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.

If you thought that the stuff on Avatar was old, then think again. NewScientist has this story about the earliest known Furry art.



They have pictures of 10,000 year old "Antelope-human hybrids" as cave paintings and even mention a 32,000 year old "androgynous feline-headed statuette from Germany".

Please be aware that Further Confusion is currently sold out on SUITES only. If you call and try to reserve a suite you will likely be told that rooms are sold out at the con rate for that weekend. However, if you then ask to reserve a regular room at the con rate the reservations agent should then be able to pull up open rooms.

Should you be told that neither suites nor regular rooms are available, please get the agent's name, number and location and send these to hotel@furtherconfusion.org and we will try to assit you in completing your reservation.

Placental mammals had long been thought to have come well after the extinction of the dinosaurs, but fossils of Kulbeckia, a long snouted animal from 85 million years ago, shows signs of being an ancestor of modern rabbits and rodents. Including the possibility of having developed its young in its uterus instead of a pouch or eggs.

ConiFur Northwest is pleased to announce the Guest of Honor for 2002 will be the talented artist Marci McAdam. This fine artist has been in the genre for years and had her work published in a number of titles. Her cheerful style has been popular amongst the fandom and she's always a pleasure to meet at conventions. Now you will have a chance to meet her in person and learn more about this artist at ConiFur 2002, October 4th-6th.

Raptor groups are worried that foolish parents might give children clamouring for a pet owl, like the one shown in the Harry Potter movie, a real owl.
Many raptor shelter and rescue groups have already started recieving calls from people looking for rare snowy owls, like Hedwig, the owl shown in the movie, and they fear an massive increase of unwanted owls in the wake of the film.


Unlike what the movie shows, owls in general are antisocial and hard to tame, need large spaces to fly, and have to be feed full mice and chicks to maintain health. Owl advocates are recommending parents adopt owls at zoos, or give their children stuffed owls instead.

The article is here. I'm trying to picture this, but somehow I can't. Maybe that's a good thing...

Myth: Further Confusion has sold out of hotel rooms on X day.

Truth: Further Confusion has not filled up its room blocks on any day.