City of Diamondhead opens new dog park
DIAMONDHEAD, Miss. (WXXV)- Dog owners in Diamondhead have a new place for their four-legged friends to run and play. The ribbon was cut Saturday on the new city dog…
Animals
World’s oldest known tortoise still very much alive despite rumor to the contrary
By BRIAN MELLEY LONDON (AP) — Reports on April Fools’ Day of the death of the world’s oldest living land animal — a 193-year-old tortoise called Jonathan — were greatly exaggerated. Jonathan is still kicking — albeit slowly — on the island of St.…
A real possum appears among plush toy animals in Australian airport gift shop
By ROD MCGUIRK MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — On shelves crammed with cuddly toy native animals in an Australian airport gift shop, one fluffy possum stood out: Its big brown eyes were moving. A browsing passenger first spotted a living Australian brushtail…
French bulldog frenzy may be cooling in US, but dachshunds are riding high
By JENNIFER PELTZ NEW YORK (AP) — Americans still dig French bulldogs, retrievers and German shepherds. But dachshunds are increasingly hot dogs. For the first time in over two decades, the sausage-shaped hounds were among the top five most prevalent dog breeds,…
Oldest known whale recording could unlock mysteries of the ocean
By PATRICK WHITTLE PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A haunting whale song discovered on decades-old audio equipment could open up a new understanding of how the huge animals communicate, according to researchers who say it’s the oldest such recording known. The song is that of…
A red fox stows away on a cargo ship, traveling from England to the US
NEW YORK (AP) — This stowaway truly was sly as a fox. A red fox somehow slipped onto a cargo ship that traveled from Southampton, England, to New York, where the animal is now in the Bronx Zoo’s care. The zoo said…
Otters enjoy a snow day in Maryland during winter storm
BALTIMORE (AP) — A pair of otters slid into their week with an early morning romp in the snow at Baltimore’s National Aquarium. Security cameras captured the fun around 7 a.m. at the aquarium, which described the otters as “rolling,…
Eleven puppies rescued near Sam’s Club
A heartwarming rescue story out of Harrison County where much work went into rescuing eleven puppies. The elusive mama dog at Sam’s Club hid her puppies under a house in…
Puppies rescued from flood-stricken Texas arrive at Chicago shelter
By CHRISTINE FERNANDO Updated 1:57 PM CDT, July 17, 2025 CHICAGO (AP) — Nine puppies from parts of Texas submerged by catastrophic flooding that killed at least 132 people arrived Wednesday at the no-kill shelter PAWS Chicago, joining dozens of puppies that had already arrived. The…
Keeping animals of all sizes, from cats to horses, cool during record heat
By DAVID FISCHER Updated 7:35 AM CDT, July 17, 2025 WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — With record temperatures hitting the U.S., pet owners have to protect their four-legged family members from dangers like heat stroke and dehydration. But keeping an animal the…
Long Beach firefighter rescues osprey from speaker
LONG BEACH, Miss. (WXXV)- The Long Beach Fire Department performed a rescue, but not one you might expect. Firefighter Brian Sumrall responded to an osprey needing help at the…
Animal Control Appreciation Week: Meet Gulfport Police's Gary Reagan
GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV) - This week is Animal Control Appreciation Week, and in the City of Gulfport, one animal control officer goes above and beyond. Gary Reagan is accepting an award for…
Last 4 escaped monkeys are captured in South Carolina after months on the loose
YEMASSEE, S.C. (AP) — Authorities in South Carolina said Friday the last four of 43 escaped monkeys have been recaptured after two months living in the woods, weathering a rare snowstorm and being temped back into captivity by peanut butter and jelly…
Humane Society aims to alleviate overcrowding as the New Year approaches
Coming out of the holiday season, the Humane Society of South Mississippi, like many shelters across Mississippi, is dealing with overcrowding. From December 31st until January 4th, they…
Zoo Atlanta’s last 4 pandas are leaving for China
ATLANTA (AP) — Zoo Atlanta’s last four giant pandas will be moved to China next month, as its 25-year agreement with the country comes to an end. “While Zoo Atlanta will certainly miss Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, and…
Pascagoula police officer catches chicken
Why did the chicken cross the road? Because Officer Waits was chasing him! Pascagoula Police Department shared this on their Facebook Page: “After a brief foot pursuit Officer Waits was able…
Handlers help raise half-sister patas monkeys born weeks apart at an upstate New York zoo
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Two baby patas monkeys were born weeks apart at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in upstate New York and are being raised by keepers after their mothers showed a lack of maternal instinct, a zoo official said…
38 dogs were close to drowning on a Mississippi lake. But some fishermen had quite a catch
BY JEFF MARTIN Updated 3:20 PM CDT, June 21, 2024 ATLANTA (AP) — By the time fishermen spotted the first head bobbing above the water, the 38 dogs were exhausted and struggling to stay alive. The hound dogs had plunged into…
Charlotte, a stingray with no male companion, is pregnant in her mountain aquarium
BY BEN FINLEY Updated 5:59 PM CST, February 14, 2024 Charlotte, a rust-colored stingray the size of a serving platter, has spent much of her life gliding around the confines of a storefront aquarium in North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains. She’s 2,300…
Tips for pet safety during cold weather
When it comes to protecting pets and animals from the cold, one local shelter is providing relief to the local homeless community and their pets. Monday and Tuesday, the…
Extremely rare white alligator is born at a Florida reptile park
Updated 1:27 PM CST, December 8, 2023 KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — An extremely rare white leucistic alligator has been born at a Florida reptile park. The 19.2-inch female slithered out of its shell and into the history books as one…
A look back: Big Boy living in Jones Park
The City of Gulfport use to have a mascot of their own, that being a tabby cat named Big Boy! According to old Sun Herald articles, the story is that "Big Boy"…
Hattiesburg Zoo’s new giraffe Grace has joined Bertie and Sue Ellen in the Giraffe Yard
Hattiesburg Zoo’s new giraffe, Grace has joined Bertie and Sue Ellen on the giraffe yard and in the giraffe barn. Despite having visual contact with Bertie and Sue Ellen, Grace was physically separated from them, which was a new experience…
Rock N Roller Over for Humane Society of South Mississippi
Joining us this afternoon is Katie King with the Humane Society of South Mississippi to talk about Rock N’ Roll Over. The event takes place August…