ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Disaster Precursors - Dog Kills Woman In Kamloops, Canada?!

February 2, 2016 - CANADA - The BC Coroners Service says a Tk'emlups Indian Band elder who died after she was mauled by a dog Saturday night was trying to feed her grandson's dog at the time.
RCMP and paramedics rushed to a property on West Shuswap Road Saturday night after being called by a frantic relative.

78-year-old Kathleen Green was pronounced dead at the scene.

"We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family who have suffered a recent loss. She was a well respected elder in the community," says Chief Fred Seymour, Tk'emlups Indian Band. The dog was chained to a building at the time, but Corporal Cheryl Bush of Kamloops RCMP says those responding had to kill it in order to get to the woman.

"The dog was residing at the residence, not exactly clear on the ownership of the dog, and it was a mixed breed dog, and a fairly large dog," Bush told CFJC Today.

Regional Coroner Larry Marzinzik says the dog weighed about 27 kilograms or 60 pounds.

Marzinzik says investigators are still trying to nail down the chain of events.

"Our main focus right now will be on the cause of death itself, just seeing if the scene and the examination of the decedent will be able to help us determine the cause of death related to it, and then also just confirm the fact that it would have been from injuries received during the attack," said Marzinzik.


WATCH: Deadly dog attack in Kamloops.

The Tk'emlups Indian Band is in shock, counselling has been made available to help guide the community through this tragedy.

"The family would like to thank everyone for the well wishes and supports through this hard time. The family is deeply saddened and shocked by the tragedy that took place, and they ask that the community and media please respect their privacy at this time of mourning of their mother, grandmother, sister and aunt," says Chief Seymour.  - CFJC Today.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Disaster Precursors - 9-Year-Old Boy Mauled To Death By 3 Pitbull Terriers In Yuba County, California; And Boy In Stable Condition After Shark Attack On Great Barrier Reef, Australia?!

Griffin-Heady said that her half-brother loved her dogs. 'He laid in the bed with them, he played with them, he wanted one of their puppies,' she stated

January 6, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of animal attacks on humans.

9-year-old boy mauled to death by 3 pitbull terriers in Yuba County, California

A nine-year-old boy in northern California was mauled to death while he was home alone by his half-sister's three pit bulls.

Alexandria Griffin-Heady, 24, left her half-brother, Tyler Griffin-Huston, 9, alone inside her Yuba County trailer to go to work Sunday.

A few hours later she returned home from her security guard shift and found the boy had been viciously attacked by the dogs. She called 911 and he was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The three dogs, a mother and two offspring that Griffin-Heady had raised since they were puppies, have been seized and placed in an animal shelter, the Sacramento Bee reported.


WATCH: 9-year-old boy killed by guardian's dogs in Yuba County.

Authorities say at least two of the dogs had the boy's blood all over them, Fox 40 Sacramento reported. The dogs, who have no history with Animal Care Services, will likely be euthanized.

Her neighbors said that she had just recently moved into the small trailer in Linda from Florida to better her life and eventually get her little brother out of the foster system.

Since his mother died of a drug overdose in 2011, the little boy had bounced around different foster homes and was also homeless at some points in time, CBS Sacramento reported.

At the time of his death, he was visiting his sister who was recently approved for overnight weekend visits with him by Child Protective Services.

'The only wish for Christmas was that he wanted to have a mom and I so badly wanted to be that person for him,' Griffin-Heady told Fox 40 Sacramento.

'I failed him, whether it's my fault, my dog's fault, whoever's fault, I wanted to protect him and give him an amazing life.'

When asked if she felt her dogs were dangerous, she said that 'never a day their life' did she feel that way.

'He loved them, he laid in the bed with them, he played with them, he wanted one of their puppies.'

Undersheriff Jerry Read told CBS Sacramento that Griffin-Heady may face child endangerment charges.

'I don't know. This one seems to have affected me most,' he told the television station. 'The child being home alone and just had to have been terrified of what took place.'

Her lawyer, Roberto Marquez, told the Sacramento Bee that criminal charges would be 'inappropriate for what was essentially an unpredictable tragedy.'

He added that she had no idea that her dogs would pose a threat.

'If she had any hint at all that these dogs had any propensity for violence, she would never have left her brother with them,' he told the newspaper.

'She raised them and cannot fathom what could have happened that caused them to attack a little boy.'

'I don't even think it rises to the level of negligence. She had no knowledge that anything like this could occur.'

The boy's aunt, Laura Badeker, believed that Griffin-Heady's living circumstances and the dogs put the boy at risk.

Badeker said she told Child Protective Services that she felt her nephew was 'unsafe with his sister.'

'She was trying to rescue him from the system,' Badeker told the Sacramento Bee.

'But I told everyone on the team that was supposed to be protecting Tyler that Ali was not prepared to take care of him on any level.'

Child Protective Services also issued a statement about Griffin-Huston's tragic death.

'We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of this child. Sacramento County Child Protective Services was notified by Yuba County law enforcement yesterday, January 3. CPS is continuing to work with Yuba County law enforcement during this investigation,' it reads.

Badeker shared that his father is mentally disabled and was unable to care for him. He was the youngest of five siblings his mother left behind after her death, the Sacramento Bee reported.

His aunt feels that someone needs to be held accountable for his death.

'They were warned, over and over again,' she told the newspaper. 'Why didn't someone evaluate what was happening? Somebody needs to be held accountable for this.'

Before moving to California, Griffin-Heady was living in a motel room in Florida with her dogs, Badeker told the Sacramento Bee.

Her dogs, which she calls ' the wolf pack', are featured in several videos on YouTube that she recorded of her interactions with them. - Daily Mail.

Boy in stable condition after shark attack on Great Barrier Reef, Australia

An 11-year-old boy was in a stable condition in hospital on Wednesday after he was mauled by a shark on the Great Barrier Reef off the Australian east coast, officials said.

The boy was attacked by a black tipped reef shark on Tuesday afternoon as he waded off a beach at the Heron Island tourist resort northeast of the coastal town of Gladstone, Queensland Ambulance Service paramedic Brad Lawson said.

Officials have not released the victim's name or commented on media reports that he is an Italian tourist on vacation with his family.

He sustained a significant injury to his right calf, ambulance service spokesman Krathyn White said.

The boy's father helped him from the water and took him to the resort's nurse who treated his wounds, Lawson said.

"The child is in quite good spirits. Quite happy, quite jovial," Lawson said.

The nurse and father accompanied the boy in a flight to Gladstone Hospital, Lawson said.

The boy's condition was stable, a hospital spokeswoman said. She declined to give her name, citing health department policy.

The boy was expected to be flown 440 kilometers (270 miles) to the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Queensland state capital Brisbane later Wednesday, she said.

The attack came three days after a spear fisherman was injured by a shark off an island northwest of Heron Island. - Yahoo.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Disaster Precursors - Man Survives Gruesome Shark Attack Off The Coast Of Queensland, Australia; Oregon Attack Owl Returns With A New Target; Man Dies After Being Attacked At Home In Preston, England By His Own Dog; Runaway Pigs Block Chinese Highway For Hours?!

Serious but stable: The man bravely fought off the predator. © ABC

January 3, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of animal attacks on humans.

Man survives gruesome shark attack off the coast of Queensland, Australia

A man survived a gruesome shark attack by punching the beast several times.

The 31-year-old suffered severe wounds to his arms and legs in the attack while swimming in the sea off the coast of northeast Australia today.

The spear fisherman survived by punching the deadly predator off Miall Island near Rosslyn Bay, 670km north of Brisbane in Queensland, local coast guard commander Arthur Hunt said.

He said: "He was snorkeling a bit off the beach and said he saw a lot of fish and then the shark came out of nowhere.

Shark attack: The victim is in a serious but stable condition.

"It's the first shark attack we've had up here in a while - I've been with the coastguard for seven years and this is my first."

The coastguard rescued the man from the water and took him back to the beach, where they were met by an ambulance. The man was rushed to hospital and is in a serious but stable condition after surgery, reports Irish Mirror.

Ambulance officer Brad Miers said: "It seems like he has tried to fight the shark off for a considerable amount of time."

Coastguard deputy flotilla commander Paul Florian said the man was helped back into his boat by friends.

He explained: "The coast gard boat happened to be nearby because it was out doing a training run.

"We transferred the person to the coast guard boat and then transported him back to the pontoon
at Rosslyn Bay Harbour, where they were met by paramedics."

There were 22 shark attacks recorded in Australia last year, according to Taronga Zoo in Sydney. - Daily Mail.

Owlcapone strikes again! Oregon attack owl returns with a new target – gov’t workers

© Wikipedia

A barred owl that gained notoriety earlier this year for attacking joggers in a Salem, Oregon park is on the prowl again, but this time it’s targeting government workers outside the state capitol. Three people have been clawed by the predator – so far.


“It’s silent. You’re just walking along, minding your own business, and an owl comes silently at you from behind,” Tibby Larson, Salem’s city parks department spokeswoman, told Reuters.

The most recent series of attacks began in late November.

“If you’re in that neighborhood, we’re advising you to wear a hat or carry an umbrella,” Larson added.

One of the victims, Dwight French, who works for the state Water Resources Department, told Oregon’s Statesman Journal that he was jogging from his office to a parking garage when he felt a bump on his head. He turned around and saw an owl fly into the trees and stare at him. As he crossed the street, the owl hit him again and then a third time.

“At that moment it was just really bizarre and kind of scary for a minute,” he told the Statesman Journal.

French sustained several little cuts and said it looks like he “got a really violent haircut.”

David Craig, a biology professor and animal behavior specialist at Willamette University, said this is the time of year when owls and eagles are courting and establishing their territory, which makes them aggressive. They lay eggs as early as February.

Dive-bombing owl attacks return to Oregon city http://247newsonline.com/?p=11503 
Twitter: 247newsonline

This isn’t the first time that owls and people have collided in Oregon, however. Owl attacks made news headlines last January and February when a barred owl attacked four joggers using a hill in Bush’s Pasture Park in Salem, a mile and half away from the current sky bombings. Alarmed and concerned, park keepers began posting flyers about the owl attacks, which caught the attention of comedy writers for MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow show, which aired a segment on wacky politics in Oregon. Maddow suggested the city should post vivid yellow warning signs using the iconic pedestrian stick figure bent forward on a run. Hovering above was an owl in fast pursuit with claws extended like a bird of prey.Salem officials liked the idea so much they secured the rights to it and created 20 signs, which they installed around the park.The owl’s escapades prompted the Statesman Journal to launch a naming competition for its readers, who dubbed the bird of prey Owlcapone. The predator subsequently became immortalized through T-shirts and several beers named in its honor.

Professor Craig said there is no way of knowing if the owl that attacked French is the notorious Owlcapone establishing a new home or another barred owl.

Police in Salem are monitoring reports of owl attacks, but “we haven’t arrested any owls,” spokesman Lieutenant Dave Okada told Reuters. - RT.

Man dies after being attacked at home in Preston, England by his own dog while having an epileptic fit

Police at the scene in Dundonald Street in Preston, Lancashire. © Lauren Brown/PA Wire

The family of a man who died after he was attacked by his dog whilst suffering an epileptic fit have paid tribute to a "happy lad who was always smiling".

Liam Hewitson, 22, of Preston in England, was mauled by his dog Trigger after suffering a fit when he was at home alone, police said.

He sustained significant injuries to his face and neck and died at the scene.

In a tribute his family said: "Liam was a happy lad who was always smiling and had lots of friends. He had a beautiful personality and he will be missed by his dad Phil, girlfriend Jess and sisters Melissa and Aleisha and brother Cordell."

Police have confirmed there will not be a criminal investigation and they are treating the incident as "a tragic accident".

The dog, which was a male pit bull cross and not a banned breed, is thought to have been around five or six years old and had belonged to Liam since its birth.

Following the incident it was put down by vets.

One neighbour in Dundonald Street, Maureen Glaubitz, 78, said she believed the dog was an American pit bull but it had not shown a "vicious side".

However a warning sign on the terraced property's gate read "beware of the dog".

Mrs Glaubitz said: "He was a lovely lad. He would say to me, 'if you need anything Maureen, don't be afraid to ask'.

"It was a lovely dog, was Trigger, the dog was all right. I think it was an American pit bull, because I said to him I'm always a little bit wary of these kind of dogs. He said, 'he is all right, he has gone through the tests'. It must be the tests with the police they go through to be able to keep them.

"I could stroke him, I sent him some stuff over for him for Christmas, I used to take him bones across."

She added that Mr Hewitson suffered from epilepsy.

She said: "It's very sad. From what somebody told me, Liam had an epileptic fit. One of his mates said he has had a fit and in my own thinking ... it's upset the dog and the dog in its own way probably thinking to help him."

On Facebook the victim's girlfriend Jessica Hill, 23, said: "Rip my baby boy love you forever & always babe."

She told the Daily Mail she had "no words".

"I'm too devastated to speak. I just love and miss him so much," she said.

Mrs Glaubitz added that Trigger had been a "popular" dog who had been allowed on the street during the summer.

"As far as I know it was his dog, he was lovely. I never saw any vicious side to the dog. They have put him to sleep which I suppose is understandable."

Friends of Mr Hewitson continued to lay flowers outside the property.

One read: "1 of the greatest guy ever exist!!! RIP Liam my friend." - Irish Independent.

Runaway pigs block Chinese highway for hours

Dozens of pigs were seen running loose after truck carrying animals overturned on the Ankang-Baomao Expressway in Shaanxi Province on December 30, forcing shutdown of the highway for several hours.


WATCH: Runaway pigs block Chinese highway for hours.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Disaster Precursors - Stray Dogs Kill Another Child In Bareilly, India; The Seventh So Far In The Past Year!

December 29, 2015 - INDIA - In unending attacks by stray dogs in Baheri tehsil of Bareilly district, a 10-year-old was mauled to death, the seventh kid to have died in the past year, with more than 30 children being attacked in the same period.

The boy, identified as Amit Kumar, a student of class II, became the seventh victim of dog attacks. Amit, along with his friend, had on Sunday evening gone to the outskirts of their native Siyatheri village to pluck wild berries when they were surrounded by a pack of dogs. While his friend managed to escape from the scene, dogs attacked Amit and mauled his head, neck and stomach.

When the villagers reached the spot, the child had sustained severe injuries. He was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

According to the district administration and forest department stray dogs have become feral in the region after scavenging on animal residue like flesh, blood and bones, which are mostly discarded from slaughterhouses.

Sub-divisional magistrate of Baheri, Paras Nath Maurya, said, "We conducted a meeting with the forest department and Nagar Palika on Monday. Forest department has been asked to identify the areas where pack of ferocious dogs are present and ways to deal with them. Nagar Palika has been directed to create awareness among locals that they should not dump animal residue in the open and should instead bury it."

As per the villagers in Baheri, incidents of dog attacks have become frequent since January this year after a lull of few months. Once the attacks stopped, the district administration and forest department called off their teams which were deployed to catch ferocious dogs. While the officials had claimed that during this period, they had caught nearly 50 dogs and released them in forest of Uttarakhand, the villagers alleged that the exercise was done only in papers.

"Had they actually caught the dogs, attacks would have stopped by now," alleged Naim Prakash, a resident of Navayal village, where a 12-year-old boy was earlier killed.

Earlier, desperate district officials in the region had come up with a bizarre way to tackle the menace. They had proposed to paint dogs that people need not fear, blue. This, they added, would help differentiate 'normal' dogs from the killer ones. The plan was dropped after criticism from animal rights activists. District authorities had also asked villagers to tie a collar or rope around the neck of dogs that people need not fear.

A senior scientist at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, who wished not to be named, said that stray dogs have started attacking children because of behavioural disorder. "There is a need to provide counselling and medicines to stay dogs. Drug dosage will help to temporarily erase their memory in order to change their temperament. Besides, dogs feel hungrier during winter season," added the scientist. - Times of India.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Disaster Precursors - Tourist Bitten By A Shark Off Gran Canaria; Baby Found Dead In Fraser Town, India, Police Suspect Dog Pack Attack; And Barred Owl Attacks Louisiana Police Officer, Causes Car Crash!

Horror: Victim Cristina Ojeda-Thies tweeted a photograph of the shark's tooth-marks up her arm, after the animal attacked her while she swam off the coast of Gran Canaria

December 28, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest reports of animal attacks on humans.

Tourist bitten by a shark off Gran Canaria

A tourist has been bitten by a shark while swimming off the popular winter holiday destination of Gran Canaria.

Victim Cristina Ojeda-Thies tweeted a photograph of the tooth-marks scarring her arm after she was treated in a hospital on Friday.

But authorities are trying to play down the attack for fear that it would impact on tourism.

'Today I've had a face to face meeting with a shark,' tweeted Ms Ojeda-Thies. 'Things that happen when you swim in the Canaries in December.'

Fernando Frias, President of the Canary Islands Shark Alliance which promotes shark conservation, called the incident a 'one-off'.

He added: 'I doubt something like this will happen again in the next 50 years so people shouldn't be afraid.'

Spaniard Cristina, 38, from Madrid, was on holiday with her family when she was bitten at Arinaga Beach in Aguimes on Gran Canaria's east coast which is a popular area with divers.

She went for a swim in the sea after Christmas Day dinner with her relatives.

Recalling the horror attack which happened just 60 feet from the shoreline, she told a local paper: 'I noticed something pulling at my left arm but I didn't pay any attention because it felt like a dog biting you when it's playing.

'I returned to the shoreline swimming crawl and I felt another pull again, more intense this time.

'Half a second later I felt something grabbing hold of me, I turned round and I saw it pulling at me. It was a fish. I hit it with my right hand and I saw the shark's fins as it swam off.

'Everything happened very quickly, in seconds. Although it wasn't a painful attack, I didn't realise how serious it was until I got out of the water.

'As I turned round I saw it was a big greyish-brown fish and when I hit it I noticed it had hard, rough skin.

'There are times when I've fallen off my bike or I've burnt myself cooking and it's hurt me more.

'But it's true it was something that frightened me. Thankfully I was able to react.

'I was still in the sea when I put my head under water to see if it was following me and look where I could escape to nearer the shoreline and I didn't see it again.'

Experts said they thought the shark that bit her was probably a silky shark, which is found worldwide in tropical and warm seas.

They can grow to nearly 10ft but their average length is around 7.5ft.

They are considered potentially dangerous and can become aggressive if approached directly.

They normally swallow their prey, generally bony fishes, whole.

Pascual Calabuig, director of the council-run Wild Fauna Recovery Centre in Gran Canaria, described the attack as 'very rare.' - Daily Mail.

Baby found dead in Fraser Town, India; police suspect dog pack attack

The mutilated body of a girl baby, aged around 18 months, was found behind the St Francis Xavier Cathedral on Promenade Road in Fraser Town on Friday night.

Based on eyewitness accounts, the jurisdictional Bharathinagar police suspect that the toddler was mauled to death by stray dogs. Local residents who noticed the mutilated body informed the police at around 7.30 pm on Friday. The police immediately shifted the body to the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital. A few people told the police that they saw a few dogs biting the baby. "They chased away the dogs and tried to rescue the baby. However, the baby had died by then. The identity of the baby is yet to be established," said the Bharathinagar inspector.

According to sources in Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospitals, the child was brought dead by the police and no one has claimed the body so far.

When contacted, Pulakeshinagar ward corporator Abdul Zakir said it is still not confirmed whether the baby had died due to an attack by stray dogs. Zakir said he had already discussed the incident with the BBMP officials and would again take it up on Monday. Zakir said the stray dog menace has increased in last few months and the BBMP was taking steps to check the problem through sterilisation programmes.

Incidentally, the increasing garbage menace and the suspension of Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes in certain areas have led to an increase in stray dog population. After a toddler, Kumaraswamy, was mauled by a pack of stray dogs in JP Nagar last year, Joint Director (Animal Husbandry), BBMP, Dr Shivarama Bhat had stated that the only way to reduce stray dog attacks on humans was to tackle the garbage crisis and adopt street dogs. "People should stop feeding stray dogs on roadsides and not dump garbage on streets," he had said.

NGOs in the City have completely suspended animal birth control and anti-rabies vaccination drives on stray dogs in several areas since October 2014 due to inordinate delay on the part of the BBMP in making payments. The work was resumed in some areas later. - Deccan Herald.

Barred owl attacks Louisiana police officer, causes car crash

One unsuspecting Louisiana police officer was in for a hoot on Christmas Eve.

Covington Police officer Lance Benjamin was riding alone Thursday with his windows down, patrolling the quiet streets of a Louisiana subdivision, when he felt something hard hit the side of his face.

At first Benjamin thought he was struck by a football, he told CNN affiliate WVUE.

"And then I felt some scratching on the back of my head and some pecking," he said.

An owl had flown into the driver's side window and started attacking the officer with its wings, talons and beak. During the mayhem, the officer temporarily lost control of his patrol car and drove it into a ditch, according to the Covington Police Department.

"I tried to keep control of my car, went into a ditch, avoided some trees. Finally was able to stop the car put it in park get out. And there he was, just chilling out in the car," he said.

Benjamin waited about 45 minutes for the owl to finally fly out of the car and into the darkness.


WATCH: Owl attacks police officer, causes car crash.

Chief of Police Tim Lentz, said he woke up to a text message early Christmas morning about an officer crashing a vehicle because of an owl. At first he thought it was a prank.

After reviewing Benjamin's body camera footage, it was clear the altercation was real.

Fortunately, it's going to be "owl" right for the officer. Benjamin only suffered minor scratches and was given a tetanus shot and antibiotics after the surreal encounter.

His fellow officers wanted to memorialize the event and presented Benjamin with a plush owl to accompany him during his late night rides.

After Benjamin was treated for his scratches, he finished the rest of his shift.

The raptor, which the Audubon Society identified from the video frame as a barred owl, is still at large. - CNN.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Disaster Precursors - 3-Year-Old Boy Dies Following Vicious Attack By Stray Dog Pack In Warangal, India!

December 26, 2015 - INDIA - The negligence on part of the civic body in putting a check on the dog menace has claimed the life of a three-year-old boy of Shabunipet locality in the city. The boy died on Wednesday night while he was undergoing treatment at the MGM Hospital.

The deceased, Md Afan Khadri (3), son of Yosufulla, a government employee suffered injuries on his lips, and forehead in an attack by a pack of stray dogs while he was playing outside his house on December 8. The victim's kin immediately rushed him to the MGM Hospital where he was treated for a couple of days as an in-patient.

After being discharged from the hospital, Afan was on regular medication. However, he reportedly developed some complications including severe respiratory problem prompting the parents to rush to the hospital once again on Wednesday. He died while undergoing treatment.

When asked whether there was any negligence on part of the hospital authorities, kin of the deceased said the doctors had offered a good treatment. "He died while he was put on ventilator," he added. The grief-stricken parents, however, have blamed the GWMC officials for their failure in checking the growing dog menace.

Meanwhile, the stray dogs have also killed goats in Rangampet in the city. Rapaka Upendra, a goat rearer, said his three goats had been killed by stray dogs in a period of 10 days.

Municipal health official Dr Jayaprakash was not available for his reaction on the entire episode.

B Vasudeva Reddy, a resident of Nayeeem Nagar, also alleged that health officials did not respond to calls on earlier occasions when he wanted to lodge a complaint on dog and monkey menace in the city. - The New Indian Express.

DISASTER PRECURSORS: Omen – The Latest Incidents Of Strange Animal Behavior, Mass Animal Die-Offs, Appearance Of Rare Creatures And Warnings From Mother Nature!

David and Siwi Haberlah watch as the whale is washed ashore near the Clyde River.  © Haberlah family

October 27, 2014 - 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.

Eight-metre dead whale washes onto rocks in Batemans Bay, Australia

An eight-metre dead whale has been washed onto rocks at the mouth of the Clyde River in Batemans Bay.

Canberra visitor David Haberlah saw the whale on Saturday afternoon, just minutes before waves dumped the mammal in an area known as North Head beach, near Yellow Rock.

With his four-year-old daughter, Siwa, the geologist hurried to the scene.

"I was sitting at the far end and I saw something white floating," Mr Haberlah said. "I thought 'wow, this looks like a massive balloon'. I had a closer look and saw one of the fins come up and realised it was a whale.

"I went running back and Siwa and I went straight to look. It was belly up. It was already dead."

Whale scientist Geoff Ross warned swimmers to avoid the North Head beach because bull sharks and great white sharks would be drawn to the young humpback's carcass.

On Monday, a ship leaves Sydney on a five-day scientific trip to Eden, counting whales returning to Antarctica.

The dead whale is a casualty of that southern migration after the breeding season in warmer northern waters.

Mr Haberlah said the whale was partly submerged but he did notice any injuries.

However, within minutes of striking the rocks, the carcass was gashed.

"It did not look like it had any injuries before but now it is breaking apart," he said.

"You could see within the first 10 to15 minutes that a lot of fresh wounds were opening up as the whale was being washed against the rocks.

"We were not sure how old it was but it measured about eight metres."

By Sunday, the carcass was bloated and floating more clearly above the water line.

Mr Haberlah said he thought he saw a small shark approaching "very fast" at one point.  - SMH.


Still man's best friend? Owner of pit bull in serious condition following attack in Cocoa, Florida

Dog attacks owner, owner taken to hospital with serious injuries

A man was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday evening after he was attacked by his pit bull, according to officials.

The attack occurred on Lucas Lane in Cocoa just before 6 p.m. Cocoa police say the dog got out of its pen and went to the neighbor's yard where another dog was.

When the owner brought the dog back to his yard, the dog attacked him, according to police.

Witnesses told Local 6 the owner was bitten down to the bone and was taken to Wuestoff Hospital with serious injuries.

The dog was taken by animal control. It's not clear if the dog will be euthanized, but animal control is investigating.

No other details were immediately available. - Click Orlando.

Texas neighborhood under siege by wild boars

Wild boars, also known as Feral Hogs, are tearing up a north Fort Worth neighborhood.

Several trails and open spaces in The Bluff community in Fort Worth have huge patches of grass that have been completely uprooted.

“We noticed when we were out walking that the grass and everything had been getting eaten up a lot, and now we just noticed, we took some more, and it’s just tearing up the whole property, all the, behind all of the new homes over here,” explained homeowner Donna Bellinger.

New homes in this new neighborhood area means expansion, but these homes are being built in an area where wildlife once roamed freely.

Homeowner Gregory Wurtele and his family moved here last September. He captured video of a wild boar behind his house this summer.

“I was just out here having coffee, and there’s kind of like, there’s a big pig walking by. This big black pig, and you’re like, that’s a pig,” said Wurtele. “That’s a really big pig. And I just watched it come up here.”

WATCH: Fort Worth Neighborhood Annoyed By Pig Problem.

Wild boars have razor-sharp tusks and can grow as large as 400 pounds. They eat meat and plants, and can cause a lot of damage. Property damage isn’t the only concern that homeowners have.

“I’m concerned for other neighbors or people who are just passing by, because if you don’t know about it then, you’ve never encountered one,” said Wurtele. “I grew up in a rural area so [I] do know the potential of a large animal, but in this case, you know it just doesn’t always compute until you realize that that’s what they’re talking about.”

CBS 11 talked to the Heritage Home Owners Association about what they’re doing to solve the wild boar problem.

The association said they’ve contacted the city and are working with animal control to come up with a solution to rid the neighborhood of the wild boars. - CBS DFW.


Pack of stray dogs maul 17-month-old boy outside his house in Bangalore, India

A 17-month-old boy was attacked by a pack of dogs in Anjananagar area on Monday and was seriously injured.

According to eye-witnesses, Kumaraswamy was mauled by a pack of four to six dogs when he stepped out of his house at 6 am. His parents rushed him to KIMS hospital for the treatment, where the hospital authorities reportedly refused to treat the boy.

Later, the child was admitted in KC General Hospital, Malleswaram, where he is undergoing treatment.

Paediatrician, KC General Hospital, Dr Lakshmipathy said that the child is being administered with antibiotics and that he is out of danger. "He will be kept under observation at hospital for two days. He is being given all the necessary treatment so that he does not get any infections," he said.

Meanwhile, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) blamed the victim's parents for the incident and held the garbage menace responsible for the increasing stray dog attacks.

Joint Director (Animal Husbandry), BBMP, Dr Shivarama Bhat told Deccan Herald that they are implementing Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti-Rabies Vaccination ( ARV) programmes in all the wards.

"There are three lakh stray dogs in our city and about 80 per cent of them are already vaccinated. This year, the NGOs we have tied up with has implemented ABC in 20 packages. Another 20 packages has been tendered and work is in progress," he added.  - Daiji World.

Dog attack kills 7-year-old boy in Wisconsin

A 7-year-old boy has died after being severely bitten by a dog in Dodge County in eastern Wisconsin.

The Dodge County Sheriff's Office said in a statement late Friday that the incident was reported just before 5:30 p.m. Friday in the Town of Hustisford, about 40 miles northwest of Milwaukee.

A 911 caller said the boy was bleeding profusely, Lt. Brian Loos told WISN-TV.

"At some point our dispatchers began to talk the mother through CPR. Numerous first-responding agencies responded," Loos said. But the child died at the scene despite extensive lifesaving efforts.

"The various individuals and agencies that were involved in this did a phenomenal job. They were at the scene attempting to save this child's life for quite a long period of time," Loos said.

The department's statement said names, addresses and additional information about the nature of the incident and the dog wouldn't be released for now out of respect to the family. The dog was quarantined. Loos said the dog was known to the family but wouldn't say if it was the family pet or what breed it was.

The lieutenant said the child's death was weighing heavy on his mind as well as those who tried to save him.

"Children are always the worst ones for our first responders to deal with. It's very difficult for them to deal with this," he said.

Authorities had no plans to file criminal charges, he said.  - Las Vegas Review Journal.

Police think two large coyotes may have attacked Thornhill residents, Canada

A coyote is seen in this file photo.

Residents of Thornhill are being asked to remain vigilant as police search for two wild animals that terrorized locals Monday evening.

York Regional Police said Tuesday that they believe large coyotes attacked three people, including a police officer, in the Bayview Avenue and John Street area yesterday.

Witnesses had at first described them as German Shepherds but police say the animals are likely more aggressive than house pets.

"It is believed that these animals have been living in the area for about two years," police said in a news release. "This is the first known report of them being aggressive towards humans."

Authorities were first alerted to the animals yesterday morning after someone called police to report a sighting on Evergreen Crescent.

"The animals chased several people into their homes and at one point, had to be fended off with a rake," police said.

Responding officers soon located them in a neighbour's backyard and had to use pepper spray to defend themselves after the animals lunged at police. The canines scampered into a nearby wooded area.

Police located them again Monday afternoon in the woods and a shot was fired from a gun in an attempt to capture the creatures but police were not successful in containing the animals.

"Due to the imminent threat and concern for public safety, and without having tranquilizers or other viable non-lethal options, a firearm was discharged," the news release said. "It is believed that one of the animals was shot in the upper shoulder area and both of them rapidly fled and went deeper into the wooded area.

Later in the afternoon, police received information that the animals had attacked again, this time in the area of King's College Road and Green Lane. This time, two women were attacked. They were bitten by the animals but suffered minor injuries.

Night fell without further sightings. Police were back on the hunt for the animals Tuesday morning.

Experts with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) are helping police in their search.

In the meantime, police are doing what they can to keep people safe. They've blocked access to a local park and told one family to stay off a local field.

They've also sent their Emergency Response Unit to the area to manage the situation.

Chris Alexander, a spokesperson for the City of Markham, told CP24 officials are focused on keeping the public safe.

"Stay away from park for time being," he warned. "We started process yesterday morning and worked through the night trying to find the dogs. Our first priority is public safety. These dogs are very aggressive."

Alexander said parents of young children should be extra vigilant.

"Small children and small dogs, keep them inside for today until we find out where the dogs are and can deal with the situation properly," he said.

One man who lives in the area wasn't taking any chances when he took his dog out for a walk today. He was armed with a walking stick for protection.

"I guess it could happen anywhere, I'm just being protective," Abe Gabel told CP24. "We take walks everyday and just wanted to make sure my dog is protected."

Police are warning anyone who comes across the animals to call authorities and protect themselves from danger.

"Do not approach them, do not offer them food or treats," police said. "Do not try to physically restrain, capture or control any unknown animals." - CP24.

Man out for jog killed by 2 dogs in Michigan

One of the two cane corsos in quarantine at the Lapeer County Animal Shelter that fatally attacked a Livonia man
Wednesday evening while he jogged in Metamora Township. © Lapeer County Sheriff's Office

A pair of dogs attacked and mauled to death a man as he jogged down a quiet, dirt road in rural Michigan.

Craig Sytsma, 46, of Livonia died of his injuries Wednesday night at a local hospital, police in Metamora Township said.

"He was jogging, doing what everybody else does out there, running and riding bikes," said Metamora police Officer Sean Leathers, who was one of the first on the scene. Sytsma, a divorced father of three, was unconscious and undergoing CPR when Leathers arrived.

Source: Detroit Free Press

- USA Today.

Dingoes attack two women joggers on Fraser Island, Queensland

Tourists are advised not to approach dingoes on Fraser Island.  © AAP: Jim Shrimpton

Dingoes have attacked two women while they were jogging on Fraser Island off south-east Queensland.

Paramedics were called to Yidney Rocks on the island about 7:00am on Sunday.

A woman was treated for leg injuries and taken to Hervey Bay hospital.

Doreen Cash from the Yidney Rocks Beachfront Apartments said the two women were staying at the units.

She said the two dogs "appeared out of nowhere" and started to harass the women.

"She was bitten above the knee and I believe she also had puncture marks lower down on the leg," Ms Cash said.

She said the woman's friend received "a grazing bite below the ankle bone".

"A couple of fishermen came out from the huts that are situated in proximity to where the dogs appeared from and chased the dogs away," Ms Cash said.

"Had they not, probably the injuries would have been a lot more serious."

She said she believed the dingoes may have belonged to a pack that attacked a man at nearby Happy Valley in August.

Ms Cash said the attack has "come as a bit of a surprise".

"These two particular dogs ... you'd often see them on the beach and they never interfered with anybody and this has just happened out of the blue," she said.

Ms Cash said the dingoes were known in the area but had never bothered anyone.

"We've never had a real problem with the dingoes, they've been adequately managed by Parks," she said.

"After the attack at Happy Valley there were basically two dogs left and it was those two dogs [from whom] up until this morning we haven't had one ounce of trouble with."

Ms Cash said she told other guests to be careful.

"We've just made them aware to keep an eye on their children and preferably don't walk on the beach without there being a group of you," she said.

Rangers on the island have increased patrols of the area and closed campsites between Poyungan Rocks and Eli Creek for public safety.

The Department of National Parks and Wildlife is investigating.

Key facts:

* The dingo population on Fraser Island naturally fluctuates throughout the year

* Dingo numbers peak with pup births in June-August, followed by a drop in numbers due to natural attrition

* A dingo pack is dominated by its breeding male and female, with the subordinate animals aggressively competing for their place in the pack structure.

* Dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) and domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) look similar because they are both different subspecies of wolf.

* Fraser Island dingoes travel up to 40 kilometres each day.

* Natural diet of dingoes is variable - birds, reptiles, fish, invertebrates, vegetation and especially mammals.

* It is illegal to feed or interfere with dingoes or other wildlife. Heavy penalties apply.

* Feeding dingoes can result in them losing their hunting skills and natural fear of humans.

* Feeding dingoes, whether intentional (for example, feeding stations) or inadvertent (such as through the improper disposal of rubbish) can cause problems.

Source: Queensland Government

- ABC Australia.

Wolf Lake man attacked and injured by elk at campground in Muskegon, Michigan

A 59-year-old man was injured by an elk at the Wolf Lake Resort & Campground in a bizarre Monday, Oct. 6 incident.

An Egelston Township fire official confirmed the attack happened Monday evening between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the resort located at 5451 Harding Ave. The elk is housed at an adjacent deer and elk farm owned by the same people who own the campground.

A woman who spoke with an MLive Muskegon Chronicle reporter by phone from the campground office refused to confirm the incident. She denied it ever happened.

But the fire official confirmed the fire department was sent there on a medical call and the man had been injured by the elk severely enough that he required hospital treatment.

When authorities got to the campground, the man was inside a home and the animal was back in its pen, the fire official confirmed.

The victim's condition was unknown Tuesday, Oct. 7, the fire official said. - MLIVE.

At least six people attacked and injured by a group of wild boar in India

A group of 5 Wild Boar

In the latest incident of man-wildlife conflict in villages lying in close proximity of Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary, at least six persons including two women and an infant were injured today following attack by hordes of wild boars in Jamboo village under Mahakalpada police station jurisdiction.

As the news of animal attack spread, people rose in protest and demonstrated in front of the local forest office.

The agitating people were demanding the launch of foolproof measures to curb the intrusion of animals like wild boar, crocodiles and spotted deer into places of human habitation.

Three persons including a 15-year-old girl, a 55-year-old woman were injured while three others sustained injuries following the stampede that ensued as the wild boars chased the people. All of them, who were hospitalised, are out of danger.

The injured persons are being covered under Rs 5,000 compensation award by the forest department. It is also bearing the cost of treatment of the injured persons. The animals had strayed into crop fields. While they were on their way back to forest habitat, they had attacked the people, said Mahakalpada Forest Range Officer, Bijoy Kumar Parida. With acts of trespass by wild boars being frequent, people are living sleepless nights in Jamboo, Suniti, Bagagahana, Badadandua and a cluster of other forest-side villages. They have resorted to bursting fire crackers and beating gongs to keep the rogue animals at bay, said a local Samarendra Mahali.

Conversion of the forest area into paddy cultivation and shrimp farming is a salient feature in these parts.

This has led to animals like wild boar straying into human habitation areas due to loss of their habitat, felt forest officials.

Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division Kedar Kumar Swain said "The forest department has intensified watch and vigil in village areas to drive away the wild boar. Forest personnel have begun night watch and vigil in villages which are marked by straying of animals. Villagers have been advised to avoid movement during night hours when animals mostly make their way to crop fields in village areas. Besides a steel-net-barricade is being installed shortly around village boundaries to ward off the animals' intrusion into human settlements." - The Statesman.

Pack of wild boar attack woman in suburb of Stockholm, Sweden

A young woman was left shaken after being chased by a pack of wild boar in a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden.

Stocholm county police write on their website that the woman was out walking in the evening when she met more than a dozen wild boars.

When the surprised woman turned tail and fled the boars gave chase. She luckily met a group of young people who were able to scare away the pack of pursuing porkers.

Authorities informed

The incident was reported at half past 8 pm on Saturday night, on Avstyckningsvägen in Viksjö, about a kilometre from the Jakobsberg station on Stockholm's commuter train line.

It is a quiet road with detached houses and gardens, but to the north and west are green spaces along the coast of Lake Mälaren, which runs through Stockholm.

Albin Näverberg at the county police writes that the local Järfälla municipality has been informed.

He says to newspaper Svenska Dagbladet that he is himself a hunter, and understands why people are scared of wild boars, since they can kill a hunter's dog with their tusks. But his advice is not to simply run away, "If you flee too fast this will give a signal to the whole pack to attack, and even the gentlest ones will join in."

The woman was probably chased by a group of sows protecting their young. According to the Swedish Farming Association (LRF) all wild boars apart from mature males live in groups that can be described as a matriarchy led by an older female.

Wild boar incidents have also been reported from nearby Barkarby and Jakobsberg in the Stockholm northern suburbs. - RCINET.


Major fish kill is 'a mystery' in Yerrabi Pond, Canberra, Australia

The Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate have explained they can’t explain why there was a major fish kill event in Gungahlin’s Yerrabi Pond.

Test samples analysed by experts in Sydney have ruled out a virus as the cause of a significant number of fish deaths in Yerrabi Pond over the past month, Dr Lisa Evans, Aquatic Ecologist from the Environment and Planning Directorate has confirmed today.

“Since late September the ACT Government has been undertaking a range of tests to establish why a significant number of fish were found dead in Yerrabi Pond,” Dr Evans said.

“A range of water samples were taken by the Environment Protection Authority to help determine the cause of the deaths, but all results returned with readings in the normal ranges.

“The ACT Government has also been working with experts from the University of Sydney to examine other possible causes of the deaths, as more dead fish were discovered in early October.

“Test results from the University of Sydney have ruled out a number of fish viruses, and it is believed that the cause could be linked to a short term dissolved oxygen shortage associated with nutrient runoff from a recent storm, warmer water temperatures and significant amounts of filamentous algae in the pond. Breeding stress at this time of year could also be a contributing factor in the deaths.

“This is the first time that a Murray Cod fish kill has been observed in Yerrabi Pond in the 14 years that the pond has been stocked with these fish,” Dr Evans said.

The recent fish deaths are a timely reminder to Canberra residents that fish diseases can be transferred by people dumping unwanted pet fish into our waterways and illegally moving fish between waterways.

Dissolved oxygen levels in the water have since returned to normal. Members of the public should notify Canberra Connect on 13 22 81 if they see any dead fish in or around any local waterways. - City News.