BY CRISTINA GUARINO

Residents of Queens do not have to look far to find wildlife. With the many parks, beaches, and other recreational areas overseen by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, there is a wide variety of species in the borough.

Queens beaches provide a nesting ground for a near-endangered species of bird. The Charadrius melodus, commonly known as the piping plover and a threatened bird species, can be found along the East Coast, including Queens’ very own Rockaway Beach. It also inhabits the Great Lakes area, where it was designated in 1986 as endangered.

The birds stand at about seven to eight inches, with orange legs and beaks. They have white underbellies and sand-colored backs, wings and heads, as well as a black band around their necks. In the winter, this band disappears and their legs and beaks fade to a lighter color to promote camouflaging.

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Credit: extensiblecow

..is my FOOD?:)
MOOOOOOM! Food!:)

by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SARASOTA, Fla. — Marine researchers untangled a young dolphin from a web of plastic, and now the animal is swimming freely in Sarasota Bay.

A team of scientists from Mote Marine Laboratory’s Dolphin Research Program captured the calf on Monday. The plastic was wound around the baby’s body between her blow hole and pectoral fin

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Credit: Tony Tanoury

Life is beautiful, in all its forms!

By LIAM MILLLER

A giant farm dog and a tiny piglet cuddle up as if they were family after the baby runt was dismissed by its own mother.
Surrogate mum Katjinga, an eight-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback, took on motherly duties for grunter Paulinchen – a tiny pot-bellied pig – and seems to be taking the adoption in her stride.
Lonely Paulinchen was luckily discovered moments from death and placed in the care of the dog who gladly accepted it as one of her own. Thankfully for the two-week old mini porker, Katjinga fell in love with her at first sight and saved her bacon.

Full story and photos here