عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Shanghai Bear Cub Becomes Breakout Star

A 11-month-old bear cub, Junjun, plays in his enclosure at Shanghai Zoo, in Shanghai, China December 12, 2024. REUTERS/Casey Hall
A 11-month-old bear cub, Junjun, plays in his enclosure at Shanghai Zoo, in Shanghai, China December 12, 2024. REUTERS/Casey Hall
TT
TT

Shanghai Bear Cub Becomes Breakout Star

A 11-month-old bear cub, Junjun, plays in his enclosure at Shanghai Zoo, in Shanghai, China December 12, 2024. REUTERS/Casey Hall
A 11-month-old bear cub, Junjun, plays in his enclosure at Shanghai Zoo, in Shanghai, China December 12, 2024. REUTERS/Casey Hall

Adoring crowds are flocking to a zoo in Shanghai to watch Junjun, a bear cub just 11 months old, as he frolics in his enclosure playing with toys, such as a favorite tire, or splashing in a water trough.
Standing 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and weighing more than 35 kg (77 lbs), the brown bear's every move captivates fans, who exclaim at his resemblance to a playful puppy and admire his fluffy fur coat, Reuters reported.
Even on a cold weekday in December, when the zoo in China's commercial hub is mostly deserted, a crowd gathers at the outdoor enclosure where Junjun encounters his doting public every two days.
"His little movements are really funny. Very cute, so cute that it can't be cuter," said one visitor, surnamed Lin.
Born at the zoo as the first offspring of his parents, Junjun was hand-reared by keepers who supply his toys and favorite foods of beef and apples with honey.
Junjun's fame has spread on social media, with videos and pictures online commenting on his resemblance to Duffy, a teddy bear and popular Disney character.
"Everyone likes such a lively and active bear cub," said his keeper, Yang Junjie. "He can play in the exhibition area all day long, attracting everyone's attention."
Junjun has always been playful, said Yang, who added he was initially taken aback by the streams of visitors as he did not realize his charge had become an online celebrity.
The bear's favorite game is racing with his keepers, first chasing them, then being chased by them but stopping to let them catch up.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Cute carnivores: Bloodthirsty California Squirrels Go Nuts for Vole Meat

This handout photo obtained from the University of California on December 18, 2024, shows ground squirrels eating voles in Davis, California. Sonja Wild / University of California, Davis/AFP
This handout photo obtained from the University of California on December 18, 2024, shows ground squirrels eating voles in Davis, California. Sonja Wild / University of California, Davis/AFP
TT
TT

Cute carnivores: Bloodthirsty California Squirrels Go Nuts for Vole Meat

This handout photo obtained from the University of California on December 18, 2024, shows ground squirrels eating voles in Davis, California. Sonja Wild / University of California, Davis/AFP
This handout photo obtained from the University of California on December 18, 2024, shows ground squirrels eating voles in Davis, California. Sonja Wild / University of California, Davis/AFP

Squirrels might look like adorable, nut-hoarding furballs, but some are ruthless predators that hunt, tear apart, and devour voles.
That's the startling finding of a new study published Wednesday in the Journal of Ethology -- the first to document widespread carnivorous behavior in these seemingly innocent creatures.
"There is always something new to learn and wild animals continue to surprise us," lead author Jennifer E. Smith, an associate professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire told AFP.
"In a changing world with many technological advances, there is no replacement for direct observation of natural history, including watching the squirrels and birds that often visit our backyards."
The observations were made this summer, during the 12th year of a long-term study conducted at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County, California.
Between June and July, researchers recorded 74 interactions involving California ground squirrels and voles, with 42 percent of them involving active hunting of their fellow rodents.
Co-author Sonja Wild, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, admitted she was initially skeptical of the reports brought to her by undergraduate students who first witnessed the behavior.
"I could barely believe my eyes," said Wild. But "once we started looking, we saw it everywhere."
It was previously known that as many as 30 species of squirrels opportunistically consume meat, ranging from small fish to birds. However, it was unclear whether this behavior stemmed from scavenging or active predation.
The new study is the first to confirm that hunting is, in fact, a common behavior.
Researchers observed squirrels crouching low to the ground before ambushing their prey, though more often, they chased voles, pounced, and delivered a neck bite followed by vigorous shaking.
The study also found that the squirrels' carnivorous behavior peaked during the first two weeks of July, coinciding with a surge in vole populations reported by citizen scientists on the iNaturalist app.
Other animals, such as raccoons, coyotes, and spotted hyenas, have been known to adapt their hunting strategies in response to human-induced changes in their environments.
"In a changing world, it can be daunting to consider all of the challenges that human presence, habitat loss, and climate change impose on animals," said Smith.
"Our study offers an exciting silver lining, demonstrating the incredible flexibility that some animals possess."
Several questions still remain unanswered.
Researchers hope to investigate how widespread hunting behavior is among squirrel species, whether it is passed down from parents to pups, and how it affects their broader ecosystems.