The therianthropes among us are in good company: Stone Age man's terrors still stalk modern nightmares from the Guardian Unlimited Observer reports "animal-human hybrids" in human art go back ten thousand years. Link via Plastic.

'We looked at art that goes back to the dawn of humanity and found it had one common feature: animal-human hybrids,' said Dr Christopher Chippindale, of Cambridge University's museum of archaeology and anthropology. 'Werewolves and vampires are as old as art, in other words. These composite beings, from a world between humans and animals, are a common theme from the beginning of painting.'

The Smithsonian's National Zoological Park announces the birth of a 325-pound male Asian elephant, born Nov. 25, at 2:35 p.m. The calf, which took his first steps just minutes after birth, is being watched carefully by zookeepers and veterinarians who were on hand for the birth. In addition, Dr. Dennis Schmitt, a specialist in elephant reproduction from the Southwestern Missouri State University, joined the National Zoo team for the birth.



For more information and photos, see the Smithsonian Institution National Zoo website.

This recently updated site concerns the life and times of the Chicken of Wrath... Fission Chicken. Originally appearing in Fantagraphics Critters series (and then is own title), he has a new book due out soon from Shanda Fantasy Arts. FC info, art gallery, links, etc. are available here

Noted science Fiction Author, Harlan Ellison, is spearheading an uphill battle against people illegally posting protected works online. Although he got into the fight to protect his own literary works, this has escalated into an all-out battle for creator's rights everywhere.

Visit harlanellison.com/kick for more information on how you can help fight the good fight.

At a meeting of the Board of Directors of Midwest Furry Fandom, Inc. (the parent non-profit corporation of Midwest Furfest) on November 18, 2001, Jim Doolittle (Aureth) was selected to be Convention Chairman of Midwest Furfest 2002. Jim also selected Steven Calica (Stevie) and Paul Lester (Linnaeus) to be his Vice-Chairmen.

Strange Horizons has published one of my Jokka stories, "Money for Sorrow, Made Joy." You can read it by using this direct URL, or by going to the Strange Horizons website and clicking on it under "Fiction."

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer recently sent an editor along with a team of researchers from the Snow Leopard Trust to Mongolia to gather more data on the snow leopards and their environment. Click on the first link to see three articles published so far, along with some great pictures.

As reported on Slashdot and The Age, thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) DNA has been extracted from century-old bones. This is another step in the controversial project to bring this species back from extinction.

Teams of animal welfare specialists, in light of the recient publicity of the conditions in the Kabul zoo, are preparing to fly in and bring emergency relief supplies to the battered and starving animals.

The World Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Animals and Born Free are both pledging thousands to care and feed the animals of the zoo, as well as sending teams to investigate and administer the care.

This update can be found here

New research on the respiratory system of alligators helps explain why dinosaurs, unlike modern lizards, could lead such an active, running around life.

A combination of anatomical factors, including a newly discovered mobile hip bone, which allow the alligator to run and breath at the same time, are found in many dinosaurs and desendant birds as well. Lizards, on the other hand, must hold their breath when they run.

"Our hypothesis is dinosaurs were much more active and [alligators] have reverted back to a sit-and-wait lifestyle," says Dr Colleen Farmer, a biologist at the University of Utah, where the tests took place.

Read the full article, with diagrams, here.

Tom Leppard has had 99.9% of his body tattooed with leopard spots, and has replaced several teeth with a set of fangs. According to Ananova, he lives in a hut, bathes in a river, and has dropped out of society. The Guinness Book of World Records has a short video of him.

http://www.oldmanila.com.ph/feature.html
Forget the Philosopher's Stone. There is just something about a civet's instestines that makes a coffee bean taste like gold!

Years of fighting and famine have reduced the once high class menagerie, which housed over 100 species, to a pitiful collection of animals, many of which sport battle scars from the various military conflicts which have raged across Afganistan in the last few decades.


From a grendade wounded 45 year old lion, to the wild boar which was one of few the edible animals that was not eaten during famine years (prohibitions on pork), the collection has been mainly neglected and sometimes outrightly abused by the various ruling factions which have run Kabul.
Though interest in the zoo is picking up with the fall of Kabul to the Northern Alliance, long time zoo director Sheragha Omar doubts they will bring the money or interest the zoo needs to survive. He currently relies on the kindness of locals, including the local butcher, who supplies his wounded lion and the other carnivores with meat.

Articles discussing the plight of the zoo can be found at the BBC,or Yahoo

When we first started this site we wanted to make the best for the
fandom by the fandom. And we feel we have done it. It has met with
all our expectations but we are still not willing to sit around on our
paws. We want to build a version 3.0 of this site that will be even
better! So we need to ask for you help as asking you as sellers,
buyers, and members of the fandom to provide feedback on what you want
to see FurEauction be like in the future. So contact us at
fureauction@fureaction.com with details, ideas, and general comments.
We will take any opinion and request seriously.

From Fred Patten, here is the lastest version of the 2001 Furry Recommended Reading/Viewing List. If you still think something should be on here that isn't, let Fred know, and he'll add it in.