| The Ark In Space

Life of the Long Ears

Monday, 30 June 2014

They are not exotic. They are hardly rare. Yet there is no more joyous a sight than watching a group of hares bound around a field for no other reason, apparently, than they can and so, by heaven, they will. Watch this wonderful video by Ben and take in this jubilant exhibition.

Yet, like the hare, don’t get too comfortable. Danger lurks around every corner.

Komodo: Rolling in the Deep

Saturday, 28 June 2014

Mention the name Komodo and most people would associate it with the home of the largest lizard on the planet. Yet this fascinating and mysterious island has a reef, here captured by Dustin Adamson. It is a place teeming with life and here the footage is shot wide so you can get a truly panoramic impression of this undersea universe. Go grab your beverage of choice, sit back, relax and let the beauty roll over you.

Bullfrogs in Slow Motion

During a torrential downpour at Robert Frost Farm in the American state of New Hampshire, Michael N Sutton ventured into the forest which hides a frog pond and decided to film Bullfrogs in slowmo using his Photron Fastcam BC2 HD camera. Maybe not your average choice in a rainstorm but the result is mesmerizing. The footage captures the gymnastic prowess of the frogs perfectly.

How is Frostie the Snow Goat Doing?

Sunday, 22 June 2014

A month ago we shared the story of Frostie the Snow Goat with you. Among a number of general nasties that the kid was suffering from, he also had a condition called joint navel ill. This is an incredibly nasty infection which enters the body via the umbilical cord soon after birth.

Frostie quickly took the internet by storm and captured the hearts of many. So, now, after a month it is time to ask how Frostie is doing. Has Frostie recovered? As you can see from the video above there is still some way to go but the sight of him gamboling around (a little totter here, a little totter there) is a joy to behold.

Making Friends with Tiger Sharks

Saturday, 7 June 2014

I honestly didn’t think this was possible but here is the proof in front of my eyes – and this may well change the way that you look at sharks forever.

Diver Eli Martinez can be seen here diving with tiger sharks and interacting with them in what only can be described as a very friendly manner.

He strokes and caresses the sharks, almost as if they were dogs they he is encountering at the local park in this video shot by Armando Gasse in the Bahamas. It is an amazing sight and something which probably confounds a lot of expectations about sharks in general. After all, thanks to a certain movie, many people believe that if you hold your hand out to a shark it will bite it off.

Yet before you book your plane tickets and rent out the diving equipment, I should add one or two words. Martinez (who is also the editor of Shark Diver Magazine) has not simply jumped in to the ocean and struck up a friendship with some passing tiger sharks. He has known these individuals for years.

Here are the facts in his own words: "Despite this looking easy and relaxed, it is only because I have been working with these same sharks for years, so I know them well. The tiger shark is a shark named Hook, and the lemon is a shark I named Taxi. The relationship is based on trust and respect, and I never forget that these are wild sharks, so I never get too comfortable. I always remember where I am, and what I am doing. So please watch this video as I hope it shows these amazing animals as they really are...beautiful, and intelligent, and amazing animals.”

It must be quite a thing to be able to say that you are first name terms with sharks. Below is another video of Mr Martinez on another one of his visits to Tiger Beach where he again gets to interact with a number of his friends. Among them are sharks he has named Taxi, Scratch, Cindy and Hook. They truly are ambassadors for their species.

Frostie the Snow Goat

Monday, 26 May 2014

Frostie has been taking the internet by storm, to say the least.

He was recently taken in by Edgar’s Mission a farm sanctuary in Willowmavin, Kilmore, in the state of Victoria, Australia.

When young Frostie was taken in he had the worst case of lice that the folks at the farm have ever seen. He was severely dehydrated too. Yet these two conditions could be dealt with quite easily.

Frostie also had something far more serious.

He also had a condition called joint navel ill an incredibly nasty infection which enters the body via the umbilical cord soon after birth.

The bacteria had spread through Frostie and had made its home in the joints of his hind limbs. This meant that the little guy could not work – and his body was full of horrible toxins.

In order to flush them out he was pumped with antibiotics but a way had to be found to help the blood circulate.

As you can see, necessity is the mother of invention and this remarkable wheeled contraption now helps the wheelie kid get about.

He was soon ready for a big adventure!

The Sausage Thief

Wednesday, 14 May 2014

An important part of every dog’s training is learning how to wait. Here three dogs are being taught to wait until they are told they can have their treat – a cold sausage.

The dogs patiently wait until permission is given – but what happens next will have you laughing out loud. Little Elmo, a Staffy and Chihuahua mix isn’t happy with his allotment.

Humpback Whale Performs Amazing Act of Appreciation After Being Freed From Nets

Sunday, 11 May 2014

Michael Fishback and his family visit the Sea of Cortez, photographing whales to track them and observe their behaviors.

However, on one of their trips they had the opportunity to help save a trapped humpback whale. They took this incredible footage which shows you exactly what happened.

The young whale at first appeared to be dead. The group floated next to it for a few minutes and saw no signs of life until it exhaled. Michael eased in to the water to assess the situation and found that the whale was terribly tangled in fishing net.

Both pectoral fins were pinned to its body and it looked as if the whale would probably die unless something was done soon – and there was no time to waste. When you watch this amazing film you will see what happens next – and this time it is a happy ending. Once the whale is free though, it does something amazing – it shows its appreciation of the family and their endeavors to save him by giving them a show they will never forget.

The Raspberry Rabbit

This isn’t a long video but we felt that we had to share. One little rabbit has a taste for raspberries so when he is presented with one he tucks right in. However, the juices flow and he ends up looking as if he is wearing lipstick – some kind of drag act bunny perhaps? This may only last about thirty seconds but we thought it might make it up to those of you who say that this site spends too long focusing on the grisly and the gruesome!

Charlie and the Seal!

Saturday, 12 April 2014

When photographer Charlie Bird decided he wanted to photograph seal pups he decided to get as close up to them as possible. One of the elephant seal pups became rather inquisitive and before Charlie knew it he was getting more attention than he had bargained for. Not only that, one of the pups friend’s decides to join in too.

Good job for Charlie that it was just an elephant seal pup. If dad had decided to show interest too, he would have been in trouble. Southern elephant seal bulls typically reaching a length of 16 ft (4.9 m) and a weight of 6,600 lb (3,000 kg).

Nudibranchs of Anilao

Sunday, 16 February 2014

The nudibranch is a group of soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage. They have astonishing colors and striking forms. There are more than 3,000 described species of nudibranchs. This short film by Dustin Adamson of Ocean Shutter focuses on the nudibranchs of Anilao in the Philippines. The close-up macro shots are simply stunning. Enjoy!

Dawn the Rescue Fox Wags her Tail and Makes Happy Sounds

This is Dawn – a rescued fox. She was very young when she was discovered by members of the public and they took her to a dog rescue center. By the time it was realised she was, in fact, a dog she had become too tame to be ever put back in the wild.

However, she was taken to the Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary in the UK where she quickly made herself at home with the five other resident foxes there. In this video one of her carers enters her enclosed area and the sounds of welcome – together with the amazing wagging of her bushy tail – are a joy to behold.

Despite the fact that the video is not high resolution this has gone viral. Yet we wouldn’t be a responsible site about animals if we didn’t slip in a quick statement. Foxes are not animals which can be domesticated – although they can bond with individuals they are way too volatile to be around strangers. In other words, pet foxes are pretty much a recipe for disaster. So, while Dawn is cute and adorable she would have had a much better life in the wild.

What One Dog Gets up to When Home Alone

Sunday, 12 January 2014

Dogs like food – that’s a well-established fact. Some, however, are willing to go to great lengths to get to their between meal snack. Take Lucy for example. Her human, Rodd Scheinerman had caught her with her head in his oven on a previous occasion and decided to catch her red handed if she tried to do it again.

He put some chicken nuggets in the oven and left the house. His cam secured in the kitchen area, this very funny piece of film was waiting for him on his return. Lucy had heard the oven alarm indicating that the chicken nuggets were ready. What she does next is ingenious, funny, charming and just a little bit naughty all at the same time!

If you are a dog lover I am sure you will enjoy this home movie which no doubt will (like Lucy) be treasured for many years to come by Mr Scheinerman and his family.

Red Squirrels Show Signs of Recovery from Deadly Poxvirus

Sunday, 1 December 2013

The red squirrel population in the UK, long on the brink of complete destruction, has shown signs of resistance to a deadly poxvirus which has killed hundreds of thousands of them over the decades. A study in an area of Merseyside in the North West of England has shown that around 10 percent of the population there now carry squirrelpox antibodies in their bloodstream. The antibodies, which enable the squirrels and their descendants, to respond to the virus also indicate that a number of the animals have had the disease but have recovered.

Image Credit Flickr User Alek RK

Image Credit Flickr User Peter G Trimming

This is the first time that a red squirrel surviving exposure to the poxvirus has been recorded. The news has been welcomed by naturalists as an encouraging sign. So, what happened in Merseyside to make a difference?

Shake

Monday, 21 October 2013

If this doesn’t make your day then I am not sure what will… Take a number of dogs, film them shaking off water and then slow the film down… right down until every twist and turn, each slobber and swerve is captured. It is quite amazing how something so everyday becomes so entrancing!

The inspiration for this short piece came when the team from Variable, a production company & creative collective based in New York City saw the still photography of Carli Davidson which went viral last year. They contacted her to see if she would be interested in taking her project a step further and capturing the dogs with the moving image. As you can see, Variable got a big yes from Carli and they have now unleashed this fantastic video on to the internet.

If you love this as much as we did here at Ark in Space then you may like to know that Shake The Book is now available too, featuring many of Carli Davidson’s wonderful portraits of dogs captured in time while doing the shake…

The London Parakeets: Perfect Pest or Welcome Guest?

Saturday, 19 October 2013

At some point in the late sixties some Parakeets made a bid for freedom in London. For decades they were treated as an exotic guest and viewed with a mix of bemusement and pleasure. However, their days in London seemed to be numbered a few years ago but so far, the numbers seem to be increasing.

Image Credit Flickr User Electropod

Image Creedit Flickr User Ian-S

For a while the number of Parakeets in London remained small and toleration was the name of the game. After all, London has a long and proud history of welcoming foreigners to its heart and making them its own. So it was with the parakeet. However, their numbers exploded in the late nineties and many now seem them as a pest. From the beginning of 2010 open season on the cockney parakeet was declared.

Sam the Dog Enjoys a Day at the Beach

Sunday, 22 September 2013

Some dogs don’t like water but that’s OK. The ones that do make up for it in the joyous way that they will leap in to water wherever it is. Whether it’s a lake, a river or an ocean there is always going to be a dog more than happy to participate.

That’s the case with Sam (who is a chocolate Labrador by the looks) who took his human Andres Santos for a great day at the beach recently. Andres caught it all in wonderful slow motion for us to enjoy, so, enjoy!

Stop the Dog (Starring Harvey Waggington)

Friday, 5 July 2013

Watch this right to the end: you will (I hope) laugh! This short film, a little over two minutes long, follows the adventures of a lovable Labrador. The dog is played by Harvey Waggington, who we suspect might be playing himself. Or it could be method acting: who can say?

However, that aside, this dog may be intent on being the canine equivalent of an altruist but he is somewhat let down by his natural clumsiness…

Stop the Dog was created by takeitoutsidefilms for the 2013 Virgin Media Shorts competition. You can vote for it in the competition by clicking here.

The short was produced and directed by Alec Birkbeck with music written by Nick Salmon and played by Steel City Sax.

The Dogs of War – A Tribute to the MWD, Military Working Dogs

Sunday, 30 June 2013

Dogs have been used in warfare for millennia – and are still trained to operate in war zones today. From the scouts to the tracker, detectors and sentries, this is a tribute to those dogs who work with the military today - and of course their trainers.

Image Credit Flickr User Beverley and Pack

It is a fact easily overlooked that dogs are used by the military in war zones – many people do not realise that they are used at all. They have made significant contributions where they have been deployed. A fitting point at which to start is to pay our respects to those dogs that helped win wars in the past. Here, Military Working Dog (from here on in referred to as MWD) Rico accompanies Petty Officer 2nd Class Blake Soller to salute the dogs who helped to liberate Guam in 1944. The inscription on the memorial says “25 Marine War Dogs gave their lives liberating Guam in 1944. They served as sentries, messengers, scouts. They explored caves, detected mines and booby traps. -SEMPER FIDELIS” (always faithful).

Quagga

Friday, 28 June 2013

You may not have heard of the Quagga and you might suspect that it never really existed. However, it did but the last of its kind died in the 19th century. It joined an ever growing list of animals made extinct by our direct intervention in its habitat.

This animation by Olga and Tatiana Poliektovs re-introduces us to the quagga and some of his friends by way of a little boy having an adventure with his camera in his woods. He manages to capture a picture of these shy animals but when he shows it to his mother the animals have all disappeared from the picture. Take a look at the animation: it may make you sad but hopefully it will encourage you to help those species that we still can save!

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