Snowball the fat albino hedgehog put on diet
White, round and undeniably large, it is easy to see how Snowball the
albino hedgehog got his nickname. But staff at Tiggywinkles wildlife
hospital in Buckinghamshire have decided enough is enough. Snowball must
slim down.
 The hedgehog arrived at the Aylesbury centre in October weighing in
at a hefty 1.5kg. He had apparently been taking too much advantage of
dog food left out at night. In a bid to reduce his weight, he is
undergoing daily swimming sessions. Staff has also put him on a strict
regime of kitten biscuits.
Tiggywinkles founder Les Stocker said: “Hedgehogs just eat and eat
and eat. If they have got food, they will eat the whole lot. We may let
him hibernate because that will help him lose weight, he’s got enough
fat to survive.”
His albinism – found in only one in every 100,000 hedgehogs – means
he is particularly eye-catching and so more vulnerable to predators.
Nonetheless it is hoped he will be released from the centre in the
summer, into a protected area where he will be monitored.
 Santa penguins wish visitors a flappy X-mas
Five penguin siblings are bringing festive cheer to visitors at a
Japanese aquarium by waddling about in little Santa Claus outfits. The
African Penguins have been dressed up in the red and white costumes by
workers at the Matsue Vogel Park in Shimane Prefecture.
Little bells have been hung around their necks so the birds jingle as
they make their way around the park. “We also have a Christmas tree made
of a plant so people can take pictures with the penguins,” said an
unidentified employee.
Angry dolphin bullies swimmers off NZ coast
 Moko, who weighs some 250kg and used to live off Mahia on New
Zealand’s east coast, was initially praised for his friendly nature. But
since making Gisborne his home in September he has trapped swimmers,
overturned kayaks, tipped over waterskiers, and interfered with surf
lifesaving training. Rescue services had to be called after the animal’s
intimidating behaviour prevented six people from swimming back to shore
in separate incidents.
Marine Science expert Professor Mark Orams has compared Moko’s
personality change to humans going through puberty. “He’s doing what we
all do as teenagers,” he said. “He’s testing his boundaries, but he’s
testing them on humans. Here you’ve got a very lonely bottlenose who
loves human contact, but he’s getting way too big and strong for it,” he
said. Olympic kayaking double gold medallist and surf lifesaving
instructor Alan Thompson said reports of Moko’s behaviour were
exaggerated. He told The New Zealand Herald: “If you don’t like the way
he plays, then don’t go out in the water.”
- Sky news
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