WebClawer: Around the world in animal news 1/22/09

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Around the world and around the web, there’s a lot going on in the animal kingdom today. A few of the stories that turned our heads:

• Nine lion cubs born recently in Hodenhagen, Germany’s Serengeti Park received a checkup yesterday -- that’s them above. A stronger expression of ‘Do Not Want’ we have yet to see.

• An Inglewood cockfighting ring has been busted and 23 people arrested. ‘Police recovered 59 roosters, 12 of which were dead. The live roosters were turned over to county animal control. Officers also recovered about $18,000 in cash.’ L.A. Now

• An Idaho cat found with an arrow piercing its skull and eye is expected to survive following surgery to remove the arrow. ‘We’re going to basically remove the ear canal and we’re going to have to remove the remnants of the eye and then remove the arrow,’ Dr. Jeff Brourman, who performed the surgery, explained beforehand. The father of a 12-year-old boy says his son shot the cat accidentally while trying to protect quail that it was chasing. MSNBC

• The FDA is cautioning dog owners about chicken jerky treats imported from China, amid reports that they may cause dogs to become ill. ‘Although most dogs seem to recover, some reports indicate that dogs have died from renal failure. The poison has not been identified.’ Washington Post

• In Hertfordshire, U.K., a parrot was expelled from a soccer game for imitating the referee’s whistle a little too effectively. Telegraph

• Jacques Chirac, the former president of France, was bitten by his Maltese dog -- named, interestingly enough, Sumo. (Sumo has been receiving treatment for depression, Chirac’s wife Bernadette told VSD Magazine.) AFP

• Jasmine, a rescued greyhound with a maternal instinct that just won’t quit, has become a foster mom for the 50th time. The greyhound’s newest ‘child’ is an 11-week-old roe deer fawn named Bramble. Jasmine has previously cared for needy baby animals including badgers, foxes, rabbits, chicks, guinea pigs -- and yes, puppies. Daily Mail

--Lindsay Barnett