Officials fear that Asian carp -- a species of fish that can grow to more than 4 feet long and weigh 100 pounds -- may have penetrated an electronic barrier meant to keep the giant invaders out of the Great Lakes. Here, surveyors collect Asian carp caught in nets in the Des Plaines river near Havana, Ill.
Rick Wood, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / MCT
Nicknamed "Loran's Best," Uga VII, the English bulldog mascot for the University of Georgia's football team, died Nov. 19. "He was well-behaved and always appreciated the significance of his role," said his owner, Sonny Seiler.
Cliff Welch, Icon Sports Media
Jellyfish swarms, which once happened every 40 years off Japan's coast, now occur almost annually. Scientists think global warming has allowed them to expand their ranges and increase their numbers, decimating fishing industries from the Japan Sea to the Black Sea.
Junji Kurokawa, AP
Meet Titan, who is the world's tallest dog, according to Guinness World Records. The 4-year-old Great Dane is deaf, blind and epileptic, but doing well on medication. Titan, seen with owner Diana Taylor in San Diego, measures 42.25 inches from floor to shoulder. He weighs 190 pounds.
Guinness World Records / AP
In 1996, a subspecies of African giraffe was near extinction. Today, their numbers have quadrupled to 200, an unlikely boon experts on Nov. 7 credited to concerned conservationists, a government keen for revenue, and a rare harmony with villagers who have accepted their presence. Here, the giraffes walk through scrub brush near Koure, Niger.
Rebecca Blackwell, AP
A dead beluga whale was found on the mud flats near downtown Anchorage, Alaska on Oct. 9. The exact cause of the whale's death has not been determined, but animal experts said the endangered whale was pregnant.
Al Grillo, AP
Boomer, a 3-year-old Landseer Newfoundland in Casselton, N.D., is one very big dog. His owner, Caryn Weber, said Oct. 7 that Boomer measures 3 feet tall at the shoulders, 7 feet long from nose to tail, and weighs 180 pounds.
Dave Wallis, The Forum / AP
A 27-year-old Canadian man was mauled Oct. 5 by a Siberian tiger after he and a friend broke into the Calgary Zoo and scaled a fence around the animal's exhibit. Here, the tiger, 2-year-old Vitali, looks out from his enclosure.
Jeff McIntosh, The Canadian Press / AP
Officials rescued a lone llama, pictured, from the 14,110-foot summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado on Oct. 3. Members of the Southwest Llama Rescue group coordinated efforts to capture the llama, dubbed Homer, before he fell prey to mountain lions, coyotes or the coming winter. Llamas are domesticated animals, not fit to survive in the wild, according to the group.
Rachel Javorsek, Southwest Llama Rescue / AP
Mountain gorillas, like this one seen in Virunga National Park near the Ugandan border in 2008, are an endangered species. A program launched Sept. 26 promotes the gorillas on sites like Facebook and MySpace. Organizers hope that "friends" will donate to protection efforts.
Jerome Delay, AP
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