Something very strange has happened to the healthy, perfectly fit and normally white polar bears living at the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in central Japan. The bears have turned green.
What a sight! Healthy, perfectly fit and normally white polar bears living at the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in central Japan have turned green.
Huh? The Associated Press reports that the bears turned green in July after swimming in a pond that was overgrown with algae. Zoo visitors who see the green bears immediately wonder whether the animals are sick or even carrying mold. "Visitors seem to be shocked by the color, and we are asked every day why they are so green," zoo official Masami Kurobe admitted to AP.
Here's the strangest photo of a dog you'll see all day! A golden retriever is nursing three white tiger cubs. Keep clicking for more fun photos, including a six-legged fawn, police-trained dog wearing boxing gloves and a shihtzu jumping a hurdle.
The algae grew abundantly in July and August because the zoo embarked on new a conservation plan that involved less-frequent water changes to the polar bears' pond and safety moat.
Don't be confused, but do be forewarned: This guinea pig photo gallery is gross and disgusting! While some photos show guinea pigs dressed up in a fashion competition for the annual Peruvian guinea pig festival, other photos show them cooked up for dinner.
Why does the algae transfer to the bears? Kurobe said it enters the hollow spaces in the bears' fur and is hard to rinse off. He expects the bears to return to their natural color when the algae growth subsides in November.
Click to see photos of the world's smallest horse. Named Thumbelina, she is only 17 inches tall and weighs just 57 pounds.
