Would you hug a 100 stone bear?

This incredible picture show what life is like living with a 100 stone, 9-feet tall kodiak bear.

Jim and Susan Kowalczik care for 23-year-old brown bear Jimbo at their orphanage in New York State. The couple have cared for Jimbo for almost all of his life, so despite his fearsome appearance, he hugs them like any other child.

The couple now care for 11 bears, including Kodiak brown bears, Syrian bears and black bears on their 100 acre estate, where they have dedicated their lives to rescuing and releasing injured animals.

Most were rescued as cubs from breeding programmes or nature reserves that closed down. Kodiak bears are typically found in Alaska and have been known to exceed 107 stone in weight. They are carnivores but tend to keep away from human beings, unless threatened or attracted by human food or waste.

The couple began rescuing and rehabilitating bears more than 20 years ago but only formally opened it as the non-profit Orphaned Wildlife Centre in 2015.

The animals require full-time care and feeding, feasting on up to 30lbs of food a day, including a mix of meat, pet food, fruit and occasionally marshmallows as a treat.

Man wins battle to wear goat horns on driver’s licence

An ordained Pagan priest has been allowed to wear goat horns in his driver’s licence photo after he appealed to the state of Maine, US.

Phelan Moonsong said he always wears his goat horns unless he is sleeping or bathing. He applied to update his driver’s licence in August and explained his religion to a motor vehicles employee, but was told he had to appeal to the Secretary of State’s office.

After providing more information, he was told his ID had been rejected by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in November, last year.

Mr Moonsong, of Millinocket, Maine, was told by the American Civil Liberties Union that it was unable to provide legal assistance for his case, but the state department has eventually granted his request.

A spokeswoman for the Maine Secretary of State’s office said the goat horns had been allowed because Mr Moonsong had cited their religious purposes and because they did not obstruct his face.

Neglected cat found with pounds of matted fur ‘dreadlocks’

Animal rescuers have saved a neglected cat whose fur was so matted it had turned into dreadlocks.

Staff at the Animal Rescue League Shelter and Wildlife Centre in Pittsburgh said the pet’s fur had been growing for years. She was only discovered when her elderly owner, who has Alzheimer’s disease, moved into a nursing home.

The cat, named Hidey, has now had a much-needed hair cut to remove around 2lbs of matted fur from her body.

“She suffered from severe matting (dreadlocks, really), the likes of which had been neglected for years,” the rescue group posted on its Facebook page.

“Our medical team shaved off the pounds of intertwined fur from her body and, needless to say, this cat is feeling so much better now!”

A now much lighter Hidey is due to be cared for by a relative of her previous owner, the post said.

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 4th, 2017