This time we take a look at some of our furred, feathered and scaly friends who have been making the headlines in recent weeks:

Hello Dolly!

Dolly the sheep hit the headlines back in 1996 when she was introduced to the world as the first animal to be cloned. When she began to age prematurely and developed osteoarthritis, it seemed that the already-controversial cloning process might have hit serious problems. Sadly Dolly died aged six and a half, but recently scientists at the University of Nottingham announced that four of her siblings (Debbie, Denise, Dianna and Daisy) have now reached the ripe old age of nine and are living happy and healthy lives with an outdoor herd.
‘The Nottingham Dollies’ will continue to be monitored closely in order to inform future learning for genetic science.

Feline traveller reunited with his owner after crossing the Irish Sea

When an animal rescue centre in the Speke area of Liverpool took in an adorable grey and white cat found scavenging for food outside a takeaway restaurant, the staff quickly named him Danny Boy. After scanning him for evidence of a microchip, they were astonished to find him registered to an address in Northern Ireland, 260 miles away on the other side of the Irish Sea!

Four-year-old Danny (whose rather fabulous real name is Sapeurs Pompier) was bottle-fed by his owner Julie after being abandoned as a kitten. Local searches proved fruitless when he went missing eighteen months ago and whilst nobody knows how he ended up in Liverpool, everybody was very glad that he did! And it just goes to show how important it is to ensure that pets are microchipped!

Beast of Bodmin finally unveiled?

For decades now rumours have swirled around the West Country of a mysterious large cat roaming Bodmin Moor. A number of sightings have been reported over the years but no proof has ever been found of the animal’s existence. Now reports have come to light that legendary circus owner Mary Chipperfield may have released three pumas into the wild in the late 70s.
Danny Bamping, founder of the British Big Cats Society, told The Mirror: “When Dartmoor Zoo was shut down, Mary agreed to transfer her five pumas to Dartmoor Wildlife Park. When they arrived, there were only two pumas in the consignment, but five tags in the cage. Mary Chipperfield said that she had broken down and that somehow three of the pumas had escaped. We think she let them out on the moor.”
We think the mystery may now be solved! Or, maybe not!

Until next time, best wishes from Shailen and The Ralph Site team
The Ralph Site, non-profit pet loss support

Please note: The Ralph Site is not affiliated with the third-party organisations in any of the links shared here, and the views, ideas and suggestions expressed in this and other blogs are simply shared with the intention of helping you, our friends, take care of the special animals in your lives.