For many long centuries, animals and man have roamed the earth in a quest for survival.  Both hunted constantly to fill their needs for food, water, and shelter.  And as animals and man roamed the forests and plains, they came into contact with each other – first as predators and later as trusted companions and friends.  And as both of these species evolved through the centuries, so did their relationship to one another.  So today, let’s talk about service animals.  When you think of a service animal, you may think about dogs.  And you would be right!  However, we must not forget that there are many other service animals who continue to help mankind.  Can you guess some of them?  Well, I can think of horses, oxen, yaks, cats, and camels.  And then there’s elephants, falcons, mongoose, and even carrier pigeons!  So, let’s take a deeper dive into some of the wonderful service animals around the world.

The most long-lasting and popular service animal around the world is arguably the dog.  And you may wonder how the dog gained this honored position.  Well, we must go back 200,000-400,000 years ago when grey wolves, called “wolf-like canids,” roamed the Earth.  Man was evolving at this time and was hunting, building fires, and starting settlements in caves and wooden structures in the same areas as the wolf-like canids.  Man and canids started coming in contact with each other.  Maybe these canids attacked man and man hunted the canids.  They both acted as wary predators.  But slowly over time, the canids came closer and closer to man’s settlements in search of easy food – maybe scraps left around the fire or small animals kept in cages like pigs and sheep.  The canids slowly became more accustomed to the sight and smell of humans, and humans became more accustomed to canids, sometimes leaving out scraps of food for them to build trust or stop attacks. The canids and man started to form a symbiotic – or helpful – relationship: the canids would use man for protection against larger animals and for food, and man would rely on the canids to alert them to danger or nearby food and water sources. 

Over many years, some of these canids became more accustomed to, and friendly with, man while the others stayed wild as wolves.  These friendly canids produced offspring who were then raised around man. And man would treat these special canids with care and attention, slowly gaining their trust and training them to do tasks like hunting and retrieving, or guarding their homes and animals.  Over the centuries, the canids’ descendants became the domesticated dog breeds we see today.  Man then trained these dogs to be herd dogs like border collies and Australian sheepdogs, guard dogs like German shepherds, bird dogs like golden retrievers, hunting dogs like hounds and terriers, sleigh dogs like huskies, or mountain rescue dogs like Saint Bernards. On every continent, specific breeds of dogs developed based on the terrain, people, and needs in that area.

Ancient Egyptians revered dogs as hunters, guides, protectors, companions, and even friends in the afterlife.  Egyptian Pharaohs had their loyal dogs’ images carved on their tombs, a symbol of the strong bond they had formed with their trusted furry friends.

Monks in the Middle Ages trained their dogs to retrieve items and turn the spit on the fire while roasting their meat.

Then in the 1500’s, the first reported incident of a dog guiding a blind man occurred when a German physician saw a dog guiding a blind man around the streets of Nuremburg.  By the early 1900’s, man harnessed the incredible abilities of dogs – their intelligence, adaptability to training, and empathy – to become guide dogs for the blind, with organizations popping up in the United States and the United Kingdom.  

At the same time, World War I was brewing in Europe and dogs were sent into battle, doing everything from running messages between battle stations, carrying supplies, guarding equipment, and providing comfort to soldiers.  Later, during World War II, dogs were again called into service as messengers, guards, and companions, but also for digging tunnels and hunting for food in the jungles.  

More recently, service dogs’ abilities have evolved even further than hunting, herding, protecting, and retrieving.  They now provide hearing assistance for the deaf, mobility support for the disabled, medical alert notification for diabetics and epileptics, mental health companionship, search and rescue assistance, and end of life comfort.  People now use them during flights to curb panic attacks or to paw them when they are about to experience a blood pressure drop or a seizure.  The dogs fetch bottled water, pills, and blankets.  Support dogs lay on the beds of the sick and dying in hospitals offering love and comfort.  And dogs have been used around the world in numerous search and rescue operations, digging through rubble, listening for voices, and barking alerts.

Dogs have also become an invaluable resource to law enforcement, acting as police K9’s chasing and detaining criminals.  They sniff out hidden bombs, people, and substances.  And dogs have even been sent into space to test the safety of space exploration for humans, with Russia sending dogs into space 71 times between 1951 and 1966!

But even though dogs certainly take a large share of the service spotlight, there are many other wonderful creatures around the world helping man every day.  

Horses have been an amazing helper to man for many centuries.  In ancient Rome, they pulled golden chariots around dusty racetracks or into battle, their sturdy hooves thundering past at tremendous speed.  They plowed fields in humble hamlets or raced across plains carrying fierce Indians hunting buffalo.  They thundered hundreds of miles across the United States delivering mail for the Pony Express, and pulled carriages, wagons, and stagecoaches over multiple continents, delivering passengers, packages, and food.  They charged into brutal battles and raced through the night on historic rides by Paul Revere and Sybil Ludington.  European nobles trained their beautiful steads in the art of dressage – prancing and rearing in beautiful and artistic performances for fascinated crowds.  The mighty horse was once the most popular form of transportation before trains, motorbikes, buses, and automobiles came on the scene.  Today, they are still an important service animal to many people and communities, carrying people, food, and packages, working as law enforcement horses, competing in dressage, track races, and Olympic events, and even working as therapy animals in jails and hospitals.

Another very popular service animal is the cat.  For centuries, the cat has been honored or hated, depending on the time in history.  The ancient Egyptians honored cats as gods who offered protection against serpents, while other civilizations considered them the helpmates of witches.  In the last couple of centuries, cats have come back in favor as service animals due to their hunting skills and uncanny night vision.  They quickly eliminate rats, snakes, and mice from houses, streets, cities, and even battleships, thus curbing the spread of deadly diseases and keeping mankind safe and healthy!  I have even seen videos where electricians use cats to carry wires through tunnels since cats are so curious and love to explore dark caves and hidey-holes.

Of course, the amazing yak has been a helpmate to man in the Himalayans and other remote, mountainous regions for centuries.  Their large bodies, strong backs, and big lungs make them perfect for carrying heavy loads across large distances and at high altitudes.  Plus, their milk is a favorite ingredient in meals, just like we enjoy cow or goat milk.  Most climbers rely on yaks to help them reach tremendous mountains such as Everest and K2 and bring all their gear to base camp – everything from tents and food, to hiking gear and medical supplies.  If man had to do this all by himself, he would be too exhausted to hike the mountain once he reached it!

And just like the sturdy yak, mighty oxen have been helping man through the centuries, plowing fields, pulling wagons, and dragging heavy beams, bricks, and blocks across many continents on Earth, helping man to grow life-sustaining food and build amazing structures and monuments.

And we must not forget our fluffy, flying friends.  In the medieval ages, falcons were used by the nobility as hunting birds due to their incredible speed, strength, and eyesight.  Falcons were trained to hunt and retrieve rabbits, birds, and other small creatures to add food to man’s table.  And pigeons have been used to carry secret messages across many miles and through historic battles.  Man found that pigeons’ long flying ability and instinct to return home made them very useful when other forms of secret communication were not available – such as telegrams, letters, and phones.

Camels and elephants have been used in service for centuries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.  They can travel long distances and their bodies are strong and sturdy, allowing them to carry heavy loads of supplies, timber, and men for thousands of miles across vast deserts, thick jungles, and high mountain ranges.  They have been used by kings, sultans, Bedouins, and common folk for transportation and load carrying throughout history and to this day.  

In Europe, Africa, and Asia, the wily mongoose is man’s best friend when it comes to the slippery, slithering cobra!  While most animals and people are frightened of cobras and their deadly bites, the mongoose has a natural component in their DNA that makes them resistant to the snake’s deadly venom.  Looking like a small cat or a large, furry rat, they are quick and agile with strong teeth and sharp claws – the perfect match for the striking cobra.  In ancient Mesopotamia – or Asia – the mongoose was revered as a god and prayed to for protection against serpents.  The mongoose has been celebrated for its life-saving abilities in stories and films from Disney’s “The Jungle Book” to Sherlock Holmes’ mystery, “The Adventure of the Crooked Man.”

I hope you have enjoyed this episode about animals who have served man throughout history.  If you would like to learn more about amazing animals, listen to our other episodes including: “The Midnight Ride of Sybil Ludington,” “Unsinkable Sam, the Battleship Cat,” “Jeep, the Flying Coyote,” “The Life-Saving Dog Sled Race,” “Bobbie, the Wonder Dog,” “Gunboat Judy: The Heroic Dog of WWII,” “The Horse’s Impact on History,” and “The History of Cats and Crows at Halloween.”  There is something for everyone, from dogs, cats, and horses to coyotes and crows!

I would love to hear from you and learn about the service animals in your life.  Do you have a special cat, dog, horse, or other animal?  What do you call your pet?  What are your pet’s special talents?  If you could have one service animal, what would it be and why?

The post History of Service Animals appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Two years tick by and P-22 and his siblings are thin and hungry.  The never-ending heat and drought have scorched the hills.  The prey has left.  They need to leave their territory in search of food and water.  To do so, they need to cross the busy freeway.  P-22 does not like the freeway.  It is noisy and hot and large boxy things race along it like speeding cougars.  In the past, any time he ventured close to the freeway, his mother roared and swiped at him with her mighty paws.  Now they are all inching down the hillside towards the freeway.  They stalk forward slowly, using the dry brush as cover.  If they don’t find food shorty, they will not survive.  Already, their ribs are showing through their sagging skin.

P-22 and his siblings stay close behind their mother as they reach the side of the freeway.  They crouch down in the dirt as the large boxy things blast by them at incredible speed.  In the distance, across the freeway, they see the dark ridges of far-off mountains.  On top of one mountain, P-22 can see lights like a bunch of stars fallen to Earth.  The stars are bright and much closer than those in the sky.  He feels as if he can race across the freeway and bound up to those stars.  P-22 wonders what a star tastes like.  Is it crunchy or sweet or meaty?  It looks like there are enough stars on that ridge to feed him and his whole family.  As if in reply, his stomach rumbles in anticipation.

Finally, his mother rises and slowly steps onto the freeway.  She looks left and right and twitches her tail.  She glances over her shoulder and growls to her offspring, then dashes onto the freeway.  Instantly, the young cougars bolt after her.  Suddenly, bright lights race out of the darkness and a loud horn shatters the night.  P-22 leaps ahead, racing for the opposite side of the road and the dark hills beyond.  He runs with all his might, losing track of his mother and siblings.  All he knows is that he must run to survive.  

When P-22 reaches the other side of the freeway, he cannot find his mother and siblings.  The big dark beasts continue to blast by with great gusts of wind, blowing fumes and ruffling his patchy fur.  He trots farther away from the smell and noise, seeking the shelter of trees up a nearby hill just like his mother taught him to do.  He hides in the bushes and settles down to wait, occasionally sending out a roar in hopes his family will hear him.  The hours tick by and he falls asleep, exhausted by his nighttime adventure.

He awakes alone.  He is hungry and thirsty.  Where is his family?  He does not know, but what he does know is that he needs to eat and drink.  He slowly creeps from his hiding place and slinks higher up the hillside in search of a jackrabbit, raccoon, or possum.  Anything to fill his rumbling belly.  Soon he reaches the top of the hill and stands overlooking the valley below.  The sun is rising and the boxy beasts continue to blast along the freeway. He looks for his family and emits a dry, croaky roar, but there is no reply.  He jogs off down the other side of the hill, farther away from the freeway and deeper into the trees in search of food.

And this is how P-22 fills his days, weeks, and months – searching for food at dawn and dusk, and resting in shade and hidden lairs during the days.  One day, he is out searching for food when he smells something strange on the wind, something he hasn’t encountered before. It smells salty and musky.  His ears and tail twitch nervously as he scans the nearby brush for a hidden predator.  Suddenly he feels a pinch of pain in his shoulder and a rustling of bushes behind him.  He turns to attack but his legs are growing heavy and his head is feeling dizzy.  As if in slow motion, he sinks down to the ground and rolls on his side.  In a few seconds, he is fast asleep.

He wakes hours later, groggy and confused.  The sun has shifted in the sky and is nearing the horizon.  It is almost dusk. He sits up and instantly feels something thick around his neck.  It emits a very low hum and occasional beeps.  This bothers him tremendously and he tries to scratch it off with his mighty back paws but it won’t budge. It feels like a snake around his neck and he wishes it would slink away, but it stays latched around his neck, never moving or biting, just beeping.  

Snake or no snake, he needs to eat and so P-22 roams the hillside and neighborhoods for food and water.  There is not much to eat in these new hills on the other side of the freeway.  There are lots of buildings and barking animals, hot streets and racing objects – nothing like the quiet hillsides of his first home.  There is much more noise over here and he has to hunt very carefully to get a good meal.  And he has discovered that the stars on this mountain ridge – the ones he saw years ago from the other side of the freeway – aren’t stars at all but blinking lights on large metal beams.  They are not food at all!  He doesn’t know what they are, but he likes to sit near them at night and scan the hillside.  Sometimes he gazes off into the distance, to the hills of his first home and loving family.  

Several years pass and soon these new hills are dry.  Rodents are scarce and water has evaporated from the canyons.  P-22 hasn’t eaten in days and is losing weight.  He needs to find something to eat.  Slowly, he creeps up a ridge towards a home perched above his lair.  He keeps his head and tail down, his powerful haunches inching him forward.  His large yellow eyes scan the hillside for any sign of movement. Closer and closer he prowls to the home.  And then he smells something – a mixture of sweet and savory.  He follows the scent and comes upon a small container of what smells like food.  Without thinking, he gulps it down in huge mouthfuls, finishing the meal in a matter of seconds.  Just then, a dog starts barking, alerted by the cougar’s presence.

P-22 dashes down the hillside and zig zags into the brush, coming to rest by his hidden lair.  He sits down and licks his paws before rubbing them across his whiskers.  A few minutes later, his stomach clenches and his insides rumble.  Something is not right.  The pain in his belly intensifies, turning into a fiery burn and P-22 rolls onto his side, letting out a low moan.  Soon he sinks into a fitful sleep.  In his dreams, he smells that salty-musky scent again and he feels himself floating on air.  He is moving – he can tell by the air brushing his whiskers – but his legs are not moving.  He hears strange sounds and senses light behind his heavy eyelids but he sinks silently back into a deep sleep.

When P-22 awakes from his dreams it is dawn and the air is cool.  He is inside his lair.  He does not know how much time has passed but he remembers feeling sick and then falling asleep.  He gets up slowly to start another round of hunting.

And so the years pass and P-22 sleeps, hunts, and lounges in the Hollywood Hills.  He is the apex predator on this small patch of turf high above the freeway next to the stars.  It has been years since he has seen another cougar and he wonders where they have all gone.  Is he the only one?

Then one winter night ten years later, P-22 is walking along a narrow road on the top of the mountain.  The evening is dark and quiet. Suddenly, he hears a roar and sees a flash of light.  He tries to jump out of the way but the roaring beast is too fast for him.  He feels a sharp pain and is thrown into the air, then tumbles down an embankment.  P-22 closes his eyes and fades into sleep.  The next day he wakes up sore and in pain.  It takes a long time to stand and make his way up the embankment.  He wanders aimlessly down the street, too tired and hurt to hunt.  His only option is to go towards the homes to find some food.  Shortly thereafter, he smells that salty-musky scent and this time sees several men standing across the street.  They aim a large stick at him.  He feels a familiar prick in his shoulder and a sudden heaviness.  He drops down on his haunches and rolls onto his side, quickly fading into sleep.  P-22 never opens his eyes again but in his dreams he is racing towards his mother and siblings.  He is finally home!  

This has been the story of P-22, a real mountain lion, or puma, who lived in the Santa Monica Mountains in California.   He was born in the western Santa Monica Mountain range around 2010.  His father was named P-001 but nothing is known about his mother.  At some point in his early life, he crossed two major freeways – the 405 and the 101 – ending up in the Eastern Santa Monica Mountains around Griffith Park and the Hollywood Hills.  His territory was very small – only 9 square miles – the smallest ever recorded for an adult mountain lion – and he found himself trapped alone in this populated area surrounded by busy freeways.  

During this time, local biologists had been studying mountain lions and in March 2012, they caught and sedated P-22, then attached a tracking monitor and collar on him.  They called him P-22 – the “P” meaning “Puma” and 22 meaning he was the 22^nd puma – or mountain lion – in their study.

P-22 became a minor celebrity as sightings of him roaming the Hollywood Hills were captured by photographers.  One man hid cameras around the hillsides and eventually captured a photo of P-22 near the famous Hollywood sign.  This iconic photo was then featured on the front of National Geographic Magazine.

In 2014 and 2015, P-22 was captured again by the biologists and treated for rat poisoning and mange.  He was released back into the Santa Monica Mountains where they continued to track him for the next seven years.  However, in December 2012, P-22 was hit by a car.  The biologists captured and evaluated him.  Due to the severity of his injuries, plus other life-threatening conditions including kidney failure, heart disease, and skin diseases, he was put to sleep.

In February 2023, a large blessing ceremony was held to “welcome P-22 back to his homeland.”  This event was attended by approximately 6,000 people, including celebrities, musicians, and politicians, as well as representatives from Native American tribes such as the Chumash and Shoshone.  Shortly thereafter, P-22 was laid to rest in a private location in the Santa Monica Mountains.

P-22 left behind an amazing legacy. He became an ambassador for animal conservation and the plight of California mountain lions.  He was dubbed the “Brad Pitt of mountain lions” and conservationists soon lobbied for the creation of a wildlife crossing over the 101 freeway.  This crossing would allow mountain lions and other wildlife to safely cross between the two mountain ranges, thus safeguarding these species and ensuring animal diversity among the two ranges.  This crossing broke ground in 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2025.

Additionally, P-22 has been the subject of books, TV shows, songs, and murals highlighting the Los Angeles lifestyle and the importance of wildlife conservation. His image is also being considered for a statute and a postage stamp.

Who could imagine that one mountain lion could impact California in such a large – and positive – way? 

What do you think of P-22 and his life in the Hollywood Hills?  Have you ever seen a mountain lion in the wild or at a zoo? 

The post P-22 The Hollywood Cougar appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Just like many life forms throughout the ages, the horse has evolved over time, although not as much as other species that made the big leap from ocean life to life on land.  But, slowly over the past 45-55 million years, the horse changed from having many toes, to one toe.  Around 4000 BCE, humans started capturing and training, or domesticating, horses for use in daily life.  They quickly became indispensable for everything from transportation to hunting and farming due to their amazing qualities like strength and speed.  They could go much farther and much faster than humans, and could shorten the length of time it took to plow fields, carry supplies, or hunt for food.  

In addition, the horses’ other qualities quickly became apparent, such as their excellent sense of balance, their intuitive fight-or-flight response, and their ability to sleep both standing up or laying down.  The young foals can stand and run very shortly after birth, unlike other animals, thus boasting a wonderful survival technique.  And most horses live for 25-30 years, but some have lived as long as 40 years, which is a wonderful bonus for horse owners using them for transportation.  Most modern-day cars don’t last that long!

And did you know that horses are divided into three categories based on their personalities?  There are “cold-blooded” horses, such as draft horses and certain ponies that are used for slow, heavy work or as therapy animals.  Then there are the “hot-blooded” horses, like race horses and those used in battle. They have spirited personalities, plus endurance, strength, and speed.  Finally, there are the “warm blooded” horses, a combination of the hot- and cold-blooded horses.  These horses are used for specific purposes such as dressage or shows.  In all, there are over 300 breeds of horses around the world today.  

Many us of may even know the words for various parts of a horse, like the flank, tail and muzzle.  But there are other amazing terms, too, like the “barrel,” meaning the bottom side of the belly; the “cannon,” which is the front shin, and the “croup,” which is the part of the back behind the saddle and before the tail.

So, now that we know a little bit more about the horse, including how it evolved and how it became domesticated by man, how did it impact railroads and outer space?  Well, this is a truly amazing story and dives deep into history.  So, let’s start at today and work our way backwards.

In the US today, the common measurement between railroad tracks is called the “railroad gauge,” and it equals 4 feet, 8.5 inches.  But that’s a really weird measurement.  Why not make it an even 5 or 6 feet?  Well, the US railroads were designed by Englishmen and they used that same measurement for railroads in Great Britain. 

That sounds reasonable.  So, why did the Englishmen use that specific measurement – 4 feet, 8.5 inches?  Because Englishmen also built wagon tramways across their country and that’s the measurement they used for the tramways.  Okay, so why did they use that specific measurement for wagon tramways?  Because when they were building wagons to be used on the wagon tramways, that was the measurement used for the width between wagon wheels.  The builders of wagons used one specific measurement because if they used different measurements for different-sized wagons, the wheels could snap off due to their wheels not fitting in the ruts in the road.  

So, then you may ask: who built the roads that were used by all the wagons?  The Romans, of course!  The Imperial Roman Empire built vast stretches of roads across Europe, including England, as well as stone bridges, water-bearing aqueducts, and beautiful buildings.  So, how did the Romans determine that specific measurement for their roads?  Easy – that measurement was the standard width of their chariots!  

So, now we’ve jumped back in time from railroads, to wagons, to chariots.  We now have to ask:  How did the Romans know how wide to make their chariots?  Easier still – the width of their chariots equaled the width of the hips of the two war horses pulling the chariots!  So, the width of two war horses’ hips have impacted chariots, roads, wagons, and railroads!  Isn’t that amazing?

And here’s something that’s even more amazing:  when we see a space rocket about to launch into space, we see it jutting majestically toward the sky, its rocket boosters blazing to life with a great, rumbling roar, spewing flames of orange gas as it launches thunderously towards outer space.  

And you may wonder how this could possibly relate to horses.  But it does.  And to understand it, we need to look at the engineers building the rocket boosters.  The engineers design and build rocket boosters in a large building or facility.  Once finished, the boosters are loaded onto trains and transported many miles to the launch site.  Along the way, the trains pass through narrow tunnels.  The engineers have to make the boosters just the right size to fit onto trains going through narrow railroad tunnels.  These tunnels are only slightly larger than the railroad tracks.  And what measurement is used for the width of these railroad tracks?  The width of two horses’ hips!

So, yes, it’s utterly amazing that the common horse has impacted cutting-age space transportation.  I guess we can say that a horse’s hips have controlled just about everything from wagon roads, to railroads, to space travel! What other creature can say that?  Dinosaurs?  Nope.  Donkeys, elephants, or camels?  No way.  It’s the amazing horse!

I don’t think I’ll ever look at a horse in exactly the same way again!  I’ll immediately think of their impact on wagons and trains and space rockets!  Aren’t animals amazing?!  I never knew that horses living centuries ago are still impacting life today, both on earth and in outer space.

The post Horses Impact on History appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

It is October and Fall has slowly and silently crept in on chilly breezes and frosty nights.  Stealthily, inch by inch and degree by degree, Mother Nature has lowered the temperature and darkened the nights.  Dusk descends quickly at this time of year and people scurry home from school and work, wary to be caught outside in the gathering gloom. Their imaginations run wild: And some of the most popular images – besides skeletons, witches, and ghosts – are cats and crows.  But why?  What made them so popular – and so dreaded – at Halloween?  let’s dive right in and find out!

First, we must study various cultures and their beliefs.  Cats were actually a symbol of the divine, worshipped by the ancient Egyptians as reincarnations of the Goddess Bastet, a powerful protector.  Their images were carved on walls temples and obelisks.  They were admired, honored, and adored.  Entire cities were erected in honor of cat deities, believing they protected the citizens from scary scorpions and slithering snakes.  However, everything started to change as Christianity took hold around the world.  Roman Emperor Theodosius I made the decree in 391 CE that all pagan worship was to be banned.  Cats were no longer worshipped thereafter, but at least they were liked and tolerated.  Slowly they became basic household pets throughout Egypt and Europe.

Further abroad in Ireland, the ancient Celts had their own magical cat.  They believed in a spirit called “Cat Sith” or “Fairy Cat.”  This spirit was said to take the form of a large black cat with a white patch on its chest.  They believed that if you left a saucer of milk out for Cat Sith, you would receive good luck, whereas if you did not, Cat Sith would send bad luck to your home.  

Two other legends about Cat Sith also come from the nearby lochs of Scotland, where it was believed that Cat Sith could steal souls from those who had passed.  The Scots believed that they must watch over bodies awaiting burial so that Cat Sith would not steal the souls before they were greeted by the gods and taken to the afterlife.  Night watchers would make loud noises to scare away Cat Sith and they would not light a fire so that Cat Sith would not be tempted to creep near to warm his body.

A second Scottish legend states that witches can turn into cats and they can do so eight times.  If a witch switches into a cat a ninth time, she stays a cat forever.  This legend is probably where the belief originated that cats have nine lives. 

So, now we see a connection between cats, witches, and tall tales.  

And just as the ancient Celt festival of Samhain eventually turned into Halloween based on the declaration of a pope, so did a pope turn the simple cat into a scary devil.   In 1233, Pope Gregory IX and Pope Innocent VIII wrote that cats were associated with devils and witches and should be banned.

And if that weren’t enough, a belief spread that any woman who was seen with a cat must be a witch because it was rumored that cats carried the spirit of witches.  Both cats and women accused of being witches met terrible ends.  And due to the decline in the cat population from these actions, the rat population grew.  Fleas on the rats quickly spread diseases like the Black Plague.  But instead of blaming the plague on fleas and rodents, people blamed the witches.  If only people had kept cats around, history might have turned out quite differently!

Well, soon these European citizens crossed the ocean and settled in America – and they brought their beliefs with them – including those of black cats and witches – which culminated in the famous Salem Witch Trials of 1692-1693.  Thankfully, after these unfounded trials and accusations, the belief in witches and evil black cats declined and slowly dissolved into the mists of time. 

Then around the time of World War II in the 1940’s, the black cat’s fate turned once again and they were depicted in images of Halloween – but this time as symbols of good luck!  Why?  Well, trick-or-treating had become popular and it was believed that a black cat by your door protected you against the arrival of evil spirits – just like the ancient Egyptian cat goddess and protectress Bastet!

Luckily, cats are adored as funny and rambunctious house pets today.  They are the rulers of the household – as anyone who has a cat will attest – and they keep the home free of spiders and bugs, reptiles and birds.  They also cause a lot of mischief and merriment, unrolling toilet paper rolls, swatting items off desktops, and banging their dinner bowls in indignation if you are too late or too slow with their meals. 

So, how did crows and ravens become associated with Halloween?  Well, that’s a bit more complicated.

Crows and ravens – known as corvids – are, by nature, intelligent scavengers and often dine on the carcasses of animals.  This activity has been recorded by man through the centuries and put into myth, legend, artwork, and text.

Archeologists have found cave paintings from 15,000 years ago in France and Spain depicting crows sitting on posts next to graveyards.  Their meaning is unclear.  Are they waiting for dinner or are they waiting to take the departed spirits to the afterlife?  Either way, they are sitting in a spooky graveyard.

In Germany, it was believed that ravens could locate the souls of the departed, while the Welsh believed that a single crow signaled that death was near.  The Welsh also believed that sorcerers and witches turned into ravens and flew away, thus avoiding capture.

All these beliefs about crows and death, sorcerers and witches, were swirling in Europe when the Black Plaque struck between 1347-1352.  Plague doctors started wearing masks shaped like long crow’s beaks. They stuffed these masks with herbs to try to ward off the disease while treating patients.  People saw these scary crow masks and soon associated crows with illness and death.

And with all customs and beliefs, they made their way across continents.  Soon these myths and legends took hold in America and spread through villages and mountain hamlets.  Based on these old myths, people in America’s Appalachian Mountains started to predict the future based on the number of crows they saw: single or small numbers of crows meant health, wealth, or good luck, while larger numbers meant illness or death was near.  

The American Poet Edgar Allen Poe wrote a famous poem in 1845 called “The Raven” and a line in the poem calls the crow “a thing of evil” and seems to foretell a miserable and heartbroken life ahead for the main character.  Once again, the crow was portrayed as an evil and gloomy omen.

However, I would suggest that crows and ravens are actually very intelligent birds and creative problem solvers.  They can watch a man or creature crack a nut, dig a hole, open a can, or do some other activity and learn to do it himself.  They can recognize people and faces and can form attachments – or aversions – to specific individuals.  Additionally, they are nature’s creative “clean-up crew,” eating scraps of meat, rodents, and waste, thus eliminating harmful fleas, germs, and diseases from the environment.  

What do you think about cats and crows?  Has this history changed your mind about them?  If so, in what way?  Do you have a pet cat or do you have crows in your neighborhood?

I think cats and crows are a wonderful part of our ecosystem and have an important role to play not just in Halloween tales but in real life by keeping us safe from disease-carrying rodents and fleas. 

The post History of Black Cats and Crows of Halloween appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Today, we are going to hear the tale of an amazing animal – a feisty Pointer dog nicknamed “Gunboat Judy.”  Judy lived during a terrible time in history, World War II, and her story is one of courage, survival, and loyalty.  Judy came from humble beginnings.  She was born in a kennel in Shanghai but rose to fame as a war hero, diplomat, and celebrity.  And like our previous stories on “Unsinkable Sam, the Battleship Cat” and “Jeep, the Flying Coyote,” the story of Gunboat Judy is truly amazing and inspirational.  So, let’s dive right in!

Judy, who was originally called “Shudi,” was born in February 1937 in a kennel in Shanghai, one of 7 adorable puppies.  That August, sailors from a British gunboat, HMS Gnat, visited the kennel looking for a dog.  They bought Judy and returned with her to the ship.  Judy didn’t know it at the time, but her life was going to change forever.

Like every puppy, Judy was inquisitive, rambunctious, and full of energy.  One day she became a little too excited and fell overboard into the Yangtze River.  The captain immediately stopped the ship and sent a small boat out to rescue Judy.   She must have felt very scared but she paddled bravely with her little paws until help arrived. Upon her safe return to the ship, the incident was noted in the captain’s log as a “man overboard exercise!”

The days ticked by and Judy grew accustomed to ship life and all the friendly sailors.  Then one night, Judy heard something strange.  The sailors were asleep and didn’t notice that a boat was drifting silently towards them in the water.  Judy heard it though, and didn’t like it.  She started growling, then barking.  Her barks awakened the sailors and alerted them to the dangerous pirates nearby.  Due to Judy’s actions, the pirates retreated and the seamen were saved.

Judy quickly became invaluable as a protector.  She would bark when she heard the approach of Japanese planes long before the crew heard them in the skies.  One day, a sailor took Judy for a walk outside a nearby city and Judy started running away, dragging the man behind her.  This action shocked the sailor and as he turned around, he saw a leopard behind them!  Luckily, they both escaped with their lives that day!

In November, the seamen took Judy to a party on a US ship, the USS Panay.  After the party, the British sailors returned to their boat, only to discover that Judy was missing.  They contacted the Panay but was told Judy was not there.  Eventually they learned that Judy had been kidnapped by the US sailors as a prank.  The British sailors were not amused.  They sailed back to the Panay, snuck onto the ship, and stole their brass bell.  They later contacted the Panay with one demand: “Give us our dog and we’ll give you your bell.”  Judy was returned within the hour!

The following year, Judy met another Pointer on a French gunboat and the crew decided that the two dogs should get married!  They held a wedding ceremony and later that same year, Judy had a litter of Pointer puppies!  The puppies were later gifted to French and American boat crews.

But war was approaching.  In September 1939, Britain declared war on Germany and Judy’s ship sailed to Singapore.  Two years later, they fought in the Battle of Singapore providing anti-aircraft fire and evacuating people from the island.  Poor Judy must have been frightened by all the Japanese airplanes diving at their ship and the gunship firing back at them.

A month later, on Valentine’s Day 1942, Judy alerted the crew that Japanese planes were approaching.  The sailors raced to their guns as the planes dove out of the sky, their engines shrieking as they dropped three bombs on the ship.  The captain ordered an immediate evacuation.  The sailors jumped into boats and paddled to a deserted island while Japanese planes shot at them from above.  Only when they arrived on shore did they notice that Judy was not among them.  One sailor rowed back to the flaming ship to find Judy and retrieve supplies.  He grabbed Judy, where she was trapped under some metal lockers, and rowed back to the island.  That night, the ship exploded and sunk out of sight.  Judy had been rescued just in time!

The crew quickly discovered that the island had minimal food and no fresh water.  But Judy saved the day again by digging and finding a fresh water spring!  At night, she stood watch over the sleeping soldiers, keeping deadly snakes at bay.  

Five days later, the sailors were rescued by a passing tongkang – a small supply boat – and they set sail in search of the British Navy.  They even trekked 200 miles across Sumatra.  Poor Judy.  She must have been tired and thirsty and hot, but she continued to protect her friends.  One day while they were trekking through the jungle, Judy was attacked by a crocodile.  She suffered an injury to her shoulder, which a sailor bandaged as best he could.  A short time later, Judy started barking furiously and saved the sailors from an attack by a Sumatran tiger!  She never let down her guard while in that hot, scary jungle, always alert for snakes, tigers, and other large predators.  Eventually they were caught by the Japanese and taken to a camp as prisoners of war.  The sailors hid Judy under empty rice sacks so the Japanese soldiers wouldn’t kill her.

Once in camp, Judy met Leading Aircraftman Frank Williams and they became quick friends.  Frank would save rice from his meager meals to share with Judy.  In return, Judy would bark at the Japanese guards to distract them from beating the prisoners.  This angered the guards, who aimed their guns at Judy.  Williams ran forward and intervened just in time.  He pleaded with the camp commandant to save Judy and make her an official prisoner of war.  In return, Williams would give the commandant one of her future puppies.  The commander agreed and Judy became the only animal prisoner of war and was registered as prisoner “81A.”

Judy was more than a protector in camp.  She also foraged in the nearby forest, bringing back rats and snakes for the prisoners to eat.  She had another litter of puppies and one was given to the camp commandant as promised, while another was smuggled into the women’s camp along with precious morsels of food.

In June 1944, the prisoners were transferred to Singapore aboard a Japanese ship.  Judy was stuffed into an empty rice sack and slung over Williams shoulders.  He had to hide her from the Japanese because dogs were not allowed on board and they might kill her.  It was blazing hot and the prisoners stood on the metal deck for 3 hours but Judy didn’t make a peep inside the sack.  

Three weeks later, the British torpedoed the Japanese ship and chaos ensued.  Fire, flames and screams filled the air.  Frightened men scrambled up and out of the sinking ship.  Williams grabbed Judy and pushed her out of a porthole to the water 15 feet below.  Then he lost sight of her.  He raced to the deck and jumped into the water, swimming for land.  Of the 700 prisoners on board the ship, 500 did not survive.

But Williams did survive.  He was recaptured and sent to another prison camp.  When he arrived, he heard stories of a dog who saved drowning sailors by dragging them to floating debris or brought debris to them to keep them float.  As fate would have it, Judy was plucked out of the water by other British sailors, who hid her from the Japanese prison guards.  About 4 weeks later, Judy and Williams were happily reunited in the camp!  

For the next year the prisoners worked building railroad tracks in the jungles of Sumatra.  Judy stood guard over them, barking at any large beasts that came near, such as tigers and elephants.  And her personality was changing in the prison camp.  Stated Williams, “She wasn’t that tame, obedient dog anymore, she was a skinny animal that kept herself alive through cunning and instinct.”  Judy became more aggressive towards the Japanese and Korean guards.  Williams would send her into the jungle to keep her out of sight, but one day a guard shot at her. The bullet grazed her shoulder.  Williams could do nothing but bandage the wound with a palm frond.  

When a lice infestation broke out in the camp, the guards were ordered to kill Judy.  Before they could do so, Williams sent her back into the woods, where she hid until the guards evacuated the camp several days later.  

The war was finally over!  The prisoners were rescued by allied troops and put on ships for home.  Again, Judy was smuggled on board and kept out of sight.

Upon landing in England, Williams and Judy became instant celebrities.  Judy was awarded the Dickin Medal – a WWII medal honoring animals – and a medal for valor.  She appeared with Williams on a BBC radio broadcast and at a victory celebration at Wembley Stadium in front of 82,000 people.  Newspapers hailed her as “Gunboat Judy.”  

Judy and Williams spent a year traveling England visiting the families of POWs and raising money for charities. In 1948, Williams accepted a job in East Africa and took Judy with him.  They stayed for two years and Judy had her third litter of puppies.  Then it was discovered that Judy had a tumor.  She underwent surgery but contracted an infection and passed away at the age of 14.  She was buried in an RAF flight jacket with her three combat medals.  Williams spent two months building a monument in her honor before leaving South Africa.

Judy’s legacy lives on.  She was featured in the children’s book, “The Judy Story” and on the British TV show, “Blue Peter.”  Her collar and Dickin Medal were put on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.  This medal reads: “For magnificent courage and endurance in Japanese prison camps, which helped to maintain morale among her fellow prisoners, and also for saving many lives through her intelligence and watchfulness.”

I think this is an incredible story of the special bond between humans and dogs.  Judy was shot, torpedoed, attacked by a crocodile, starved, kidnapped, and smuggled around Asia.  And yet she remained loyal to her friends and protected them fiercely from pirates, predators, and prison guards.  She’s a true inspiration, showing us that dogs can survive under the most extreme circumstances with intelligence, strength, and courage.  

The post The Story of Gunboat Judy for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Imagine you are lost far away from home.  What would you do?  Would you ask a nice person for help?  Make a call on your cell phone.  Use a GPS device to plot a route home.  What if you had no voice, cell phone, or maps because you’re a dog?  To return home, you would need to travel almost 3,000 miles across the United States – across rivers, deserts, and mountains – on your four paws.  Well, I know of one dog who did just that and his name was Bobbie.

Bobbie was a Scottish Collie born in 1921 in Silverton, Oregon.  He was adopted by Frank and Elizabeth Brazier and their two daughters, Leona and Nova.  Bobbie loved his family and spent hours chasing after the girls on the lawn.  Leona and Nova would squeal in delight as Bobbie raced around them, herding them in circles like any good Collie or Shephard dog.  Bobbie was very smart and knew how to find his way across town and back home after family outings.  And his favorite pastime was riding in their Ford Model T car!  The car was small and cramped, but he didn’t mind.  He loved climbing over their laps and sticking his head out the side of the car.  There were no windows – just a folding top and a front windshield – so a wonderful breeze would blow in their faces as they rode around town.  The girls would laugh and put their arms out of the car, pretending they were birds flying in the breeze.  Bobbie would pant and wag his tail furiously, jutting his nose into the air to capture all the glorious scents: newly-mown grass, blooming flowers, and cooking food.

One day in August 1923, the family packed a big suitcase and loaded it onto the back of the car.  Bobbie knew something big was happening. He raced to the car, jumped on top of the suitcase, and waited expectantly.  If they were going someplace fun, he was going, too!  Soon the family was loaded into the car and headed East on a road trip!  They were traveling to Wolcott, Indiana, to visit family.  It was a long trip taking them almost a week through Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois – a trip of over 2,500 miles. They chugged up mountain passes, across golden plains, and through dusty valleys.  They marveled at amazing sunsets, green pastures, and grazing animals.  At lunchtime, they stopped in a small park or quaint town.  And across the miles, Bobbie soaked it all in.  He smelled the land, water, and air.  His tongue captured unique sensations, too – bits of pollen and dirt and particles blowing on the breeze.  Every place had its own unique smell and taste.

Every night the family parked at a service station, letting Bobbie run around, explore, and eat.  Then he was put back in the car for the night while they walked to a nearby hotel.  If the hotel allowed animals, Bobbie stayed with his family, sleeping happily at the bottom of their beds.  

Day after day this continued until they finally reached their destination, Wolcott, Indiana, about a week later.  It was here that everything went terribly wrong.  They stopped for a short break and Bobbie jumped out of the car.  Just then a pack of dogs spotted Bobbie and charged at him.  They didn’t like this new dog in their territory – and a big Collie at that.  The dogs rushed at Bobbie, barking and snarling, their teeth snapping viciously.  Bobbie dashed away as fast as he could, dodging people and cars trying to find a safe place to hide from the angry pack.  As a Collie, he was fast and quick on his feet.  He could dodge and twist and turn on a dime.  Soon, he found a hiding spot and rushed inside.  He could hear the pack of dogs in the distance barking and panting but they soon disappeared, unable to find Bobbie. 

The night was falling and Bobbie was getting hungry.  He didn’t know where he was or how far he had run.  He was all turned around – this wasn’t his neighborhood and nothing smelled the same.  He walked around for hours trying to pick up the scent of his family in this foreign place.

Meanwhile, Frank, Elizabeth, Leona, and Nova spent hours searching for Bobbie, too, frantically calling him over and over, walking the streets, and asking if anyone had seen a stray collie.  Unfortunately, they had miles yet to travel before reaching their relative’s house and they couldn’t stand by their car all night hoping Bobbie would return.  They got into their car and drove away in tears.  

The days passed.  The family continued their search and placed posters around Wolcott but Bobbie was nowhere to be found.  The family knew they must start the long drive home to Oregon.  The girls had to return to school and Frank to work.  They packed the car and said goodbye to their relatives, the girls crying as the car headed out of town.  They didn’t talk much during the long trip home.  There was no joy left in this once-happy vacation.  In their hearts, they feared they would never see Bobbie again.  Once home, the sight of Bobbie’s abandoned toys and favorite bed brought them to tears again.

Meanwhile, Bobbie was on a mission to find his family.  Before heading out, he would run North and South before deciding on a direction to travel.  He then walked and trotted for miles, searching for a familiar scent that reminded him of scents from the trip – maybe a certain park, steam, or town.  Hours turned into days that turned into weeks.  Day after day, and night after night, Bobbie walked through heat and rain and wind.  He crossed roads and fields and bridges.  He waded across cold mountain streams and rustling wheat fields.  At night he huddled under trees or bushes.  He was losing strength and knew he needed to find humans to get food.  He wandered into towns, whimpering at people passing by.  During this time, he met wonderful people who fed him and cared for him.  They bandaged his swollen paws, brushed his coat, and picked brambles out of his ears.  Bobbie enjoyed their love and attention but he knew he couldn’t stay long – he needed to keep searching for his real family.  Eventually, he always left these nice people and headed on the road again.

His journey west brought him to each gas station his family had visited during their eastbound trip.  He remembered the smells and sights.  His heart would race and he would run around excitedly searching for his family.  He never found them but he knew he was on the right path.  

By this time, Bobbie had traveled across the plains of the American Midwest and was nearing the Rocky Mountains. Winter was descending and the days were shorter and colder. The wind whipped and howled as he climbed higher into the mountains.  Snow started to fall and covered everything in sight.  Bobbie’s thick fur helped protect him from the wind but he was losing weight and his paws were becoming sore and frostbitten, his toenails worn down to the nub by months of scrabbling across rocks and debris.  He had to be careful, too, because he could sense other animals – bears and wolves and mountain lions.  He found their droppings and heard them howling at night.  But on he traveled, mile after lonely mile.

Finally, in February 1924, thin, exhausted, and dirty, Bobbie reached Silverton, Oregon, and HOME!  He had traveled for six months over 2,500 miles, covering approximately 14 miles a day!  Frank, Elizabeth, Leona, and Nova were overjoyed, hugging and kissing Bobbie over and over.  They fed him mounds of food and soaked him in warm baths, then covered him in warm blankets.  Bobbie’s heart almost burst out of his chest in happiness!  He had found his forever family and he was HOME!  He slathered them with wet kisses, jumped on their laps, and raced around in happy circles. This was the best feeling in the world!  Bobbie knew it then:  there’s no place like home and he had found his!

News quickly spread about Bobbie’s amazing return and letters poured in addressed to “Bobbie the Wonder Dog.”  Newspapers, books, and magazines recounted his incredible journey.  People who had helped Bobbie along the way wrote to the family and soon they were able to piece together the timeline of Bobbie’s historic journey.  He became famous overnight, starring in the silent film “The Call of the West!” He received jeweled collars and keys to various cities.  He was even the inspiration for the movie, “Lassie Returns.”  

Bobbie was an incredibly loyal, smart, and courageous dog who accomplished an amazing feat.  Many wondered:  how did this dog find his way home?  Scientists believe that dogs, like other migratory creatures including birds, whales, bison, turtles, and insects, can detect magnetic fields and have an internal navigation system.  One study conducted in the Czech Republic tested this theory with 27 dogs from 10 different breeds.  They attached GPS trackers and cameras on the dogs, then had the owners walk them for many miles before releasing them to race after prey.  Most of the dogs returned to their owners using scent, but one-third actually ran a “compass run” on a north-south axis for about 65 feet before heading back to their owners.  Scientists believe the dogs were “orienting themselves” to a magnetic field, which then informed them which way to go.  The dogs who did this “compass run” returned to their owners much faster than the dogs who returned using scent alone.    

During World War I, dog breeds such as Collies, Retrievers, Sheep Dogs, and Airedale Terriers were used to carry messages between battle stations on the Western Front in Europe.  Their intelligence, bravery, and navigational skills while carrying important messages helped save many lives.

And all dogs have an incredible sense of smell.  They have anywhere from 220 million to 2 billion receptor cells in their nose versus the measly 12-40 million found in human noses.  These scent receptors help them find prey, their neighborhoods, homes, and even their special humans.  

We would love to hear from you and learn about the special dog in your life.  What breed do you own and what are their special qualities?  

The post Bobbie the Wonder Dog appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Go back in time to a land shrouded in mist and jungles and swamps.  A time hundreds of millions of years before T-Rexes stalked the Earth, growling and rumbling and crashing through thick forests.  A time before Pterodactyls soared through the skies, shrieking and diving through clouds to capture unsuspecting prey.  It is a land rich with possibilities and emerging life forms.  Water covers large portions of the Earth’s surface and in its depths are fish and sea life of an amazing array, all teeming and eating and reproducing.  Everywhere growth and change are happening in open seas, pristine lakes, and murky swamps across the continents. Some amphibians – or fish – are growing larger, some are growing fangs, and some are growing legs and becoming tetrapods!

Tetrapods are four-legged creatures with vertebras – or spines.  And one of these tetrapods is a murky swamp creature called Crassigyrinus Scoticus – or C. Scoticus – meaning “thick Scottish tadpole.”  But don’t let this cute name and fanciful image fool you.  This is no wiggly little tadpole that we think of today – something that we capture in shallow ponds and gurgling streams, giggling with delight as they scamper across our wet palms or shimmy up our sun-drenched arms.  Oh, no, this is a gigantic tadpole – a fierce water hunter measuring anywhere from 6.5 – 10 feet long (or 2-3 meters) with razor-sharp teeth!  Think of an alligator or a crocodile and you get the picture of this amazing tetrapod.  He is the T-Rex of tadpoles! 

So, let’s go back in time and learn more about him.  

THE T-REX OF TADPOLES

The time is 300 million years ago and C. Scoticus, the mighty tadpole, swims through the murky swamp waters of Scotland and West Virginia in North America.  He is a fearsome hunter with a narrow skull, large eyes, two rows of sharp teeth, a slim flexible body, and a long tail.  He swims slowly and stealthily below the muddy water, searching for tasty fish among the swaying reeds.  His powerful body sends out ripples behind him as he swishes his tail to and fro, four little legs floating below him, sometimes treading the water as he slows and eventually stops.  Suddenly, he senses prey – possibly through eyesight, vibrations, or electrical signals – and his powerful body lunges forward.  He spots the fish.  It is bigger than he expected but he knows he can catch it in his strong jaws.  With another thrust of his tail, he opens his massive jaws and snaps!  The fish is caught!  With a few more mighty chomps, his meal is devoured.  

His jaws are his most powerful weapon – without them, he would not survive.  He can open them 60 degrees, much larger than human jaws at a measly 26 degrees.  C. Scoticus’ powerful jaws and sharp teeth give him the ability to capture large amphibians with a single bite.  And this is very handy seeing as everything is large in these prehistoric times.

Also, his big eyes help him see prey in the murky waters, plus his skull has a ridge of lines running from top to bottom, allowing him to feel vibrations in the water.  Sometimes all he has to do is float silently in the shallows waiting for a wiggly fish to swim by.  The moving water ripples over his snout and he knows that dinner is close at hand – and soon in his belly! 

C. Scoticus also sports a gap at the front of his snout. Maybe he needs other organs besides his eyes and teeth to help him hunt.  Possibly this gap contains a rostral organ – a jelly-filled sack with canals leading outside – to help him detect electrical fields underwater.  Or maybe he has a Jacobson’s organ – a smell organ above the roof of his mouth like those in snakes and lizards – to smell chemicals released by his prey.   If he has all these attributes – strong jaws, sharp teeth, fine smell, a rostral organ, and vibration-sensitive ridges – then he is a mighty predator indeed and has no need to go onto land.  

Therefore, his little legs are a mystery.  We know that other tetrapods started moving onto land using newly-sprouted legs around 400 million years ago.  C. Scoticus evolved 70 million years later.  So, during this evolutionary leap did he make it onto land but then return to water full-time – or did he never go onto land at all?  We may never know. 

One thing I DO know for certain: if I lived in Scotland or West Virginia – and maybe other places – during that evolutionary time in history, I would not swim in murky waters and I wouldn’t spend my time searching for tadpoles!

THE SABER-TOOTHED ANCHOVY

Now, let’s jump ahead to 45 million years ago, long after C-Scoticus started to sprout legs and swim through the swamps.  There is another crazy creature – actually two of them – swimming below the ocean’s surface – and they each have a long, menacing fang or saber-tooth!  Don’t believe me?  Well, I can understand that because there has never been a creature before – or since – that looks like these two.  And what are they?  Well, they are actually super large anchovies!  Yes, those things come in little cans that you put on pizzas or crackers.  But these anchovies are huge – one is almost a foot long (about 29 centimeters) and the other is 3 feet long (or 3 meters)!

So, let’s head back 65 million years in time to learn about the start of the saber-toothed anchovy.  

It is a day like any other day – may be sunny, cool, or rainy in various parts of the world.  Dinosaurs roam the land and vast forests carpet the Earth.  The sea brims with all kinds of prehistoric life.  Suddenly, a huge sonic boom shatters the atmosphere and a giant asteroid hurtles towards Earth with a blazing tail of fire and gas.  It smashes into Earth with supersonic speed, causing a massive explosion and spewing fire and ash high into the air.  Raging wildfires erupt, their towering flames filling the sky.  Soon the Earth is on fire and all sunlight is obscured by thick grey clouds of smoke and ash.  Rivers, ponds, and lakes dry up.  Sea life is decimated.  All vegetation burns to the ground.  Many dinosaurs are killed and the rest soon perish due to fire, heat, smoke, and lack of food and water. All seems lost.  Will Earth become a barren planet devoid of all life?  No!

The days tick by, then weeks, then years, then thousands and millions of years.  During this time, tiny organisms in the sea begin to form again, then grow, change, and evolve.  It is now 15 million years later and the seas are once more home to incredible forms of life.  Fish dart here and there and are food for larger fish, sharks, and whales.  And one of these fish is an 11-inch anchovy with a lower jaw filled with razor-sharp teeth and an upper jaw with one long saber tooth!  He is called Clupeopsis straeleni and he lives in the waters near Belgium.  He evolves in the sea as if through a ripple in time.  He exists for a period of time and then vanishes – never to be seen again.  Why did evolution make this unique sea creature with a saber tooth?  Did he need a large tooth to spear larger fish that he could then bite into smaller bits?  It’s hard to say.  

But C. Straeleni is not alone. He has a larger cousin in Southeast Asia measuring 3 feet (1 meter) long and with the same fierce saber tooth.  This larger anchovy cousin is called Monosmilus chureloides or “single-knife Churel.”  And what is a Churel?  It is a scary fairy tale creature, a shape-shifting demon or vampire with fangs.  

M. Chureloides is no fairytale demon, though. He is an actual fish and he swims in the shallows of the sea searching for prey.  Just like his smaller cousin, he uses his 16 sharp bottom teeth and one long saber tooth to spear and eat his prey.  Periodically, he sheds his teeth as he grows and as they fall out during attacks, but he is constantly growing new ones.  And although he is long by modern-day anchovy standards, he is a small fry on the prehistoric scale.  He must be wary of larger predators like sharks and the four-legged whale known as Dalanistes.  But, like his smaller cousin, the mystery remains.  Why did he evolve and why did he disappear?  We may never know.

Both of these fish have been called a “bizarre, evolutionary experiment,” one that has never occurred before or since in all the seas throughout time.  For some reason, evolution decided that a smaller cousin would thrive – and without the fang! 

As for me, I am grateful that my anchovies are now petite and bite-sized – otherwise, they could certainly take a bite out of me!

So, what do you think of these wacky wonders of the swamps and seas?  Have you ever heard of them before?  I know I haven’t.  Isn’t evolution strange and amazing and unpredictable?  I wonder what life forms will be on Earth millions of years from now.  We’d would love to hear from you and learn what is your favorite dinosaur or prehistoric sea creature.

The post The T-Rex of Tadpoles and The Saber-Toothed Anchovy appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

When I say “Super Hero,” who or what comes to mind?  Do you think of Superman, Iron Man, or Wonder Woman?  Maybe you think of the Black Panther, Captain America, or Thor.  Well, I know some real-life heroes and they aren’t humans – they’re animals!  Animals with four paws and wagging tails who love to pull sleds.  They’re Siberian Huskies – the great sled dogs of Alaska and other snowy countries.  They are very brave and powerful.  They can survive in freezing temperatures and blowing blizzards.  They can run for hours pulling heavy sleds and battle fierce animals like grizzly bears and wolves.  They are very smart, strong, and loyal.  

And an amazing pack of Huskies saved a town in Alaska many years ago!

The year was 1925 and it was January in Nome, Alaska.  People huddled inside their homes as the wind howled outside and Alaska froze.  Families gathered around stoves and fireplaces to keep warm.  They wrapped themselves in furs and watched as their cold breath swirled in the polar night air. Little did they know that a disease named Diphtheria was silently spreading across Alaska.

But one person did know and his name was Dr. Curtis Welch, the local doctor in Nome.  He had treated a few children for colds, which later turned out to be Diphtheria, a dangerous and contagious disease.  This was the worst time for a Diphtheria outbreak.  Alaska was isolated and frozen.  The shipping ports had closed two months prior, in November, and wouldn’t open until the following July.  Plus, the doctor’s supply of antitoxin, or medicine, to treat Diphtheria had expired.  What could he do?  

He immediately contacted the mayor of Nome and started a quarantine in hopes of stopping the spread of the disease.  But with everyone huddled together inside, the disease started to spread.  The doctor sent urgent telegrams to Public Health in Washington, D.C., pleading for an emergency delivery of medicine.  In these small Alaskan towns, the people had never been exposed to many diseases, including Diphtheria, so they had no natural immunity, or protection, against it.  Everyone in the town could be lost.

An emergency meeting was held.  A plan was discussed to deliver the medicine by plane.  However, the conditions were too brutal for most planes to fly without freezing and the few planes that could make the flight had been dismantled, or taken apart, for the winter.  They then thought about trains.  It was a good plan, but with one hitch: the train could only go so far before the tracks were covered, frozen, and unusable.  They then considered a dogsled team.  It would be a round trip of over 600 miles and take 30 days in weather of -50 F or -46 C.  Winds in Alaska were whipping at 25 mph and snowbanks were 10 ft or 3 m tall.  The problem with this plan was that the medicine would only last for 6 days in this brutal weather.

So, the doctor and his team decided on a combined approach – train and multiple dog sled teams.  By this time, 300,000 units of medicine had been found at a hospital in Anchorage, Alaska.  The medicine was packed in quilts, wrapped in padding, and stuffed into a metal cannister weighting 20 pounds. The cannister was then put on a train for a short trip before being transferred to dog sled teams for the main trek, which started on January 27, 1925, at 9:00 p.m.  The Great Race of Mercy was on!

The first dog sled driver, or musher, was “Wild Bill” Shannon, with his lead dog Blackie, and a team of 10 Huskies.  The dogs yipped, barked, and jumped in excitement as they were hitched into their harnesses.  They could sense the urgency in the air and were anxious to get started.  The night was fiercely cold but their thick coats helped keep them warm.  “Wild Bill” snapped the reins, yelled “mush” to the dogs, and they were off!  The team raced over snowy trails and frozen rivers.  On and on they raced through the frigid night, their breath appearing like steam from a racing locomotive.  They arrived at the next stop at 3:00 the next morning, exhausted.  “Wild Bill” was suffering from hypothermia (extreme cold) and his face was black from frostbite.  The medicine was then placed by the fire to warm while “Wild Bill” and the dogs rested for four hours.  They awoke and started the next leg of the trip, leaving 3 exhausted dogs behind.

“Wild Bill,” Blackie, and the team arrived in Minto at 11:00 a.m. the following morning and passed the medicine off to the next team led by musher Edgar Kalland.  The team raced off through the forest in frigid temperatures, causing Edgar’s hands to freeze to the wooden handlebars of the sled.  At a rest stop, a man had to pour boiling water on Edgar’s hands to release them from the sled.  

And while this lifesaving race was underway, more cases of Diphtheria were spreading across Nome.  More dog sled teams were added to the race to save precious hours.  The medicine was passed from team to team as the heroic Huskies raced for hours across the frozen landscape.  The weather was so extreme that several dogs on one team passed away from frostbite and their musher took over their spots, pulling the sled alongside the dogs.

Soon an artic storm was brewing. Gale force winds, dangerous white out conditions, and wind chill temperatures reaching -70 F, -57 C battered the dogs and mushers.  But the brave Huskies of the Great Race of Mercy would not stop.  For hours they barreled through unrelenting snow drifts and unforgiving terrain, their strong paws beating the snow in a race against time and Mother Nature.  It was now January 30^th.  There were 27 cases of Diphtheria in Nome and rising.  All the medicine was gone.  Time was running out.

Meanwhile, a musher named Leonhard Seppala, his lead dog, Togo, and his team raced out from Nome into the storm to meet the incoming dog sled team.  They raced for 91 miles in a gale-force blizzard with wind chills reaching -85F, -65C.  Blinding snow pelted the dogs’ coats and slashed their eyes. They met the incoming team, transferred the medicine, then Seppala, Togo, and the team raced off into the night, only stopping to rest for a few hours, before starting again. Togo, Seppala, and the dogs then made the treacherous trip up and over Little McKinley Mountain, a total of 8 miles and 5,000 feet in elevation, in the raging storm.  On the other side, exhausted and freezing, they transferred the medicine to the next team.  It was now February 1^st.  

The next team took off into the storm and were blown off course, causing the musher to suffer severe frostbite while putting blankets on his dogs.  The team arrived at the next transfer point at 7:00 p.m. that night.  A new team of musher Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dogs, Balto and Fox, waited to see if the storm would stop.  When it worsened, they decided to start the trek before the trail became lost completely.  They raced into the storm at 10:00 p.m.  They were battered by gales and blinding snow as they crossed Topkok Mountain.  Gunnar couldn’t see the reins in front of him or the dogs through the swirling snow.  At one point the sled overturned, burying the lifesaving medicine and canister.  Gunnar dug furiously in the snow, panting with anxiety, his hands stiff with frostbite.  But luck was with him – he found the canister, righted the sled, fastened the canister to the sled, and shouted to Balto, Fox, and his dogs to run.

On they raced, now ahead of schedule and nearing the end, arriving in Nome on February 2^nd at 5:30 a.m. with the lifesaving antitoxin.  The medicine had survived the trip and was thawed and ready for patients by noon the same day!  The town was saved!  

These strong, brave sled dogs raced over 600 miles on a lifesaving mission in subzero conditions and hurricane-force winds for a total of 127.5 hours, setting a world record.  The dogs, along with their Alaskan and Norwegian mushers, were honored with gold medals, wreathes, and accolades. 

A statute of Balto, the lead dog who crossed the finished line in Nome, was erected in New York’s Central Park in 1925.  An inscription reads, “Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed antitoxin 600 miles over rough ice, across treacherous waters, through arctic blizzards, from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome.”  Three additional words were added at the bottom of the inscription: “Endurance · Fidelity · Intelligence.”  

This race, while historic, also stirred some controversy.  Most of the credit and fame from this race was bestowed upon lead dog Balto.  However, many believe that lead dog Togo completed the longest, hardest part of the trek.  He raced for 261 miles compared to Balto’s 55 miles.  Some believe that Fox was the true lead dog on Gunnar’s team, not Balto.  Also, the Alaskan mushers were not recognized as fully as the Norwegian mushers, even though they completed most of the race.

But I think all of us would agree that this was a historic and amazing mission of mercy that saved many lives.  And you may wonder what happened to the dogs.  Well, a few passed away from this demanding trek, but most survived.  Balto lived until he was 14 and his body is now on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  Togo lived to the age of 16 and is now on display at the Iditarod Museum in Wasilla, Alaska. 

What do you think of this amazing race?  Have you ever seen actual sled dog teams or watched the Iditarod races?  Do you have a Siberian Husky as a pet?  I think this is an amazing story of how man and animals can work together to accomplish great things.  Siberian Huskies are an important – and lifesaving – part of life in various parts of the world.

The post Togo, Balto, and the Lifesaving Sled Dog Race appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

What if I told you coyotes could fly?  Don’t believe me – think I’ve lost my mind?  Well, I’m here to tell you that I know of a coyote who COULD fly – and his name was Jeep!  And Jeep wasn’t any cartoon coyote.  No, this was a tried and true, real-life American Coyote!  And how did he fly without wings, you may ask?  Well, in a plane, of course!  And here’s his story:

A very long time ago, in May 1944, there lived a mother coyote in a dusty field in the state of Texas.  The mother coyote had a litter of coyote pups and tended to them between scouting trips for food.  She and other coyotes liked to sneak up to nearby farms in search of tasty rabbits, hens, chickens, and mice.  The farmers hated the coyotes and wanted to get rid of them; they didn’t want their farm animals attacked by these pesky scavengers.  So, they tried to scare them away or kill them.  

One day, a farmer found a baby coyote near his farm.  The coyote was no more than two weeks old and must have wandered away from his den-maybe in search of his mother or food.  The farmer gave the baby coyote to a teenage boy named John Crump, and told him to get rid of it.  At the time, John was a pilot in training at a nearby airfield and was working on the farm for extra money.  

John was tender-hearted and loved animals.  He just couldn’t bring himself to kill such a cute, furry little creature.  So, what did he do?  He took him home and started to raise him himself!  He decided to call the coyote “Jeep,” after the magical dog in the Popeye cartoons.

John was a very busy young man.  On top of helping out on the farm, he was also taking flying lessons while attending high school.  He loved flying and wanted to join the Army Air Force.  His dream was to join the war effort and fly planes over Europe.  World War II was raging in Europe at the time and pilots were needed to help the British fight the Nazis.  John graduated high school early and joined the Army Air Force.  He was ordered to board a beautiful ship called the Queen Elizabeth – a huge passenger ship converted – or changed – into a military troop ship.  His orders were to sail to England to join other pilots fighting in the war.  

John was very excited, but he didn’t want to leave his new furry friend, Jeep, behind.  Jeep might be killed by angry farmers or die of starvation.  John decided to take Jeep on the ship with him.  He stowed him away in his bags and carried him on board.   

And you might wonder what little Jeep thought about all of these changes in his young life – being taken away from his family, raised by a young man, then lugged onto a rolling ship. He must have been frightened and more than a little confused!  A rolling ship with hundreds of humans in tight corners is NOTHING like the vast dusty fields of Texas living with other coyotes!

Well, whatever Jeep thought, he and John survived the ocean crossing and eventually landed in England. They then traveled to Ipswich to join the 356^th Fighter Group at Playford Hall, near RAF Martlesham Heath Airfield.  This was HEAVEN for John and Jeep!  Playford Hall was no dusty farm or bleak metal shed on a slab of concrete.  No!  Playford Hall was a gorgeous brick mansion set in the middle of green lawns and blooming gardens.  And it even had a moat!  It was the perfect home for Jeep, a young, rambunctious coyote!  He could chase squirrels, birds, butterflies, and frogs!

Jeep loved his new home and he loved John.  Jeep sauntered behind John as he went back and forth across the lawns or down the road to the airfield.  And everyone at Playford Hall liked Jeep as well – he became their new little mascot and they gave him his own dog tags, log book, and medical records!  

Soon it was time for John to take to the skies and fly missions over England and Germany.  He jumped in his P-47 Thunderbolt plane, ready to fly into the skies and away towards Germany.  But Jeep wanted to go, too!  John tried to tell him to stay on the ground, but Jeep wasn’t having any of it.  He jumped up on the wing and right into the cockpit, landing on John’s lap!  It was a tight fit, but Jeep wasn’t moving.  Wherever John was going, so was Jeep!  

The war was raging and officers were yelling at the pilots to get into the air, so John decided to take Jeep on the flight with him.  He closed the hatch and started the engines.  Within seconds they were roaring down the airfield and lifting into the sky.  Below them, the rolling green hills and country lanes slowly disappeared from view as they headed across the English Channel towards Germany.  

The plane was very noisy, cold, and rattled a lot, but that didn’t bother Jeep.  He was just happy to be with John.  When John wasn’t steering the plane or turning various knobs, he would joke with Jeep and rub his ears, which made him very happy.  John and Jeep soared through the sky for hours on their dangerous bombing mission before returning home to Playford Hall.  Jeep was so excited to get out of the tiny cockpit after the long flight and stretch his legs – plus find something to eat.  

Jeep and John took 4 more wartime flights together and even posed for pictures taken by other pilots.  One picture shows Jeep sitting on John’s lap in the open cockpit.  John holds him up to the camera and smiles, but Jeep is more interested in surveying the ground below them.  Another picture shows Jeep sitting on a 500-pound bomb attached to the plane.  He is staring up at John, ears back, and howling!  He looks so happy.  John stands closely beside Jeep, smiling at the camera while decked out in his pilot suit, helmet, goggles and air mask!  

Jeep became the first – and possibly only – flying coyote, and the first coyote to join the war effort in support of the allies!  

Unfortunately, on October 28, 1944, while on base, Jeep was hit by a military vehicle and died.  John was devastated and many men mourned the passing of this dear, four-legged wartime companion.  Jeep was honored with a military funeral and buried on the beautiful grounds of Playford Hall.  Next to his resting place is a blue plaque that reads, in part: “Jeep Coyote.  Here lies in honored glory a native American who flew in combat and died on foreign soil in the service of his country.”

Jeep may have had a short life but he had a full, adventurous life!  How many coyotes do you know who found a loving friend, traveled on a luxury ocean liner, sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, lived in an English mansion, gained many other friends, AND flew in planes?  None!  Jeep was one of a kind and was sorely missed by John.  When John received a different plane later in the war, he painted the image of a howling coyote on its side in honor of Jeep. And shortly before John passed away, he returned to England and paid one last visit to Jeep on the grounds of Playford Hall.  

What a wonderful story of friendship and adventure!

So, what do you think of this coyote and his friend John?  Would you like to have a coyote as a pet?  Do you think it was a good idea to take the coyote away from Texas, sail across the sea, and raise him by an airfield with trucks and planes?  Would you like to take a ride in a plane with a coyote or some other animal?

I think this is a reminder that animals are amazing creatures and that special bonds can be formed between all kinds of wildlife and man.  Like “Unsinkable Sam,” the battleship cat we discussed in another episode, this coyote lived an amazing life during a historic time in history.  And even though his life was short, he was well-loved and his sweet, loyal nature touched many lives.  

What about you?  Have you ever had an amazing friendship with an animal?  If so, I would love to hear from you.  Click this link and complete the form.

The post Jeep The Flying Coyote appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.