March 7, 2016 - ZAMBIA - Lightning has killed three people believed to be members of the same family in Chingola, two others are nursing serious burns.
The victims are believed to have had taken shelter under a mango tree when the lightning struck, killing the three on the spot.
Copperbelt Police chief Charity Katanga confirmed the tragedy, which happened on Saturday in Chabanyama area around 14:00 hours.
Ms Katanga named the deceased as Goza Banda, 82, of house number 15,
Chabanyama, his grandson Mathias Banda, 14, of Twashuka Township and
Suzan Njamba, 44 of Chigayo area, while those injured were Grace
Nakamba, 60, and Dorcas Nanyangwe, who were both admitted to Nchanga
North Hospital.
She said the victims were in the garden when the rains characterised by lightning started. - Times of Zambia.
February 22, 2016 - ZAMBIA - Lightning has killed a family of five people in Siavonga District of Southern province.
Siavonga District Commissioner (DC) Lovemore Kanyama confirmed the
development to ZANIS saying the family who include father, mother, and
three children were struck by lightning on Sunday night.
The incident happened during a downpour in Munyama area.
He said a combined team of police officers, council officers and health
officers rushed to the village where the incident happened to assess the
situation. - ZNBC.
February 9, 2016 - ZAMBIA - A 36-year-old woman and her two children aged 18 and six have died after
being struck by lightning in Kapiri Mposhi, Central Province
commissioner of police Lombe Kamukoshi has said.
Ms Kamukoshi said in an interview yesterday that this happened on
Saturday in Mukonchi around 15:00 hours while the family was working in a
maize field during a downpour.
"We received a report from Emmanuel Kangwa, 46, at Kapiri Mposhi Police
Station that three people had died in a field after being struck by
lightning," Ms Kamukoshi said.
She identified the deceased as Lillian Nanyangwe, 36, and her two daughters, Bertha Nawakwi, 18, and Blessings Mwape, six.
Ms Kamukoshi said Ms Nanyangwe's one-year-old son identified as Paul
Siwakwi, who was strapped to her back, sustained a swollen face and is
admitted to Mukonchi clinic in Kapiri Mposhi. - Zambia Daily Mail.
USGS earthquake locations of 2.5 magnitude or higher over the last day.
January 9, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes several of the most noteworthy earthquakes to the planet over the last 24 hours, as we continue to monitor the global seismic uptick.
4.6 magnitude tremor shakes Zambia, collapsing one building
USGS earthquake location.
Zambia experienced a 4.6 magnitude on the Richter scale an
earthquake/earth tremour at 03;05, (05:05 Zambian time) 74km South of
Lusaka and 38km from Kafue on January 9, 2015.
This comes a day after a heavy downpour following a dry spell claimed
nearly seven lives in the capital Lusaka.
A building on the outskirts of
the city's Central Business District also collapsed, but there were no
casualties. - Zambia Reports.
4.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Southern Fars province, Iran
An earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale jolted the town of
Bairam in Fars province, Southern Iran, on Saturday morning, IRNA
reported.
The Seismological center of Fars province affiliated to the Geophysics
Institute of Tehran University registered the quake at 00:14 hours local
time.
The epicenter of the quake was registered at 53.5 in longitude and 27.4 in latitude.
There has yet been no report on the possible number of casualties or damage to properties by the quake.
Iran sits astride several major faults in the earth's crust, and is
prone to frequent earthquakes, many of which have been devastating.
The worst in recent times hit Bam in Kerman province in
December 2003, killing 31,000 people - about a quarter of its
population, and destroying the city's ancient mud-built citadel.
The deadliest quake in the country was in June 1990 and measured 7.7 on
the Richter scale. About 37,000 people were killed and more than 100,000
injured in the northwestern provinces of Gilan and Zanjan. It
devastated 27 towns and about 1,870 villages.
In August 2012, two quakes in Northwestern Iran also claimed the lives of 306 people and injured more than 4500 others. - Trend News Agency.
5.4 magnitude quake hits southeast of Naze, Japan
USGS earthquake location.
An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale jolted 77 km SSE of
Naze, Japan, at 14:12:37 GMT on Saturday (22:12:37 Beijing Time), the
U.S. Geological Survey said.
The epicenter, with a depth of 37.55 km, was initially determined to
be at 27.693 degrees north latitude and 129.6972 degrees east longitude. - APD News.
December 18, 2015 - EARTH - The following constitutes several of the latest reports of lightning strikes, as we continue to track the magnetic polar migration of the Earth.
Lightning strikes kill soldier, fisherman in the Philippines
An Army soldier and a fisherman were killed when they were struck by
lightning in separate incidents during heavy rain Tuesday afternoon
here, police said.
A report received by Sr. Supt. Angelito Casimiro, Zamboanga City Police
Director, identified the fatalities as Army Cpl. Eduardo R. Talanayan,
29, of the Army's Alpha Co., 1st Infantry Battalion, and Rey M.
Masucang, 43, of barangay Buenavista in Curuan district.
The report said Talanayan was resting near an electric post inside his
outpost at Sitio Malasugat, Barangay Sangali Port Area when lightning
hit, causing his electrocution. Residents in the area took the troop to
the nearby Mindanao Central Sanitarium where he was declared dead on
arrival.
Masucang was onboard a banca with companion Dilario Huesca, 45,
fishing off the sea of the coastal village amid bad weather. This was
when the lightning struck.
Huesca paddled the sea craft to the shore and reported the incident to
the district police office guard who helped Huesca take Masucang's body
to a nearby funeral parlor.
- The Standard.
Lightning strikes tree next to WL home near Churchill Downs Drive
A lightning strike caused extensive damage at a West Linn home Thursday afternoon.
The lightning struck a tree in between two homes near Churchill Downs Drive and Clubhouse Drive around 1 p.m., according to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. The strike caused a fence to collapse while also blowing out several windows.
The strike occurred just after 1 p.m. Thursday, hitting a tree and
blowing out most of the windows on one side of a West Linn home.
The lightning sheered off a portion of the tree next to the property.
A fence next to the tree collapsed when the lighting hit.
A number of homes also experienced power outages, according to TVFR.
As of Thursday afternoon, the full extent of the damage was unknown. Resident Edith Wilson said she was wrapping packages near the windows when the lightning struck, narrowly avoiding flying debris as the windows blew out.
Just about everyone across Minnesota will tell you this has not been a run-of-the-mill start to winter.
Snow is hard to come by for most areas of the state, temps have been
unseasonably warm, and it feels a bit more like spring than our cruelest
season.
But Wednesday brought a different winter weather twist for Bill Wolfson
of Orono. He and his wife were sitting in their second-story breakfast
nook around 8:45 a.m. when the home was struck by a lightning bolt,
launched by a system of thunder snow. DNR climate statistics suggest it is a phenomena that occurs only once every five years or so.
"It was essentially like the 4th of July, we had an explosion up on the rooftop," Wolfson explained. "Smoke, sparks...."
While they didn't see any flames jumping from the structure
there was smoke pouring from the roof vents, convincing Wolfson to call
911. The Excelsior-Long Lake Fire Department responded to make sure
nothing was smoldering inside the attic that would lead to a more
significant fire.
Wolfson then called his contractor, who had just finished a major
remodel on the property, to see what the damage was. Fortunately, the
impact of the lightning strike appears to be minimal.
Orono did not have a corner on the thunder and lightning market Wednesday morning: Reports of the unusual December occurrence poured into KARE 11 on social media for most of the morning. A reported lightning strike in rural New Prague knocked out power to almost two dozen customers.
The weather system moved east from the Twin Cities all the way down to
Winona before heading into Wisconsin, where thunder was still being
reported as of 11 a.m. The winter fireworks were accompanied by a
mixture of rain and snow.
As for Bill Wolfson, it was a memorable morning that could have turned
out much worse. "It was an odd state of events for December," he
chuckled. - KARE.
Freak lightning strike injures woman at Wisconsin government center
A Somerset, Wis., woman says she suffered an electrical shock from lightning at the St. Croix County Government Center in Hudson on Monday morning.
Lisa Stambaugh, 43, was on her way into the government center holding an umbrella for protection against a mix of rain and sleet when the lightning flashed at about 9:45 a.m.
“I’m kind of rushing to get in the door, and just before I stepped up onto the curb, I (saw) it hit the top of the umbrella,” Stambaugh said in a phone call Monday afternoon. She thinks the electricity passed through the metal post of the umbrella and into her thumb and hand.
Stambaugh said she wasn’t knocked off her feet or badly injured, but that her heart rate increased and she got a headache. She also reported having muscle spasms and a swollen right arm.
She wasn’t feeling any better about two hours later and decided to see a doctor at Westfield Hospital & Clinic in New Richmond.
“I didn’t feel very good,” she said. “I kind of was real shaky. I thought I would start feeling better, but I wasn’t, so I went in.”
Stambaugh said she was at the hospital for three hours.
“I was treated for electrical shock. That’s what they labeled it,” she said. “A crazy thing to happen in December, for sure.”
Stambaugh said she was told that she would have some muscle weakness for a couple of days, and that she should drink a lot of fluid to prevent a loss of liver function.
The St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department says a surveillance camera at the government center recorded video of a lightning flash as Stambaugh was nearing the building.
Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Howe, who works in the department’s Court Services Unit, and Chief Deputy Scott Knudson reviewed the video after being contacted by the Star-Observer about the incident.
A friend of Stambaugh’s reported the incident to the Star-Observer and provided Stambaugh's phone number so a reporter could talk to her about it.
Chief Deputy Scott Knudson said Stambaugh didn’t report the incident to the sheriff’s department.
Knudson said surveillance video shows a flash of light and Stambaugh pointing outside after entering the building. It doesn’t show a direct strike, he said.
“It is inconclusive that lightning did strike anywhere around there,” said Knudson. “It could have been the electricity in the air, because her umbrella does go over.”
There is a flagpole in front of the government center and antennas on top of its roof.
Stambaugh said she asked the security guards just inside the front entrance to the government center if they saw what happened.
“I think they thought I was joking, but I totally wasn’t joking,” she said.
One this is certain. It was strange weather for Dec. 16 in Hudson.
A light mist turned to rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, and then to sleet and snow. Later, the sun appeared for short spells in places around the Twin Cities metro.
There were multiple reports of lightning strikes, and the weather contributed to many traffic accidents and vehicles sliding off the road. - Grand Forks Herald.
Driver makes lucky escape after lightning strikes car
A driver was lucky to escape injury after a huge bolt of lightning struck his car.
Filmed
in Rutherford, New South Wales, the video shows a car park being
pummeled by hail and high winds. Captured by Tim McDonald, it shows his
friend Jason Tait moving a truck indoors to avoid it getting damaged by
the hail. Filming from the safety of a house, McDonald was probably not
expecting what was to come.
All of a sudden a lightning strike hits the truck. The lightning
then strikes an electrical pole, sending sparks flying across the car
park as the transformer explodes.
Incredibly, Tait managed to
escape the encounter without any injuries. It just goes to show the
importance of taking care in dangerous conditions. - AOL.
Plane flying from Darwin to Alice Springs struck by lightning
A plane flying from Darwin to Alice Springs was struck by lightning
Wednesday evening, understood to be about the time of the plane’s
descent.
Wednesday’s afternoon storm activity contributed
to the strike, but it was shortly before landing and Qantas confirmed
there was no damage to the aircraft.
There were no injuries and the plane landed safely in Alice Springs as intended.
Lightning strikes on aircraft are known to occur and not cause damage.
Qantas engineers were on the tarmac when the plane landed to assess the aircraft. - NT News.
Death toll increase to 7 in Zambia church lightning strikes
7 people have died after being struck by lightning at a church and a village in Eastern and Southern provinces. The deaths occurred during heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday. In Eastern Province’s Vubwi district, the four that died were among congregants at Martyrs of Uganda Catholic Parish on Tuesday when lightning struck at about 11:00 hours.
Seven other victims that were seriously burnt have been admitted to Mwami Mission Hospital. Eastern Province police deputy commissioner Patrick Bili confirmed the incident. “Both the injured and the dead are adults but we are yet to determine their ages and gender.
They were putting a floor in the church when lightning struck,” he said. Chipata Diocese Bishop George Lungu said the catechist and another man with two ladies were doing some maintenance works in the church when they met their fate. Bishop Lungu said doctors have described the condition of the injured as stable. He said it is the first time that such a tragedy was experienced in the church. Vubwi district council secretary John Kamanga, who visited Mwami Mission Hospital, said doctors at the hospital confirmed that four people had died while others were injured.
In the Pemba incident in Southern Province, among the three dead persons are a couple that died on the spot after lightning struck their houses following a downpour on Monday. The lightning killed Kennedy Moonga, 27 and his 31-year-old wife, Monile Michelo, who was burnt beyond recognition. The couple’s seven children were also injured, leaving three of them with serious burns.
They are admitted to Pemba clinic. And 81-year-old Victoria Machaka also died during the storm which started on Sunday and continued on Monday. Southern Province police commissioner Goldwin Phiri and Pemba district commissioner Reginald Mugoba confirmed in separate interviews the incidents which happened on Monday in Munamoomba and Hamazongo villages. He said two villages in Pemba received heavy rains on Monday, which destroyed several houses other valuable properties. - Zambia Daily Mail.
December 16, 2015 - ZAMBIA - Lightning has killed four people while 10 others are battling for their
lives at Mwami Adventist Hospital in Vubwi in Eastern Province.
The incident happened on Tuesday around 10:00 hours in Mchenjeza area at a Catholic Out Station.
Vubwi District Commissioner, Enelesi Banda confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with ZNBC News.
Ms. Banda explained that the incident happened when the victims were carrying out some works at the out station.
She said survivors are out of danger and may be discharged by the end of the day. - ZNBC.
April 10, 2015 - ZAMBIA - A seven-seater fixed-wing South African-registered plane yesterday crashed in Mazabuka, killing all people on board.
Southern Province commissioner of police Mary Chikwanda said in an interview yesterday that the plane crashed around 13:00 hours at Ekushiya Farm belonging to commercial farmer Guy Robinson.
“We have only discovered one body at the scene of the accident. The body had no legs or hands and it was badly burnt.
“The plane has a South African flag but the registration number is not clear because I could only see the letters SH,” Ms Chikwanda said.
She said the plane was destined for Livingstone from Ndola en route to South Africa.
She said police suspect that the pilot was conducting an aerial mapping of the area before the plane crashed.
Ms Chikwanda said police are yet to establish the number of people on board the aircraft and their nationalities but she believes that they were all South Africans.
“We will have full details of the plane crash soon. Zambia Air Force officers went to the scene of the accident to carry out investigations and hopefully we will have all the nec-essary information,” Ms Chikwanda said.
Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications Panji Kaunda expressed shock at the crash.
Col Kaunda rushed to the crash site in the company of senior government officials.
And Mr Robinson said he saw the plane crashing on his farm. - Zambia Daily Mail.
November 10, 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.
187 dead sea lions found along the coast of Sechura, Peru
Less than a week after the appearance of one hundred seals killed in booking Illescas in the province of Sechura ( Piura ), again dead marine species were found in this jurisdiction. This time, a total of 187 sea lions were found dead between the beaches Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and the Turtle Cove. This was confirmed by sources from the National Service of Protected Areas Regional ( Sernanp ).
However, expressed ignorance about the reason for the killing of wolves. Meanwhile, local fishermen claimed that warming would cause sea. - Peru 21. [Translated]
Massive amount of dead sardines wash ashore along 4km of coast of Hokkaido, Japan
On
11/3/2014, numerous sardines were found washed ashore in Pacific
coastal area of Hokkaido. A fisherman found it around 6AM of the day.
The
location was Mukawa-cho in Hokkaido. The dead sardines were approx. 15 ~
20cm long, which have grown up. They were found washed ashore for 4km
along the coast.
The local fishermen state they have been fishing there for 60 years but haven’t seen such a thing.
Hokkaido
fisheries experiment station comment it might be due to the storm one
night before, but the exact cause is not identified.
On the other hand, local citizen commented on Twitter that that kind of storm was nothing rare, can happen quite often. - Fukushima Diary.
Group of five brown bears attack hunters, severely injuring one, Alaska
A hunting trip to the remote wilderness of Alaska went awry for a group of deer hunters after they were attacked by a group of brown bears. While most of the hunters escaped safely, an elderly man among the group was severely injured,
reports CNN. The bear attack took place on the remote Sally Island,
where the hunters had come for deer hunting. The injured man has been
identified as Michael Snowden from Alaska. Some reports mention his age
to be 68.
According to an official statement released by the U.S. Coast Guard, the man, along with his hunting party, were carrying the carcass of a deer they had shot towards their fishing vessel when the bear attack took place.
While the coast guard hasn't confirmed the number of animals that were
involved in the bear attack, the CNN report says the group was attacked by at least five bears. An earlier report
by NBC News had put the number of bears at three. According to that
report, two of the bears were fatally shot by one of the hunters. This
is yet to be confirmed.
While most of the members managed to fend
off the attack, one 65-year-old man was brutally mauled by one of the
bears and was seriously injured. The hunting party was initially unaware
of the bears congregating to attack the group of men. They were in fact
alerted by the master of the fishing vessel they had used to come to
the island.
It is highly unusual for a group of bears to carry out an attack on humans, the U.S. Coast Guard said in the statement.
"The
fact that there were five bears was an abnormality and this serves as a
reminder that anything can happen and we need to be aware of our
surroundings," said Lt. Joseph Schlosser, operational unit watchstander
for the Coast Guard 17th District.
Meanwhile,
the master of the fishing vessel Mary J alerted coast guard officials
about the attack and told them about Mr. Snowden requiring urgent
medical assistance. Soon, help arrived in the form of a Coast Guard Air
Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. The man was medevaced from the
island and flown to the Kodiak Municipal Airport and then handed over to
emergency medical services.
This is not the first time we have heard of bear attacks in the United States this year. Earlier, the Inquisitr reported about quite a few bear attack cases, the latest one being late last month when the body of a hiker was almost completely eaten by a black bear. - Inquisitr.
Hundreds of dead Trout found 'is a mystery' in a river in Schelpe, Germany
In the Schelpe at Brenkhausen many dead fish were found on Wednesday afternoon.The fishing club is concerned that the entire portfolio has died in the village.Photo: WB
A mysterious fish kills in the Schelpe employed residents of Brenkhausen. There are several hundred trout have been found.
Citizens
in Brenkhausen have found a number of dead trout in the stream of
Schelpe on Wednesday afternoon and informed the water authority of the
circle Hoxter. From the department of water samples and dead fish were
seized for examination. Legged subsequent Bach commission gathered
members of the fishing club Brenkhausen a three ten-gallon bucket full
of dead fish. The first dead trout were about 100 meters above the
registered Tennis home, the last in the amount of the old sewage
treatment plant. In the Schelpe are due to the low water level mostly
undersized fish that migrate in larger state in the Weser.
So
about 300 trout were collected in size from ten to 15 centimeters and
about 15 large specimens from the dead stream. "I'm assuming that the
entire stock of fish is found dead in the area of the village
Brenkhausen," said Chairman of the Fisheries Association Brenkhausen,
Johannes Hahn angle. In addition to the financial loss to the club and
the environmental damage is large. For it was killed and the large
inventory of Mühlkoppen. Mühlkoppen, also known as sculpins, are ten to
15 centimeters big fish, which are among the endangered species and are
therefore particularly protected. The fishing club Brenkhausen filed a
complaint with the police. Notes accepts this answer with 0 5271/9620. -
Westfalen. [Translated]
Wolves return to Denmark for first time in 200 years
At least one male wolf has permanently settled in Jutland, Denmark, scientists say, in first case since 1813
Wolves have returned to Denmark for the first time in 200 years, according to researchers.
When wolves last roamed wild in Denmark, Napoleon was still terrorising
Europe and the Battle of Waterloo had yet to be fought.
But
now a team of researchers say they have conclusive evidence that wolves
have re-established themselves in much of the Jutland peninsula, the
part of Denmark that is in mainland Europe, and that at least one male
wolf has permanently settled there.
There have been sporadic
sightings of wolves in Jutland since 2012, but this is the first time
scientists have officially confirmed their return.
A team of
researchers from Aarhus University and the Danish National History
Museum studied locations where wolf DNA was found and where wolves were
photographed in the wild.
By analysing DNA traces they were
able to show that a particular male wolf was detected seven times in the
same area in 2013. Wolves are considered to have settled in an area if
they are seen there twice in six months.
"That is most
certainly the case with this wolf, which means we can say that we have
our first evidence that the wolf is settled in Denmark," Liselotte
Wesley Andersen, a senior researcher at Aarhus University, told
Denmark's national broadcaster, DR.
Wolves once roamed across Europe, before their numbers were heavily depleted in the 19th century. They
have been making a recovery since the 1950s, and wild populations have
re-established themselves in a number of countries, including France,
Germany, Norway and Sweden.
When a wolf was
spotted in Denmark in 2012, it was the first sighting since 1813. But
researchers caution that so far they have only found DNA traces of male
wolves resident in Denmark, and have not been able to locate any traces
of females or cubs, despite numerous claims of sightings of a wolf pack.
"We're hoping for a snowy winter so wolf tracks can lead us to
further documented finds," Thomas Secher Jensen, a senior researcher
with the Natural History Museum, told DR. - Telegraph.
Unusual animal behaviour: Sea lion chases down fishing boat and jumps on board
Incredible footage shows a sea lion chasing down a fishing boat before leaping on board to collect a fish
An amusing video has emerged of a sea lion jumping onto the back of a fishing boat.
The
video, captured off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico late last
month, shows the determined seal trailing behind the boat before leaping
on board to collect a piece of fish.
After collecting the fish, the sea lion reverses back into the sea and swims away.
"Sea Lions often follow fishing boats in Cabo San Lucas in the hope of getting a free meal," the filmer wrote online.
WATCH: Sea lion catches fishing boat and jumps on board.
U.S.
scientists have discovered a new species of deep-sea coral and a
nursery area for catsharks and skates in underwater canyons off the
coast of Northern California, the researchers said.
The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Wednesday
the team used technologies including small submersibles to investigate
marine life that has adapted to survive in offshore waters up to 1,000
feet deep.
The team made two big discoveries off the Sonoma
coast, it said, including hundreds of egg cases from skates, which are
similar to rays, on the seafloor, and in bundles on the rocks
surrounding a catshark nursery area.
"This is a highly unusual nursery because rarely, if ever, are shark nurseries in the same area as skate nurseries," Peter Etnoyer, a deep-sea biologist at NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, said in a statement.
Separately, the researchers also discovered corals living at about 600
feet underwater that they said are a new deep-sea species belonging to
the Leptogorgia genus, NOAA said.
The work took place in
September close to the Gulf of Farallones and Cordell Bank national
marine sanctuaries, it said, and it was carried out by a consortium of
federal and state marine scientists.
Prior
to the expedition, it added, little was known about the areas except
that they were thought to contain nutrient-rich and biologically diverse
marine life.
The researchers also conducted video surveys of terrain that previously was documented only by sonar imaging.
Submarine canyons, such as the area's Bodega Canyon, act as a refuge
for important species of fish and provide a habitat for sensitive
species of deep water corals and sponges.
Coral is a stationary animal that slowly grows on sea floors over tens and even hundreds of years. Coral reefs are nurseries for many types of fish, and they also they help protect coasts from storms and tsunamis, as well as attracting tourists.
"This work helps inform our knowledge and understanding of ... areas
that are extremely important to the ocean environment," said Danielle
Lipski, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary research coordinator and
expedition leader. - Reuters.
Elephant tramples man to death in Zambia
A 20- year- old man of Kalemba village in chief Nabwalya's area has been crushed to death by an elephant.
ZANIS in Chinsali reports that Muchinga provincial education officer Jobbicks Kalumba confirmed the incident today.
Mr Kalumba said the incident happened in the early hours of yesterday near Nabwalya primary school.
Mr. Kalumbamba who is on a 14-day mobile teaching service in the area
named the deceased as Mulenga Kalemba who died shortly after he was
taken to Nabwalya rural health center.
He added that Kalemba's
fate was witnessed by children who where going to school in the morning
when they shouted for help upon seeing the elephant stepping on him
leaving all his intestines out while his head was smashed beyond
recognition.
Mr. Kalumba explained that the deceased was
mentally disturbed and due to his violent behavior,his parents resorted
to be tying him to a tree during day time.
However, on Tuesday afternoon the deceased managed to cut the rope and went loitering in the village until he met his fate.
Mr Kalumba added that the incident has affected a lot of children in
the area who are refusing to go to school for fear of being attacked by
wild beasts hence affecting the lessons.
He further appealed to the Zambia Wild Life Authority(ZAWA) to keep vigil on the wild animals from going into villages.
In a related development, people of Mutekwe are also living in fear as
elephants from North Luangwa have gone on rampage destroying houses and
eating their harvest.
Councilor for Mutekwe ward Ernest Kaluba
told ZANIS that the situation has brought fear in the area as pupils and
teachers were failing to go to school.
Efforts to get a comment from ZAWA Senior Warden for Muchinga and Northern provinces Patrick Nyirenda failed by press time. - Lusaka Voice.
10-meter long dead whale cleared from Qatar's Al Huwaila beach
A 15-ton dead whale found on Al Huwaila beach in northern Qatar was removed by a government beach clean crew earlier this week.
Photographs posted by the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning
(Baladiya) show the 10-meter long whale being lifted by a digger off the
beach on Tuesday.
The ministry did not give any details of the type of whale or how they believed the mammal died.
A number of animals have been removed in recent years after washing up on Qatar's shoreline.
In September, a dead dolphin was removed from Al Wakrah port, while in March, a reader sent Doha News photos of a dead sea lion that remained out in the open for several days outside Al Khor. - Doha News.
Two women attacked by a group of bears in India
Panic gripped Kochdi village of Rampur subdivision in Shimla district on Friday after bears reportedly attacked two womenwho
were collecting fodder for the cows. The seriously injured women were
rushed to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) for
treatment. They have been identified as Hema Devi and Heera Devi.
Hema Devi, who is also the panchayat member of village, sustained
maximum injuries in the attack. According to official sources, it is a
common practice for villagers to head towards forest areas to collect
wood and fodder for domestic use during winter months. On Friday, Hema
and Heera had gone to forest like any other day.
As they reached near the forest, a group of bears attacked them on
their face, arms and other parts of the body. In panic, the two women
screamed, upon which the bears left and fled towards the dense forest.
Hearing their desperate cries, villagers ran towards the spot only to
find the two women lying unconscious in a pool of blood, they said. With
the help of ambulance, villagers shifted them to a nearby hospital from
where they were shifted to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital
in Shimla for further treatment.
Man-animal
conflict has increased in Himachal Pradesh in recent years with wild
boars, black bears and monkeys damaging standing crops, besides
instances of lifting of domestic animals by leopards and attack on
humans were also being reported.
The otherwise
dwindling population of wild animals has seen an increase since the
imposition of total ban on hunting since 1984, sources said. Extension
of agriculture, coupled with increased human interference in hitherto
undisturbed areas, has led to greater human-animal conflict, said an
official from wildlife department. Stray cases of injuries to people and
loss of human lives in attacks by leopards and black bears have been
reported in the state, he added. - The Times of India.
Woman killed in elephant attack, Nepal - 6th fatality in 10 weeks
A
woman has been killed at Chisapani of Banke district at 1 pm on
Thursday after being attacked by an elephant. The deceased, identified
as 32-year-old Sharmila Chaudhary, had gone to Shree Krishna Community
Forest situated at Chisapani-4 to fetch fodder for her cattle.
The elephant attacked and killed Chaudhary while two other women who
were with her managed to save their lives by running away.
On
basis of the information provided by the women who saved their lives,
police went for a search in the forest where they found the dead body of
Chaudhary, said DSP Janak Shahi of Area Police Office, Kohalpur.
The dead body of woman has been sent to Bheri Zonal Hospital, Nepalgunj for post-mortem. - Ekantipur.
Global Canine Insurrection: Another week of savage dog attack
A best friend?
Sensational
headline, right? Maybe not. Below I have included reports of dog
attacks from around the word in just the last few days. These reports
are in no way anywhere near comprehensive. They are simply offered up as
examples of typical canine attacks of late. But some are doubly
notable, as they are assaults on owners or other family members. In other words, they're not your typical stories of freak attacks on strangers. Something else seems to be going on.
An Indianapolis man is being called a hero after rescuing a 12-year-old boy from two attacking pit bulls Sunday afternoon.
An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officer responded to
a report of aggressive animals actively attacking a young mentally
challenged child in the 3000 block of N. Gladstone Ave Sunday afternoon.
While in route to the scene, the officer was told that the dogs were
attacking an adult male that was trying to protect the child.
The officer arrived and saw a man in the middle of the intersection of
31st and Gladstone being attacked by two pit bulls. The man, later
identified as Russell Hill, was on the ground with both dogs biting him.
Hill's clothing had been ripped off and he was bleeding profusely from
numerous wounds. The officer exited his vehicle, and immediately shot a
black and white pit bull twice. The wounded dog started limping away,
but eventually turned around and came back towards Hill and the officer.
The officer then shot the dog two more times. The dog stumbled a few feet away and laid down on the ground.
The second pit bull, brown in color, stopped attacking Hill when the
officer fired his weapon at the animal. It fled back to its residence in
the 3100 block Forest Manor.
Animal Control Officers arrived at the home and were able to capture the brown dog.
The mother of a toddler mauled by two dogs in an estate near Queenstown says the attack was ghastly.
Her son, 3, was playing with other children in Herries Ln, Lake Hayes
Estate, at 5pm yesterday when the youngsters were startled by barking
dogs.
The children started to run but the toddler fell over and two dogs, a rottweiler and a labrador cross, bit his legs.
His mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said the family hoped no-one else had to go through anything similar.
''It's been a ghastly experience. I would hate to see something like
this repeated in our lovely community and hope this sends a message to
dog owners.
''I would also like to acknowledge the owners of the dogs that were
involved. They have been very kind and co-operative. They are distraught
about what has happened."
The toddler was taken to Lakes District Hospital with lacerations,
where he needed stitches for two of three deep cuts on his legs, and the
attack was referred to Queenstown Lakes District Council animal control
by police.
In a statement, a council spokesman said the dogs were immediately impounded pending an investigation.
The outcome potentially included an infringement notice, a menacing or
dangerous dog classification, prosecution and the destruction of the
dogs, he said.
Two dogs attacked a three-year-old boy in Lake Hayes Estate, mauling his leg
Two dogs attacked a three-year-old boy in Lake Hayes Estate, mauling his leg
The
owner of four dogs which viciously attacked a 7-year-old Japanese girl
in Murupara has admitted a criminal charge against him.
Gareth Clive Boyt, 35, pleaded guilty in the Rotorua District Court
today to a charge under Section 58 of the Dog Control Act for owning
four dogs that caused serious injury.
He was originally jointly charged with his wife, Charlotte Boyt, 31, but police withdrew the charge against her today.
After standing in the dock next to her husband she returned to the
public gallery in tears where she was supported by family and friends.
Defence lawyer Bill Lawson entered a guilty plea on behalf of Gareth Boyt.
"He was the owner of the dogs at the time even though he did not have
formal control of them, however the responsibility is attached to the
owner," Mr Lawson said.
At the end of October in the UK, a pitbull was busy sinking its teeth into a woman attempting to deliver a parcel in Eastbourn:
A 42-year-old woman whose leg was savaged in a dog attack on Friday afternoon has spoken of her horrific ordeal.
Kerry Stevens, who works with businesses in the Rye and Battle area in
newspaper sales, was delivering a parcel to a flat last Friday when the
dog rushed out and sank it's teeth into her thigh.
She is now recovering after two operations at the Conquest Hospital in
Hastings and faces the prospect of having plastic surgery.
Kerry said the moment the dog, a cross between a pit bull and an America
bull dog, bit her on the thigh and refused to let go was one of the
"most terrifying" of her life.
The attack happened at a property in Eastbourne.
Kerry said: "It was communal flats so I pushed the buzzer and got let
in. The woman I was dropping the package off to and her toddler came to
the door.
"We were talking then her husband came to the door and started talking
too when the dog pushed out of the doorway and launched at me and bit me
several times before locking onto my thigh.
"The woman's husband was punching the dog to release the jaws. She ran
inside the flat with her toddler and locked the door leaving us out in
the hallway. Eventually the dog let go, the man sat on it and called an
ambulance.
"I crawled to the front door and he slid his phone across the floor do I could talk to the ambulance people outside in safety.
"It was the most terrifying experience of my entire life. I was in such a state of shock, trauma and pain. It was horrible."
Police and ambulance crews arrived at the scene and Kerry was rushed to
hospital. A vet was called out and the animal was destroyed.
An
18-month-old Jurupa Valley boy was attacked Wednesday by the family pit
bull, which ripped off one of the toddler's ears before neighbors
scared away the dog.
The child, whose identity was not released, was apparently playing with the
canine in the back yard of his home on Pontiac Avenue around 7:40 a.m.
when 2-year-old ''Poncho'' bit the boy several times and tore away his
left ear, according to the Riverside County Department of Animal
Services.
''It just broke my heart -- he's just a baby,'' said animal control Officer Tiffany Fuller. ''He'll be scarred for life.''
Fuller was one of two Animal Services officers called to the house to
seize the dog. She said when she and her partner rolled up, neighbors
were standing on the property, holding baseball bats for protection.
''They ... heard the attack and went out to help the boy,'' Fuller said. According to county officials, the boy's mother was out of the house shopping
at the time, and his grandmother was supposed to be watching him, but
evidently didn't notice when he got up from a nap and wandered into the
backyard.
The tot's screams alerted the household.
He was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center for treatment,
according to Animal Services spokesman John Welsh, who said the child's
mother surrendered Poncho to the county to be euthanized.
Police in Newport say a 5-year-old boy has about 100 puncture wounds after a pit bull attacked him on Tuesday.
Newport Police Lt. William Fitzgerald tells WPRI-TV that the boy was
playing outside the Park Holm Housing Complex when the dog ran out of an
apartment at about 3 p.m. and attacked him. One of the boy's parents
fought off the dog with a pipe.
The boy is being treated at Hasbro Children's Hospital for non-life-threatening wounds on his faces, hands and legs.
A visiting Fall River, Massachusetts, woman who owns the dog has been cited for not restraining it.
Police were still looking for the animal Wednesday.
It's amazing (or maybe not) how this same breed keeps popping up in these and similar reports. This dog is bred for its loyal, protective,
bloody vicious characteristics, so perhaps it's no big surprise really?
Take a look at the pie chart below, which vividly illustrates which
breed of dog has caused by far, the most fatalities in the US over an
8-year period, between 2005-2012:
But
it's not just pit bull attacks. To bolster my bold headline claim,
consider this recent report from the Yarra Ranges in Australia:
Yarra Ranges Council is desperately trying to get dogs under control as the number of attacks continue to skyrocket.
But despite the surge in attacks, the council has only declared six dogs as dangerous in the municipality.
Early this year, Yarra Ranges Mayor Fiona McAllister said the council
was "at a loss" to explain why so many dog attacks had occurred within
the first few months of the year, with 51 attacks by the end of
February.
But numbers have continued to climb, with 179 dog attacks reported by September.
This is up from 157 dog attacks at this time last year.
According to Wikipedia
the population of Yarra Ranges is just 144,541. To experience 179 dog
attacks in only 8 months for an area containing 144,500 people does
seems rather excessive, to put it mildly.
In addition, there is this September story about Rumbek in Sudan:
At least nine people have died in Lakes state's Rumbek Central county after being bitten by stray dogs.
The public health department in Rumbek has confirmed the deaths, saying the presence of dogs in town is on the rise. There has been more than 500 separate dog attacks on residents in Rumbek, while 40 people are also undergoing treatment.
The population of the Rumbek district is 82,500 (again going by Wikipedia data), the 500 attacks here are even more striking, with a ratio of 165 to 1.
These reports should additionally be viewed in the much wider context of all the recent wild animal attacks
by numerous diverse species, currently being recorded from across the
globe. Whatever is going on, it is certainly out of the ordinary and not
just more of the same. Deadly elephant attacks, bears, bobcats, muskox,
hyenas, foxes; the animal world in general is going wild recently.
Running in parallel are the increasing amounts of stories of bizarre human behaviour.
Just as the craziness in the human population increases, perhaps this
is being reflected in the animal kingdom, including, not least of all,
our domesticated canine friends? - SOTT.
31,000 birds killed to outbreak of Avian flu in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Heinrichswalde / Schwerin first time, a previously known only from Asia and dangerous avian pathogens in Germany has surfaced. The affected turkeys operation with about 31,000 animals in the Vorpommern-Greifswald was locked. The turkeys are infected with the influenza virus of subtype H5N8. On Thursday began with the killing, which is to be completed on Friday.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Agriculture Minister Till Backhaus (SPD)
said, on the evening cautious confidence that the disease remains
limited to operation in Heinrichswalde.
In contrast to the first major bird flu outbreak in February 2006 was
so far been discovered in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern no infected wild bird. In the turkey fattening there was increased death rates since the
beginning of the month, which would have increased in the past few days,
the President of the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute (FLI), Thomas
Mettenleiter dpa said. The FLI is the Federal Research Institute for Animal Health.
As the causative agent of avian influenza or bird flu came in the stock, is therefore unclear. The FLI have four experts sent in the place, the search for the causes. Finally, a highly contagious H5 Virus in 2008 occurred in Germany. "We must assume that any highly pathogenic virus can also be a hazard to humans," Mettenleiter said.
For the H5N8 pathogen transmission to humans had not yet been observed -
not even in South Korea, where previously hundreds of thousands of
animals had to be killed. But experts see no reason to panic. Backhaus warned, however, that it must be crucial to ensure that the virus does not jump to mammals. Within a radius of 50 kilometers around the outbreak of the bird immediately have to stay in the stable.
Even pet owners in the vicinity of water resting places for migratory
birds on lakes and along the Baltic coast to bring their chickens, ducks
or geese in the barn. In the
words of the District Veterinary Officer Holger Vogel Anklam in the area
in which animals have in the stall last, beyond the circle of
Vorpommern-Greifswald addition to the Uckermark (Brandenburg), the
Mecklenburg Lake District and to Poland. - Handelsblatt. [Translated]
Thousands of dead fish found in a canal in Valencia, Spain
Large die off of fish in Indian River Lagoon, Florida, United States
The Indian River Lagoon system is experiencing a major fish die-off.
Florida Today (http://on.flatoday.com/1tq0TNj ) reported Saturday that dead fish are fouling canals around Merritt Island.
Among the dead fish are catfish, flounder, mullet, pinfish and red drum.
A
spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St.
Petersburg told the newspaper that a recent water test on Merritt Island
found no evidence of a harmful algae bloom or raw sewage. Biologists
continue to monitor the fish kills.
The latest fish die-off is happening in an area from Satellite Beach to Fort Pierce.
Researchers have been testing the tissues of hardhead catfish but haven't reached conclusions about a cause of the die-off.
"You're
talking about a wide span of area," Doug Adams, assistant research
scientist with the institute's Melbourne field office, said of the
hardhead catfish deaths. "We've seen these hardhead catfish die-offs in
the past. We've even seen them Florida-wide."
In 2005, scientists
suspected a toxic algae similar to red tide caused thousands of baby
hardhead catfish to die near Rockledge and Melbourne.
The same algae bloomed in Port St. Lucie the previous year and killed several species of fish.
During
the summer of 1996, thousands of hardheads floated up dead in the
lagoon and statewide. Biologists never identified the exact cause, but
suspected a virus that killed only hardheads. - The Republic.
20 Tons of fish washing up, 'agonizing and dying' is a 'mystery and concern' in Guanabara Bay, Brazil
20 tons of shads, a species of fish, have been found agonizing and dying in the bay. (Photos: AFP)
The
unusual situation is harshly affecting the local fisherpeople’s life,
while authorities have finally started an investigation to find the
cause of the problem.
For reasons
as yet unknown, huge numbers of fish from the same species have been
dying on the tourist beaches of Ganabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
over the past month, an unprecedented situation that is scaring the
population.
The municipal cleaning service have found 20 tons of
shads, a particular species of fish similar to sardines and herrings, as
well as four sea turtles.
Surprisingly, “the tests proved that it
is not a matter of chemical or toxic contamination of water,” declared
the oceanograph David Zee to AFP, from the State University of Rio de
Janeiro (UERJ).
The fisherpeople have complained of being forced
to buy fish to resell, as their weekly wage has been cut by more than
half, and have blaimed the activities of the giant national oil company,
Petrobras.
“The fisherman aren't going to poison the water as
it's their lifeline. This is not because of fishermen. Why are
[the authorities] not checking the activities of the petrochemical
industry? Why are they not checking the refineries? It is very clear
that we are witnessing a crime against the environment. What we need to
know is who is responsible and what products are being used," said
Alexandre Anderson, president of the Men & Women of the Sea
Association to AFP.
Two years ago, the Brazilian general attorney
accused the Petrobras company of environmental crime, for contaminating
the bay and one of the rivers.
As only one species seems to be
involved so far, another possible cause would be thermal pollution: the
water would be too warm, therefore diminishing the solvability of
oxygen, something the shads are very sensitive to, explained Zee.
According to the scientist, this phenomenon would be aggravated by the
fact that the circulation and change of water is more difficult in this
part of the bay.
Five specimens of shads have been sent for
examination on Tuesday to the department of biology of the UFRJ, and the
results should be known within the next week. - Telesur.
Tons of fish die along several miles of the River Aumance in France
In crossing Hedgehog, a stench rises from the waters of the Aumance, whose bottom is littered with dead fish. There, at the dam, bubbling froth ... - The Mountain
While
a new set of government measures announced is to "curb rising cost of
living," the waters of the Au- mance are victims of a new pollution.
Once again, the waters have been polluted Aumance at the beginning of November.
In July already, between Neuville and Cosne-Allier, hundreds of pounds
of fish were destroyed, but this time the disaster is greater. Indeed, for several days, about eight kilometers from Cosne-Allier, to
the deck of Hollow at Hedgehog, "large pieces and small fry were victims
of water contamination," as stated Centre-Matin newspaper, in its issue of Tuesday, November 10. Naturally, the fishing company Aumance Roach, by its president, Jean
Pichard, has once again moved to "the disastrous turn was taking the
situation".
The samples were taken, for the purposes of analysis and the gendarmerie Hedgehog was seized of the matter.
But the first experiments performed using reagents used to assume "that
the poisoning was caused by ammonia from industrial residues." And the damage would be several tons of fish.
Rugby:. ASF-Commentry Montluçonnais Stadium in a friendly
part of the cut-Albert Legrand, first name, a friendly match away in
the city of Blacksmiths, ASF Commentry, Auvergne current leader of the
championship, the Montluçonnais stage, resident of the second division. If the first were full, the latter lined a mixed team. They imposed on the score of 24-9, scoring eight tries, none of which transformed (test worth three points at the time). The Commentryens entering, for their part, a test, a drop and a penalty. Salon des Amis des Arts: an award for Jean Bougret The seventeenth Fair Friends of the Arts, held in the conference room of City Hall, closed its doors and, as usual, the counting of the vote. Visitors took place for the Prize of the public. This distinction has returned this year to Jean Bougret for his painting "La Halte Gypsies." He beat Lucien Mandosse Roland Houot-Pierre and Laloire Auberger. - La Montagne. [Translated]
Thousands of dead fish, crabs, shrimp, eels suddenly die in a river in Pangkajene, Indonesia
KOMPAS.com/IKA FITRIANA
The
last two days, since Saturday (11/08/2014) through Sunday (11/09/2014),
residents on the banks of the River Pangkajene, Pangkajene District,
Islands, South Sulawesi, shocked by the rare natural occurrence. Fish,
shrimp, crabs, eels, and creatures of the main river that divides the
city districts within 56 km north of Makassar, the capital of South
Sulawesi province, floating dead in the water. At the mouth of the river, Like a natural phenomenon of fish poisoning occurs around 13:00 pm Saturday."Pas
bonang water (tidal)" said Endang (35), a housewife in the village of
Toli-Toli, Tekonglabbua, Pangkajene, Pangkep Saturday (11/09/2014). Meanwhile,
Bachtiar Mattoangaing who lived in the village about 3 km from the
river mouth Pangkajene, see for the incident on Saturday at about 17:20
pm."When the rain runs, shrimp shrimp rose all, jump to the edge," he said. Until Sunday morning, not unlike the river Pangkajene harvest fish pond again.The
fish are usually caught with a fishing line, nets, or nets since
yesterday afternoon, just caught with a bucket, hand, or glove that is
created. "I've
been 60 years old born and raised in the village of Solo, but only this
time the fish rose all, as requested arrested," said Zainuddi, of
Hamlet Solo, Bucinri Village, Bungoro, at the western end of the river
estuary Pangkajene on Sunday (9/11 / 2014) morning. Zain is working as a fisherman at the mouth of this river, since last Saturday, did not go to sea.He
and dozens of neighbors, enough to provide a simple nets to catch the
tiger prawn, mud crab, grouper, baramundi, and other estuary fish. He
claims this natural phenomenon in his favor, but he is concerned, after
this disaster, he would lose the eye pencabariannya for a long time."If the big fish are floating, this blessing, but this was a baby fish and Ambari (ebi) also die all," he said. Kekahawatiran also experienced fisherman Hasan (54) and Amir (42).Tolo-Toli
village residents, Tekolabbua village, district Pangkajene, Pangekp is
also 30 years since the last of their livelihood on fish catches in the
river. "Maybe
people who live in cities Mattoanging, Tumampua, and Jagong happy,
because they are servants and merchants, but our life of these fishermen
fish in the river," said Hasan, owner of butterflyfish shrimp in his
backyard. - Kompas. [Translated]
Heavy rain has wreaked havoc in Mpulungu’s Kasakalawe Village in the Northern Province destroying more than seven hectares of cassava fields. Mpulungu District Agriculture Co-operative Officer Kennedy Sinkamba confirmed the development in a telephone interview yesterday.
Mr Sinkamba said on Thursday last week, Kasakalawe village, which is made up of 189 peasant farmers experienced torrential rain which left most of the fields submerged. “On Thursday last week, we experienced heavy rains in Kasakalawe village. Most of the crops were submerged. About seven hectares of cassava fields were also destroyed after the torrential rains,” he said. Mr Sinkamba said people in Kasakalawe are peasant farmers who depend on cassava for their livelihood. He also said the torrential rains which lasted several hours also led to the collapse of houses in Musumbe village, leaving 10 people homeless. Mr Sinkamba said his office is compiling a report on the damage caused by the rain which will be submitted to the district administrative officer. He also said all the farmers who supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) have received their payment following government’s release of funds to settle the debt.
Mr Sinkamba also said government is implementing policies in the agriculture sector to encourage more people to engage in farming, rather than fishing. He said Mpulungu is renowned for fishing and that only a few people engage in serious farming, hence the need to attract more people to agriculture. Mr Sinkamba said government has also increased the number of beneficiaries in the current farming season to 8,000 from last year’s 5,000. He said government will also distribute subsidised rice and 50 bags of groundnuts to benefit 300 farmers. Mr Sinkamba said government is keen to promote crop diversification, hence the need to distribute groundnuts and rice to enable farmers to plant a variety of crops. “What we need is to promote the cultivation of various crops. This year, we are distributing rice and groundnut seed to promote diversification,” he said. - Zambia Daily Mail.
