horse roll cake

Mike
Jan 2, 2014

In Japan, 2014 will be another “Horse Year” on the Japanese zodiac calendar. Last year, Japan celebrated the snake, which is said to bring wisdom and good monetary fortune to businesses. The horse, however, brings leadership, good business partnerships, and instant failure to all weight loss resolutions in the form of this adorable customized roll cake from Tokyo’s renowned Rihga Royal Hotel.

Japan
(animals • food • Year of the Horse • Zodiac)

Turkish cold snap literally freezes animals where they stand

Mike
Dec 17, 2013

It appears that Turkey is one of the few parts of the world that gets so cold it’s not an exaggeration to say, “It’s freezing out here.”

The video below depicts some donkeys found in a small village that have cartoonishly frozen in place due to the extreme cold weather and snow – a phenomena we thought only possible in Christmas-time claymation films, and the closest thing we know of to the exact opposite of China’s hellish summer heatwave that caused cars to explode.

Europe, W Asia
(animals • turkey • winter • wtf)

Cowardly dogs unable to face their greatest enemy: Cats【Video】

Scott R Dixon
Dec 16, 2013

In the important world of Internet hierarchy, the battle between cats and dogs for the title of cutest animal is a fierce one. But someone must have told the dogs that they are losing because there are some canines out there with some inferiority issues so severe that they become frozen with fear at the mere sight of a cat. Japanese netizens are feeling nothing but pity after seeing a video of dogs, many of whom are much larger than their feline foe, timidly trying to tip-toe past a scowling cat.

Internet
(animals • cats • cute • dogs • video)

“Damn it human, help me!” One cat’s epic battle with an empty plastic bag

Philip Kendall
Dec 13, 2013

Perhaps we were wrong about cats being secret geniuses plotting to overthrow the world. This video, which is receiving a lot of attention in Japan today, suggests that there is at least one member of the feline federation that is perhaps a few strands short of a cat’s cradle.

When two-year-old Chai here spots a plastic bag on the floor of her owner’s apartment, she is naturally keen to investigate. Little does she know, though, that once she climbs inside it, the bag will simply refuse to let go…

Japan
(animals • cats • cute • funny • video)

Stray dog helps street musician, musician returns the favor

Jessica
Dec 4, 2013

There’s been a lot of unsettling news coming out of the Ukraine this week, so we are pleased to offer you a much happier story from the city of Dnipropetrovsk, southeast of Kiev, about a singing dog and a street musician.

Europe
(animals • cute • Ukraine)

Cute cat stands sacrifice themselves to hold up your smartphone

Mike
Dec 4, 2013

It’s about time cats did something for us. We’ve pampered them on the Internet and in convenience stores for years, and all they ever did in return was learn how to poop in the litter box.

Cats are finally giving back now with these cute but somewhat disturbing smartphone stands that depict various cat breeds heroically holding up your smartphone so it won’t topple over.