Choosing the person you want to marry is hard, and it turns out picking the right dog for you is nearly as difficult. Indiana University researchers found people who visited an animal shelter ended up choosing dogs that didn't fit all of their listed desired preferences in terms of traits. Study co-author Samantha Cohen explains, "Only some desired traits tend to be fulfilled above chance, which means they may have a larger impact on dog selection." It was also found that when it comes to choosing a dog-- looks matter. Cohen adds, "As multiple psychologists have shown in speed-dating experiments, physical attractiveness is very important. Most people think they've got a handsome or good-looking dog." To improve pet adoptions, the experts say animal shelters need to know that people tend to rely on certain traits more strongly when choosing a dog, which might make it easier to match adopters to dogs.
And... A woman in Los Gatos, California captured a fight between a mountain lion and two coyotes on video. Monica Hylbert says she heart strange sounds from outside her home early in the morning and say the two coyotes trying to stop the cougar from moving forward. She said she went inside when it looked like the mountain lion was going to pounce, and added that all three animals were later seen running away. The non-profit Mountain Lion Foundation said it's rare for humans to witness such a confrontation.
Oh yeah... one more. When you think of alligators you likely think of Florida, but a loose gator was recently captured in Pennsylvania creek. Authorities in Blair County say the three-foot reptile was seen swimming yesterday (June 25th) near River Road in Antis Township. It took authorities about two hours to safely capture the gator, and it was taken to Center Wildlife Care in Port Matilda. They're not sure where the animal came from.