Cheetahs to Inspire Better Prostheses? Video -- National Geographic

Cheetahs to Inspire Better Prostheses? Video September 29, 2009—Don't look for seeing-eye cheetahs anytime soon, but the big cats may help disabled people in another way—by inspiring better artificial legs. Welcome to the National Geographic video player.Video Sections

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- "Lion Whisperer" Tempts Fate - March 23, 2009—An animal behaviorist regularly romps with lions on his private animal preserve in South Africa. "If they did kill me ... if I had the opportunity to come back after dying, I would do it all the same," he says.
- "Missing Link" Found - May 20, 2009—A "missing link" found in Germany may be a key to human evolution—a nearly intact skeleton of a 47-million-year-old lemur-like creature.
- "Most Endangered Mammal" Filmed - March 6, 2009—In a rare video, mother and baby Javan rhinos have been captured in a mud pool. With only about 60 surviving, the elusive rhino is said to be the world's most endangered mammal.
- "Psychedelic" Fish Hops on Seafloor - February 27, 2009—A newly discovered frogfish—dubbed the psychedelic fish because of its colorful stripes—hops along the seabed by flexing its lower fins and shooting water from its gills.
- "Robo Croc" Gets Metal Makeover - March 20, 2009—Veterinarians in Miami have successfully fitted a badly injured crocodile with metal plates and 41 Frankensteinian screws on its skull. The croc had been hit by a car in the Florida Keys.
- "Last" Tortoise Fails to Reproduce - December 8, 2008—Lonesome George, the last giant tortoise of his kind, has failed to reproduce. Eggs laid by companion females were not fertilized.
- "Reindeer" at Risk? - December 9, 2008—Caribou, considered the reindeer of Canada, face an uncertain future. Conservationists say climate warming and industrial expansion are putting the species at risk.
- "Blindfolded" Dolphins Studied - December 16, 2008—To find ways to prevent dolphins from getting entangled in nets, researchers cover the animals' eyes to see if dolphins will use passive listening to locate objects.
- "Cove" Town Halts Dolphin Hunt - September 11, 2009—The Japanese town made infamous by the movie The Cove has temporarily suspended its hunt. The annual Taiji hunt claims around 2,000 dolphins, killed by hand after being herded into a shallow cove.
- "Extinct" Beavers Back in U.K. - June 1, 2009—After 400 years beavers are once again gnawing at British branches. But because hunting made native beavers regionally extinct, the new generation had to be shipped in from Norway.
- "Grunting" Worms to the Surface - June 25, 2009—In a Florida forest, worm "grunters" use an unusual technique to catch earthworms to sell for bait.
- "Jurassic" Stick Insect Returns - December 19, 2008—An "extinct," dinosaur-era Australian stick insect was discovered on a remote island and is being reintroduced to one of its native habitats.
- "Mountain Chicken" Frog at Risk - January 15, 2009—Residents of the Caribbean island of Montserrat call one of their edible frog species mountain chicken, but this edible amphibian is now endangered, conservationists say.
- "Obama" Bullfighting Banned - December 15, 2008—A Kenyan judge has banned a bullfighting competition that was to be among festivities honoring Barack Obama's U.S. presidential win.
- "Panda Porn" Trumped by AI - May 28, 2009—When panda pornography didn't entice a male panda to mate with his female partner at a Thai zoo, staff next tried artificial insemination, which resulted in a surprise birth this week.
- "Ugly" Salamander, New Frog Found - June 16, 2009—A bug-eyed salamander and a colorful poison frog are among 12 species possibly new to science recently found in the mountains of Ecuador.
- "Vick" Dogs in Rehab - January 28, 2008 —Some of the dogs confiscated during a police raid on property owned by NFL quarterback Michael Vick have been placed in a new home in Utah, where they are undergoing rehabilitation.
- "Viking Horse" Has 2 More Gaits - December 19, 2008—Brought to the island by Vikings, the Icelandic horse two gaits (besides walk, trot, and gallop) that no other horse does.
- "Water Monster" Nearly Extinct? - November 3, 2008—The Mexican "water monster" salamander has a slimy tail, plumage-like gills, and an odd "smile." The salamander may also have a date with oblivion, conservationists warn.
- 'Giant Fish' Faces Big Trouble in China - September 11, 2007—Join biologist Zeb Hogan of the National Geographic Society's Megafishes Project as he explores the threats facing the giant Chinese sturgeon and the efforts underway to save it.
- 'Obama' Bullfighting Decried - December 12, 2008—Kenya's 'Obama Circuit'—a bull-versus-bull competition coinciding with celebrations Saturday over Obama's U.S. presidential election—has come under fire from animal rights activists.
- 'Shark Island' Swarms With Jaws - October 24, 2008— Costa Rica's Cocos Island National Park, nicknamed 'Shark Island,' has what might be the highest concentration of sharks anywhere. But even here, sharks are vulnerable.
- 1,000 Snake Charmers Protest - February 18, 2009—More than a thousand snake charmers in India protested a law that they say prevents them from carrying out a generations-old tradition of performing with cobras.
- 100+ Elephants Die in Drought - September 15, 2009—More than a hundred elephants in Kenya have died in the past year, say conservationists, who blame the worst drought in 12 years as well as continued poaching.
- 111-Year-Old "Dinosaur" New Dad - January 27, 2009—A centenarian tuatara—a lizard-like New Zealand reptile often called a "living dinosaur"—became a new father Monday.
- 50 Sperm Whales Beached - January 23, 2009—About 50 sperm whales beached for unknown reasons in Australia Thursday. Wildlife rangers spent Friday trying to save the few survivors.
- 51 Tons of Tusks Sold - November 6, 2008—South Africa on Thursday auctioned more than 50 metric tons of ivory as part of a one-time series of sales approved by a UN body. Critics say the sales could encourage poaching.
- A Bear Walks Into a Restaurant... - October 3, 2008—A bear wandered into a Subway sandwich shop in Canada, startling an employee, and sampling some food before letting itself out.
- Activist Back at Dolphin-Hunt Cove - September 3, 2009—Former dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry, star of the new documentary The Cove, again confronts the Japanese town where dolphins are trapped and killed by hand in "drive hunts."
- Activists Ram Whaling Ship? - February 6, 2009—A boat carrying anti-whaling activists collided Friday with a Japanese whaling ship in Antarctic waters. The whalers claim the Sea Shepherd's action was a deliberate ramming.
- Alaska Brown Bear Trapped - October 9, 2008—National Geographic researchers trap an Alaskan brown bear for research, and the bear is not at all happy.
- Albatross Fall for Fish Bait - December 19, 2007—The magnificent, poet-inspiring sea bird is under serious threat, and fishhooks are a key problem. Conservationists say 17 of the 24 albatross species face extinction.
- Alpine Frog Bred in Australia - August 4, 2009—"We don't think they are poisonous, but they certainly taste bad," an ecologist says of Australia's corroboree frog, an endangered species that has now been successfully bred in captivity.
- Amazon Dolphins - November 28, 2007—South American river dolphins are doing pretty well compared to some river dolphins in Asia. But boat traffic, fishing, and logging are still a threat.
- Ancient Cat in Today's Egypt - December 6, 2007—Egyptian Maus may descend from the first domesticated cats in the world. One woman is working to help save them.
- Ancient Sea Life in Utah - January 9, 2009—Some 93 million years ago, dinosaur-era "sea monsters" swam the seas above what is now Utah. Thanks to paleontologists, more evidence of the ancient beasts is now surfacing.
- Animal Dung Fuels Gas Stoves - October 10, 2008—In Ethiopia, farmers are being taught how to use livestock dung as a renewable energy source to create gas for cooking.
- Animal-to-Human Disease Watch - December 12, 2008—In remote corners, a research team is monitoring contact between humans and wild animals—particularly wild animal meat—in hopes of stopping pandemics before they start.
- Animals Find New Hope - April 13, 2009—A Brazilian mountain animal rehabilitation center nurses everything from monkeys to wolves, birds to boas.
- Animals Unwrap Xmas Gifts - December 23, 2008—Some of the inhabitants of the Sydney zoo were as eager to unwrap their presents as their human counterparts.
- Antarctic Survey's Stunning Species - December 2, 2008—Scientists have discovered that islands near Antarctica's main peninsula harbor more species than even the Galápagos Islands, the experts claim.
- Ape Tickling Spurs Laughter - June 4, 2009—Apes laugh too, say researchers who tickled gorillas, chimps, orangutans, bonobos, and human babies—suggesting laughter began in a prehistoric ape-human ancestor.
- Apes Return to Thai Island - January 6, 2009—Gibbons, apes known for their speed and distinctive singing, were wiped out through poaching by the 1980s on Thailand's popular Phuket island. Now they're making a comeback.
- Arctic Ice in "Death Spiral" - September 17, 2008—NASA animations show dramatic Arctic ice melt again in 2008, which saw the second smallest Arctic sea ice cover on record, scientists announced this week.
- Baboons "Raiding" Cape Town - July 24, 2009—As suburbs consume baboon habitat, the cheeky monkeys have been raiding homes and garbage bins for food, prompting residents to fight back—some with guns, others with community education.
- Baby Beluga "Talks" Monitored - January 22, 2009—With pollution and climate change threatening beluga whales, aquarium biologists are studying the whales' communication in hopes of helping the species in the wild.
- Baby Sales Among Threats to Monkey - October 31, 2008— Already threatened by deforestation, rare Peruvian yellow-tailed woolly monkeys face doom as their babies are sold for a few dollars and their genital hair is taken as a trophy.
- Bat Hospital Saving Orphans - January 23, 2009—Australia's Tolga Bat Hospital is saving spectacled flying foxes orphaned by an insect-spread disease that is killing bat mothers.
- Battling Bee-Killing Parasite - October 2, 2008—Australia is one of the only major beekeeping countries free of a parasitic mite that is killing bees throughout the world. The battle is on to prevent an infestation.
- Beached Whales See Happy Ending - November 24, 2008—Volunteers in Australia painstakingly returned 11 beached pilot whales to sea Sunday. By Monday the whales had joined a pod, tracking devices suggest.
- Bear Orphans Released - October 27, 2008—Poaching of female brown bears leaves thousands of cubs orphaned in Russia each year. Now two human-raised orphans have been returned to the wild.
- Bees Key to Better Missiles? - January 7, 2009—Scientists are studying bees' aggressive behavior and ocular and navigational skills in hopes of improving missile technology.
- Big "Transsexual" Fish in Peril - July 13, 2009—A favorite of divers in Australia, the blue groper grows to about three feet (one meter) long and can change its own sex. But its numbers are diving, and researchers are trying to throw the groper a lifeline.
- Biggest Snake Found - February 5, 2009—Fossils from the world's biggest snake—a prehistoric giant that weighed more than a ton and was more than 42 feet (13 meters) long—have been found in a Colombian coal mine.
- Biggest Trout Fished in Asia - November 13, 2007—Fishing the world's largest trout, Mongolia's taimen, is encouraged—to help save it.
- Bizarre Fish Found - September 22, 2009—UPDATE: A gelatinous fish found off Brazil's Bahia coast was touted as a previously unknown species. But the 6-foot-long, toothed oddity may be a known member of a group of mysterious bottom-dwellers known as jellynose fish, another expert says.
- Boat Alarm Could Save Manatees - June 4, 2009—Manatees can't hear the low sounds of boat engines, which is why the animals are frequently injured, a researcher says. A high-pitched alarm could solve the problem.
- Boxes to Save Penguin Chicks? - April 2, 2009—African penguins, or jackass penguins—the only penguins to breed on the African continent—are dwindling in number, mainly because of pollution and overfishing. Now conservationists hope a fiberglass box can help penguin chicks survive.
- Buffaloes Replace Trash Trucks - October 14, 2008—A small town in Brazil's Amazon region uses Asian water buffaloes instead of trucks to collect rubbish.
- Burned Koala Saved by Firefighter - February 12, 2009—During Australia's recent deadly fires, firefighters came upon a burned and dazed female koala—now nicknamed Sam—which eagerly gulped the water they offered.
- Cat "Army" Guards Treasures - June 12, 2009—Fighting off, and feeding on, rodents that would gnaw away at masterpieces, dozens of "working" cats patrol the labyrinthine storerooms of Russia's Hermitage museum.
- Cheetahs to Inspire Better Prostheses? - September 29, 2009—Don't look for seeing-eye cheetahs anytime soon, but the big cats may help disabled people in another way—by inspiring better artificial legs.
- Chimps Batter Hives for Honey - March 2, 2009—Pounding fortified beehives with big sticks and other tools, a chimpanzee group in Africa works hard for the honey (apologies to Donna Summer)—the most sophisticated honey-gathering methods seen in wild chimps.
- Chimps Recover at Brazil Rehab - May 12, 2009—A sanctuary is giving chimpanzees a second chance at life by rescuing them from harmful and abusive zoos, research laboratories, circuses, and homes.
- Chimps Use Tools to Hunt Mammals - February 22, 2007—See newly observed footage of tool-making behavior that further blurs the line between humans and chimpanzees, our closest living relatives.
- Cockfighters Flout Ban in India - April 9, 2009—Despite being banned in India, cockfighting continues at an annual Hindu festival. "According to tradition, once the festival is over, there should be blood stains on the festival ground," one participant said.
- Costumed Royal Swan "Hunt" in U.K. - July 29, 2009—Once upon a time in England, swan was a delicacy, prompting expeditions to "brand" wild, unclaimed fowl as royal property. The queen's swan marker continues the tradition today, but the aim is protection not consumption.
- Crow-Meat Comeback - June 9, 2009—In Lithuania, eating crow isn't an exercise in public humiliation, as the English idiom suggests. Here, crow is literally eaten, and says one connoisseur, "it increases sexual potency."
- Cuba Gets Green Cred - November 14, 2008—Cuba is the only country that meets the criteria for sustainable development from the conservation group WWF. But concern persists for once thriving Caribbean marine turtles.
- Cutting Cows' Gas Emissions - October 24, 2008—Cow's emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas, can be reduced with a more natural diet, farmers are learning. Methane is a powerful contributor to global warming.
- Darwin Voyage to Rio Retraced - December 2, 2008—Stunned by slavery and "the glories of the vegetation of the tropics," Charles Darwin explored Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state in 1832—a voyage now being retraced with the help of one of his great-great-grandsons.
- Deep Eruption, Odd Shrimp Seen - May 7, 2009—For the first time, scientists have caught a fast-growing, 12-story underwater volcano erupting—along with odd creatures evolved to survive its toxic emissions.
- Deep Sea Robo-Help - November 26, 2008—Scientists searching the depths of the ocean for undiscovered marine life off the coast of Maine get help from a well-equipped robot.
- Desperate Maasai Feed Cows Trash - December 17, 2008—Climate change is threatening the way of life for Africa's Maasai herders—even forcing some to take their cattle to feed at garbage dumps.
- Dingoes Go Far for "Love" - March 18, 2009—Unless they're looking for mates, Australian dingoes, wild native dogs, don't roam as far as previously thought, new research shows.
- Dino Hunter Paradise in Argentina - January 13, 2009—Within the last decade, the Chubut province in Argentina has become a paradise for paleontologists seeking fossilized clues about the flora and fauna from millions of years hence.
- Divers Rescue Whale - December 9, 2008—Military divers in Mexico spent four hours freeing a grey whale from fishing nets in the bay of Acapulco.
- Dogs Expect Fair Play? - December 18, 2008—Researchers in Austria say they've found that dogs react negatively to perceived unfair treatment.
- Dogs Save Cheetahs - March 26, 2009—Dogs are used to protect sheep and other livestock from the cheetahs in Africa&8212;thereby saving the big cats from potential shootings by aggrieved farmers.
- Dogs Smell Diabetic Attacks Coming - June 30, 2009—Some dogs can smell odors given off by humans with bladder cancer and diabetes, researchers say. In some cases, the canines warn of oncoming attacks.
- Dogs vs. Rabbits in Eco-War - October 1, 2008—Springer spaniels are training to do battle to save an Australian island from a rabbit boom. The rabbits are destroying vegetation, thereby threatening other species.
- Dogs, Cats Get Acupuncture - August 7, 2009—In the Washington, D.C., area, acupuncture is becoming a more popular option for treating a variety of animal ailments, from arthritis and nerve damage to constipation.
- Dolphin "Talk" Visualized - April 8, 2009—An acoustics engineer in the UK claims he's got a key tool in decoding the language of dolphins. He's invented a device that visualizes dolphin sounds, but skeptics have their doubts.
- Dolphins Trapped in Lake - September 29, 2008—In Australia a dolphin female and calf are trapped in a lake, unable to find their way out. They apparently swam up a narrow creek.
- Donkey Bookmobile Is a Hit - April 14, 2009—On weekends a Colombian schoolteacher straps book bags to a donkey he calls a biblioburro and travels into the countryside to lend books to eager young readers.
- Dozens of Beached Whales Rescued - March 2, 2009—More than a hundred residents of an Australian island pitched in to help save dozens of pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins that had stranded on a beach Sunday night.
- Drug Lord's Hippos Thriving - January 25, 2008—A herd of hippos once owned by Pablo Escobar, Colombia's famed drug lord, run free on Escobar's former estate—creating a problem for the government.
- Dung Heaps Tell Climate Story - September 4, 2009—Rock rabbit dung heaps in Africa—some dating back tens of thousands of years—are time capsules of climate and vegetation information.
- Eggs Taken From Turtle Moms - November 18, 2008—It may seem disconcerting to see volunteers "steal" eggs as they're laid by green sea turtles in Pakistan. But it's all for conservation.
- Egypt Killing All Swine - April 30, 2009—Even though no cases of swine flu have been found in Egypt—in pigs or humans—the government has ordered an estimated 300,000-plus pigs slaughtered as a swine flu precaution.
- Elephant Birth Control Vaccine - June 5, 2008—A wildlife preserve in Africa has too many elephants, and they've got a surprising solution for controlling their population.
- Elephant Relocation Halted - June 11, 2009—Hoisted—upside down—onto flatbeds, tranquilized Malawian elephants were being trucked away after deadly encounters with local people. Now the community, fearing loss of tourism revenue, says the animals should stay.
- Elephant Sends Text Messages - November 5, 2008—A high-tech collar on a farm-raiding elephant in Kenya sends text messages when he crosses a virtual fence. Rangers then rush to shoo him away—safeguarduing both the elephant and crops.
- Elephants, Rhino Freed in India - March 4, 2008—Two young Asian elephants and a young greater horned rhino were released into the wild in India.
- Elusive Tree Kangaroo Helped - February 5, 2008—Saving the unusual marsupial's habitat requires cooperation from everyone—right down to the rare animals themselves, scientists in Papua New Guinea find.
- Epic U.S. Antelope Trek, Up Close - August 13, 2009—America's longest annual migrations, which is increasingly threatened by fences and highways.
- Europe vs. Canada Over Seal Hunt - May 6, 2009—The European Parliament has voted to ban the import of seal products, mainly from Canada, in an effort to stop that country's annual seal hunt—angering some Canadian fishers and Inuit people. Warning: graphic video.
- Extreme Lengths Keep Wild Cats Wild - May 8, 2009—At a Brazilian wild cat conservation center, experts go to extremes to keep rare cats from going tame—from hiding food to smearing chicken blood.
- Fire Ants "Attacked" From Air - August 11, 2009—Sarah Palin isn't the only one who supports hunting from a helicopter. The Australian government is using choppers with heat sensors to scour the land for invasive fire ants.
- Fish With Transparent Head Filmed - February 24, 2009—For the first time, a live Pacific barreleye fish—complete with transparent head—has been caught on video. The deep-sea fish's tubular eyes pivot under a clear dome.
- Former Pet Primates Find Haven - February 19, 2009—After the recent chimp attack in Connecticut, a Florida sanctuary's work is more pertinent than ever. The facility treats pet primates that have been abused or abandoned.
- Fossil Found in Kitchen Counter - May 5, 2009—After a factory had found a 40-million-year-old whale fossil in a limestone kitchen counter, researchers investigated the stone's fossil-packed quarry, which could shed light on the origins of African wildlife.
- Frogs Combat Deadly Fever? - July 7, 2009—An Argentine official is suggesting people adopt mosquito-munching frogs—not chemicals— as a solution to an outbreak of the disease dengue fever, which is spread by the insects.
- Giant Fish Fights On, With Help - December 4, 2008—Growing up to 20 feet (6 meters) long, western North America's rare white sturgeon, is getting a boost from an alliance of officials, anglers, conservationists, and American Indians.
- Giant Fish Helped by Fishing? - July 15, 2008—At an artificial lake in Thailand, several of the world's largest and rarest freshwater fish lurk near anglers' baited hooks—and some conservationists couldn't be happier.
- Giant Prehistoric Elephant Found - June 22, 2009—Scientists in Indonesia claim they have unearthed the 200,000-year-old skeleton of a giant elephant that stood more than 13 feet (4 meters) tall.
- Giant River Stingrays Found - July 22, 2008—After an exhaustive search, an explorer finds one of the elusive rays—perhaps the largest freshwater fish—near Bangkok. And then it gives birth.
- Giving Fish a Bath - December 19, 2008—Biologists literally give fish a bath to try and eliminate parasites in the sea near a coral reef in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Global Warming Good for Sharks? - October 16, 2008—Warmer waters around Antarctica could actually benefit a threatened population of gray nurse—or sand tiger—sharks, scientists say.
- Glowing Puppies Created? - April 29, 2009—A South Korean research team claims to have cloned beagles with an implanted fluorescent gene. The dogs "glow in the dark." Some researchers say the technique could be applied to treatment of human diseases.
- Gorilla Massacre Investigation - June 24, 2008—After ten rare mountain gorillas were killed execution-style in a Congo park, Congolese authorities have arrested a senior park official in connection with the slayings.
- Gorillas Executed in Congo Park - August 1, 2007—Four rare gorillas were shot in Africa's Virunga park on July 22. Get up close with other Virunga gorillas as rangers patrol the park to prevent another tragedy.
- Gorillas Find Refuge in Uganda - October 22, 2007— A Ugandan national park is a sanctuary for some 325 mountain gorillas, about half of the critically endangered species' population.
- Grisly Wildlife Trade Exposed - February 25, 2008—An activist uses a video camera to expose what many would consider a grisly illegal wildlife trade in Myanmar. Warning: graphic imagery.

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