Eeek! Rat delays flight from Seattle to Denver

An Alaska Airlines jet was grounded after a rat was spotted running around the cabin Friday morning.

The rodent was discovered running around Flight 676 from Sea-Tac to Denver just before takeoff.

The plane immediately returned to the gate and passengers were put on a different plane, which left about 90 minutes later.

The plane has been taken out of service until an exterminator can make sure it's clean of rodents.

All rats without tickets will be taken off the plane.

Link

Yawn!

A young lion yawns as it enjoys the warm sunlight at the zoo of Zurich, Switzerland

Filipino tree nymph butterfly

A Filipino tree nymph butterfly feeds on a poinsettia at Butterfly World in Coconut Creek, Florida.

Hundreds of birds poisoned by USDA in South Dakota

It's happened in places like Louisiana, Arkansas and Kentucky. Hundreds of birds mysteriously found dead.

Folks in Yankton, South Dakota, thought they were being added to the list after hundreds of dead birds were found there on Monday.

Turns out the unpleasant feathered discovery has a solid explanation. They were poisoned.

Some had thought 200 starlings found dead in Yankton's Riverside park had frozen to death.

But they were actually poisoned on purpose, by the US Department of Agriculture.

The USDA said a local farmer had been having troubles with about 5,000 starlings soiling his feed meal.

UDSA officials say because of health concerns for the farmer's animals and staff they decided to kill the birds.

They used a bait laced with the poison DRC-1339. The USDA says the birds ate the bait then flew back to Yankton and died.

Link

Cross-eyed opossum is hit at Leipzig zoo

A cross-eyed opossum named Heidi sits in her enclosure at Leipzig zoo in eastern Germany.

Heidi, who is not yet on public display, has become an Internet hit, winning more than 65,000 "friends" on the social networking website Facebook!

Link

Photo: turtle on wheels

Tzvika, a turtle who suffered a spinal injury from a lawn mower, pulls herself along with the aid of newly attached wheels at the Wildlife Hospital in the Ramat Gan Safari near Tel Aviv.

Time to shed the Holiday pounds

5000 birds and 100000 fish suddenly die

From Arkansas to Sweden - birds have been falling out of the sky as reported at the links below.

There have been many reasons cited - all the way from global warming, the usual culprit if nothing else fits, to government weapons testing.

And don't forget to blame mysterious programs such as HARP (High Altitude Research Project) or HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program).

Some even say civilization itself is coming to a rapid end.

I think they're all wrong - it's Bush's fault. Yeah, that's it. It's gotta be Bush's fault.

Link here, here and here.

Florida man to live in lions den for month

James Jablon of Spring Hill, Florida plans to live in a fenced enclosure with two African lions.

Jablon hopes the stunt will raise money for his wildlife center, Wildlife Rehabilitation of Hernando.

Jablon entered the lions' den Saturday. He says he's going to sleep on hay near the lions named Lea and Ed and eat when they eat.

He says he's also going to build a place to sleep and hide in the trees in the enclosure, in case the lions fight with each other.

If worse comes to worse, they won't have too far to look for what's left of the brave man (or idiot - your choice) because the enclosure isn't really that big.

Instead of raising money, Mr. Jablon may be raising the cholesterol level of the lions. Searchers may be sifting though debris in the enclosure for what's left.

Wonder if there is much call for lion poop?

Link

Determined to get a drink!

A Finch takes a fountain break

Cardinal framed by tree branches

This photo was uploaded to a Weather Underground gallery.

Sand tiger shark

A Sand tiger shark swims in its aquarium at the Zoo-Aquarium in Berlin, Germany

Need a rat? 1,000 rescued rats are up for adoption in California

Just in time for the Holidays.

About a thousand rats are awaiting adoption in California after being rescued from a house featured on the A&E reality TV show "Hoarders."

Lauren Paul of the nonprofit North Star Rescue hopes rat lovers will come forward and give them a new home.

More here.

Zoo hitch hiker

A baby monkey named Miwa rides a young boar named Uribo in the Fukuchiyama City Zoo, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.

Monarch butterflies - long distance travelers

Monarch butterflies travel up to 3,000 miles during their migration often flying more than 50 miles per day.

Bird hiding in grass

Camel walks past Brooks Brothers on Sixth Avenue

Amanda Brook walks a camel named Ted up Sixth Avenue past Brooks Brothers after a photo op in front Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Camels, sheep, and a donkey, who were part of the cast of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, were put on display for the media.

Baby chameleon

A baby Yemen chameleon, which has been bred for the first time at the Cotswold Wildlife Park near Burford, Oxfordshire, England and is on display at their Reptile and Amphibian nursery.

Blackbuck antelopes

Blackbuck antelopes at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi, India.