wildlife.co / CC

Wildlife experts are definitely intrigued. Though lesbian albatrosses have also appeared in Hawaii, no one has ever seen a pair who successfully raised a baby together. We're loving this same-sex pair, and Tourism Dunedin is brainstorming a name for the chick with two mommies. I'm thinking Ellen or Portia. Do you have any suggestions?

Posted by Logan Scherer

• "Whale of a Tale," Bridgestone: Three friends. One animatronic whale. Millions of happy viewers. Bridgestone also gets extra kudos from us for recently banning the use of endangered animals in all of its commercials!
• "Timothy Richman," Cars.com: The pros of animatronic tiger cub birth: clean, cute, and pain-free. The cons of animatronic tiger cub birth? We can't think of any.
• "Finding Beaver," Monster.com: Leave it to this (CGI) beaver…to play the fiddle? Hoedown, here we come!
• "Squirrel," Honda: Why can't all hoarders be this sleek, adorable, and (faux) furry?
• "Underdog," Doritos: We yelled "Holla!" when this taunted dog flipped the tables and put the shock collar on the man. Payback is simply delicious.

Animatronics have sure come a long way since the Country Bear Jamboree. We need to get Monster.com on the Punxsutawney Phil case stat!

What was your favorite Super Bowl ad?

Posted by Logan Scherer

The frightened elephant may have been trying to escape from the bullhook abuse that commonly takes place backstage at Ringling's shows. As documented in a PETA video—which was taken over a period of several months and released last July—of the same Ringling unit that is performing in Columbia, elephants are struck repeatedly with bullhooks (a weapon that resembles a fireplace poker that trainers wield to strike, stab, hook, prod, and intimidate elephants in order to make them obey). We are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to check this elephant for signs of bullhook abuse as well as to ensure that she is treated for any injuries sustained when she ran amok and that she is permanently removed from travel.

This is the second complaint with the USDA that we have filed against Ringling regarding its treatment of elephants—in less than a week. A few hours of "entertainment" at the expense of animals intimidated into performing dangerous and unnatural tricks is never worth the trauma inflicted on those animals or the danger to spectators and their children.

Posted by Logan Scherer

George and Weezie Jefferson may have moved up, but I'm jonesing to move out. My destination: Switzerland, which just might become the most animal-friendly nation in the world.

Last year, Switzerland passed a law that guarantees rights for all animals. Next month, voters will weigh in on a referendum that, if passed, will require that lawyers be assigned to protect companion and farmed animals from abuse.

I can only imagine the relief if such legislation caught on in the U.S. (and how much Judge Judy I'd wind up watching). Goldfish could be rescued from their scum-caked tanks. Lonely, cold dogs banished to back yards could enjoy warmth and companionship inside. Pigs, chickens, cows, ducks—any and all factory-farmed animals—might never again have their body parts burned or chopped off, and they'd be freed from their filthy cages, crates, and pens. Those examples are just off the top of my head. Jot yours down in the comments section below.

Posted by Karin Bennett

The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde isn't just the lead singer of a rock band and a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer—she's an animal rights leader too. With that in mind, we're giving you a chance to win a copy of the band's highly anticipated new CD/DVD box set, Live in London. It includes all the major singles, from "I'll Stand by You" to "Brass in Pocket," and it hits store shelves tomorrow.

To enter, tell us what you've done to lead friends, family members, community members, or anyone else to help animals. Rise above the "Middle of the Road" and tell us about something that no one else has ever done. We'll give a copy of Live in London to the 15 readers who share the stories that inspire us the most.

The contest ends on February 15, 2010, and we'll announce the winners on February 17, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Good luck!

Posted by Logan Scherer

And I thought my family reunions got hairy! Imagine the fright-fest when this fur-lovin' ma and daughter duo gets together. Know who they are? Find out and then cast your vote for who you think wore it worst in the first match-up of PETA's 2010 Worst-Dressed Competition.

We've got three more face-to-face battles, so check back tomorrow to see who's next on our list of fashion felons.

Posted by Karin Bennett

At the top left, meet Meeme and Mochi, who may have been watching too much Twilight before their picture was taken. The cutie in the top right is Fifi and in the bottom left is Cricket, the eye patch–sporting dog who was rescued from a trash bin. Last but not least, meet Lucia and James, who apparently can't get enough of each other.

Choose your favorite card and send it to your valentine with a personalized message. Oh, and not to worry—you're not limited to 140 characters!

Posted by Logan Scherer

After leaving PETA headquarters and barely escaping the once-every-five-years snowfall in Norfolk, it looks as if I've brought the bad weather with me to Long Island. No worries, though, I've got just the thing to keep me warm this frigid season: a steaming bowl of Internet Soup! The latest serving is farm-stand fresh with no preservatives added—just some wholesome, delicious virtual weirdness. Bon appétit …

• A tinkle in time … ruins meat? Oh, yes! Just ask the man who took a leak on steaks at Wal-Mart.
• Here's one for the ice ages: A kind crew rescues a dog who was stranded on an ice floe.
• Underwater fashion show! Check out how these classy crabs accessorize.
• Way to paint the gown red! Creative opponents of the Canadian seal slaughter ingeniously doctored this picture of Miss Teen Newfoundland wearing a seal carcass.
• Watch out, Lil' Wayne—you've got some legit competition from these lil' rhymesters, who won't take nothin' from KFC or McDonald's.
• To see it is to … eat it: A biologist has discovered a sea animal who eats sun.
• This Boston court took "cat-calling" literally when it actually called a cat to jury duty.

Hope that was more than enough to warm you up until our next dose!

Posted by Logan Scherer

Barack, the baby Asian elephant, wasn't even 1 year old when he made his Ringling "debut" last month. Now Barack has been removed from traveling with the circus, and PETA has confirmed that he has contracted a herpes virus infection that may cost him his life. Death from the herpes virus usually occurs within seven days after an acute onset of symptoms that include lethargy, swelling of the head and limbs, and a blue discoloration of the tongue. This frightening disease typically affects elephants under 10 years of age and has an 85 percent mortality rate.

Stress may be a factor in the development of this virus, which has killed 20 percent of captive-born Asian elephant calves in North American facilities since 2000. Putting Barack on the road to perform in the circus at such a tender age was surely a stressful experience, and we're asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate and, if appropriate, to pursue charges if the agency determines that Ringling violated regulations for handling or veterinary care.

Prior to performances, Barack was led around by rope restraints on his trunk and legs, and during performances he was forced to climb a pedestal while surrounded by trainers carrying bullhooks—weapons resembling fireplace pokers that are used for striking, stabbing, hooking, prodding, and intimidating elephants. Before the circus took Barack off the road, he reportedly became spooked and trampled his trainer, who has been seen in recent weeks wearing a brace on his right leg, presumably as a result of injuries he sustained when Barack ran amok.

If Barack survives the herpes virus, he doesn't have much to look forward to. When he's around 18 months of age, he will likely be pulled away from his mother and subjected to violent training sessions, as depicted in our recent exposé. These fear-based and abusive training methods have contributed to the deaths of two baby elephants: One fled his bullhook-wielding trainer and drowned in a pond, and the other broke both hind legs after falling off a training pedestal. Other baby elephants have also died at Ringling.

Speak up for Barack and all the other baby elephants abused by Ringling by contacting the USDA and asking the agency to investigate.

Posted by Logan Scherer

nps.gov / CC

Take a sound bite out of this recently discovered linguistic marvel: The barking language of prairie dogs may just be the most complicated language of any animal. Con Slobodchikoff—a biology professor at Northern Arizona University—studied their sounds very closely and found that the animals have different "words" to describe each of their many predators and that a single bark can convey information about the size, type, color, and location of an attacker. Slobodchikoff also discovered that, just as we all have distinct voices, every prairie dog has a unique tonal identity.

Um, first we found out that insects are tiny geniuses, then we learned that monkeys are sticklers for grammar, and now we've got these vocal powerhouses (on the prairie)—does Mensa admit animals?

Posted by Logan Scherer

So right now, PETA is giving one of our limited-edition pins to everyone who makes an online donation to help save the skins of seals and other animals (while supplies last).

Wearing your pin is an easy way to remind your friends of the massive slaughter that will begin only days after the world's athletes and TV cameras leave Vancouver. Where will you stick yours?

Posted by Logan Scherer

giant bomb / CC

Here's one thing that the seemingly invincible Jack Bauer supposedly can't beat: cattle scammers. 24 star Kiefer Sutherland reportedly gave more than $869,000 to a man who allegedly agreed to give Sutherland steers that he never had.

Now we're asking Sutherland—who is a former rodeo performer—not to replace the cattle he had intended to purchase. Cattle who are exploited for their flesh are branded with hot irons, castrated, and dehorned without being given any painkillers, and then they are skinned and dismembered at slaughterhouses, often while they are still conscious.

The set of 24 recently went "green" by limiting on-set energy use, and now Sutherland can extend his environmental consciousness off the set by choosing not to support the meat industry, which is one of the leading causes of climate change. If Kiefer Sutherland sends his funds to the beef industry, he'll literally be feeding the mouths of Jack Bauer's carcass-eating terrorist enemies. WWJBD? Go vegan!

Posted by Logan Scherer

2010 is already shaping up to be a clawsome year for lobsters! First, Kalahari Resorts dropped Lobster Zone machines from all its locations, and now Doc Ryan's—a bar in Illinois—has also made the humane choice to remove the "game." After we urged people to take action, it took a mere 24 hours (take that, Jack Bauer!) for Doc Ryan's owner, Brian Sullivan, to decide to abandon the machines altogether. After speaking with a concerned customer, Sullivan learned about the cruelty behind the Lobster Zone game and, as an animal lover, told us he would never want to promote a machine that torments lobsters. For Sullivan's swift act of compassion, we're sending him flowers.

The Lobster Zone is an arcade-like "game" that allows its users to grab at terrified lobsters using a joystick-controlled crane. Once caught, the lobsters are dropped down a chute before they're boiled or cut up alive. Restaurants owners often aren't aware of the cruelty inherent in these machines. Lobsters are naturally very solitary animals. In the wild, they take long-distance seasonal journeys and can cover 100 miles or more each year. They become miserable and sick when they're confined to tiny, filthy tanks. Helping lobsters at bars and restaurants can be as easy as telling a restaurant's manager or owner these compelling facts and asking everyone you know to do the same. (And when that doesn't work, PETA will take the case!)

Posted by Logan Scherer

P.S. We've also learned that Doc Ryan's serves a delicious veggie burger (and is open to even more vegan suggestions), so the next time you're near Forest Park, Illinois, be sure to thank Brian Sullivan by stopping in for dinner.

collider / CC

"When I was trying to work her out, I kept saying to myself, 'She is a punk-rock, vegan pacifist.' So I listened to a lot of Blondie, I watched a lot of Greta Garbo movies, and I looked at a lot of the artwork of Dan Flavin."
—Anne Hathaway on what inspired her character in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

The movie hits theaters on March 5, and that very important date is already in my planner—but I'm having a hard time choosing a favorite character. Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter or Anne Hathaway's vegan-inspired White Queen? Oh dear.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

TV psychic John Edward's got nothing on this clairvoyant cat. Oscar, who lives in a Rhode Island nursing home, has supposedly predicted the deaths of about 50 people over five years by curling up next to patients right before they take their final breath. His purdictions are so reliable that the nursing home's employees know it's time to call family members when Oscar, who will scratch at the doors and walls of rooms holding the soon-to-be-deceased, reclines alongside someone. And Dr. David Dosa—a professor at Brown University—has become so intrigued by and attached to the snuggly soothsayer that he has written a book about him called Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat, which will be released this week.

We're totally meowed by Oscar's apparent psychic talent. You?

Posted by Logan Scherer