WAR ON MOTHER NATURE: Record Numbers Of Rhinos Poached In Africa In 2015 - Report!

A report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) revealed that at least 1,338 rhinos (stock image) were murdered across Africa in the past year.

March 11, 2016 - AFRICA - The number of African rhinos killed by poachers in 2015 increased for the sixth year in a row.

A report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) revealed that at least 1,338 rhinos were murdered across the continent in the past year.

This is the highest its been since 2008 when South Africa banned trade in rhino horns, leading conservation body IUCN said on Wednesday.

The slaughter has been driven by demand for their horn in countries such as China and Vietnam, where they are prized for their purported medicinal properties.

The horn is composed mainly of keratin, the same component as in human nails, but it is sold in powdered form as a supposed cure for cancer and other diseases.

Trade in rhino horns was banned in 1977 by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

The international treaty was set up in 1973 to protect wildlife against over-exploitation, and ensure that trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

However, the practice was only banned in 2008 in South Africa, which is said to be home to 20,000 rhinos or 80 per cent of the world's rhino population.

IUCN Director General Inger Andersen said despite stepped up surveillance by field rangers there had been 'alarming increases in poaching over the past year in other vitally important range states, such as Namibia and Zimbabwe' both of which adjoin South Africa.

Demand for rhino horn from South East Asia is being illegally supplied by sophisticated transnational organised crime networks, the IUCN said.

They are sold for about $60,000 a kilo on the black market, making it more expensive than cocaine.

'The extensive poaching for the illegal trade in horn continues to undermine the rhino conservation successes made in Africa over the last two decades,' said IUCN expert Mike Knight.

On the plus side, poaching in Kenya decreased over the past two years and went down for the first time in South Africa in 2015.

According to experts, there were between 19,000 and 21,000 white rhinos in Africa last year and between 5,000 and 5,500 black ones. - Daily Mail.

 

EXTREME WEATHER: More Signs Of Increasing Magnetic Polar Migration - Lightning Bolt Kills 3 In Malawi; And Two Children Killed By Lightning Bolt In Namibia!

February 29, 2016 - AFRICA - Here are more stories of deadly lightning strikes.

Lightning bolt kills 3 in Malawi

Lightning killed three men and injured one in Lilongwe on Friday afternoon in the city's low density Area 43 where the four were working, Police confirmed.

Lilongwe Police identified the three as Wedson Nkhunumbu,37, of Magombo Village, T/A Champiti, Ntcheu; Douglas Kachuma, 38, of Kaunde Village, T/A Mlumbe in Zomba; and 22-year-old, Isaac Ngolombe, from Donda Village, T/A Chimoka in Lilongwe.

The police further identified the survivor as Enusu Pinto, 23 from Kanyenda Village, T/A Maganga in Salima.

Lilongwe Police spokesperson, Kingsley Dandaula, told Mana that the men met their fate as they were working on the foundations of a brick fence on a plot belonging to one of the residents of the area.

"Rain started pouring and before the four men could find shelter lightning struck them killing Nkhunumbu, Kachuma and Ngolombe on spot while Pinto lied unconscious," explained Dandaula. - All Africa.

Two children killed by lightning bolt in Namibia

Two minors died after being struck by lightning at Kambowo village, the Kavango East Police confrmed on Thursday.

The lightning strike happened at around 18h00 on Wednesday at a homestead at Kambowo village. According to police sources the incident reportedly happened while the children were playing at home.

The deceased minors who died instantly after being struck by lightning were identified as six-year-old Tracy Shitoka Likoro and five-year-old Gloria Kantema.

The police mortuary services were called to the scene shortly after the fatal incident to collect the children's remains.

"The two bodies were transported to Rundu State Hospital mortuary," Chief Inspector Chrispin Mubebo, the acting regional crime investigations coordinator of Kavango East, confirmed.

Kambowo village is some 25 km east of Rundu along the Trans-Caprivi Highway in Rundu Rural Constituency of Kavango East Region. - New Era.

EXTREME WEATHER: Severe Heatwave Hits South Africa - 11 People Killed As Dam Levels Plunge 30 PERCENT!

January 11, 2016 - SOUTH AFRICA - South African health officials said 11 people have died of heatstroke after a week-long heatwave across the country.

Provincial spokesman Tebogo Lekgethwane said Sunday, January 10, that eight people died on January 7, as temperatures passed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the North West province.

Three more people died on January 8, and 16 others were hospitalized.

According to the South African Weather Service, the North West province reached record temperatures this week, with the highest at 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

The weather service warned that high temperatures may give way severe thunderstorms in the coming week.

In neighboring Namibia, the Namibian Press Association reported that severe storms damaged 31 houses, affecting nearly 100 people in recent weeks.

Parts of southern Africa are experiencing a drought due to the El Nino weather phenomenon. - Manila Bulletin.

MASS FISH/ANIMAL DIE-OFF: The Latest Incidents Across The Globe - Thousands Of Fish "Beach Themselves" In Sabah, Malaysia; Thousands Of Dead Fish Appear On The Shores Of San Roque Lake In Argentina; Dead Seals Litter The Coasts Of Namibia; 10 TONS Of Fish Die In A Canal In Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia; 100 Goats Die From Very "Mysterious Disease" In Rajbiraj, Nepal; Fish Die En Masse In A River In Thanh Hoa, Vietnam; 150 TONS Of Fish Suddenly Die In A Pond In Lam Chae, Thailand; 15 Dead Turtles Found Washed Ashore In Coastal Piaui, Brazil; Over 50 Head Of Cattle Killed By Mysterious Disease In Hwange, Zimbabwe; 50 Turtles Wash Up Dead On Beaches In Los Santos, Panama; And Thousands Of Dead Fish In A Pond Shock Residents In Mumbai, India!

December 25, 2013 - EARTH - The following constitutes the latest incidents of mass animal and fish die-offs across the globe:

Thousands Of Fish "Beach Themselves" In Sabah, Malaysia.

Thousands of fishes splashed into the shores of Kg Tabisan in Sabah’s eastern Lahad Datu district sparking speculations of what omen it brings in the year end.

Villagers rushed to scoop up the fishes, locally known as Tamban, while others were divided over whether it was good omen or bad omen.

However, local villager Suzila Abdullah, who operates a sundry shop in the village, said that the phenomenon had been occurring in the past three years.

"But it is different this year because the number of fishes are exceptionally high.

“In the past, most would have been scooped up by the end of the day but today there is still a lot more left,’’ she said when contacted by on Tuesday.

Suzila said that she believed that strong currents and waves caused the fishes to come to shore during the current season but it only last about two or three days.

The villagers cooked the fish while some collected it and took it up to Lahad Datu and other districts to sell.

The Tamban fish is popular among villagers. - The Star.

Thousands Of Dead Fish Appear On The Shores Of San Roque Lake In Argentina.

The situation was seen in about one kilometer of coastline, in the neighborhood Costa Azul, north of Villa Carlos Paz.

Surprisingly, on the afternoon of Wednesday, they appeared in a section of the San Roque lake thousands of dead fish.

These are mainly mackerel, a species particularly sensitive to changes in water conditions.

The situation was seen in about one kilometer of coastline, in the neighborhood Costa Azul, north of Villa Carlos Paz.

The cause is unknown, until some analysis on specimens materialize. Anyway it is possible that may be linked to the growing Lake after recent rains, because this phenomenon is rarely involve such consequences (by contrast, the entry of water from rivers favors the quality of the reservoir is low level) but also the contribution of the tributaries has been reduced and the lake just a few centimeters more experienced today than yesterday. - Lavoz. [Translated]

Dead Seals Litter The Coasts Of Namibia.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources received numerous reports from the public regarding dead Cape seals washed ashore as well as living seals that appear to be lost or hungry along the coast.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources therefore wishes to inform the public that these scenarios are natural and occur more frequent during the August to February period.

The Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) is endemic to the Southern African region (southern Angola to the west coast of South Africa). About 60 percent of the Southern African population occurs in Namibia along the coastline on twenty-six colonies, some of which are situated on islands and others on land. To date, Namibia has about 1.2 million Cape fur seals, which is the highest recorded population estimate.

The period between November and December is a breeding season for seals and during this period many pups from the previous breeding season are weaned and expected to fend for themselves. Some pups find it difficult to survive on their own in the new environment, hence they starve and die, while others get lost and end up in strange places, such as towns, instead of going back to their colonies, stated the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.

"At the breeding colonies, new-born pups usually die from being abandoned by their mothers or from injuries incurred during bull fights. Furthermore, pups that are born on islands are at a high risk of drowning during high tides. Mortalities may also result from viral or bacterial infections," the ministry said.

"Thus, it is normal to encounter dead and lost seal pups along the coastline during this time of the year. Besides natural causes of death, anthropogenic induced mortality, especially littering from fishing gear, especially nylon material, results in snares that entangle body parts (e.g. neck). As the entangled animal grows, the snare cuts through the flesh suffocating the animal leading to death (when neck entangled). Flipper entanglement disables the seal causing it to drown," Charlie Matengu the spokesman at the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources stated on Wednesday.

The ministry acknowledges and shares the concerns of the public. However, this is a natural phenomenon and very little can be done as it is extremely difficult to rear seal pups outside of their natural environment. Therefore, the ministry advises the public (as per the Marine Resources Act of 2000, section 32 (1)) not to touch or remove seals from their natural habitat.

"The ministry's officials will continue to closely monitor the population and any abnormal mortalities observed shall be communicated to the public," Matengu assured in the statement.- All Africa.

10 TONS Of Fish Die In A Canal In Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia.

More than 10 tonnes of fish have been collected from a canal in Banteay Meanchey where the dead catch has been washing up since Sunday.

Heng Seng Krey, fishery administration chief of Banteay Meanchey’s Mongkol Borei district, said more than 200 people have come to collect the dead fish from the canal.

“One villager could net 30 to 40 kilograms of the dead fish a day, and after a few days of this happening, they have collected over 10 tons,” he said.

Nob Kit, a leader of the local fishing community, expressed concern that the people and birds consuming the dead fish will be poisoned.

“We are worried, because the dead fish that have been collected from the canal could be poisonous, and could affect the health of the residents,” he said.

Fishery experts say that a lack of water supply due to an upstream dam or pollution from rice field run-off could be causing the sudden, large numbers of dead fish. - PPP.

100 Goats Die From "Mysterious Disease" In Rajbiraj, Nepal.

The death of scores of goats in the past two weeks in Rajbiraj has got farmers of Saptari worried.

The goats have suddenly started dying one after another in Sitapur, Tairahauta, Prasabanni, and Pato among other VDCs in the district.

According to Dik Bahadur Moktan, a farmer of Tairahauta-5, the goats die within two to three days after they start a fever.

“Their chins are swollen, they salivate excessively, and accumulate water in their lungs before they die,” he added. Though we have informed the livestock service centre, they have not taken any initiative so far, he said.

Moktan, who has lost three dozen goats within a fortnight, said his family depended on the income from goats. “I don’t know how to pay back the loan and feed my children now.”

Likewise, Bishwonath Mandal has lost more than half-a-dozen goats in two days. “When we reported to the Livestock Service Sub-Centre Pato, they said there was no medicine available,” he said. About 100 goats have died in the past two days in Pato VDC.

Rajlal Pandit, a technician at the centre, said the situation would not have gotten so bad if the goats had received timely treatment. He suspects the cattle might be suffering from PPR. - The Himalayan Times.

Fish Die En Masse In A River In Thanh Hoa, Vietnam.

In recent days, people fished tons of dead fish of the Buoi River upstream in Thach Lam commune, Thach Thanh
district, Thanh Hoa province. Hemibagrus is the specialty of western Thanh Hoa. They are very strong
but they were also dead in the Buoi River, making locals very worried of water pollution.

According to local people, fish began dying on the night of December 7. Local people rowed boats to collect dead fish. They sold big fish to the market and used the small fish as cattle feed.

"Hemibagrus of 2-3 kg agonized on the water surface and died. We could use bare hand to catch them, which are usually very strong. Not only hemibagrus, other fish also died en masse on the river," said a local man - Bui Van Quyet.

According to locals, this phenomenon did not happen before. "On the morning of December 8, the villagers went to the river and saw dead fish floating on the river. We called each other to use boats to collect fish. Some people picked up hundreds of kilos of fish a day," Quyet added.

Locals said that before the fish died, the water on the Buoi River suddenly changed into dark color, with an unpleasant odor.

Mr. Le Huy Duong, Chair of Thach Lam commune, said: "It is very strange that fish of up to 3-4 kg also died. Local people collected several tons of dead fish.”

Duong said he had reported the phenomenon to the district government and some environment police officers came to collect water for testing.

Currently, there are still a lot of dead fish floating on the water. Along the riverbank, the smell is very terrible.

Duong said that the river might be polluted because of waste water discharged from a cassava processing plant in Hoa Binh province, which is about 7km from Thach Lam commune.

Mr. Tran Xuan Hai, technical manager of the cassava plant, said that waste water is processed in an 80,000cu.m biogas tank and the plant only discharges about 1,000cu.m of treated waste water to the river.

This plant has four wastewater reservoirs. The water here is always dark and smells. There is a flow of water from the plant to a reservoir and to the Buoi River. Hai explained that this is the water to wash cassava so it does not affect the environment.

Mr.  Nguyen Quang Thai, Director of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Environmental Protection Division said that all production facilities in the upstream area of the Buoi River would be inspected.

"We will strictly punish the polluting facility but currently we are investigating because there are several pulp plants in the upstream area," Thai said, adding that this is the first time fish dying en masse in the Buoi River.

In related news, three toothpick, chopstick and pulp plants discharging untreated waste water to the Ma River, in Quan Hoa district, Thanh Hoa province have been temporarily closed. - Vietnam Net.

150 TONS Of Fish Suddenly Die In A Pond In Lam Chae, Thailand.

See the full story HERE.

15 Dead Turtles Found Washed Ashore In Coastal Piaui, Brazil.

Animals were species of Chelonia mydas, known as green turtle (Photo: Project Biomade)

Environmental technicians rescued 13 turtles Chelonia mydas species, popularly known as green turtle stranded on the border with Maranhão coast Piaui, this Saturday (14). The dead animals were found in an advanced state of decomposition.

According to the biologist Werlanne Magellan Biomade the project, the Turtles of the Delta Institute, which makes monitoring of various species and works with environmental education in the Coast of Piauí, the animal is very vulnerable to human action and there are several factors that may have contributed to his death. "The waste and overfishing are one of the factors that may contribute to the death of these animals," afimou.

Also according to the biologist, the green turtle is usually found in coastal waters and that this time of year is common to current bring these animals. Found that the animals can reach the weight of 200 kilos. "This species is very vulnerable human actions with a view assumes that coastal habits, becoming more susceptible to factors that threaten its survival, such as collision with boat with gill nets, marine pollution and waste intake," explained Werlanne .

The project is already monitoring the Piauí coast since 2011. This week a team of Biomade found a dead Preda on Salt Beach in Luís Correia, Piaui whale on the coast. According to biologists, the animal was a juvenile male sperm whales species, measuring about 6.5 meters and weighing 15:20 tonnes. - CBN. [Translated]

Over 50 Head Of Cattle Killed By Mysterious Disease In Hwange, Zimbabwe.

50 head of cattle die from mysterious disease in one week.

Up to eight families in BH3, Jambezi in Hwange, lost more than 50 head of cattle last week to a yet-to-be identified disease in the latest mass animal deaths in Matabeleland North.

Chief Shana of Jambezi confirmed the mass cattle deaths and said about eight households had been affected.

"At the moment we don't know what is killing the cattle; we are waiting for the veterinary people to come back to us. So far they have not identified the disease because they are still conducting tests. What I can tell you is that a lot of families, about eight of them, lost their cattle to the disease," said Chief Shana.

Villagers said veterinary officials, who came and took samples which they sent to veterinary laboratories in Hwange for tests, fear that the cattle were wiped out by an infectious disease whose exact cause remains unknown.

One of the owners of the cattle, Mr Sizwangendaba Ncube, made the grim discovery on Thursday and immediately alerted Chief Shana and the police who called the veterinary personnel.
In an interview, Mr Ncube's son, Alfa, said six cows died as a result of the unknown illness.

"We are now left with just two cows from eight. Six have died but we don't know what is killing them. Some of them just fell down and died but we had to slaughter the other cows which were very ill and had no chance of survival. We had to slaughter them because we feared that they were infected with a contagious disease which might spread to other cows.

"We are not the only family that has lost cows, a number of families also lost their cattle. I can't tell you the exact number but what I know is that a lot of people have lost their livestock. I know one woman who also lost six cows. I know her because we usually share grazing areas with her," Alfa said.

He revealed that the veterinary officials had advised them not to consume the dead animals as they might pose a danger to humans.

"They don't know what killed the cows so they told us not to take chances because the disease might also be fatal to humans," he said. - Bulawayo 24.

50 Turtles Wash Up Dead On Beaches In Los Santos, Panama.

Personal expert authorities related to the marine environment began an investigation to
determine the causes of death of some 50 marine turtles

Fishermen of Pedasi coastal sector in the province of Los Santos, reported this Saturday, Dec. 14, the sighting of different marine species killed at sea.

Parrot needle and snapper turtles, fish are some of the species were seen, about 15 miles to sea in Isla Iguana, which also is experiencing a severe storm.

Last week, authorities staff expert related to the marine environment began an investigation to determine the causes of death of about 50 sea turtles have arrived at different beaches on the coast of the province of Los Santos.

Biologists at the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama (Arap) with staff of the National Environmental Authority (ANAM) investigated this phenomenon.

About 50 turtles have been found dead on beaches The Uverito, Las Comadres and Olivita in Las Tablas, Osotional of Guanico down Tonosí district, La Enea in Guararé in Pedasi and Isla Iguana. - Prensa. [Translated]

Thousands Of Dead Fish In A Pond Shock Residents In Mumbai, India.

The BMC has agreed to collect samples and test the water for contamination
to ascertain the reason the fish died.

Residents of Dahisar were shocked on Tuesday to find thousands of dead fish floating on the surface of Kanderpada talao at Kanderpada, Dahisar West. They have written to the BMC, asking it to test the water for pollutants and find the source of the contamination.

Animal lover Christina Lobo Jha, said, "I was in the area on Tuesday to treat some dogs when a local resident told me he had seen dead fish floating in the talao. We went there, and I was shocked to see so many dead fish; we even saw some live ones jumping out of the water and dropping dead."

Jha was in for a another shock when she saw several people collecting the dead fish in plastic bags - presumably to eat or sell to others. "They were filling everything they could find with the fish - plastic bags and even drums. They may have been planning to eat or sell them, but without knowing how the fish died, doing so could be very dangerous," said Jha.

Dr Vinay Deshmukh, principal scientist with the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), said, "Most of the fish are tilapia and carps. Though I have only seen pictures and haven't visited the site myself, it seems the fish died of asphyxiation, owing to low levels of dissolved oxygen in the pond. This is a clear indication of pollution, possible caused by overflowing sewage."

Harish Pandey of the New Link Road Residents Forum (NLRRF), who visited the pond on Wednesday, said, "It seems that all the fish in the pond are dead. The BMC has agreed to collect samples and test the water for contamination. This will reveal how the fish died." - Mumbai Mirror.

INFRASTRUCTURE & SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: More Plane Crashes - 33 Dead After Mozambican Airlines Jet Crashes In Northeast Namibia!

November 30, 2013 - NAMIBIA - The wreckage of the missing Mozambique Airlines plane has been found in northeast Namibia, and there are no survivors in the crash, according to a local police official.

Photo from Twitter/@AlexInAir

The plane crashed in a game park, a remote area that is home to wildlife including elephants and lions.

"The plane has been completely burnt to ashes and there are no survivors," Namibian Police Force Deputy Commissioner, Willy Bampton, told Reuters.

Flight TM 470 left the city of Maputo on Friday for the Angolan capital, Luanda, and lost contact with air traffic controllers.

In Maputo, Mozambican Airlines, LAM, issued a statement revising the passenger list down to 27, rather than the 28 earlier reported, along with the six crew members, AFP reported.

The search for the wreckage started on Friday, but was canceled due to bad weather.

One Chinese national was on the plane, quoting the Chinese Embassy in Mozambique. Also among the passengers were 10 Mozambicans, nine Angolans, five Portuguese, one French person and one Brazilian, Xinhua news agency reported. - RT.

GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS: Namibia's Severe Drought Threatens Hundreds Of Thousands - Dry Conditions Leaves 400,000 Facing Hunger; State Of Emergency Declared!

"It is too early to say whether the seasonal rains, which begin in late November, will be enough to satisfy the demands of the farmers; we can only hope they do." - Richard Angwin, Al Jazeera meteorologist.

August 08, 2013 - NAMIBIA - A severe drought that sparked a state of emergency in Namibia has left 400,000 people facing hunger, the government said.

The government has been criticised for failing to do enough to provide relief to people during the worst dry spell to hit the country in decades.

But the chairman of the Disaster Risk Management Committee defended the government's performance as he announced the new figure on Tuesday.

"We are trying to do the best we can to make sure that the food goes to the intended people. So far so good," he said.

Al Jazeera meteorologist Richard Angwin said that Namibia is one of the driest countries in the world. Seasonal rains are very light and erratic at the best of times.

“Take Walvis Bay, for example. Well known to tourists for its nearby abundant birdlife, including flamingos, the city receives just 22mm of rain in the entire year," he said.

"The capital, Windhoek, fares somewhat better with an annual total of 360mm.

“Coastal regions derive a little moisture from fog which develops over the cool coastal waters, but that only contributes a few millimetres at most. It is too early to say whether the seasonal rains, which begin in late November, will be enough to satisfy the demands of the farmers; we can only hope they do”.

State of emergency

The number of people at risk from hunger has risen from 300,000 in May, when President Hifikepunye Pohamba declared a state of emergency.

In May, the government started handing out maize meal bags to rural areas in a central part of the country and authorities are appealing for international support.

UNICEF says more than 778,000 people including 109,000 children under the age of five are at risk of malnutrition.

The organisation says it needs about $22m to support those people.

The dry spell has destroyed grazing land and raised concerns about the country's spectacular wildlife, which attracts vital tourist income. - Al Jazeera.

FIRE IN THE SKY: Major Solar System Disturbance - Meteorite Strikes Mahangu Field In Namibia, Africa!

May 13, 2013 - SKY - Thousands of people have flocked to the Omusati Region out of curiosity to view a small piece of meteorite that landed in a mahangu field in the village of Oshika, in Onesi Constituency, yesterday morning.

FILE PHOTO.

The incident created fear and panic among villagers who suggested the 'strange object' had something to do with the recent commotion over the 12 South African aircraft that were released after days of grounding at Ondangwa Airport. The aircraft of South African origin were grounded for several days and then sent back to South Africa, because they had no permits to use Namibian airspace.

People who came from all over the five northern regions, including the Kunene Region, flocking to Oshika, expressed fears that the tourists may have had something to do with the 'strange' object that fell in the mahangu field of Andreas Kamafo Ningilenimo.

"Maybe those people who came here with so many aircraft are responsible for this. Maybe that object is poisonous, we are scared, we won't even want to get close to it. If it is not taken away, we will not cultivate near it," said Selma Shikongo.

A piece of meteorite, the of a size of a small ball or two human fists put together made such an impact that people within a radius of over 200km were able to hear the explosive impact, feel the resulting tremor and observe the blinding light that followed as it landed.

A local engineer suggested that the object needs to be analysed to determine its chemical composition. According to the engineer, meteorites are rocks from outer space, and are referred to as meteors before they hit the ground. Once they hit the ground, the objects that are made of metallic substances, are then referred to as meteorites.

"They burn because of the high velocity at which they travel, that is why they look like burned metal when they hit the ground," said the engineer who requested anonimity. The engineer further said meteors are very fast and heavy which justifies the explosive sound and vibration while still in the air and as they hit the ground.

Selma Shikongo, the wife of Ningilenimo, said the incident took place at around 4.30 yesterday morning when the family was still in bed. "First we saw a light through our bedroom window, which my husband brushed off, thinking that it was car passing by. We then heard a sizzling sound, then a loud bang. The children ran to me saying that something had fallen near the entrance of the house, and we should run away. While I was comforting the children, we saw another bluish light - and once more there was a sizzling sound, then everything went silent," Shikongo explained.

According to Shikongo, the family went out of the house later in the morning in search for what had fallen but they couldn't find it immediately. It was only after they returned from the homestead of their neighbours, that they noticed the object that looked like burned metal lying in their own mahangu field - just a few metres from their homestead. That is when they reported the incident to the police. People who flocked to the scene from as far as the Oshana and Ohangwena regions, also claimed to have seen the light, while some claim to have heard the loud bang and even felt tremors.

"It sounded like a bomb, but it was so difficult to figure out the direction," said one person from the Ohangwena Region. Another person from the Oshana Region claimed that he saw the bright light through his bedroom window, but it was very fleeting, in the early morning hours. Simon Shingulu Josef a petrol attendant from Okaxwakangamba, a village near Outapi, said he was getting ready for work at around 4 o'clock in the morning when he saw a bright light accompanied by a whistling sound followed by explosive vibrations.

"The light came from the east to the west and it looked so bright, like the light of day and it was accompanied by a sizzling sound. The roof of my room was vibrating and I heard a loud bang that felt like a bomb exploding. When I came to work, people from faraway places, including Angola, were asking what had happened in Namibia," said Josef. Louise Geldenhuys, who was one of the thousands of people who went to witness the 'fallen star' said he had suspected that the unknown object was either a meteorite or something that came from space.

"But I suggested to the police officer that they should guard it, it could be valuable" he said. - All Africa.

HIGH STRANGENESS: Weird Genetically Engineered Experiment - Bizarre Muppet-Like Beast Discovered in Namibia?!

November 20, 2012 - NAMIBIA - Namibian media report a strange muppet-like beast has been shot dead after a group stumbled across several of the creatures in dense jungle.

Source: The Daily Telegraph.

Locals came across the bizarre being while they were escorting a shooting party in Namibia, local media reported.

Witnesses state that the creature was spotted apparently foraging for food, one of the shooting party wounded it with his rifle and it escaped into the thick brush.

The locals tracked it to a nearby lair or nest where they found three more creatures of similar size.

The wounded creature attacked one of the shooting party and it was shot dead, the others escaped into the brush

The body of the creature was taken back to the local camp, police later removed its corpse and a full forensics investigation is under way. - The Telegraph.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Two Earthquakes Rocks Erongo, Namibia!

Two earthquakes, instead of the one reported in the media yesterday, shook the Erongo Region on Saturday, according to the Directorate of Geological Survey.

The first earthquake, measuring 4.5 on the Richter Scale, took place at 06h45, while a second one measuring 3.8 occurred at 15h20. According to the National Seismological Network, both earthquakes' epicentres were about 58 kilometres south of Khorixas. Five seismic stations in Namibia, namely at Kamanjab, Windhoek, Tsumeb, Gobabis and Ariamsvlei, picked up the tremors, while two stations in Zimbabwe also recorded the events. "Faults can be seen close to the epicentre. These faults are responsible for the earthquake," the Geological Survey report read.

According to the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), an earthquake registering 4.2 on the Richter Scale struck northern Algeria about an hour after the first quake at Khorixas. According to people living near Khorixas and Uis, tremors are felt about once every six months, although Saturday's was stronger than usual. The biggest earthquake to hit Namibia in recorded history was the 2009 quake which registered 5.6. Its epicentre was also near Khorixas. - All Africa.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Hydrogen Sulfide Emissions Off Namibia Coast, Africa - Mass Fish Die-Off!

Namibian coast was tinted with pale green water in late February 2012. The Namibian Coast has the most intense upwelling of fertile deep-ocean water in the world. Hydrogen sulfide gas is emitted periodically along Namibian coast due ocean currents that carry oxygen-poor water to the region, and chemical and biological processes can deplete what little oxygen is available. The local seafloor sediments are also rich with organic matter and when that matter decays in an oxygen poor environment, hydrogen-sulfide emissions can result. Residents of the region can detect the emissions thanks to pervasive rotten-egg smell. The aroma of rotten eggs is familiar to neighbors of industrial plants, but it can also arise naturally when organic stuff rots in the absence of oxygen, as at volcanic vents.

After processing  satellite images dating last few years, the scientific community stay shocked by the frequency, spatial extent, and how long these events could last. The fish kills, combined with the satellite data, have made the giant belches a pressing subject of scientific study. The shallow sea bottom along the coast is covered with a thick ooze of decomposing diatoms — free-floating plants nourished by the strong upwelling. Upwelling generally makes great fishing, and fishing is Namibia’s third-largest industry, and second-largest source of foreign exchange. As a result of almost continual phytoplankton production, there is massive diatom fallout. Dead diatoms fall through the water, where they are decayed by aerobic bacteria. Anaerobic bacteria take over the decomposition task in the thick, muddy sediment, producing hydrogen sulfide. When the gas enters the water column during an eruption, it separates into hydrogen and sulfur, and the hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen to form water. That reaction removes oxygen from the water, creating deadly low-oxygen conditions. Although hydrogen sulfide is itself a respiratory toxin to fish and marine invertebrates, the reduced oxygen may have greater ecological consequences in the long run.


Hydrogen sulphide occurs frequently in the waters of the inner shelf coastal upwelling area off central Namibia. The area affected coincides with hatching grounds of commercially important pelagic fish, whose recruitment may be severely affected by recurring toxic sulphidic episodes. Both episodic biogenic methane gas-driven advective and molecular diffusive flux of hydrogen sulphide have been implicated as transport mechanisms from the underlying organic-matter-rich diatomaceous mud. The milky-green colors along Namibia’s coast indicate high concentrations of sulfur and low concentrations of oxygen. Episodes like this aren’t just colorful, they are actually toxic to local marine organisms. Fish die in the low-oxygen water; however, what is deadly for the fish can be good for birds that feed on their carcasses. Likewise, lobsters crawling onto shore to escape the toxic seawater can make meals for locals. And some species of foraminifera—tiny shelled marine organisms—actually thrive in the oxygen-poor sea floor sediments off the Namibian coast. - Earth Observatory.

HIGH STRANGENESS: Space Ball - UFO Metal Sphere Shocks Brazilians!

An unidentified metal sphere has plunged from the sky on unsuspecting villagers in northern Brazil, causing an uproar. According to eyewitnesses, the UFO weighs about 50 kilograms and measures roughly one meter in diameter.

The sphere fell on Wednesday in a village of Riacho dos Poços in Brazilian Maranhão state. No casualties were reported apart from an unfortunate cashew tree that was severed by the object as it plunged to the ground, according to MR NOTÍCIAS, a Mata Roma news site. Valdir José Mendes, 46, told police the sphere landed several meters from his house leaving a one-meter-deep hole in the yard. "I heard the noise and I went out to see what caused it. I thought it was a plane that had fallen, or an earthquake," he said. The noise was such that Mendes was too scared to go outside. However, curiosity got the better of him and he headed outside to find the cashew tree’s trunk snapped in half by a mysterious metal sphere lying in a hole nearby.

Some 20 villagers joined Mendes to help him extract the object from the ground and examine it. Mendes says the sphere is hollow and if shaken some sort of liquid can be felt swishing inside. Locals quickly spread the news, as they reached the town of Mata Roma over 2,000 people flocked to see the “UFO”. "It was a huge uproar here. Some feared it was the beginning of the 2012 end of the world, others said it was ‘alien’, but I think it is a piece of satellite," said Max Garreto Mauro, 25, a resident of Mata Roma. Peter Costa, the meteorologist at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), agrees with Garetto, saying the object would probably be part of a satellite. "I'm sure this is not a weather balloon or part of it," he said as quoted by O Imparcia. Military police confiscated the sphere and took it to the barracks in the nearby Mata Roma. They have not specified what the UFO’s possible future will be. In a statement the Air Force Command said it "does not have specialized structures to perform scientific research on this type of aerial phenomena, which prevents the institution to submit an opinion on these events."

In December 2011, a similar incident happened in Namibia, where a metal “Teletubby head” weighing 5.9 kilograms and measuring 35 centimeters in diameter hit the ground in the village of Omanatunga. Some Russian specialists believe the “head” was part of the third stage of the Soyuz-U rocket, launched on October 30. Space debris stories made the headlines throughout 2011. In January, media chased the infamous Russian mars probe Phobos-Grunt across five oceans to keep up with Russia’s space agency, constantly changing the possible impact location. Earlier in October, the German Roentgen satellite split into 30 chunks, one of which weighed 400 kilograms, but those globs eventually made their way in to the Indian Ocean. In September 2011, the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite made headlines when it threatened to fall right onto Britain but eventually collapsed into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean. - RT.

WATCH: Space ball in northern Brazil.

MYSTERY: Symbols of an Alien Sky, Man-Made or Natural Phenomena - Mysterious Space Ball Drops on Namibia in Africa, Prompting Authorities to Contact NASA and the European Space Agency?!

A large metallic space ball fell out of the sky on a remote grassland in Namibia, prompting authorities to contact NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

The hollow ball, which has a circumference of 43 inches, was found near a village in the north of Namibia some 480 miles from the capital Windhoek, according to police forensics director Paul Ludik. Locals had heard several small explosions a few days beforehand, he said. With a diameter of 14 inches, the ball has a rough surface and appears to consist of "two halves welded together". It was made of a "metal alloy known to man" and weighed 13 pounds, said Ludik. It was found 59ft from its landing spot, a hole one foot deep and 12ft wide.

Several such balls have reportedly dropped in southern Africa, Australia and Latin America in the past twenty years. The sphere was discovered mid-November, but authorities first did tests before announcing the find. Police deputy inspector general Vilho Hifindaka concluded the sphere did not pose any danger. "It is not an explosive device, but rather hollow, but we had to investigate all this first," he said. - Telegraph.

WEATHER ANOMALIES: Odd Earth Changes in Namibia!

Something's up with the weather in Namibia, say geoscientists Kyle Nichols of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and Paul Bierman of the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vt.

Nichols and Bierman should know. They're just back from the western mountains and coastal plain of this sparsely populated African country. Usually, western Namibia is a dusty place where the stream beds are sand and the "lakes" are nothing more than flats of dried mud. Not now. This year, rivers with names like Swakop and Omaruru and Kuiseb flowed all the way to the sea - something they don't do often, "maybe once a decade," says Bierman. The rivers didn't just flow for a day or two, Nichols and Bierman say, they ran from the desert to the ocean for weeks on end. "There was so much water," says Bierman, "that people went swimming, they went tubing, and the desert turned green around rivers carrying so much sediment they were chocolate-brown." The rains were unprecedented in both their intensity and duration. "There's nothing like this widespread, heavy rain in the historic record," says Nichols. The two geoscientists have been working for more than a decade in Namibia, collecting samples of rock and river sediment and bringing them back for analysis at the University of Vermont (see Cosmogenic Nuclide Laboratory and Geomorphology Research Group's website)... Grass covers what should be barren stony desert, and there is water in streams, something Nichols and Bierman haven't seen before. Namibia's rains stopped months ago, but the groundwater table is so high that there is still flow in some streams and rivers. Almost every river crossing shows the effects - logs, mud and bridges torn asunder. In some streams, the scientists saw minnows and frogs stranded in pools. "They must have been delivered during the flood," says Bierman. In a few places, water, road damage and stream beds laden with sediment kept the researchers from collecting samples from the exact same places as in previous years... "This could all be coincidence, but it's hard not to think that something's up with the weather," says Bierman. "A warming Earth equals a more intense hydrologic cycle, with repercussions for erosion rates, sediment redistribution and landscape evolution." The riverbeds of western Namibia, land of arid deserts, are awash in water. At least for now. - Red Orbit.

WEATHER ANOMALIES: June snow falls in desert region of Namibia?!

Here is another report of more weather anomalies taking place across planet Earth, as record snow, covering mountains, roads, sheep and homes, falls in the desert regions of Namibia.

Reports and photographs of the snowfall circulated rapidly and widely across the Internet and inboxes bulged with rare images depicting snow in areas usually associated with heat and dust, not biting cold and white blankets of snow. John Rabie from Namibgrens Guest Farm close to the Spreetshoogte Pass where the majority of snow and rain fell, described the scenes of low clouds, mist and snow on Tuesday. “It was ice cold, especially as the wind was blowing,” he said. The snow fell during the day, from around eleven in the morning until the afternoon. He said the minimum temperature on Tuesday was minus two degrees Celsius, while the day’s maximum temperature did not go above five degrees. Although the temperatures had not improved by yesterday, the absence of wind took away the worst bite of the cold, he said. “We lost one lamb,” he said. He attributed the low number of stock losses to the fact that the wind had died down from Tuesday to Wednesday. According to the Namibia Weather Network website, Tuesday’s cold was one for the record books. The website reported that Windhoek had its lowest average day temperature in at least ten years on Tuesday. A weather expert reporting data to the website explained yesterday that Windhoek’s average temperature – measured from 06h00 to18h00 – on Tuesday was at a record low of 7,6 degrees Celsius. The average night temperature, measured from Tuesday 18h00 until 06h00 yesterday, was another record low of 2,1 degrees Celsius.

The meteorologist explained that although that was the average temperature, several places in Windhoek measured subzero temperatures during the day and night on Tuesday. According to namibiaweather.info, the lowest temperature recorded by weather stations on Tuesday was minus 7,8 degrees just south of Waterberg in the Otjozondjupa Region. The Namibia Meteorological Service reported yesterday that temperatures sank to below zero in several parts of Namibia on Tuesday. Opuwo in the north-west recorded a minimum of minus 2,5 degrees Celsius. Khorixas recorded minus 1,8 and Okaukuejo minus 3,9 degrees. At Outjo, minus 4,3 degrees was recorded while Gobabis measured minus 3,5 degrees. Mariental, Aranos, Maltahöhe, Keetmanshoop and places further south all measured zero or subzero temperatures. Forecaster Olga Tjiueza said that while “very cold conditions” will persist across most parts of Namibia in the next few days, the rain and snow will subside. Farmers and gardeners are warned that black frost could damage livestock and plants in the coming days. - Namibian. 

WATCH: Stunning pictures of June snow in Namibia.

EARTH CHANGES: Record Floods Kill 60 In Northern Namibia!

Record floods have hit central and northern Namibia, killing more than 60 people in the last week and causing millions of dollars of damage to roads, bridges and crops, officials said on Monday.

"Over 20,000 people have been displaced," government disaster chief Japhet Iitenge said, adding that helicopters, boats and four-wheel drive vehicles had been deployed to evacuate communities and distribute emergency relief. "We are still awaiting reports on damages." The sparsely populated southwest African country suffered its previous worst flooding in 2009. The World Bank estimated damage then at $620 million, nearly 10 percent of gross domestic product. "We have improved a lot of infrastructure since then so damage to roads and bridges is less, but the losses to private property and the agricultural sector could be significant," Iitenge said. Weather forecasters said water levels in the north, near the border with Angola, were on the rise again. "We measured an increase of eight centimetres in the weekend, indicating another flood wave is on its way," said Guido van Langenhove, the head of Hydrology at the Department of Water. "However, water levels in the central and southern parts of the affected area are dropping rapidly. This means if it does not rain too heavily in the next two weeks, we will not experience new record flooding." - Reuters.