February 10, 2015 - MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES - Six feet of snow in the last month and counting.
Bostonians have had it up to their eyeballs with the winter of 2015.
“I can’t believe this is my neighborhood. It’s wild,” Amy McHugh of Weymouth, Massachusetts, told CNN affiliate WCVB-TV. “I keep telling the kids, ‘You’re going to be telling your kids about this.’ It’s unimaginable.”
Not only unimaginable, but record-setting.
“It’s only been 14 days, and we’ve gotten 70 to 80 inches of snow around the commonwealth,” Gov. Charlie Baker said. “This is pretty much unprecedented.
“If I’ve learned one thing over the course of the past two weeks, it’s (that) Mother Nature makes the rules,” Baker said.
By Monday evening, the system had dumped an additional 22-plus inches on Boston, pushing it into the city’s Top 5 for February snowstorms.
The 30-day total is even more impressive. At a fraction under 72 inches, it set a record. In an average year, the city gets 47 inches of snow.
And even more snow could fall before the weekend. The National Weather Service is keeping close watch on a new storm that could bring between 3 and 6 additional inches of snow to the Boston area Thursday and Friday.
It’s enough to drive some folks a bit stir crazy.
One Boston resident used the hashtag #getmeoutofhere to describe his feelings.
Tuesday’s priority, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, is to assist cities with digging out.
It will be clear enough Tuesday to allow trucks to remove snow from buried streets.
The state agency will help cities move snow to snow farms or, in some cases, into rivers, spokesman Peter Judge told CNN.
“Everyone’s been working full-bore for that last three weeks,” Judge said, referring to the trucks removing as much snow as possible.
Eastern Massachusetts is running out of places to put all the white stuff.
There’s so much snow that cities have been given permission to dump it in Boston Harbor, which is usually a no-no. School’s out (again)
Schools in parts of the Northeast, including Boston, will be closed again Tuesday.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said students haven’t had a full week of classes in three weeks.
They’ll run out of snow days soon if the weather doesn’t let up. Travel is a mess
Boston remains under a snow emergency and parking ban. Cars left on city streets were being ticketed and towed to make room for snowplows.
The string of storms is taking a toll on city coffers. “We’ve gone through our $18 million budget for snow removal,” Walsh said.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, known as the T, has suspended all rail services through the end of Tuesday. Limited bus service will be running.
WATCH: Record-setting snowfall in Massachusetts.
However, air travel across the Northeast should improve Tuesday.
More than 2,880 flights into and out of the United States were canceled Sunday and Monday, mostly because of the storm. Early Tuesday, less than 200 flights had been scrubbed for the day, according to FlightAware.com.
Boston’s Logan International Airport remained open during the storm, but most flights were canceled Monday. Courts are closed
The weather forced a couple of big Massachusetts trials to be delayed.
The
murder trial of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez has
been pushed back to Wednesday, and the same goes for jury selection in
the trial of Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Coping with the snow
Folks in the Northeast are known for being tough, but three snowstorms in three weeks is wearing a bit thin.
“It’s kind of depressing sometimes,” Jesus Cora of Nashua, New Hampshire, told CNN affiliate WMUR-TV.
“It’s really depressing, you know?” Boston University freshman Cameron Barkan said, expressing the same sentiment.
“I’m
tired of it,” said Barkan, who has missed three days of class because
of the storms. “I usually like snow, but this is just a little much.” - KTLA.
NOTE: Thanks to Joann Chan-McKeon for contributing to this post.
Rare Typhoon Higos viewed by the NASA MODIS imager on Feb. 10, 2015.
February 10, 2015 - PACIFIC OCEAN - Pacific Typhoon Higos has formed in the tropical West Pacific.
What makes this storm unusual is that it has formed at the least likely time of year, climatologically speaking.
North Pacific typhoons have formed in all calendar months, but a Japanese analysis of the dates they form suggests that Feb. 11 is the least likely date.
Pacific News Center.
This date can be considered the beginning (or end) of the typhoon season.
So,
Typhoon Higos might be considered the latest north Pacific typhoon on
record. Or maybe it’s the earliest (there was a Feb. 15, 1965 typhoon
that had been considered the earliest). It all depends upon when you
decide the start/end date of typhoon season is.
WATCH: Typhoon to stay east of Guam.
One thing for sure is that a typhoon in mid-February is rare, indeed. According to this historical list going back 65 years, no typhoons have ever formed during the week of 8-14 February. - Dr. Roy Spencer.
February 10, 2015 - DOMINICA, CARIBBEAN - The Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation into an accident at the small Canefield Airport
when a privately owned twin engine plane from Venezuela with seven
people on board skidded off the runway and crashed into a fence.
Minister
responsible for Ports, Ian Pinnard, said that one person was treated
and later released from the prince Margaret Hospital. He said the plane
had crashed into the fence :”almost into the containers on the side of
the Canefield road”.
“The investigation is taking place within the
Port (Authority) and the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority,”
said noting that he expects to receive a report from the chief executive
officer of the Port Authority on Monday.
The airport, west of
here, is due to be re-opened on Monday and Pinnard said he expects the
investigation to be completed “very soon and then we will have all the
report as to what took place at Canefield Airport.
“The Canefield
Airport will continue to operate as is, the government has no plans in
place for Canefield…but as far as I know the plan for Canefield is to
remain open and operate with small aircraft.
The Canefield
Airport was built in 1979 with British funding and used to accommodate
regular schedule flights of the several airlines including the regional
carrier, LIAT. - Caribbean 360.
February 10, 2015 - UNITED STATES - Google has already shown off several robo-dogs, including one which has even taken part in military trials.
Now, it has unveiled a smaller, lighter version called 'spot'.
The four legged robo-pet can run, climb stairs, job next to its owner and even cope with being kicked.
The 160 pound electrically powered and hydraulically actuated robot can walk, trot and even climb steps.
Although Boston Dynamics has not revealed what Spot will be used for, it has released a video showing off its capabilities.
The 160 pound electrically powered and hydraulically actuated robot can walk, trot and even climb steps.
WATCH: Introducing Spot.
A
sensor on the robot’s head helps it navigate over rough terrain - and
to spot when humans, or another robo-dog, is nearby by, allowing it to
follow its owner and run in formation.
The robot is also shown next to its 'big brother', known as big dog.
A family affair: Spot (left) with the firm's other robot dogs
Here boy! Spot the roboDog shown wandering through Boston Dynamics office
Spot is showing roaming with another robot (right) and climbing steps
It has already been tested in its first live military trial with Marines in Hawaii.
Officially known as the 'Legged Squad Support System', it has taken five years to develop.
It can walk and run over rugged terrain, following a soldier while carrying 400lbs of their kit and weapons.
Lance Cpl. Brandon Dieckmann, of the India Company, with Cujo the robot dog in the Kahuku Training Area, July 12, 2014, during the
Rim of the Pacific 2014 exercise, where Cujo delivered water to soldiers in its biggest test yet.
CUJO THE BIG DOG
Cujo is made by Boston Dynamics, which was bought by Google, and has taken and $2 million to create.
It can walk and run over rugged terrain, following a soldier while carrying their kit and weapons.
It can stand upright, walk for 20 miles without a break and carry up to 400lbs.
The controls are simple to learn and have joysticks, and one recruit said using it 'feels like playing Call of Duty.'
It
is now being thrown into the Kahuku Training Area – completely
controlled and field tested by five young Marines from India Company,
3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.
The LS3 is a robotic mule, capable of traversing rugged terrain with Marines while carrying much of their load.
It is programmed to follow an operator and detect large terrain objects to maneuver around.
The
testing for the LS3 is being observed by the Marine Corps Warfighting
Lab during the Advanced Warfighting Experiment as part of Rim of the
Pacific 2014, a military multilateral training event featuring 22
nations and roughly 25,000 people.
Lance
Cpl. Brandon Dieckmann, a Las Vegas soldier, was given the task of
controlling Cujo. - and admits he remembers watching clips of the LS3 on
Youtube before he joined the infantry.
He
said he never would have guessed he would be chosen to operate the
machine, which has been affectionately nicknamed 'Cujo' by his company.
'The
reality (is that it's) a walking robot and quadrupedal robotic legs are
something that can be done (stood out to me),' Dieckmann said.
'They randomly chose us to operate it, probably because I wear glasses.'
The Marines used 'Cujo' to conduct resupply missions to the various platoons around the training area.
The LS3 brought water to service members in terrain difficult to reach by all-terrain vehicles.
Cujo is able to automatically follow a leader through rough terrain
Cujo can walk and run over rugged terrain, following a soldier while carrying their kit and weapons.
It can walk for 20 miles without a break and carry up to 400lbs.
The controls are simple to learn and have joysticks, and one recruit said it 'feels like playing Call of Duty.'
Cujo is programmed to follow an operator through terrain, carrying heavy loads like water and food to Marines training.
Operators can control Cujo from a handheld device, telling him how far behind to follow.
The LS3 is experimental technology being tested by the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab during Rim of the Pacific 2014.
'I was surprised how well it works,' Dieckmann said.
'I
thought it was going to be stumbling around and lose its footing, but
it’s actually proven to be pretty reliable and pretty rugged. It has a
bit of a problem negotiating obliques and contours of hills.'
The
LS3 is being used as a logistical tool during RIMPAC as opposed to a
tactical tool, due to its loud noise during movement and problems
traversing certain terrains.
'I’d say 70 to 80 percent of the terrain we go through, it can go through,' Dieckmann said.
'There are times when it is going to fall over, but most of the time it can self-right and get back up on its own.
'Even
if it doesn’t, it can take one person to roll it back over. The way it
is designed is that you can easily roll it back over.'
Huberth Duarte, an infantryman with India Co., 3/3, and an operator for
the LS3, says the robotic mule has become like a dog to him.
The controls are simple to learn and have joysticks, and he said it 'feels like playing Call of Duty.'
Putting
the LS3 in the hands of young Marines is vital to the development of
the program, said Ben Spies, a contractor with Boston Dynamics observing
the AWE.
'We give the military hands-on so we can see what they will use it for instead of putting it in a parking lot.
'It helps us develop it more, because right now, only the engineers have it.'
February 10, 2015 - ST. LUCIA, CARIBBEAN - St. Lucia was struck by a “burst” of earthquakes on Monday, but disaster officials said there were no reports of injuries or damages.
The
National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) said that it had been
informed by the Trinidad-based Seismic Research Unit (SRC) of the University of the West Indies (UWI) that the island had been hit by eight tremors during a nine minute period.
It said the largest of the tremors was located at 13.84°N and 61.06°W with a magnitude was 2.3 and a depth 17km.
The Lesser Antilles
“NEMO
has not yet received any reports of damage as a result of this event;
however, the SRC will continue to monitor the situation and advice the
Organization as the activity warrants,” NEMO said, urging the population
to be wary of the situation and take the necessary precautions to save
lives. “Be aware that some earthquakes are actually foreshocks and a larger earthquake might occur.Don’t wait until you’re certain an earthquake is actually occurring. At
the first sign of the earth shaking, if you are in a building, stay
inside and away from windows,” NEMO warned. - Caribbean 360.
ST. LUCIA - SEISMICITY
Volcanic
earthquakes are common in the islands of the Lesser Antilles. They
occur when molten rock (magma) ruptures the lithosphere as it tries to
force its way to the surface. Such earthquakes are typically shallow and
often occur in swarms, i.e. groups of many earthquakes of similar size
occurring closely clustered in space and time with no dominant main s
hock. They are often a precursory sign that a volcano is getting ready
to erupt. Not all volcanic earthquakes in the Lesser Antilles culminate
in an eruption, but all eruptions are preceded by volcanic earthquakes.
Th is is why seismic monitoring is so important at potentially active
volcanoes. Shallow earthquake swarms in Saint Lucia
There
have been at least five swarms of shallow earthquakes in Saint Lucia in
the last 100 years. These occurred in 1906, 1986, 1990, 1999 and 2000,
and at least three of these seem to have been triggered by a larger
tectonic earthquake (1906, 1990 and 2000). A fifth burst may have
occurred in early 1998 when a number of earthquakes were reported felt.
Unfortunately the equipment and personnel of the Seismic Research Unit
were heavily committed in Montserrat at the time and there were no
seismograph recordings.
Volcanic features of the Soufriere Volcanic Centre
In February 1906 Saint Lucia was rocked by
a large tectonic earthquake which was also felt as far south as Grenada
and as far north as Dominica. Newspaper reports indicate that Saint
Lucia experienced numerous sharp shocks and tremors in the months that
followed. Some of these were also noticed in nearby islands and may have
been aftershocks following the larger earthquake. A great number,
however, were only reported felt in Saint Lucia and probably comprised a
tectonically triggered volcanic earthquake swarm.
A continuous
seismic monitoring programme was established in Saint Lucia in 1982, and
since then the cumulative number of shallow earthquakes has increase d
irregularly in a series of bursts (Figure 3). The first burst culminated
in early 1986 when 12 earthquakes happened in a single day of which
four were reported widely felt in southern Saint Lucia. The second burst
occurred between May and June 1990, peaking on May 19th when 29
earthquakes occurred in a single day.
Earthquake numbers for Saint Lucia from 1982 to 2002.
Most of these were felt and the
largest was of magnitude 4.5 which was sufficient to cause significant
damage close to the epicentre. Fortunately the epicentre was in one of
the most sparsely-populated parts of Saint Lucia, to the north of Mt.
Gomier in the south of the island, so little damage was in fact caused.
Between April and June 1999 105 volcanic earthquakes were recorded in
southern Saint Lucia. These earthquakes were only strong enough to
record on one station, and none were reported felt.
The most
recent swarm occurred bet ween July 2000 and January 2001. The image
below shows daily numbers of earthquakes in Saint Lucia up until June
2002, and clearly shows that the burst of recent seismic activity was
largely over by early 2001.
February 10, 2015 - UNITED STATES- The beautiful monarch butterfly, which is also a major pollinator, is
being threatened by herbicides that eradicate milkweed, its primary
food source. Now, a desperate rejuvenation program is under way to save
the species from possible extinction.
A shocking statistic released by the US Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday summed up
the plight of the monarch butterfly: Since 1990, about 970 million of
the butterflies – 90 percent of the total population – have vanished
across the United States.
The massacre provides a grim testimony
to the delicate balance that exists between man and nature, and how the
introduction of a single consumer product – in this case, Monsanto’s
Roundup Ready herbicide – can wreak so much havoc. Sold to farmers and
homeowners as an effective method for eliminating milkweed plants,
Roundup Ready, introduced in the 1970s, is widely blamed for decimating
the monarch butterflies’ only source of food in the Midwest.
“This
report is a wake-up call. This iconic species is on the verge of
extinction because of Monsanto's Roundup Ready crop system,” said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director for the Center for Food Safety, which last week released a report describing the effects of herbicide-resistant crops on monarch butterflies in North America.
“To
let the monarch butterfly die out in order to allow Monsanto to sell
its signature herbicide for a few more years is simply shameful.”
The widespread death of the monarch butterfly has prompted some groups,
like the Center for Biological Diversity, to demand the butterfly be
placed on the endangered species list.
Dan Ashe, director of
Fish and Wildlife Service, preferred to take a diplomatic approach to
Monsanto’s hefty contribution to the problem, saying everyone is
responsible for the plight of the monarch butterfly.
“We’ve
all been responsible. We are the consumers of agricultural products. I
eat corn. American farmers are not the enemy. Can they be part of the
solution? Yes,” Ashe said. “It’s not about this wonderful, mystical creature. It’s about us.”
Monsanto responded to the issue in a blog on its website by saying that
listing monarch butterflies as a threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act “makes for a great news headline,” but ultimately fails to “help solve the problem.”
Rejuvenation efforts
The
monarch migrates annually thousands of miles - and over the lifespan of
many generations - from Mexico, across the United States, to Canada. To
complete this migration, the butterfly is dependent upon the milkweed
plant, which provides not only a major food source, but a larval host.
However, as US farmland continues to eat up the remaining wild places,
there appears to be little left to sustain the monarch.
In an
effort to restore monarch numbers, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has
teamed up with the National Wildlife Federation and the National Fish
and Wildlife Foundation to start a milkweed replanting program.
The Fish and Wildlife Service said it will contribute $2 million this
year to restoring more than 200,000 acres of monarch habitat, while also
“supporting over 750 schoolyard habitats and pollinator gardens.”
The service will also concentrate rejuvenation efforts on Interstate
35, a 1,568-mile (2,523 km) highway that extends from Texas to
Minnesota, which closely follows the monarch’s migration path.
“We can save the monarch butterfly in North America, but only if we act quickly and together,” said Ashe.
The monarch butterfly is not the only pollinator species suffering from
the agricultural use of pesticides. Wasps, beetles and especially
honeybees have all experienced significant drops in their numbers over
the years, which will have adverse effects on America’s crop supply if
not soon addressed.
WATCH: Global March - Protests around the world against Monsanto.
Monsanto controversy
Monsanto
has run into controversy before over its glysophate-based Roundup Ready
product. It is even being blamed by some for a sharp spike in suicide
rates among Indian farmers, many of whom could not afford to continue
buying the Ready Roundup seeds and herbicides.
The Indian farmers would not receive a loan “if they don’t go with the GMOs,” the head of the Council for Responsible Genetics, Sheldon Krimsky, told RT. “And
many of them felt coerced to take the GM seeds. The GM crops have not
done as well in all regions of India... [That has led to] much greater
indebtedness with the GM crops that did not perform as well.”
Monsanto denies that its seeds have contributed to the plight of Indian farmers.
“Despite
claims by those who oppose GMO crops, research also demonstrates there
is no link between Indian farmer suicides and the planting of GMO
cotton,” the company said on its website.
However, since
Monsanto controls about 95 percent of the cotton seed market in India,
many small farmers are falling behind on their debt, leading them,
critics claim, to desperate measures.
“Two hundred and eighty-four thousand farmers have committed suicide in India because of debt linked to seed and chemicals,”
Vandana Shiva, an Indian environmental activist and anti-globalization
author, said last year ahead of the March Against Monsanto global
protests.
“Monsanto have claimed more than
1,500 climate resilient patents, and are hoping to use the climate
crisis to make even bigger profits,” Shiva says claiming that “Monsanto wants super profits through total control over nature and humanity.”
Last year, hundreds of thousands of people united around the world to
raise awareness over the biotech giant Monsanto’s growing grip on the
global food supply chain.
Activists on five continents around
the globe, comprising 52 nations, joined the fight under the March
against Monsanto umbrella. - RT.
February 10, 2015 - SPACE
- Around the world, people far from city lights are noticing a luminous
triangle rising out of the western sky at sunset. It is the Zodiacal Light.
Last night, Feb. 9th, Alan Dyer photographed the phenomenon from the City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico:
Dyer, author of "How to Shoot and Process Nightscapes,"
describes the photo: "The tower of light at left is the Zodiacal Light.
At right is the setting autumn Milky Way. At the base of the Zodiacal
Light is bright Venus just setting, with fainter Mars above it."
Zodiacal light is sunlight reflected from billions of dust particles
littering the solar system's orbital plane.
These are the same dust
particles that make meteors when they occasionally hit Earth's
atmosphere. Zodiacal Light is very faint, so dark skies are required to
see it.
Now is a good time to look because the Moon
is absent from the evening sky. A trip to the countryside on a moonless
February evening often results in a Zodiacal Light sighting. Try it! - Space Weather.
February 10, 2015 - MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES - I have officially run out of ways to discuss and describe this
winter. By now you have likely been hit with a thousand different
numbers and graphs. Top 10 snowiest winter. Two top 10 storms in the last three weeks. Snowiest February on record. . .yadda yadda yadda. . . the beat goes on and on. The history books are literally being rewritten over the last 3 weeks.
I find it incredible to think that just 20 days ago we had just 5” of
snow for the season and now we are completely and utterly buried. We are
dumping snow in “snow farms” and in the Atlantic Ocean. Day and night
dump trucks are hauling snow out of the city and yet we just cannot keep
up.
WATCH: Weather forecast for New England.
More than once I have woken up and wondered if the last few weeks had really happened. I mean really? More
snow in 17 days than in any 20, 30 or 40 day stretch in history? More
snow in 17 days than we get in a full season and a half?
What
is more believable, that or the Patriots winning their fourth Super
Bowl thanks to a rookie most of us have never heard of making a
miraculous interception with seconds to go from the 1 yard line? You
could have told me this whole story three weeks ago and I would have
said you are nuts.
Well, 6 feet of snow later and one Patriots
parade through the streets of what looked like Alaska and what do you
know. . . miracles do happen. Records are made to be broken. Or should I
say shattered, annihilated, destroyed…
We
have clearly passed the fun and pretty stages of snowfall here in
Southern New England. We have also blown right through the disruptive
and downright annoying level as well. We are reaching DEFCON 1 in a hurry.
Your
grandparents can no longer tell you any stories about how high the
snowbanks were “in their day” or tell you that “you have never seen a
real winter”. You are now living it. We are in THAT story. We are the
lead to the national news. It isn’t in Buffalo or North Dakota, it is
right here, in our backyards. And unfortunately there is more to the
story…
Currently a rather
disorganized storm is bringing rain and snow showers to the Pacific
Northwest. Over the next few days, this storm will innocuously slide
eastward along the U.S./Canadian border. Not really making headlines for
any precipitation but ushering in some very cold, Arctic air behind it.
During
the day on Thursday, as this weak storm nears New England, it will get a
real shot in the arm from a digging jetstream. The storm will then
transfer its energy off the Mid-Atlantic coastline (stop me if you
haven’t heard this a dozen times this winter already) and blow up into a
very powerful ocean storm.
Here is where two possibilities still exist. #1)
We catch just the beginning stages of this rapid development and get
“fringed” by some light, but likely plowable snow in Eastern
Massachusetts. This is currently the more likely scenario, however we
cannot rule out. . . #2) The whole system isn’t
quite as progressive and it literally explodes in the perfect spot (the
sweet spot, 40/70) for New England storms. We feel the full rage of this
nor’easter, get blizzard conditions Thursday night into Friday, strong
and damaging winds and a boatload of new snow.
Clearly the second option would cause MAJOR problems.
With no place to put the snow and wind gusts which could exceed 50-60
mph I cannot even imagine the mess we would have on our hands. The next
24 hours of model runs will be critical in determining the final track,
timing and ultimately the significance of this event in southern New
England.
We
are nearing the breaking point and a storm like this one could
potentially hurdle us right over the edge. Please don’t take this as
“hype”, this is a very serious situation.Of course, our team will keep you updated as the forecast becomes more clear.
One
thing is certain, this pattern is going nowhere. The snow and cold are
here to stay in New England, likely for at least the remainder of
February. There is no thaw, no pattern change, no immediate relief in
sight. Storm or no storm, later this week some of the coldest air thus
far will pour down from Northern Canada. If it isn’t snow records, we
will likely challenge some low temperature records over the weekend.
Updated coronagraph imagery reveals a well defined coronal mass ejection
(CME) leaving the sun following an M2.4 solar flare on Monday evening.
February 10, 2015 - SPACE
- The magnetic field of sunspot AR2282 does not appear to be unstable
... yet it is. Proof came on Feb. 9th at 23:35 UT when the sunspot's
magnetic canopy unexpectedly erupted, producing an M2-class solar flare.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the blast:
The explosion produced a coronal mass ejection (CME).
Radio emissions produced by shock waves at the leading edge of the CME suggest an expansion velocity of more than 1000 km/s (2.2 million mph).
It does not appear that the plasma cloud will be geoeffective, meaning a noteworthy impact to our geomagnetic field is unlikely. The storm cloud is not on a sun-Earth line, and will probably miss our planet, but this requires confirmation from analysis of incoming coronagraph data.
Sunspots
Elsewhere, minor C-Flares were detected around region 2280, including a C8.3 at 02:02 UTC (Feb 10).
Additional C-Flares are likely during the next 24 hours with a chance for an isolated M-Flare around regions 2280 and 2282.
A large filament channel continues to stretch across the southern hemisphere and should continue to be monitored.
February 10, 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.
Runaway cow charges at police officer near Jaromer, Czech Republic
Charge: The runaway cow on the move
This is the heart-stopping moment a runaway cow charged at a police officer and nearly trampled him.
Police were responding to a call about an escaped cow near the city of
Jaromer, Czech Republic and this patrol car footage shows the moment an
officer approached the angry animal.
What happened next is really scary, as the cow bows its head and runs at the officer.
The enormous animal even leaps on top of the patrol car and smashes the windscreen.
A time stamp on the video indicates that the attack happened on February 2nd at around 11am.
The officer was reportedly unharmed and the cow was returned to its owner with help of the local fire department.
WATCH: Runaway cow charge at terriifed police officer before smashing car windscreen.
The rising monkey population in Braj region has become a cause of concern for residents. In yet another tragic incident involving the rowdy primates, an elderly
sant (holy man), identified as mahant Lal Baba, 75, of Madhav Kunj,
fell from the terrace and died at spot on Wednesday evening.
Baba had gone up to the terrace to fetch items needed for a puja when a
tribe of monkeys pounced upon him. The frightened man who tried to
flee, lost his balance and fell off the terrace. He suffered severe head
injuries. Police have sent the body for a postmortem examination.
Ashram inmates told police that Lal Baba had gone to the terrace to
collect "bel-patra" for puja. "Just then a troop of rowdy monkeys
attacked him. He fell down from the roof and died instantly."
Two
days ago, a woman was attacked in the heart of the city and suffered
serious injuries. Laxmi of Keshi ghat area fell from the terrace on
Sunday afternoon and was admitted to the district hospital in a serious
condition. She fell from the second floor and broke her legs.
According to locals, they are fed up with the simian nuisance, that is increasing with each passing day.
In spite of the alarming instances of monkey attacks, the authorities
do not appear to have any plan of action to contain the growing number
of monkeys in Vrindavan. "The pilgrims are being attacked," said a local
'panda', Jagdish Prasad.
The
number of monkeys in Mathura district that includes Goverdhan, Radha
Kund, Gokul and Barsana, is estimated to be more than 10,000. Most have turned violent and aggressive, say locals.
The issue of monkey menace has been taken up by local MP, Hema Malini.
She has written to various government departments and even asked for
sterilization but so far, nothing concrete has been done.
"The
problem is that monkeys are growing at a faster pace than what the green
cover in the area can sustain. Their natural habitat has shrunk and no
authority in any other place is willing to accept them," says social
activist Pavan Gautam.
Their aggressive behavior is also being
attributed to the fact that most of the monkeys do not get enough to eat
and so rummage through garbage dumps. "As a result, they also fall prey
to diseases," added Satpal Yadav, a resident of Chaumuhan.
When contacted, district magistrate Rajesh Kumar said the administration
was exploring ways to tackle it and looking for ways this could be
done. - Times of India.
Police
officers put down a dog after it was seriously injured in an attack
against its owner and his son, who were bitten several times Sunday
afternoon, Chula Vista police said.
A family was in the backyard of their La Costa Avenue home near Masters Ridge Road when, for unknown reasons, a boxer turned on its owner's adult son and began biting him, police Lt. Kenny Heinz said.
The owner tried to pull the dog away, and it began attacking him as
well. Both men repeatedly tried to pull the dog off each other and were
bitten a number of times in the process. Someone at the home called police about 2 p.m.
Firefighters got their first and tried to restrain the dog with
"emergency equipment," Heinz said. When police arrived, they found the
dog badly injured. An officer shot the dog to end its suffering and to
protect against any other attacks, Heinz said.
"The family was extremely upset," he said."They are totally shocked the dog would do this. It's a really upsetting situation."
A tusker killed three persons, including a couple, in Keonjhar district on Saturday night.
The deceased were identified as Laxmidhara Mohanta, 28, a resident of
Chakulia village and Purna Chandra Mohanta, 65, and his wife Abanti
Mohanta, 55, of Sitarampur village. Purna Chandra was a retired teacher.
Forest department sources said the tusker got separated from a
herd at Similipal under Mayurbhanj forest division and entered Keonjhar
from Patna range. It then wandered into Champua through Sadar forest
range.
Around
10pm, the jumbo attacked Laxmidhara, a labourer, while he was working
in a brick kiln near the village. Then it headed towards Sitarampur.
Purna Chandra saw the tusker in his garden around 11pm and panicked. His
wife rushed out hearing him scream. The elephant attacked and killed
them, the sources added.
"The tusker was seen
in Balibandh forest. We are keeping a close watch on its movement," said
DFO (Keonjhar) kRohit Kumar Lenka. The bereaved families will be
compensated in tune with the government rules, he added.
The
deaths have created panic in the area with locals accusing the forest
officers of failing to protect them and their properties from frequent
elephant attacks. Six persons were trampled to death in 2014, eight in
2013, 14 in 2012 and eight in 2011.
There are
around 56 elephants in different forests under Keonjhar division. They
enter human habitations during harvesting season, attack villagers and
destroy houses in search of paddy, the sources added. - Times of India.
Hundreds of dead fish found in Bhogavati river in India
For
the second time in the last 45 days, hundreds of fish were found dead
in Bhogavati river, a major tributary of Panchganga. Soon after getting
the news, the officials of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB)
rushed to the spot situated in Haladi, 10 km from here, on Friday
morning and collected water and fish samples.
On December 22
last year, a similar incident took place in the river, but the water
samples collected at that time were found normal. The incidents suggest
that local sugar factories or industries are dumping untreated waste
water into the river during the wee hours. Since the weirs situated in
the upstream release water regularly for irrigation purpose, it
automatically flushes out contamination. Hence, water samples collected
after 7-8 hours are often found to be normal.
There are three
major sugar factories in the vicinity of Bhogavati and the MPCB is
collecting information whether contamination originates from these
factories. Environmental activists also visited the site and talked to
the people living in the surrounding villages such as Kandgaon, Kurdu,
Kothali, Kurukali, Dewale and Parite.
According to primary
information collected by environmental experts, three tractors released
water in the privately held farm fields in Haladi. "There are reports
that these tractors were called by the local farmers, who believe that
the water contains some chemicals which could break a stone. These farms
have murum stones underneath. The water must be contaminated and
percolated to Bhogavati causing the death of fish," said Uday Gaikwad,
environmentalist and member of district environment monitoring
committee.
MPCB officials said they have collected water and
fish samples, which will be submitted to the government-owned
laboratories for further investigation.
"The collected water
samples will be sent to MPCB's laboratory in Chiplun, while the fish
samples will be tested at the Mumbai-based forensic laboratory. At
present, we won't be able to tell the cause of water pollution. There
are factories in the nearby areas and we are checking whether they
behind the death of fish," said S S Doke, regional officer of MPCB.
He added that water samples collected on December 22 were normal. "We
have just received the report from our laboratory. We are studying it;
however, prima facie the water samples are normal. This could be because
the contaminated water is flushed out," Doke said.
Haladi has a
population of around 5,000 and is situated on Kolhapur-Gargoti road.
The sugar factories nearby have distillery units which could produce
harmful effluents.
City's water supply unaffected: The
officials of the water supply department in the civic body said that the
incident will not affect the city's water supply. For Kolhapur, the KMC
lifts drinking water from Shingnapur weir. Once water is released from
Haladi weir, it directly comes to Shingnapur. "We are taking precaution
since the last such incident. Usually, we start extra monitoring of the
water quality. As of now, the quality is normal and it is not necessary
to interrupt supply," said a KMC official.
How the river is
getting polluted: The 125-km Panchganga river is formed by four
tributaries - Kumbhi, Kasari, Tulsi and Bhogavati. According to local
tradition, the fifth river is Saraswati and its located underground. At
Prayag Chikhali, 8 km from here, the confluence marks the beginning of
Panchganga, which after receiving water from the four tributaries,
continues to 125 km before reaching Nrusinhawadi where it meets Krishna
river. Last year, a private consulting company assigned by the zilla
parishad had surveyed 31 of the 174 villages on the banks of Panchganga
river and its tributaries and found that along with the sewage generated
by these villages, the river is also under the threat of polluted water
of the sugar factories. - Times of India.
70 Monkeys found dead throughout Kheragarh in India
More than 70 monkeys
have been found dead in different parts of Kheraghar, about 50 km from
Agra, in the past three days, with atopsy reports saying the animals
were poisoned.
Authorities suspect that someone may have poisoned the animals to control the simian menace.
According to the police, the 31 monkeys that were found dead on Saturday had vomited a green-coloured substance. .
Fourteen monkey bodies were recovered from Sarendhi Bridge. On Thursday, 13 monkeys were found dead near Jhinjhin Pulia.
Local people expressed shock at the cruelty. "It was terrible to see
the animals lying with their mouths open, the green substance flowing
out. It was hard to tell whether the monkeys died here or elsewhere, and
their carcasses brought here," said Sonu, a cable operator in Kheraghar
who informed police about the large number of dead monkeys.
A forest official said, "For so many monkeys to go down in such a short span of time, it must have been poison. They showed symptoms of that - excess salivation, seizures, respiratory distress."
Sudhir Kumar, inspector at Saiyya police station, said, "For the first
time, we have had something like this in this area. It is possible that
the monkeys were killed somewhere else and the carcasses disposed of
here. It is possible that given the monkey menace in Agra, someone had
poisoned them. An FIR has been registered under sections of IPC dealing
with cruelty to animals."
In the last four years, the monkey
population in Agra has gone up three times. Since 2012, the project cost
for making the city of Taj free of monkeys has nearly doubled. Sources
in the district forest office said nearly 25,000 monkeys now roam the
city; in 2011, the simian population here was estimated at 9,000. In
2011, the cost of making Agra monkey-free was estimated at Rs 9 crore.
Now, the sum has risen to Rs 15 crore. - Times of India.
