January 31, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of unusual and symbolic animal behavior, mass die-offs, beaching and stranding of mammals, and the appearance of rare creatures.
Stunning rare duck from the Arctic seen in Aberdeen, UK
A stunning rare bird, hailing from the Arctic, has been spotted in Aberdeenshire.
The beautiful drake King Eider was found off St Combs in Aberdeenshire, on Wednesday.
Described as one of North America's most spectacular species, the King
Eider forms large flocks during spring migration, sometimes exceeding
10,000 individuals, however, this duck appears to have been split from
the flock.
Elsewhere a Ridgway's Cackling Goose was spotted at Castle Kennedy near Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway.
The rare goose is native to North America. It breeds in northern Canada and Alaska in a variety of tundra habitats. -
CFZ.
Sick sea lions wash ashore at alarming rate, California
The
Pacific Marine Mammal Center will release a recently
nursed-back-to-health sea lion back into the ocean at Crescent Bay in
Laguna Beach Tuesday.
The center usually doesn't see any ill
sea lions washing ashore this time of the year, but already more than
two dozen have needed treatment by the only licensed agency in the
county.
At
most, two or three might end up on the beach and need a rescue, but the
center has taken in 28 this month while 13 sea lion pups washed ashore
in December, Executive Director Keith Matassa said.
Further alarming the center's experts is an influx of varying species, Matassa added.
"The difference this year is we're also seeing different species we don't normally see down here," Matassa said.
For instance, there have been sightings of fur seals who are usually seen further north, Matassa said.
In
2013, a record-setting year, the problem of sea lions coming ashore was
limited mostly to Southern California, but now the entire coast is
being affected, Matassa said.
One theory is
that the fish the sea lions feed on have moved due to changing currents
and temperatures. Sea lion mothers are "working double time to produce
milk to nurse pups... and the milk's not as nutritious," Matassa said.
Most experts pin the problem on climate change affecting the habitat, creating a domino effect of problems, Matassa said.
Research
has shown radiation from the meltdown of a nuclear power plant in Japan
did not pose any issues for the sea lions, Matassa added.
The experts have also ruled out any diseases plaguing the sea lions, Matassa said.
"There just isn't one smoking gun," he said.
The influx of sick sea lions has put a heavy burden on the center,
which doesn't usually have to start ramping up services until the
spring, Matassa said. The center expects it could be just as bad as 2013
because it's an El Nino year, he added.
"This is even busier
now than it was in 2013," Matassa said. "All of this is putting a strain
on our budget because we're 100 percent donor funded."
The
center will receive a $10,000 donation Tuesday from a restaurant group
-- The Deck on Laguna Beach, the Bungalows at Pacific Edge Hotel and
Driftwood Kitchen. -
Patch.
Rare Sierra Nevada red fox spotted for the first time since 1916
The elusive and rare Sierra Nevada red fox has been spotted in Yosemite National Park for the
first time in nearly a century, park officials said yesterday (Jan. 28).
Camera traps caught the sleek animal in a remote northern corner of the
park on Dec. 13, 2014, and again on Jan. 4 of this year. The cameras
were set up by wildlife biologists hoping to spot the red fox and the
Pacific fisher,
Yosemite National Park's rarest mammals. The ongoing study is funded by the Yosemite Conservancy.
There hasn't been a verified sighting of the Sierra Nevada red fox inside Yosemite National Park since 1916, said
Ben Sacks, director of the University of California, Davis Veterinary
School's Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit. That year, two animals
were killed in Yosemite's Big Meadows, northeast of El Portal, for the
University of California, Berkeley's Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.
"It's likely that the Sierra Nevada red fox has been in the backcountry
of Yosemite in the last century, but they are rare enough and secretive
enough that they haven't been encountered by anyone who has been able
to document them," Sacks told Live Science.
Until recently,
only a handful of Sierra Nevada red foxes were thought to still exist in
the wild, in a remnant population near Lassen Volcanic National Park in
northeastern California. The subspecies, which is genetically distinct
from other red foxes, once ranged more widely, across the snowy high
mountains from Oregon to California.
Fewer than 50 of the animals may still exist in the wild. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to announce this year whether the fox will be protected under the
Endangered Species Act.
 |
| A rare photo of a Sierra Nevada red fox, snapped by a remote camera trap in Yosemite National Park. © National Park Service |
No one knows for certain why there are so few Sierra Nevada red foxes,
said Cate Quinn, an ecology graduate student at UC Davis who is studying
their decline. "There is a lot of speculation about the causes, but
there is no evidence supporting one or the other right now," she told
Live Science.
The most popular theories include loss of prey, competition from coyotes, genetic inbreeding and loss of habitat, Quinn said. Biologists think the historical population was always relatively small.
In
2010, the U.S. Forest Service discovered another small group of foxes
living near Sonora Pass, north of Yosemite National Park, Sacks said.
Before that discovery, the last verified sighting near Yosemite was on
the east side of the Sierra Nevada, near Tioga Pass, he said.
"We are thrilled to hear about the sighting of the Sierra Nevada red fox,
one of the most rare and elusive animals in the Sierra Nevada," Don Neubacher, Yosemite National Park superintendent,
said in a statement.
Sacks records red fox sightings
online,
and hopes the Yosemite news will encourage park visitors to dig through
their vacation photos for images of the mysterious mammal. "There could
be backpackers who have personal photos from the 1980s or 1990s," Sacks
said. "Someone who has them might not have realized they were important
enough to share."
Here's what to look for:
- The Sierra Nevada red fox is smaller than red foxes that live at lower elevations, with larger, hairier feet for padding through snow.
- Sierra Nevada red fox fur ranges in color from very red to black, but the fur behind its ears is always black. Coyotes and other fox species don't have this black fur behind the ears, Sacks said.
- Red foxes have black fur on their legs, and coyotes don't.
- Red
foxes have big, fluffy, white-tipped tails. Coyotes can also have
white-tipped tails, but relative to body size, a coyote tail is smaller
than a Sierra Nevada red fox tail. "On a fox, the tail is almost as long
as the body," Sacks said. "If a coyote is standing straight up, its
tail might barely touch the ground, but a fox tail would be buried in
the ground.
-
Live Science.
Wild boar attacks man outside nursery in Umbria, Italy
 |
| © Prinke |
A man is recovering in hospital after being attacked by a wild boar outside a nursery in Umbria.
The 54-year-old was attacked after dropping his grandson off at the nursery in Arrone, a town near Terni,
Il Messaggero reported.
Forestry workers are now hunting for the boar, which fled the scene.
The nursery is close to a green area along the Nera river.
The
wild boar population in Italy has grown in recent years alongside a rise
in demand for their luxury meat, which can be found in many butcher's
shops.
Hunting for boar is also a popular pastime, and although there have
been a number of cases of hunters being attacked, it is rare to hear of
random attacks against other members of the public.
There was a
spate in 2013 when the animals ransacked gardens and parks in the
northern city of Genoa and in one case, ate a pensioner's dog.
Most deaths associated with boar-hunting, however, are caused by hunters accidentally shooting another person.
In 2010, Giuseppe Orlando della Gherardesca, an heir to one of Italy's
oldest aristocratic families, was killed in such an incident. -
The Local.
Tusker kills man in Nayagram, India
At
Nayagram's Chunapara area, one person was killed by a wild elephant.
The person, according to the locals, went into the nearby forest for
some work. It is then a wild tusker came out of the woods and attacked
him. Although he tried his best to rescue himself from the elephant, the
tusker got the better of him at the end and killed him. The forest
officers have already reached the spot of the mishap. -
Kolkata.
Wrong time, wrong place: Purple gallinule bird found in Weston, Massachusetts
A purple gallinule,
a
common marsh bird of Florida, made a wrong landing in Weston last week.
Unable to withstand the cold temperatures and find food, its final resting place turned out to be 80-Acre Conservation Area near Hobbs Pond.
On Jan. 19, dog walker Susie Duff discovered the bird when her two dogs
stopped to examine something about 20 feet off a trail. When she
approached, she observed an "odd bird" sitting motionless, but alive on
the ground.
Conservation Agent Michele Grzenda received the email on Monday night.
"Being an avid bird watcher, I'm always intrigued when I receive a
mystery bird inquiry," Grzenda said. "Fortunately Susie was able to take
a couple of pictures and attach them to the email she sent me. I took
one look at the photo and quickly emailed back, 'Wow! Susie, you have to
take me to that bird first thing tomorrow.' I suspected the bird would
not last the night, since it was so approachable
and far away from its normal habitat."
Grzenda called upon the assistance of bird watching friend Michael
Poppone of Weston to help with the recovery efforts the next morning.
Fortunately, Grzenda remembered precisely where she saw the bird the day
before.
 |
| A purple gallinule was found near the 80-Acre Conservation Area near Hobbs Pond |
As expected, the purple gallinule had succumbed to the
elements overnight and perished. Knowing what a rare find in
Massachusetts it was, Grzenda retrieved the bird and contacted the
Massachusetts Audubon Society, who then put her in touch with Harvard
Museum of Comparative Zoology (HMCZ).
"The HMCZ ornithologist was very interested in the specimen," she said.
According to Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website, purple gallinules
are known to travel long distances, with records from as far north as
Iceland, and as far south as South Georgia Island. This species is
adapted to respond to ephemeral marsh habitats, and with the machinery
to travel long distances, individuals sometimes land in Massachusetts.
But this was the first sighting of this species in Weston. "It was a
fantastic find - one I will never forget!" said Grzenda. -
Metro West Daily News.
Hundreds of dead fish found along the Ngaso river in Indonesia
Hundreds of fish in the river Ngaso, Monday (26/1) again found dead.
The fish died allegedly due to contaminated waste from palm oil mill
company (MCC), which is connected with the headwaters of the Rokan
River.
Riau watchlist Post on
Monday (26/1) afternoon at the river flow Ngaso, hundreds of dead fish
appear and even there are still floundering. On the one hand, the color of the river water also looked visibly turbid water also black and pungent smell.
Riau Pos information summarized in the field, the fish began to die
since the early dawn when people perform activities of bathing, washing
and toilet (MCK).
'This morning when we were going to the river, we saw a lot of dead fish. When seen the condition of water colors, looks cloudy and foul smelling.
And just last week, also fish in the river was found dead, 'said Anton,
a resident of the village of East Ujungbatu District of Ujungbatu to
Riau Pos.
According to Anton
along with a number of residents who live on the banks of the River
Ngaso, dead fish are thought to be caused by toxins or waste. 'Strong suspicion that we are invisible when fish die due to waste MCC.
However we can not be sure where the origin of the waste, because there
are two MCC that are in the river upstream Ngaso, 'he said.
He hopes the government or related agencies in order to take decisive action. Therefore, this incident has been repeatedly and even in the case twice a week pollution. 'We ask BLH transparently convey the results of laboratory last week. Because if not, then the fish habitat in the river Ngaso will run out completely, 'he explained.
PR PT Rohul Oil Industry (RSI), Syahrial when confirmed Riau Pos,
claimed to be ready to be checked into the company's waste pond. 'We are ready to be investigated or examined BLH related events. Therefore, in addition has made land application of PT RSI also has a standard waste disposal pond, "he said.
While PR PT Lubuk Treasurer Palma Industry (LBPI), A Naingolan when met
with the community Riau Pos while watching the river Ngaso, Monday
(26/1), denied that his company has done pollution or waste disposal.
'The disposal of waste we are ready for review, because we already have
8 pools and in the near future plans to do a land application, "he
said.
Head of the Environment
Agency (BLH) Rokan Hulu, Riau Hen Post Irfan when confirmed via cell
phone, Monday (26/1), said members (BLH) has dropped to monitor directly
related to the River Ngaso the dead fish.
'From the facts on the ground, we are able to and can be verified and
we will create a warning letter to the company,' he explained.
According to Irfan Hen of the facts found it, the waste comes from PT LBPI. 'The fish was dead positive because the waste of MCC and was based on the initial facts. We already write to the company and ask them to do a recovery, "he said.
While on laboratory results related events Ngaso dead fish in the river
last week, according to Ifran Hen no results because it has not come
out of the Labor Pekanbaru.
When reconfirmed to PR PT LBPI A Nainggolan admitted until now it has
not received any notification from the Environmental Agency stating that
the company responsible for the pollution of the river. -
Riaupos. [Translated]
450 Turkeys dead, 8,000 culled due to bird flu in Kollam, India
With
the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Bhopal-based High
Security Animal Diseases Laboratory confirming that avian flu of the
H5N1 strain caused the deaths of over 450 turkeys housed in a cage at
the Government Turkey Farm here last week, more than 8,000 turkeys that
remained at the farm were culled on Monday as a preventive measure.
Since
the culled birds were buried inside the farm complex, the farm will
have to be kept closed for at least four months after being fumigated.
Farm authorities said the fumigation was being carried out using a
sodium hypochlorite solution. The complex was also being sprayed with
lime-based disinfectants.
The farm has been hit by
bird flu at a time when it had stocked the highest number of turkeys
since its inception. It also had the reputation of being the biggest
turkey farm in south Asia.
Rs.20-lakh loss
The farm will remain banned for visitors for four months. The loss to the farm as per preliminary estimates is Rs.20 lakh.
On
Tuesday, poultry numbering over 700 in individual houses in an area of 1
sq km around the farm was also culled. The poultry comprised chicken,
ducks, and turkey. There was resistance from the owners when Animal
Husbandry Department personnel, along with officials of the Health
Department, arrived at the houses with police protection to carry out
the culling.
Compensation paid
The
people said no incidents of bird flu had been reported outside the
farm. They insisted that all their birds were healthy. The officials had
a hard time convincing them about the threat in the wake of bird flu
confirmation at the farm in their neighbourhood.
The
poultry owners were paid a compensation of Rs.200 for each bird above
two months of age and Rs.100 for each bird below two months. All the
culled birds were brought to the farm and buried.
There
are allegations that instead of applying the standard chloroform
application procedure, the birds were culled by crude methods. Those in
the culling team did not deny the allegations.
Ban on poultry sale
District
Collector A. Kowsigan has issued orders banning the import and sale of
all poultry products in an area of 10 sq km around the farm. It means
that the sale of poultry products cannot take place in a good portion of
the city. The ban will be in force for one month. -
The Hindu.
