INature

British wildlife photographer George Benjamin was at the right place and time, and so he managed to get this wonderful record of a Serval black an extrmely rare species in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

On my way home from the farmers market this morning, I stopped at a Shell gas station to fill up—only to find out they were completely out of regular gas. Seriously, no gas at all. I drove another couple of miles hoping the next station would have some… and that’s when my car ran out of gas.

Yes, I know—I should’ve filled up sooner. But here we are.

The heat was intense, and Myla was crying nonstop. I called a tow company to bring gas, but they told me it would be at least an hour. Not knowing what else to do, I called and asked if a police officer could come so we could sit in an air-conditioned car while we waited.

Officer Larison from Kalamazoo Public Safety arrived and immediately helped us cool off in her patrol car. She told me to cancel the tow, then called another officer and asked her to bring a gas can. I wish I had gotten her name. Once they put gas in my car, she even followed me to the gas station just to make sure we got there safely.

I can’t thank those two officers enough for helping a very overwhelmed mom today.

While sitting in the car, Larison and I started chatting, and I asked if she wanted to hold Myla. I’ve never seen her smile so big or talk so much—it was such a sweet moment. It got me thinking about everything that’s been going on lately and how easy it is to forget that police officers are people too. They’re not just uniforms—they’re human beings with hearts, families, and compassion.

Don’t let the actions of a few define them all. This is what police officers do. This is why they matter.

If you see me in your garden, give me food and water. Raw meat without salt, ground beef, I also eat chicken nuggets or canned meat but not fish.

Don't give me milk because it gives me stomach problems and I will die of dehydration. I am naive and as soon as I see milk I drink!

Don't throw pesticides and don't set traps..... I am NOT a DANGER for you but for the spoons and snakes in your garden!

I am your garden helper, because I eat all the insects that attack your vegetables.

If you see me on the road, don't run and kill me REMEMBER I am also easily frightened and I am also hurt by your blows.

Help me cross the road safely and find a field or plot. My species is disappearing. Help me to survive... Be kind and help me.

Before my baby was born, everyone kept telling me the same thing:
“You should get rid of the dog. He’ll be jealous.”
“A dog like that around a newborn? You’re taking risks.”
“You won’t be able to handle both.”
They were talking about him. About my dog. My big, gentle, loyal one.
The one who has slept in front of my bedroom door every night for years.
The one who runs to me at the first sign of sadness, who never left my side—even when everything else fell apart.
They spoke of him as if he were a threat. A problem to be dealt with.
Something to check off the list quickly before the arrival of the “real baby.”
But I knew.
I knew what I saw in his eyes when he rested his muzzle on my growing belly.
That calm, that gentle curiosity, that silent tenderness.
He understood.
He felt that something was changing. And he waited.
The day I came home from the hospital—tired, but happy—he didn’t rush over.
He stayed back. Sitting. Watching.
As if waiting for permission.
So I crouched down.
I introduced him to the tiny being he had waited for so patiently.
And he came closer—very slowly.
He sniffed. He sighed.
Then he lay down… at our feet.
As if to say: I’m here now. I’ll keep watch.
Since that day, he hasn’t left her side.
He lies next to her when she sleeps.
He cries when she cries.
He runs to her at the sound of a cough.
He watches her with a look I can’t explain.
He doesn’t want anything from her. He simply protects her.
As if he knows it’s his mission.

This remarkable bird is unlike any other parrot, flightless, nocturnal, and weighing up to 4 kg, it holds the title of the world’s heaviest parrot. Even more unique is its sweet, floral fragrance, a scent rare among birds. Once on the brink of extinction, the Kākāpō now endures through dedicated conservation efforts in New Zealand.