Rhino Born; Reindeer Arrive; Turkey Rescued: CA Animal Stories

CALIFORNIA – Creatures, great and small, in California, we love them all. Animals from all over the Golden State have recently made headlines, and Patch has curated some of the most adorable and interesting stories.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomed its second southern white rhino born through artificial insemination. A therapy pig helped ease travel jitters at San Francisco International Airport. And a turkey rescued from a homeless encampment along the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz was pardoned — just days before Thanksgiving.

Some of the stories below will make you laugh, while others may make you cry. More will make you cheer.

Second Rhino Born Via Artificial Insemination At Safari Park

• The calf at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is the second southern white rhino born through artificial insemination in North America.

Turkey Terrorizes Livermore Cop, Saves Driver From Ticket: VIDEO

The officer's "nervous giggle" is audible as a Livermore turkey threw his weight around to spare the driver, days before Thanksgiving.

Kangaroo Joey Emerges From Mom's Pouch At Safari Park

• The yet unnamed joey's mother, Polly, gave birth to her roughly seven months ago and she has been gestating in Polly's pouch since then.

Safari Park's Rhino Calf Meets Other Rhino For First Time

• Edward and his mother, Victoria, had been sequestered from the rest of the herd since his birth in July at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

SeaWorld San Diego Welcomes Rescued Sea Turtle

• The turtle, named Donatello, was rescued last month while stranded on a beach near Eureka.

SeaWorld San Diego Welcomes 2 Dolphin Calves In 10-Hour Span

• SeaWorld San Diego announced that a bottlenose dolphin calf was born — the second calf in less than 10 hours.

140 Relinquished Rats Available For Adoption At San Diego Humane

• The rats are available for adoption at the Humane Society's campuses in Escondido, Oceanside and San Diego.

SeaWorld San Diego Rescues Nearly 900 Marine Animals In 2019

• SeaWorld San Diego announced that its animal rescue team has rescued nearly 900 marine animals so far this year.

Endangered Bird Species Released At Tijuana Slough

• Several birds of a federally endangered species were released at the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge.

Santa's Reindeer Arrive At San Francisco Zoo

• Direct from the North Pole, three reindeer will be on display through Jan. 1 as part of the Flying Reindeer Academy exhibit.

Longtime Peninsula Shelter Animals Find Homes For Thanksgiving

• A cat, a dog and a rabbit who'd each spent months waiting to be adopted have all found homes — just in time for the holidays.

Young Seal Rescued From Peninsula Parking Garage

• The five-month-old fur seal, nicknamed "Santos," may have wandered in from a nearby creek.

Llama On The Lam: Living Mower Seeks Greener Pastures

• Lovely the llama took an unscheduled road trip, but firefighters rescued her before tangling with any vehicles.

Therapy Pig At SFO Smooths Travel Jitters

• LiLou and her wagging tail bring smiles to faces, and relieve anxiety for otherwise harried travelers at San Francisco International Airport

Oakland Zoo Has New Fennec Fox

• The mini mammal was turned in by its owner who could no longer care for the exotic animal.

Meet Charlie, The New Hermosa Beach Police K-9

• Charlie, a two-year-old Springer Spaniel, was born and raised in England before he was imported to Southern California for training.

Owl Gets 3-D Printed Leg At Walnut Creek Animal Hospital

• She came to Lindsay Wildlife in February after her leg was broken. The limb eventually withered and fell off.

Dog Stolen From Berkeley Humane Society Returned

• Six month old Ribbon was returned to another facility, which scanned her chip and made the ID.

Senior Citizens Offered Free Pet Adoptions At East Bay SPCA

• The new program will waive the adoption fees of dogs and cats ages 7 and older for humans 65 and older at the Dublin and Oakland shelters.

Frail Hawk Rescued At Big Trees Park In Livermore

• The hawk had no visible injuries but would not leave the tree on its own because it was so weak, Animal Control officials said.

Kitten Stuck In Glue Trap Gets Lucky Break: Alameda County

• The glue kitten, now affectionately named "Elmer," will be available for adoption after Nov. 24 through Kitty911.

Fur Babies Impacted By Wildfires: Pleasanton Hero To The Rescue

• Pleasanton Animal Services Officer Frankie Ayers has helped rescue and care for pets impacted by wildfires.

Pup-Arazzi Volunteer Pet Therapy Dogs Celebrated In UCI Calendar

• These sweet puppies bring peace and love wherever they roam, especially at the UCI Medical Center.

Zoomars Petting Zoo Adopts Wayward Guinea Pigs

• 2 sweet little guinea pigs recently found in a box behind a Pep Boys Automotive Shop will spend their lives with fellow guineas at Zoomars!

Watch Whale Swim With Surfers Near Doheny State Beach

• A San Juan Hills student flying his drone over 20 surfers noticed this whale angling directly toward them. Watch what happened next!

Lightning Trout Added To Quarry Lakes

• The park district has been trying to get the fish for years, which look like neon lights shooting through the water as they swim.

Turkey Rescued From Santa Cruz Homeless Camp: Thanksgiving Save

• Santa Cruz County officials make an exceptional turkey pardon just two days before Thanksgiving.

Photo credit (top): Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Photos credit (bottom L-R): Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter; Tammy Spratt/San Diego Zoo Safari Park; Marianne V. Hale