The white-tailed deer is the most abundant and widely studied large mammal in the Americas.
Foxtrot101/iStockphoto
February 8, 2016 - AMERICAS - Two years ago, Ellen Martinsen, was collecting mosquitoes at the
Smithsonian's National Zoo, looking for malaria that might infect
birds—when she discovered something strange: a DNA profile, from
parasites in the mosquitoes, that she couldn't identify.
By chance, she had discovered a malaria parasite, Plasmodium odocoilei—that infects white-tailed deer. It's the first-ever malaria parasite known to live in a deer species and the only native malaria parasite found in any mammal in North or South America. Though white-tailed deer diseases have been heavily studied—scientist hadn't noticed that many have malaria parasites.
Martinsen and her colleagues estimate that the parasite infects up to twenty-five percent of white-tailed deer along the East Coast of the United States. Their results were published February 5 in Science Advances.
In hiding
"You never know what you're going to find when you're out in nature—and
you look," says Martinsen, a research associate at the Smithsonian's
Conservation Biology Institute and adjunct faculty in the University of
Vermont's biology department. "It's a parasite that has been hidden in the most iconic game animal in the United States. I just stumbled across it."
The new study, led by Martinsen, was a collaboration with scientists at
the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the American Museum of
Natural History, the National Park Service, the University of Georgia,
the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee—and UVM biologist and malaria
expert Joseph Schall.
Though Martinsen and Schall are quick to note that they anticipate
little danger to people from this newly discovered deer malaria, it does
underline the fact that many human health concerns are connected to
wider ecological systems—and that understanding the biology of other
species is a foundation to both conservation and public health
management. Zika virus is recently making worrisome headlines and
"there's a sudden surge in interest in mosquito biology across the
United States," says Schall. "This is a reminder of the importance of
parasite surveys and basic natural history."
In 1967, a renowned malaria researcher reported he'd discovered malaria
in a single deer in Texas. But the received understanding was that "malaria wasn't supposed to be in mammals in the New World,"
says Schall, who has studied malaria for decades. "It was like the guy
was reporting he saw Big Foot," and no other discoveries were made after
that.
But now Martinsen and her colleagues have discovered that the
deer malaria is widespread—though it's "cryptic" she says, because the
parasites occur in very low levels in many of the infected deer. "Ellen
spent days and days looking through a microscope at slides that were
mostly empty," Schall says, but eventually found the parasites. Combined
with sensitive molecular PCR techniques to understand the genetics, the
team confirmed a high prevalence of the disease—between eighteen and
twenty-five percent—in sites ranging from New York to West Virginia to
Louisiana.
Native species
The new discovery fundamentally changes our understanding of the
distribution and evolutionary history of malaria parasites in mammals,
Martinsen says. Some scientists wondered if the deer malaria could have
jumped from people or zoo animals in the recent past. But the new study
suggests otherwise. The team's data shows that the deer actually carry
two genetic lineages of the malaria parasites—"probably different
species," she says—and that the two lineages are substantially different
from each other.
This divergence between the two forms of malaria was used by the
scientists as a kind of molecular clock. "We can date the evolutionary
split between those two lineages," Martinsen says—to 2.3 to 6 million
years ago. Which probably means that when the ancient evolutionary
ancestors to white-tailed deer traveled from Eurasia across the Bering
Land Bridge to North America in the Miocene, some 4.2 to 5.7 million
years ago—malaria came along for the ride. "We think malaria is native to the Americas,"Martinsen says, "that it's been here for millions of years."
Malaria is a major problem for people in many parts of the world—and for
many species of wildlife too. It has been devastating bird species in
Hawaii and Bermuda, among many epidemics. Whether it is hurting white-tailed deer in America is an open question. Martinsen suspects not, because she'd expect to see more obviously sick animals. But Schall wonders if, like some human malaria infections, the disease causes a low-level burden that hurts deer populations.
They both agree that it is an area that calls for more research—and
that the new study raises many other questions, including whether the
parasite might infect dairy cows or other hoofed species.
Ellen Martinsen completed her undergraduate and doctoral training at UVM
in Joe Schall's lab and went on to do her postdoctoral research at the
Smithonian Conservation Biology Institute's Center for Conservation
Genetics. The new discovery drew on a team of scientists and
veterinarians at the Smithsonian and other institutions, who studied
samples from both live and necropsied deer as well as mosquitoes. Additionally, Martinsen returned to Schall's lab for some of the new research.
"Malaria is a top parasitic disease in humans and wildlife," Ellen
Martinsen says. "It's important that we gain a better understanding of
its diversity and distribution not just across humans but across other
species too."
April 28, 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.
Rare ocean sunfish weighing 1.5 tons washes ashore at Palu, Indonesia
Monster: Indonesian fishermen try to help a rare
Ocean Sunfish after they found the sea creature had washed ashore in
Palu, Central Sulawesi
Fishermen often exaggerate when boasting just how big their latest catch was.
But there was no need for these Indonesians who have got the pictures to prove they really did capture a true whopper.
For this monstrous sea creature weighs an incredible 1.5 tons and measures more than six feet long.
They didn't strictly catch it, however.
Instead, they found the rare Ocean Sunfish in a critical condition after
it had washed ashore in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.
They tried to drag it back out to sea in the hope it might
recover. But the tide repeatedly pulled it back and the fish eventually
died.
Sunfish, or Mola Mola, are the heaviest bony fish in the world.
The largest specimens can reach 14ft vertically and 10ft horizontally, weighing nearly 5,000lb.
Sunfish develop their truncated, bullet-like shape because they are born
with a back fin that never grows. Instead, it folds into itself.
Mola in Latin means 'millstone' and describes the sunfish's somewhat
circular shape. They are a silvery color and have a rough skin texture.
They are found in temperate and tropical oceans around the world and are
often mistaken for sharks when their huge dorsal fins emerge above the
water.
Their teeth are fused into a beak-like structure and they are unable to fully close their relatively small mouths.
- Daily Mail.
Hoopoe causing a hoopla in Ireland as at least 50 exotic birds are seen
Birdwatchers believe a funnel of air caused them to overshoot France and land in Ireland
If you think you spotted an unusual pink bird with zebra-patterned wings in recent weeks, you are not alone.
The hoopoe, so called because of the sound it makes, has come to these shores in unexpectedly large numbers this year, with at least 50 being spotted,according to Birdwatch Ireland's head of operations, Oran O'Sullivan.It is 50 years since so many hoopoes have been spotted here.
Usually, fewer than 10 are recorded in early spring or late autumn when migrating birds stray off course.
WATCH: Hoopoe.
Mr O'Sullivan said the exotic birds, about the size of a starling or
thrush, were a Mediterranean species, typically nesting in trees and
olive groves.
"They have very big wings and when they take off you see a flash of
black and white. When they land they throw up this crest, like an Indian
chief's head dress. They are exotic all the way."
He said the birds wintered in Africa and could fly as far as northern
France. "Even a few breed in the very far south of England. They come up
in good weather and in spring they can overshoot France and hit
Wexford." - The Irish Times.
Research finds that bees actually want to eat the pesticides that hurt them
A pair of new studies published Wednesday in Nature are
disturbing when taken separately, but so much more chilling when laid
out next to each other: The first provides new evidence that
neonicotinoid insecticides can have a negative effect on bees, adding
weight to the theory that these chemicals could contribute to colony collapse disorder and endanger our food supply. In
the second study, another group of researchers found that bees don't
avoid these harmful pesticides. They may actually seek them out and get
addicted to them.
While the jury is far from out, some researchers point to
neonicotinoids, which have been banned in Britain for two years but are
still widely used in the United States, as a potential culprit. These nicotine-related insecticides are
favored for their relative safety to humans, because they target
specific nerve receptors in invertebrates. But while they're safe for
humans in the short term, some studies have argued that they're killing off bees on a scale so large that our food security is threatened.
In the first of the two latest studies,
researchers tried to determine whether or not the negative effects seen
in bees exposed to neonicotinoids in the lab can be replicated in the
real world. Led by Maj Rundlöf of Lund University, researchers used 16
fields planted with Canola -- eight with neonicotinoids and eight
without -- across Sweden. They studied colonies of honeybees and
bumblebees as well as several individuals from solitary bee species, and
they also monitored wild bees living in the area.
Honeybees didn't seem badly effected. But bumblebees had slower
colony growth rates in the treated fields, and there were fewer wild
bees, too. Additionally, none of the solitary females in the treated
fields were able to breed as expected, while six of the eight untreated
fields saw normal birthing habits.
What's especially troubling about this, the researchers pointed out, is
that honeybees -- who seemed relatively immune to any negative effects
-- are the species usually used to test chemicals.
While the study isn't universally damning for the pesticide,it indicates that researchers may not be able to predict how "bees" will react to neonicotinoids using just one species.
But maybe bees know to avoid neonicotinoids? Not so, according to Nature's second new study. According to researchers at Newcastle University and Trinity College Dublin, bees
are actually attracted to the poison. When presented with a choice
between sugar and sugar mixed with the pesticide -- which is bitter, a
taste scientists had hoped bees would avoid -- bees didn't show any
indication that they could taste a difference. They didn't avoid the
pesticide-laced food, and their taste neurons didn't show any difference
between the two options.
And bumblebees, who seem to have more to lose, were even more likely to
eat the pesticides than honeybees. They might even be addicted to the
stuff.
"Bees can't taste neonicotinoids in their food and therefore do not
avoid these pesticides. This is putting them at risk of poisoning when
they eat contaminated nectar," lead author Geraldine Wright said in a
statement. "Even worse, we now have evidence that bees prefer to
eat pesticide-contaminated food. Neonicotinoids target the same
mechanisms in the bee brain that are affected by nicotine in the human
brain. The fact that bees show a preference for food containing
neonicotinoids is concerning as it suggests that like nicotine,
neonicotinoids may act like a drug to make foods containing these
substances more rewarding. If foraging bees prefer to collect nectar
containing neonicotinoids, this could have a knock-on negative impact on
whole colonies and on bee populations."
And it could be a more common snack for bees than we'd previously thought.
In a statement for the Science Media Centre, Linda Field, Head of
Biological Chemistry and Crop Protection at Rothamsted Research (who
wasn't involved in the study) pointed out that more evidence would be
needed to show that neonicotinoids were doing to bees what nicotine does
to humans. And she argued that neonicotinoids might still be the lesser
of two evils.
"We also have to consider the reason why we use these compounds: can we
afford not to control pest insects? Is it acceptable that yields would
be reduced as a result? Are the alternative insecticides any safer to
bees? These are questions that a two-year moratorium on neonics is
unable to answer," Field said.
But as Britain's two-year moratorium comes up for review this year, the
country may be running out of time to come to a definitive answer. And
in the United States, the conversation hasn't even truly begun. - Washington Post.
Deer attacks labourer in Hassan, India
A 55-year-old labourer in a coffee plantation was seriously injured when
a deer attacked her in Hadya village of Alur taluk on Sunday morning.
Channamma who was working in the estate wasinjured in the face, stomach, shoulders and chest.
Fellow workers shifted her to the government hospital in Hassan.
The coffee estate belongs to Koloso of Kenchammannana Hoskote in the taluk, said officials.
Forest department officials visited the spot and the hospital and assured that they would pay compensation to the victim.
- The New Indian Express.
Boy in fair condition following attack by family dog in Lancaster, Ohio
Pit bull terrier
A 7-year-old boy was flown to Nationwide Children's Hospital after he
was viciously bitten in the face by a dog Sunday night, according to
Lancaster police.
"He's a strong little boy and he's going to be fine," said Ashley Robinson, the boy's mother, on Monday.
Police reported that the boy, identified as Cole Robinson,looked down at the dog and it bit him on his face around
7:15 p.m. Sunday. Police responded to an apartment in the 400 block of
O'Gara Avenue where the attack occurred, and a helicopter landed in
Miller Park to fly the boy to Columbus for treatment.
Robinson said her son has had two surgeries and is doing well. Hospital officials said Cole is in fair condition.
Robinson said Cole could be released in the next couple of days and he
is in better condition than people have rumored. One of the rumors,
Robinson said, is that Cole lost his eye from the attack, but that isn't
true. She said the surgeries were meant to fix the cuts he sustained on
his face.
As for the dog, the Fairfield County Humane Society responded to
the apartment to collect it. On Monday, humane society officials
declined to comment on the case, saying the investigation is ongoing and
they have yet to speak to the victim's mother. By looking at the
pictures, police said it appears to be an American pitbull terrier mix.
Robinson told the Eagle-Gazettethat the dog belongs to a family member and does not have a history of aggression.
"(The dog) was a puppy and he grew up with my little boy," she explained, adding that to her knowledge, her son did nothing to provoke the dog and she isn't sure why the dog attacked him.
Deer attacks and injures five people in Odisha, India
A wild deer has allegedly attacked and injured five people in Polasara block of Ganjam district in Odisha.
One of these injured Ramchandra Nahak of Kokabandha village had to be admitted in Polasara Community Health Centre (CHC). Four others of the area have also been injured by this wild deer.
Ramchandra was attacked when he had come out of his home early morning
to attend to nature's call. Inhabitants of Sana-Ichhapur have also
complained to the forest department about this stray wild deer which is
attacking humans.
According to forest officials, this deer may be injured and attacking
humans that come close to it. Forest officials have started tracking the
deer to capture it and release it in jungle away from human habitats. - The Hindu.
6 year old boy attacked by panther near Manawar, India
6 year old Arjun undergoing treatment at Manawar Community Health centre.
A six year old boy was attacked by a panther when he was sleeping
outside his house in Sadadiya Kua village of Manawar tehsil in Dhar
district on Thursday night. He was rushed to the community health centre
in Manawar where he was given medical treatment and his condition is
now out of danger.
Manawar SDO (Police) Dhiraj Babbar told that Arjun, a six year old boy, a resident of Sadadiya Kua villagewas sleeping outside his housewhen
the panther picked him up. When Arjun cried loudly, other members of
the family shouted on the animal and ran after him, on which it left the
child and fled into the jungle. Arjun received injuries in his neck and
cheeks as the panther had gripped its jaws on his neck while attacked
his face with its paws.
Dhar Divisional Forest Officer Gaurav Chowdhry reached Sadadiya Kua
village on Friday afternoon to take a stock of the situation and
discussed the issue with the local villagers. Later, on why the man-
animal conflicts have increased drastically in the last few years, he
said that the habitat of the wild animals has been widely destroyed due
to encroachment into forest land and large scale allotment of lease
certificates under Forest Rights Act. Due to these two aspects, along
with their habitat, fauna is also lost, due to which small animals are
not available for the carnivores and they enter into the human
settlements in search of cattle for food.
Sometimes, they try to take the human babies also.
- The Times of India.
Northern Minnesota sees a rise in wolves killing dogs
Gray wolf.
Six dogs have been killed by wolves in northern Minnesota in the
last five weeks, outpacing last year's total for the entire state.
Minnesota Public Radio News reports most incidents have happened near Duluth. Four other dogs have been seriously hurt.
Controls on gray wolves in Minnesota have been limited since a federal
judge put the animal back on the endangered species list in December.
Now, Minnesota residents can only kill wolves in defense of human life.
Minnesota also can't hold managed wolf hunts, but if an attack on pets
or wildlife is confirmed, federal officials can trap and kill wolves
within a half mile of where it happened.
There are about 2,400 wolves in Minnesota, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
Residents in a rural area between Duluth and Two Harbors say they're seeing more wolves than usual.
Laurie Anderson, who lives in that area, saw her 12-pound poodle, Curly Moe, get taken away by a wolf earlier this month.
"The wolf grabbed Curly by the neck, and headed down toward what we call
the West Branch of the Knife River," Anderson said. "And I've never
seen my little dog again."
John Hart, supervisor of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife
Services Program in Grand Rapids, said wolves aren't finding as much
food in areas where they normally search. He said they're going to where
deer are, which happens to be where people live.
Department of Natural Resources officials say residents near wolves
shouldn't panic, but should take precautions. Dan Stark, the agency's
specialist for large carnivores, said people should feed pets inside and
fence yards.
"Wolves live in a lot of different places in northern Minnesota, and
don't cause problems, and people rarely have interactions with them,"
Stark said. "It is just something to be aware of, and in some cases
cautious about it."
- LaCrosse Tribune.
March 30, 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.
Cow in northeast Texas, United States defies 1 in 11.2 million odds and gives birth to 4 calves
This photo provided by Jimmy Barling shows his
wife, Dora Rumsey-Barling among four newborn calves on March 16, 2015,
near DelKalb, Texas
A
cow in Northeast Texas has apparently defied great odds and given birth
to four calves that have been named Eeny, Meeny, Miny and Moo.
Jimmy Barling said Monday that DNA tests will be done on tissue samples
from the three bull calves and the one heifer calf to satisfy those who
may question the births from one mother.
"We knew she was
pregnant, but we didn't know she was going to do this," the 76-year-old
Barling said. "This was a shock. This blew our minds."
WATCH: Holy cow! Rare quadruplet calves born in Texas.
Barling's wife, Dora Rumsey-Barling, owns the couple's 20 or so cattle
outside of DeKalb, near the Arkansas and Oklahoma borders.
Rumsey-Barling's granddaughter named the four black calves Eeny, Meeny,
Miny and Moo, Barling said.
Local veterinarian Mike Baird
called the March 16 births "extremely rare." He said the odds of four
live births from one cow are 1 in 11.2 million. Baird knows the couple
well and is nearly certain the four came from one mother, rather than a
nearby cow perhaps birthing one or two and then moving along so that it
appeared the four came from the Barling's cow.
"In the interest
of science and the animal world, it's one of those things that need to
be verified beyond a shadow of a doubt," he said.
The couple watched the birth of the fourth calf after going to check on her when they saw buzzards circling above a field.
Because the mother cow is unable to nurse all four calves, the couple
are relying on neighbors to help. Moo has stayed with her mother, while
Eeny, Meeny and Miny are with two different caretakers. Meeny is the
smallest of the calves, weighing in at about 25 pounds.
A typical healthy birth weight for a calf is 75 pounds. Standing has also been difficult for some of the quadruplets. - Yahoo.
A
61-year-old woman was killed and eight others were injured on Monday
when a wild rhinoceros attacked people at a busy market in central
Nepal. The woman is a resident of Hetauda town, Hetauda's Superintendent
of Police Prakashjung Karki said.
She was critically injured in the attack, died in course of treatment at Hetauda Hospital, Karki was quoted as saying by the Himalyan Times. A cow was also injured in the attack in Hetauda market.
The animal entered the human settlement from Chitwan National Park early on Monday.
WATCH: Rhino Chases Motorcycle Down The Street.
The rhino is hiding in a bush near the Rapti River and the personnel
from Armed Police Force and Nepal Police are trying to take it under
control, Karki said.
It's uncommon of rhinos to kill people in Nepal even
as deforestation often forces them to enter nearby villages. The number
of one-horned rhinos that dominated the plains of Nepal in the past has
gone down owing to poaching and human encroachment of their habitat. - DNA India.
Lynx attacks goat, mad brawl inside living room ensues in Dinorwic, Canada
John
Cox of Dinorwic was cleaning up in the basement, getting ready for a
day of ice fishing, when he got a call from his daughter.
He's in the house, already, so he picks up the call, and he talks with his daughter.
"Dad, where are you?," she asks. "There's a cat attached to our goat!"
He goes upstairs to see what's the matter.
"Sure enough. There's Stella. That's our biggest goat. The mother of the three.
She's got this wildcat attached to her neck. Absolutely. The claws are
dug into her shoulders. The back claws are dug into her haunches. The
mouth was wrapped around her neck, and she was hemorrhaging," Cox remembers.
The goat was screaming, as it tried to use its horns to dislodge the
lynx. Cox went back downstairs to get his rifle. It was a British .303
Second World War model, and it came with a bayonet and an extra
magazine. Then he went back upstairs, so he could get a shot at the
lynx.
"I open the door, and Stella sees me at the door," he recalled. "Just as I open to take the shot, she bursts the door open, and now both animals are inside the living room."
Stella's still trying to still take the wildcat off her back, and she's
knocking over furniture. Both animals are still bleeding, as they
wrestle inside the house.
"At this point, I'm not sure what to do, except put the rifle back on safe," he recalled.
Cox decides to pistol-whip the lynx. After three strikes, the cat
finally lets go of the goat, and a full-out brawl between the two animal
ensues.
Stella the goat shows her wounds, after a battle with a Lynx in Dinorwic earlier this month.
Scene of the fight.
Dead lynx.
My daughter's watching the whole thing, but she can't
get back into the room. The cat goes into the far side of the house,
past the girl.
"It took two leaps. One on top of the sofa, and the other one was directly towards the window," he recalls.
As the wildcat lay stunned on the floor, Cox is considering his
options. However, shooting the rifle in the house isn't a good idea. So,
he tells his daughter to get back to her room, and he takes a swing at
the lynx, knocking it unconscious.
"I'm now kind of bent over catching my breath. Right then, Stella pushes past me, and takes the cat with her horns and throws the cat into the TV stand," he remembered.
"Now, I have an ensuing bar brawl in my other living room. She's
bleeding. The cat's bleeding and smashing glass. So, I had to grab
Stella and pull Stella off of her. While I'm pulling Stella off, she
continues to hoof the cat. She just wouldn't stop," he continued.
It's still a wild animal. So, Cox takes out the bayonet and prods the wildcat towards the front door.
"As it made its way into the door frame, I stepped into the living room
and placed a shot. So ended the confusion, the chaos and the ensuing
bar brawl in my house," he said.
Cox said he didn't have a
choice. The lynx had a taste of blood, and it would be back to attack
more of his livestock. Since he's already lost animals to cats
previously, he didn't want a repeat.
"I do see them from time to time around the yard," he said."But I'd never seen anything like it, let alone inside my house."
- Kenora Online.
Coyote attacks dog in Ansonia, Connecticut, United States
Coyote.
A dog was attacked by a coyote in Ansonia Saturday morning and part of the attack was caught on camera.
Its not uncommon to see wild life if you live in the wooded hills of Ansonia, what is unusual seeing the animals attack beloved pets.
"They
have been around here for quite a few years actually but this is the
first time that I've heard of one coming down on this street" said resident, James Karpiuk.
Karpiuk lives on Park Place and Sunday he told us the talk of the
neighborhood is an incident that happened outside the home next door.
That is where a dog named Lexus lives with his owners and on Saturday
the pooch was attacked by a coyote.
WATCH: Dog attacked by coyote in Ansonia.
Lexus was lucky as his injuries were minimal, having received only a few scratches according to one of his owners.
"The dog is okay," said Kapiuk. "He had a shot."
The news of an aggressive coyote still isn't sitting well with those
who frequent the community, some even tell us they'll be looking twice
before heading out side.
The good news say experts there are
things every pet owner can do when taking them outside. Experts advise
keeping your animals on a leash, going out with them, and when its dark
turning lights on and making noise before going out. It is also
important to keep your animals up to date on their rabies vaccines and
any other shots to keep their animals safe.
If anyone see's any coyotes in the area they are asked to contact their local animal control or police. - WTNH.
Deer attacks man near his home on Guam
Toto resident recounts attack by deer.
"If you see a deer, it's not Bambi. Don't go near it."
Those were the words of advice yesterday from a bandaged-up Toto
resident who was attacked by a binadu early yesterday morning.
Mike Cepeda, 51, sported fresh bandages and a smile as he visited the
Guam Police Department Hagåtña precinct following the incident. Officers
needed his information for a report, he said.
Cepeda said he went outside of his Toto home after his aunt called him about a deer in the yard.
WATCH: Deer attacks man near his home on Guam.
"I was just watching the deer calmly come towards me, and before I knew it, it took the stance to attack," he said.
The deer, about 3 to 4 feet in height, with 2-foot antlers, charged at him, he said. "He jabbed at me (in the chest), threw me down, and dragged me about 20 feet," he said.
His wife and aunt came to help, trying to pull the deer off with a rope that was tied to the animal, he said.
The deer overpowered them, and kept tossing and slamming Cepeda on the ground, he said.
"I am over 200 pounds and he was able to lift me," he said. The struggle went on for about 15 to 20 minutes, he said.
"At first, I thought, 'Why isn't anyone filming this?' But then reality hit, and I thought, 'I'm going to die,'" Cepeda said.
Finally, a female cousin rushed to get a kitchen knife and stabbed the
buck in the back, he said. The animal let go of Cepeda and ran off, he
said.
But the deer tried to attack other relatives living nearby.Police were called, and an officer shot the animal to death, Cepeda said.
Cepeda was treated at a clinic for a broken left pinkie, scraped knees,
and a head contusion, he said. The antlers left a shallow puncture on
his chest, and his back and arms were bruised and bloody, he said.
"It's Friday the 13th, attacked by a deer, story of my life," Cepeda
said. "It's a freak day. Go figure: Get up, see Bambi, and get attacked
by Bambi." - Pacific Daily News.
Over 4000 hens have died due to avian flu in Agra, India
Villagers allege that bird farm owners have not buried the dead chickens properly, leaving scope for infection.
The
death of thousands of poultry birds in some districts have put the
administration on high alert in Uttar Pradesh, a state still reeling
under the deadly H1N1 virus.
An advisory was issued to the
district heads last week to take necessary measures to prevent any
instance of bird flu. However, no case has been reported so far.
The
deaths were reported earlier this month from the Saari Ka Purwa village
of Shukulbazar block in Amethi district. "No human cases have been
reported so far and the district administration, led by the chief
veterinary officer, has conducted tests . We are taking all necessary
precautions," Amethi's chief medical officer Ashok Kumar told MAIL
TODAY.
Fresh poultry bird deaths were also reported from Agra,
where over 4,000 hens have reportedly died in the past few days. Tests
are yet to confirm any instance of bird flu at the farms in Basauri
village of Agra, where the dead birds are still to be properly disposed
of.
"The growers are not burying the birds properly, which
enables stray dogs to dig them out and leave the rotten bodies around.
We demand the administration to take affective steps," Siddharth Kumar, a
student living in the village, said.
"We have come to know about
the outbreak and a team of experts will be sent to the village on
Monday," Agra's deputy veterinary officer Dr Vikas Sathe said. - India Today.
Pacific seabirds dying in record numbers - 100,000 auklets
Massive Cassins Auklet and Murre die off from Vancouver to California
Seabirds in the northwest of US and Canada are dying in their thousands, but no-one knows why.
Scientists are trying to halt one of the worst recorded catastrophies in marine bird history.
Volunteers scour the shores of Washington state for dead birds-something they do every month. November was a bad month.
"We had almost 130 of them out on our beach within about a mile
stretch, plus 10 other species. It was a long day," said Kathy Freitas,
volunteer bird surveyor.
So far, volunteers have found around
eight-thousand carcasses of the blue-footed seabird called the Cassin's
Auklet along the coast from British Columbia down into northern
California.
Scientists estimate as many as 100,000 auklets - most of them young - have died. The question is why.
WATCH:Pacific seabirds dying in record numbers.
 
Researchers believe that the Cassin's Auklets flew closer to the shore
than they normally do during their annual migration south.When they could not find the amount of food they're used to, they ended
up dying of starvation and washed up along shores of beaches like this.
"They're probably not finding food there, or enough food. And that's
probably causing some of the population to come closer to shore. And
they're not finding food there because they're dying and washing
ashore," seabird ecologist Julia Parrish said. Tests
confirmed the auklets likely died of starvation. Scientists say they
didn't find any traces of other potential killers like oil, viruses or
bacteria.They now suspect warm water is to blame.
The birds feed on tiny shrimp-like creatures called krill, which grow
in cold water. U.S. scientists say an expanse of "exceptionally warm
water" has spread across the Pacific-from the Gulf of Alaska to Japan.
The
auklet deaths are the latest in a series of marine life "mortality
events" in the world's oceans. Fish, birds and sea urchins have been
dying off in record numbers.
In January, U.S.
scientists published a study blaming disease for just over a quarter of
the mass die-offs. Human actions, like pollution, caused 19%-and
climate-related events factored into another 25%.
"There is a
seasonal cycle in the ocean. It's warmer at the end of summer, colder at
the end of winter. And last winter, it didn't cool off as much as
usual," said Nick Bond, Research Meteorologist.
Some U.S. scientists predict the auklet die-off could spread to other marine life after this year. - CNTV.
January 21, 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.
Hundreds of dead mackerel found in Bras d'Or Lake, Canada
The discovery of hundreds of dead mackerel in the Bras d'Or Lake has area residents wondering what caused the fish to die.
Annette Coffin, a resident of Ben Eoin, first discovered dead fish in the water in front of her home a week ago.
"Last Monday morning, there were dead fish everywhere, on the shore and
in the water," she said. "They were sort of under the ice - there was a
light coating of ice, and there were tons of them on the beach, and
when I came out and had a look they were everywhere."
Coffin
said there were at least 200 dead mackerel visible from her waterfront
home, which is located across from Ski Ben Eoin. On Monday, a week after
Coffin made the initial discovery, there were still dozens of dead
mackerel in the water near the shore, with seagulls and other birds
circling the area as they have been for days.
Having just
become a year-round resident of the area in the last few years, Coffin
checked with some of her neighbours who also spotted lots of dead
mackerel in the waters in front of their homes.
Coffin, who has
since heard reports that the dead mackerel stretch at least as far as
Big Pond, said everyone was surprised by the discovery.
"It was new to me but it was also new to some of the longtime neighbours,"she
said. "We have some people who think that with the change in the
weather - the mild November - that they didn't make it to the ocean and
that they were without oxygen and just basically froze to death when the
cold weather hit. That's one theory."
Coffin said she contacted various fisheries officials to report the situation.
"I'm pretty sure they died of natural causes but we would like to be sure because this is a protected waterway," she said.
Coffin said it's her understanding an official came to the site last
week and took a couple of the dead fish and water samples for testing.
An official with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans
directed the Cape Breton Post to Environment Canada. No one from
Environment Canada responded to calls for comment Monday.
According to the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
website, Atlantic mackerel are found in open ocean during the winter
months where water temperatures are at or above 7 C, with the optimum
temperature range for adults being from 9 C to 12 C. In the spring, as
the water warms, schools of mackerel begin their migration to inshore
waters, like the Bras d'Or Lake. - Cape Breton Post.
Weird fish with 'rodent-like teeth' found dead on Woolacombe beach, UK
A peculiar creature with 'rodent-like teeth' has washed up on a North Devon beach.
Delphine Sutherland found the dead fish while walking at Woolacombe and
posted a photo of it on Facebook to try to find out what it was.
Ilfracombe Aquarium director Lawrence Raybone said it looked like a trigger fish,typically found around the coasts of Spain and France.
He said: "It's more commonly found by sea anglers during the summer
months while this shoaling animal is heading north on its migration
route.
"It has a powerful set of jaws with rodent-like teeth which it uses to great effect breaking the shells of crab and urchins."
The trigger fish owes its name to its long frontal spine to the dorsal
fin locking in an upright position a bit like the safety-catch of a
trigger.
This mechanism is used to wedge itself into rock crevices for safety and to express aggression or interest in a mate. - North Devon Journal.
Yet
animal experts say an increasing number of coyotes are setting up shop
in one of most dense urban labyrinths: downtown Chicago.
The seemingly incongruous marriage between coyotes and a people-packed
habitat has occurred naturally, according to Stan Gehrt, an Ohio State
University professor who specializes in coyote research in Cook County,
which includes Chicago.
Gehrt said he and his team know of no deliberate efforts to release coyotes into the downtown area.
"They're all homegrown coyotes, all born and bred in Chicago," Gehrt said.
Gehrt, who runs the Urban Coyote Research program,said the coyote population swelled tenfold during the 1990s.Coyotes are very territorial and only will tolerate so many living in a certain area.
So some animals simply were pushed out of the suburbs and had no option
but to live in the city, without the benefits of the wooded areas and
semihidden corridors they favor.
Gehrt estimates that around 2,000 coyotes call downtown Chicago home, but it's likely more than that.He says they are thriving in what was considered a less-than-ideal living situation.
"Once they got there, they experienced higher reproduction, more food,
and so now they have no reason to leave," he said. "People think animals
living in that habitat are less fit or sick, and the opposite is
actually true."
Part of the reason for their success in the city is innate: Coyotes are very adaptable animals. Recent research funded by a National Geographic committee allowed Gehrt and his team to outfit six coyotes with cameras and observe their behavior.
The footage revealed coyotes astutely waiting on passing cars so they
could safely cross streets, using sidewalks and other walkways, and even
raising a litter of coyote pups in the top of a parking deck.
Not that residents typically would see the creatures, similar in size to
dogs. Coyotes are nocturnal and likely would be seen only when moving
around to catch food, according to the Humane Society of the United
States.
But by being out of the suburbs and rural areas, coyotes are safe from two major threats: trapping and hunting.
"As long as they don't get hit by a car, they actually can live for a pretty long time," Gehrt said.
So far, Gehrt says, the risk of coyotes living close to so many humans
is minimal. But he and his researchers want to monitor their behavior in
coming years to see whether these ultraversatile animals ever get a
little too comfortable being around people.
They also are examining whether aggressive or shy coyotes are better at surviving downtown - the idea of natural selection.
In the meantime, experts say there is one easy way to keep coyotes at bay.
"Don't feed them, especially if you don't want them to be living in
your area," Gehrt said. "If you have people feeding coyotes, that could
accelerate any behavioral changes." - Chicago Tribune.
18-month-old boy killed by family dogs in Brooksville, Florida
An 18-month-old boy was killed by the family's two dogs Monday morning, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies responded to the 16000 block of Cherokee Road in Brooksville
at 10:58 a.m. regarding a dog bite to a small child. Hernando County
Fire Rescue also responded to the scene.
"It is a terrible,
terrible event," said Sheriff Al Nienhuis. "Obviously even those of us
who work with death and dying and serious injuries every day, the
firefighters on scene I talked to earlier, they were heartbroken and the
deputies, as well."
Deputies said Declan Moss was playing on the porch with his grandfather watching him.
For some reason, the dogs attacked him and he died from those injuries.
The dogs are described as medium-sized, mixed breeds.
Neighbors said they always appeared to be friendly.
"The child's been out in the yard playing with the dogs before and when
the grandfather told me what happened, I was shocked. The dogs normally
got along with kids," said Charles Shorey, who lives next door.
Deputies said the child's grandfather, Gregory Moss, tried to pull the dogs off him but it was too late.
The family told authorities they've never had any problems with the dogs before and they have no idea what sparked the attack.
"I talked to the mother earlier and she was obviously devastated she
wasn't here when it occurred but she was defending the dogs and said
it's not necessarily the breed of dog," said Sheriff Nienhuis.
Shorey called the situation "heartbreaking."
"He was a beautiful kid. I feel so sorry for the mother," he said.
The sheriff's office said the dogs have been taken to the animal shelter. They aren't sure yet what will happen to them.
The investigation continues but so far no charges have been filed. - Bay News 9.
Vancouver Island man encounters cougar in Ucluelet living room
Ted Benson stares down wild animal that entered his home in pursuit of his pet cat
Ted Benson was getting ready for bed Tuesday night when his cat walked in,followed closely by a cougar.
"It
was weird, there was no sound, no nothing, it was eerily quiet and just
all of a sudden I see my cat squirt in and, next thing you know, all I
hear is claws trotting across concrete," Benson said.
"My cat wasn't sprinting at super-human top-speed and neither was the
cougar; it was like slow motion: 'Oh, there's my cat,' and then, 'Oh,
there's a big cat trying to eat it."
The 37-year-old had opened
the front door of his Norah Street home to air it out after having the
wood stove burning all evening.
He went into his bedroom around
10:45 p.m. to plug in his cellphone and was walking back into the
living room to close the door when he saw his house cat come in from
outside.
"Then,
all of a sudden, I heard claws on the cement floor and saw a big head
lunging to eat my cat," he said. "I thought it was a dog originally; a
cougar would be the last thing I'd expect."
Benson lunged at the animal to scare it away before discovering he was not dealing with a dog at all.
"As soon as I realized it was a cougar I just charged it and got as big
as I could and tried to make loud bear sounds to scare it away," he
said.
He said the situation unfolded too fast to think and his survival instincts took over.
"It was just instantaneous. I don't know what happened, I just
automatically tried to charge it and acted big because it's in my
domain, it's in my house, I've got to get this thing out of here," he
said.
"If I had of thought about it I probably would have been
attacked because I would have been scared ... it was already in predator
mode going after my cat so if I had backed up it probably would have
pounced." After his initial scare tactics failed to scare the cougar
off, Benson upped his intimidation level.
"I got louder and
tried to act more aggressive. ... I was just basically lunging at it; it
was one or two feet away at most," he said.
"You can't act
scared, you've got to definitely fight for your life. If you show you're
bigger than them and shout and try to intimidate them, they don't want
to get hurt. ... They want the easiest way to get a meal and not have to
risk their lives." Remembering a tip he had heard from loggers, Benson
kept constant eye contact with the animal.
"I remembered
loggers saying that they used to have eyes painted on the back of their
logger helmets ... a cougar won't attack if you're staring at it; I've
heard many a logger say that."
The cougar eventually sauntered off and, as it walked away, Benson got a good look at its impressive stature.
"He kind of smoothly turned around, not in a hurry, and just trotted out," Benson said.
"As it was walking away I'm like, 'Holy, that's a big cat.' You could
almost feel the physical muscle vibrations from the thing twitching with
each step it's taking as it's leaving the house."
Once the cat
was outside, Benson rushed to slam his door shut and saw Lesley Poirier
of Ucluelet Taxi honking her taxi's horn in his driveway.
"Lesley stopping in the cab and honking probably helped a lot because
that added a lot more noise and commotion where the cat was probably
like 'OK, I've got to get out of here, this could be dangerous,'" Benson
said.
He watched the departing cougar walk toward a second
cougar that was sitting in his driveway. He believes the two cougars had
been hunting together when they spotted his house cat.
The
experience was so foreign to Benson that he had a hard time accepting it
had actually happened until he heard Poirier's account of watching the
cougar walk into his house. - The Vancouver Sun.
Deep sea prehistoric frilled shark caught by fishermen in Victoria, Australia
The two-metre long fish - known as a frilled shark - was captured near Lakes Entrance in Victoria
A terrifying prehistoric shark which has 300 razor sharp teeth has been caught by a group of fishermen in Australia.
The bizarre-looking creature was captured by the bemused fishermen near Lakes Entrance in Victoria.
The dark brown two-metre long fish is a frilled shark, which is also known as the 'living fossil'.
Its
origin dates back 80 million years and is only one of two species still
alive. It is also believed to be the first time a human has seen the
fish alive.
Simon Boag, from the South East
Trawl Fishing Association (SETFA) said the group of fishermen had not
idea what they had caught.
Speaking to ABC News, he said: "It has 300 teeth over 25 rows, so once you're in that mouth, you're not coming out.
"Good for dentists, but it is a freaky thing. I don't think you would
want to show it to little children before they went to bed."
The shark captured in 700 metres deep of water, which is unusual because they normally are found at 1,500 metres.
It is now believed the shark has been sold. - Daily Mirror.
Herd of deer take over a road after escaping from wildlife park in Japan
Herd of animals take over a road in Japan
Drivers in Japan had their daily commute interrupted - when a herd of deer took over the road. The
group of animals, who had escaped from the nearby wildlife park,
decided to bed down for the night in the middle of a busy street.
Taking over one lane of the road, as well as the pavement and some
patches of grass in the area, the deer seem unconcerned as the traffic
advances towards them, and firmly stand (or lie on) their ground.
But for road users in this area, it isn't a particularly odd
phenomenon, because the animals take over this section of the highway
every year.
WATCH: Video shows herd of deer take over a road after escaping from wildlife park.
According to the YouTube user, who uploaded the six
and a half minute clip, the deer make the annual trip out of the Nara
Wildlife Park because it is cooler to rest by the roadside.
The
rogue animals can often be seen stalling traffic in late July, when
temperatures in the city of Nara have been known to reach 35 degrees
celsius. - Daily Mirror.
Hundreds of dead fish appear in a canal in San Justo, Argentina
Hundreds of fish found dead in the San Carlos Canal.
Courtesy www. fortinenses.com.ar
Deep
surprise caused the emergence of hundreds of dead fish in the Canal
channel overflowed San Antonio, which captures the waters of a wide
basin department San Justo, province of Santa Fe. The cause of death is unclear but estimates could be affiliated with the presence of toxic substances in the watercourse. On
the origin of that element is speculated that could be related to the
application of some chemical into productive fields surrounding the
mighty drain, it would have been "washed" of the rain.
Another hypothesis is the heating of the water body by the effect of
the intense sunshine of recent days, which would have altered the living
conditions of the medium affects the metabolism of fish caused his
death.
The San Antonio Canal
is overwhelmed by the large volume of water received in the last days of
abundant rains in the region, particularly on the southern fringe of
the department San Justo.
For
the natural slope of the land, the water recedes into the wide canyon
that occupies much of the interprovincial boundary between Córdoba and
Santa Fe.
The channel has two
parallel arms whose capacity was overcome by the volume of water that
entered, invading the fields on the sides of your track.
As reported portal noticiaswww.fortinenses.com.ar during the last
weekend residents of El Fortin who frequent the area near the major
regional drainage area warned the appearance of dead fish in cuentones
running to the side of Route Province 13.
Moreover, the Municipal Water Varillenses detected in an area near the
park Alvarez Luque an outcrop of groundwater that revealed subsurface
saturation after rainfall of over 200 mm that fell last week.
As a palliative to this situation it is planned to place a breast pump
to depress the web and minimize the effects that could lead to the
healthiness, especially affect the operation of septic tanks in urban
areas.
For a couple of decades
in the Rods are used this mechanism to control the level of the web,
gigantic problem now by the unusual amount of rainfall in recent times. School isolated
The "José Hernández" Cologne Malbertina School again suffers the
effects of flooding since the mass of water from the central and western
department of San Justo flows into the rural area of the town of
Devoto, where is located the educational establishment. Last year was due alter this cause the routine of classes for nearly two months. - La Manana. [Translated]
Massive fish kill along a Canal in Fort Myers, Florida, United States
A massive fish kill along the Ten Mile canal in Fort Myers.
Fishermen are reporting they've seen hundreds of dead fish floating belly up along the water way.
The highest concentration of dead fish appear to be between Landing View Road by Page Field Airport and all the way to the north of Hanson Street.
The water may be a dark murky green, but clearly something is wrong along the Ten Mile Linear Canal.
Hunter Biggs like to go fishing along the canal just about every day.
"The smell is just really terrible and I'm really sorry about these fish," says Biggs.
He and his friends considered this canal one of the best kept secrets for fishermen.
Michael Rodgers is a fisherman who is a fan of the area, too.
'So if you go up there with the right bait your going to hook up in no time. We got snook, tarpon all kinds of good fish up in these canals that get stuck there," says Rodgers.
But today, the fish are no longer thriving. They are dying.
WATCH: Mysterious fish kill in Fort Myers.
Bikers and joggers point out the trail along the canal is less than desirable right now.
"I'm jogging up and down the linear park and all i can see is dead fish in the water and the vultures are everywhere. It's pretty disgusting," Boeckman says.
With giant fish piling up along the shore line, people who treasure this canal are concerned.
Rodgers says, "I'd like to find out what caused this, whether it is nature or industrial. This is just not right. We need someone to take a look at it."
Local fishermen sent an alert to Florida Fish and Wildlife and are even taking a sample of the water to give to wildlife officials.
Fort Myers public works office could not comment because the office was closed for the holiday. - FOX4.
Great white shark attacks Florida fisherman's boat 3 times
A
shark attack was a near-miss for a fisherman in his boat while in the
waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In a video that's buzzing on Facebook, a
great white shark is seen circling a fisherman's boat and striking it
three times.
My Panhandle reports that the incident happened
Monday morning when Captain Scott Fitzgerald of Madfish Charters in
Panama City, Florida was about eight miles out in the gulf when he felt a
large bump on his boat.
The FWC has confirmed that the close
call shark attack was caused by a great white. It bit down on the boat's
trolling motor and Fitzgerald jumped up to pull the motor out of the
shark's jaws. The drama wasn't over after that. The fisherman noticed
the shark circling his boat and took a video of it with his cell phone.
After the shark struck the boat three times, Fitzgerald decided it was
time to vacate the area.
WATCH: Great White Shark Encounter
"He had the entire trolling motor in his mouth, and was moving it side to side, and it was shaking the boat," Fitzgerald says.
According to the report, the FWC is investigating what prompted the shark to attack the boat in the manner it did.
In Australia, a great white shark attacked a boat that contained two
fisherman in it. The incident occurred about an hour from Blacksmiths
Beach, Yahoo News reports.
The shark circled and swam
underneath the fisherman's small boat before its fin hit the bottom of
it. One of the fishermen said if the boat had been any smaller, it would
have taken in more water after the apparent shark attack on the boat. -
Inquisitr.
Mysterious Goo Blamed in San Francisco Bay Area Bird Deaths
The death of 100 birds in the San Francisco Bay Area has baffled wildlife officials who say the creatures' feathers were coated with a mysterious substance that looks and feels like rubber cement.
The birds began turning up on a beach Friday. Necropsies and lab tests will be done Tuesday, but results may not be known until later this week, California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Andrew Hughan said.
"We've never seen anything quite like it," Hughan said. "So it's a mystery for the moment."
Volunteers were slogging through mud and bog in the foggy, cold weather looking for dead surf scoters, buffleheads and horned grebes. The birds each weigh about 4 pounds and are roughly the size of a duck.
Dead birds have turned up on shorelines, beaches and trails in the suburbs of San Leandro, Alameda and Hayward.
"Volunteers are combing every inch of shoreline with their eyes and binoculars, running down the beach with a 20-foot pole with a net attached to it trying to save a bird," Hughan said.
International Bird Rescue Interim Executive Director Barbara Callahan said she has never seen anything like the sticky gray goo in 20 years in the business.
"The goo appears to be light gray in color and to me looks like rubber cement that's been played with all day and is sort of dirty," she said. "It has very little smell."
Officials were investigating whether the substance could be polyisobutylene, which is sticky, odorless, largely colorless, and killed thousands of seabirds in the United Kingdom in 2013.
"While on its face, this substance seems very similar to reports from the U.K. two years ago, we won't know definitively until lab tests are completed," Callahan said.
Officials believe the culprit substance was dumped into the San Francisco Bay and is not a public health or safety risk to humans. Callahan said it's likely a man-made product, meaning a pipeline might have burst or someone intentionally dumped the substance.
The International Bird Rescue center in Fairfield has received 280 birds and 242 are alive and receiving medical care and stabilization, cleaning and reconditioning. Baking soda and vinegar is used to loosen the sticky substance before washing it off with dish soap,The cost of the bird rescue is running between $7,000 and $8,000 each day with the use of full-time staff members and about 40 volunteers. - ABC News.
January 6, 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.
Spate of deep sea beaked whale deaths puzzle experts in Scotland
Experts say they are baffled by a spate of mystery deaths around the west coast of Scotlandby the world's deepest diving mammal.
Scientists at the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust says it has received
many reports over the past two weeks from members the public of
stranded cetaceans. Five were of Cuvier's beaked whales, a species that
is rarely seen due to its offshore distribution.
"Despite being rarely seen however, they are native to Scotland,preferring offshore deep-water canyons and seamounts where they hunt for squid," said the trust.
"To
our southwest in Ireland, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group have
recorded similarly high numbers of Cuvier's beaked whales. In December,
five were found dead along the west and north coastwhich accounts for almost 10 per cent of all the records of this species since records began.
"This
brings to 10 the number dead Cuvier's beaked whales found in Scotland
and Ireland since December. Many more will go undetected as the
carcasses may sink or end up in very remote locations.
"There are no obvious clues as to what is causing such a sudden
increase in strandings of this species. While the very intense storms of
mid-December may be partly to blame, this does not explain why we are
finding just one deep-diving species in such high numbers.
"A
similar peak in strandings during 2008 comprised a mix of species -
including Sowerby's beaked whales and pilot whales - but the underlying
cause of this unusual mortality event (of 57 whales) was never
determined."
The HWDT appealed to people to report any dead cetaceans to it.
"Strandings provide a rare an unique insight into the lives of these
poorly understood animals, and may help us to establish more effective
conservation measures towards their protection," it said.
Among the places where Cuvier's beaked whales have recently beached are at Borve Point on Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides.
The Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme has only 37 records of
strandings of the species in Scotland in the past 25 years.
The
whale can grow up to 23 feet and is widely distributed in tropical to
cool temperate waters. Northern Scotland represents their northern-most
limit.
The species is the current world-record holder for the
longest and deepest dive for a mammal - down to 2992 metres for a
staggering two hours and 17 minutes. The pressure at this depth is 300
kg per square centimetre.
Squid form the main part of the Cuvier's beaked whale diet, although they also consume fish and crustaceans.
They can dive for over 30 minutes to reach deep-dwelling prey. Other
than the pair of teeth in adult males, beaked whales are toothless and
are thought to use suction to catch their prey.
There are no
global population estimates for the Cuvier's beaked whale although they
are generally thought to be one of the most abundant of the beaked whale
species.
The main threats include the accumulation of toxic
pollutants in whale tissue and organs, entanglement in fishing nets and
marine litter, and noise disturbance.
They may also swallow
plastic bags mistaken for prey, which can accumulate in the stomach of
the animal causing starvation and eventual death. - The Scotsman.
Coyote attacks two residents in Groveland, Massachusetts, United States
A coyote attacked at least two people outside their homes in a northern Massachusetts town on Monday night, sending one man to hospital with bite wounds, according to local police.
The Groveland police department issued a warning on Tuesday to
residents of the town located about 35 miles north of Boston, saying the
animal is on the loose and likely to have rabies.
"We are
asking all residents to be watchful and when outside use extra care for
your safety and the safety of your children and pets," said deputy chief
Jeffrey Gillen.
Coyote attacks on humans are generally rare, butincidents have increased in some parts of the country in recent yearsalongside suburban encroachment on wild areas.
Police said the coyote bit one man as he was entering his home with his
4-year-old daughter, leading him to seek emergency treatment at a local
hospital.
The coyote later attacked another homeowner in his
front yard. That resident "had to kick the animal several times before
it left the area," the police said in a press release. - Reuters.
Deer attacks and injures animal keeper at zoo in India
In a surprise attack,the
first of its kind at the Nehru Zoological Park, a deer injured an
animal keeper who went to administer medicine to it here on Sunday.
According to zoo officials, the animal keeper, Akbar went to the deer
enclosure and after releasing them into the display area, sought to
administer medicine that were prescribed to a male deer.
In
what the officials describe as mock attempt at aggression, the deer hit
the keeper and pressed him to the compound wall with its antlers.
"There were no major external injuries but as he was pressed with
antlers, Akbar had some discomfort and a bit of internal dislocations.
We rushed him to Yashoda hospital at Malakpet and got him treated.
The zoo is taking care of his treatment costs," the zoo curator, B.N.N.Murthy said.
Usually, deer are reticent in nature and not known to attack, officials said adding that the mock attempt could have been a defensive response when the animal keeper went with medicine. - The Hindu.
Elephant tramples tea garden guard to death in Dooars, India
A night guard of a Dooars tea garden was killed by a wild tusker while he was patrolling the estate last night.
According to a forest department source, Parbat Dorjee, 50, was working in Hope Tea Estate in Nagrakata.
"While Dorjee was walking in the plantation, a tusker came out of the adjoining forests of Sipchu and trampled him to death.The jumbo then went back to the forest. This morning, local people found the body and informed us," said a forest officer. In another incident, a tusker came out of the Diana forest last night and damaged two huts in Kalikhola village.
The wild elephant later entered Luksan, a locality nearby, and damaged another house.
The animal's next destination was Grassmore Tea Estate where it damaged 12 huts.
"We fled with our families as the tusker was roaming around damaging
one hut after another. Some of us burst crackers and beat empty
containers, which made the animal move towards the forest," a worker of
Grassmore garden said.
Tapas Das, the conservator of forests
(wildlife, north Bengal), said the department would give compensation to
the deceased night guard's family as well as those whose huts had been
damaged.
In another development, officers of Kathambari forest
beat in the Dooars today trapped an adult female leopard in a small tea
plantation at Kranti near Lataguri.
"The animal had been
roaming around in the plantation for some days. We were informed by
local people and accordingly, a trap was set up. The leopard has been
taken to Gorumara National Park and will be released into the wild after
a medical examination," said Das. - Telegraph.
Man found dead near New Mexico reservation may have been attacked by dog pack
A
Native American man found dead in a New Mexico field last week near the
Navajo Nation reservation may have been mauled by a pack of as many as
10 dogs, police said on Monday.
Gallup Police Department
spokesman Rick White said the man, who did not have identification on
him but appeared to be in his mid-40s, was found by a passer-by.
"We do not have a definitive cause of death yet but it appears he was
attacked by dogs," White said, although he could not give a precise
cause of death. "There definitely were defense wounds from dog bites."
White said the man may have fought off the dogs then succumbed to the
single digit temperatures in Gallup on Thursday night before his body
was found on Friday. The body was taken to Albuquerque for an autopsy.
Police said animal control officials had received complaints about a
pack of 10 dogs prior to the fatal incident and were trying to catch
them with traps. The
death is not the first such fatal mauling in the Gallup area and comes
after an elderly man walking in a westside community was mauled by a
pack of dogs four years ago.
Similarly in November, a woman on
the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming died from hypothermia and blood
loss tied to severe injuries inflicted by "multiple dogs,"Fremont County Chief Deputy Coroner Mark Stratmoen said in a statement at the time. - Yahoo.
Hundreds (possibly thousands) of dead snapper fish found, 'a mystery' in Doubtless Bay, New Zealand
One of hundreds, possibly thousands, of snapper seen floating on the
surface in Doubtless Bay on December 21. Photo / Mark Osborne
Taipa
man Mark Osborne wasn't as quick as some to point the finger at
commercial fishermen after he found hundreds of dead snapper floating
over a wide area at the entrance to Doubtless Bay.
He wasn't able to think of any other plausible explanation, however, when he found the fish on December 21.
The water had looked a little odd, he said, possibly as the result of an algal bloom or some such phenomenon.
However, that would not explain why only snapper had succumbed.
Mr Osborne's experience came exactly seven days after scores of dead snapper were found on Tokerau Beach.
Fish were also reported, by other sources, at Maitai Bay and Karikari Beach late last week.
Some of the fish found at Tokerau were described by locals as fresh, as were some seen by Mr Osborne a week later, making it unlikely that they all came from the same source.
Others at both locations had clearly been dead for some time.
Mr Osborne said the fish he saw were exclusively snapper, ranging from legal size to around 3.6kg. He saw no evidence that they had been hooked or suffered net damage.
"There was nothing to suggest they had been thrown overboard from a boat, but given that there were no other species I can't think of any other explanation. It's a bit of a mystery," he said.
"We saw hundreds of them, but I imagine that all up there would have been thousands," he added.
Whatever the cause, a reliably productive fishing spot had that day yielded just one snapper, smaller than the legal minimum.
Meanwhile, further angry contributions have been made to Facebook following the discovery earlier this month of a pile of snapper frames on 90 Mile Beach and dozens of empty paua shells at Tauroa, none of the latter reportedly being of legal size.There is no defence for taking excess or undersized paua, but anyone who had fish frames they didn't want might go to www.freefishheads.co.nz to be put in touch with someone who would appreciate them, one incensed local said. - NZ Herald.
Wild elephant kills man in Odisha, India
Following
the killing of a man by a wild elephant, irate villagers of Rasasingha
under Sadar police station blocked the national highway No. 55
paralysing traffic for more than two hours today.
A female
elephant, according to forest department sources, killed Birabar
Parida(50) after she turned furious over the death of her three-year-old
baby last night near the village. The baby elephant was killed by
another tusker.
The shocked mother elephant stayed with the
body of the baby elephant and refused to go away even in the morning.
When the villagers tried to chase her away, she strayed into the village
and found Birabar in her way and killed him instantly.
Enraged
over the incident, more than 200 people, who staged the blockade
between Cuttack-Sambalpur, demanded adequate protection against the
attack from a herd of elephants.
"We
are at the receiving end as a herd of wild elephants has created havoc
in our village for some time. They killed a villager last week and now
took one more life.There is no safeguard to our village
people on behalf of forest department who are callous to our woes. We
live in constant fear and threat from wild animals. We demand full proof
security against the menace," said a villager.
The blockade
continued from 11 am to 1 pm till the senior forest department
authorities reached the spot and assured to take all steps to safeguard
the village from recurrent attacks from the elephants roaming in that
area for some time, according to Inspector-in-Charge of Sadar police
station P. K. Jena.
Divisional forest officer of Dhenkanal P.K.
Sahu who rushed to the spot where the baby elephant died said all steps
are being taken to provide security to the people and drive away the
elephants from the area.
The calf apparently died in the attack
by a tusker in the herd last night after which the mother elephant
became hostile, Sahu added. - Odisha Channel.
Thousands of fish have died in Sher Shah lake in India
Thousands of fish have died in historical Sher Shah Suri Lake in Lal Bangla area of the city since Sunday evening.
Local corporator Aditya Shukla said that residents of the area saw dead
fish floating in Sher Shah Suri lake. "Again on Monday morning, we
found thousands of fish lying motionless in the river," he added.
A team from the zonal office of Kanpur Municipal Corporation visited the spot and spread chlorine in the lake.
The residents expressed apprehension about the fish being given poison
which proved fatal. "There may be chances of fish being poisoned as
even big fish too have died. The count being high and it is not possible
for pollutant or contamination in water to cause such a high number of
deaths," they added.
The municipal authorities had assured for
cleanliness of the lake but action was missing. After much persuasion,
sanitary workers sprinkled chlorine in the lake.
The locals
helplessly watched the fish dying. According to residents, over a
quintal of dead fish were taken out from the lake on Monday evening and
buried in four big pits near the water body.
The locals were seen using submersible pumps to rotate water in the lake. - Times of India.
