Hot in travel: amazing animals from around the world

A selection of stories about animals from around the world this week ranges  from swimming puppies to manatees wearing jackets.

Batzilla the Bat, an online community of bat aficionados and supporters, posted a video demonstrating a new blanket for orphaned baby bats. The blanket is designed to imitate the shape and  presence of the mother, with a pocket to place a soother in and a wrap around wing effect. The bat is wrapped up in this and it simulates the way the mother bat would hold its baby. And it’s too cute.  Watch the video here.

An orphaned bat in its blanket Image by Batzilla the bat / CC BY 2.0

Seaworld posted a video of a mother manatee and her calf being released into water for Manatee Awareness Month. The two animals were rescued earlier this year after the mother manatee had a collision with a vessel and became unusually buoyant, a phenomenon that is very dangerous for manatees. The mother was fitted with a special purple swimsuit that will help her with her buoyancy problem and released into the Florida waters. Watch the video here.

A manatee and her calf were released from Seaworld today Image by Seaworld / CC BY 2.0

A Labrador puppy was picked up off the coast of Naples swimming for its life. The owner had been bringing him back home to the island of Ischia when the dog slipped out of its leash and fell overboard between the railings. When the sailors rescued him he was exhausted and his legs were barely able to swim anymore. See the full story and video here.

Safe aboard the ship. Image by Screengrab via YouTube

In Honduras 11,000 crocodiles and seven lions were fed for the first time in weeks this Tuesday, when the  National Conservation Institute received a donation of over two tonnes of cow entrails. The farm the animals live on belongs to the Rosenthal family, a well-known Honduran political family whose assets were frozen last week on suspicion of drug trafficking and money laundering.  See the full story here.

11,000 crocodiles hadn’t been fed since their owners’ assets were frozen Image by Sue Waters / CC BY 2.0

A video of a young albino whale frolicking in the ocean next to its large grey mother was captured by a drone in South Africa’s Western Cape. It’s a truly rare sighting as only 2% of whales born every year have these traits. Read the full story and see the video here.

Albino whale captured playing off South Africa. Image by Screengrab via YouTube