

How Switzerland ended rabies epidemic by air-dropped vaccinated chicken heads
Not only did World War II begin in Europe in 1939. The rabies pandemic that persisted into the 1980s was another unsettling occurrence. Red foxes were the carriers of the illness, which then infected domesticated animals. Rabies almost always results in death, even in humans (unless a vaccine is provided).
Numerous treatments were explored after the disease arrived in Switzerland in 1967, but the majority of them fell short. Authorities made unsuccessful attempts to poison, capture, or shoot the foxes. It was attempted to trap the animals, immunize them, and release them back into the wild, but the cost and scope of the operation rendered it unfeasible.

In the US, a novel concept called the Vac-Trap was developed. It was a spring-loaded device with a concealed syringe that was designed to inject the animal when it stepped on a trigger located on a foot pad. similar to a land mine, but with needles and shots. It kind of worked, but it put humans at risk. Sometimes, Vac-Trap was also used to stab people who loved the outdoors.
Air-dropped chicken heads
Several vaccine-laced food bait experiments, including those using eggs, dog biscuits, deep-fried cornmeal with milk, and sausages, were unsuccessful. Foxes enjoy the eggs so much that they save them for later, but the vaccination perishes in the process. Chicken heads proved to be the ideal bait. It soon began to rain disembodied chicken heads in Swiss woodlands, and I don’t want to know how scientists came up with this theory. Only in isolated regions were helicopter air drops employed. Teams on foot built thousands of chicken head firewalls in regions that were accessible.
Switzerland rabies free today
After four years, rabies had been eradicated thanks to the distribution of more than 50,000 chicken heads containing vaccination capsules. Soon other countries invented better baits, such special fish tablets manufactured in Germany. By 1991, Switzerland had distributed more than 150,000 chicken heads before switching to more effective baits.

Megamouth Shark And Her Babies Found Dead In The Philippines
Filipino zoologists have recorded a pregnant megamouth shark for the first time ever since the rare aquatic specie was discovered in 1974.

The Incredible Story of Sergeant Stubby, the Dog Who Became a War Hero
Sergeant Stubby was not just an ordinary dog—he was an extraordinary war hero who served alongside American troops during World War I. From catching a German soldier by his pants to alerting soldiers of mustard gas attacks and locating wounded comrades, Stubby’s bravery saved countless lives in the trenches. This article chronicles the inspiring journey of the stray dog who became the most decorated animal of the Great War and remains a beloved symbol of courage and loyalty.

A Super Cat With Excessively Large Muscles Goes Viral Due To A Rare Condition
The cat suffers from Myostatin-related muscular hypertrophy, which leads it to grow muscle mass while not desiring to.

Why the Brooklyn Bridge Was Once Crossed by 17 Camels and 21 Elephants
On May 30, 1883, a rumor that the Brooklyn Bridge was going to collapse caused a stampede, which killed at least at twleve people. To prove the bridge was safe, P.T. Barnum led a parade of 21 elephants over it.

A man travels for hours daily through a drought to provide water for wild animals.
This man travels throughout Kenya bringing thirsty animals thousands of litres of water. Patrick Kilonzo Mwalua regularly travels to the Tsavo, where extreme drought is endangering the lives of elephants, buffalo, zebras, and antelope. He promises to keep giving out water every week until it starts to rain in the hopes that getting the word out will lead to a long-term fix.

The story of Bill Haast, who lived to be 100 despite his extensive snake venom injections
Bill Haast immunized himself by injecting snake venom into his blood for several years. He holds the Guinness World Record for surviving the most lethal snake bites, having been bitten over 172 times. Bill became known as "Snake Man" around the world and lived for over 100 years.

10 Rarest and Albino animals you haven’t seen
For centuries, people have been fascinated and enchanted by the ghostly appearances of abnormally white animals. People have loved albinos and other unusually white animals so much that they may be helping to increase their numbers, despite the difficulties these animals face in the wild. While these unusual animals did not win the genetic lottery, they have persevered in the face of adversity.

How European Rabbits Took over Australia
In 1859, wealthy settler Thomas Austin released 13 wild rabbits on his Australian estate. By 1920, their population grew to 10 billion.

Earthquakes: Can Animals Really Predict Them?
In 1975, when officials in the Chinese city of Haicheng were alarmed by odd and anxious behaviors of dogs and other animals. These observations led them to order 90,000 residents to evacuate the city. Only a few hours later a 7.3 magnitude earthquake destroyed nearly 90% of the city’s buildings.

Blind dog guides by goose, Story of Boxer and Buttons’ friendship
When Baks the blind dog was left blinded after an accident, his friend Buttons became his seeing-eye-goose by hanging on to him with her neck and honking to direct him.

Kipekee, the world's only spotless giraffe, was born at Brights Zoo
The world's only spotless giraffe was born at a zoo in the United States. The giraffe born without spots on July 31 is the only one of her kind on Earth.

13-year-old dog missing for two months found alive in a cave.
On Aug 6, 2022, A group of Missouri cave explorers accidentally found and helped rescue a senior dog that had been missing for two months. It is unclear how long the dog was in the cave or how it managed to survive.

9 Reasons Crows Are Smarter Than You Think
Crows have the intelligence of a 7-year-old human, making them one of the smartest non-primate animals on the planet. They use tools, have a long-term memory that includes facial recognition, and comprehend analogy.

The story of The chicken that lived for 18 months without a head
Mike the Headless Chicken was a rooster whose head was accidentally chopped off but miraculously survived. This is due to most of the brain stem being left intact. He was fed using a special tube that delivered food directly into his esophagus. Despite his lack of a head, he lived for 18 months, gaining worldwide fame before ultimately choking on a kernel of corn during one of his tours, in a Motel in Fruita, Colorado.

Bear, Tiger, And Lion Became Friends For Life
In 2001, a Bear, Tiger, And Lion cub where found abandoned in a drug dealer's basement. They were soon adopted by a sanctuary and lived together ever since.

A one-eyed Vancouver fish receives a fake eye so that other fish will not bully him
A fish whose eye was removed due to cataract was bullied by other fish at the Vancouver Aquarium. So the vets fitted the fish with a prosthetic eye to fool the other fishes.

Titanoboa cerrejonensis, fossils of the world’s largest species of snake
In 2009 in a coal mine of Columbia, scientists discovered fossils of the world’s largest species of snake. The species is called “Titanoboa cerrejonensis,“and it is from around 60 million years ago. It would have had measured about 48 feet long and weighed about 2,500 pounds

Jack the Baboon operated a railroad, earned a living, and never made a mistake
A baboon worked as a signalman for the railroad in the late 1800s. He never made a mistake and worked for the railroad until the day he died.

Pierre Brassau: The chimpanzee painter who deceived the avant-garde world
Abstract paintings by a previously unknown artist “Pierre Brassau” were exhibited at a gallery in Sweden, earning praise for his “powerful brushstrokes” and the “delicacy of a ballet dancer”. None knew that Pierre Brassau was actually a 4 year old chimp from the local zoo.

Remembering Alex: The African Grey Parrots Final Message
"You be good, I love you. See you tomorrow" Parrot's last words to her caretaker. Alex (1976 – September 6, 2007) was an African Grey Parrot and the subject of a thirty-year (1977–2007) experiment by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg, initially at the University of Arizona and later at Harvard University and Brandeis University. Pepperberg bought Alex in a regular pet shop when he was about one year old.

Are Octopus Intelligent? A Look Inside an Octopus's Brain
Octopuses are extremely intelligent. It is the only invertebrate capable of emotion, empathy, cognitive function, self-awareness, personality, and even interpersonal relationships. Some believe that if humans did not exist, octopi would eventually take our place as the dominant life form on Earth.

Deer Walks Into Store To Check Their Goods, Comes Back Later With Her Kids
In 2017, a deer entered a Colorado store. An employee fed the deer a peanut bar in an attempt to get it to leave. The deer did leave, but later that day it returned with its entire family.

The unique friendship of a bear and a dog
A female grey wolf and a male brown bear's remarkable "friendship" was captured by Finnish photographer Lassi Rautiainen over the course of ten days in 2013. Together, they traveled everywhere while hunting and splitting their catch.

The 440-pound bear named Wojtek and his World War II battle against the Nazis
Polish troops raised an orphaned bear cub during WWII. He enjoyed drinking beer, and was trained to salute. He became officially enlisted as a member of the forces, and helped carry artillery during battle.

Photos of dogs who were stung by bees yet remained adorable
Flies are sky raisins, aren't bees jalapeno sky raisins as well? Please note: you are a terrible person if you laugh at this gallery, just kidding. Enjoy the photos of dogs who were stung by bees yet remained adorable.