Animals
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Attention

Two dead whale sharks discovered in Myanmar (Burma) - 4 found locally in 2 months

Phyo Zin
Eleven
Wed, 16 May 2018 12:54 UTC
Whale shark
Whale shark
Fishermen found two dead bodies of whale sharks, one of the endangered species, in a fishing net along the coastal areas of Yayphyu Township, Dawei district, Taninthayi region on May 13 and tugged them to Daminsake beach.

"The dead bodies arrived around 5:30 pm. The fishes got caught in the net and they couldn't escape. The fishermen could not free them in the sea and tugged them to the beach. We have found four dead whale sharks from April to May. We informed the authorities and they told me to bury them. So we dug a deep hole with a backhoe. They couldn't swim back to the deep sea after they arrived in shallow water," said a local Moe Naing.

Comment: There seems to have been a high number of such incidents involving this species over the last 2 years, see also: Body of whale shark found washed ashore in Tamil Nadu, India; third in the region since May

Another whale shark found dead, the latest in Gujarat, India

Three dead beached whale sharks found in Indonesia

Whale shark found washed ashore in Tamil Nadu, India

Dead whale shark washes ashore on beach in Puri, India

Dead whale shark found in Tanza Bay, Philippines

Dead whale shark found in Tamil Nadu, India

Dead whale shark found on beach in Odisha, India

Whale shark discovered dead in coastal waters of Shandong, China

Whale shark found dead at Palghar, India

Dead whale shark discovered on coast of Bukas Grande Island, Philippines

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Attention

Two Risso's dolphins wash ashore near Great Yarmouth, UK

Stuart Winter
Express (UK)
Wed, 16 May 2018 12:25 UTC
Risso Dolphin washed ashore Great Yarmouth beach
© HM Coastguard GorlestonRisso Dolphin washed ashore Great Yarmouth beach

Marine experts are trying to discover why strange looking dolphins are beginning to turn up dead hundreds of miles from their deep sea haunts. Two bull-headed Risso's dolphins have washed ashore, the first time in 50 years the mysterious-looking creatures have been found in the southern reaches of the North Sea.

The Zoological Society of London has retrieved the dolphin carcasses from near Great Yarmouth over the weekend and will be conducting post mortems to discover how the creatures had died.

Rumours have emerged that the dolphins may have fallen victim to a great white shark attack because they were scarred, but skin gouges are a common sign on these type of marine mammals because of injuries they receive eating their favourite food, squid.

What concerns conservationists is the way the dolphins were found in a southern stretch of the North Sea when, by rights, they should be hunting squid and octopus around the western Scottish and Irish coastlines.
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Fish

Fish winterkill strikes several Central Alberta sites

Paul Cowley
Red Deer Advocate
Mon, 14 May 2018 18:59 UTC
Thousands of dead fish have surfaced in three Central Alberta ponds and lakes because of winterkill.
© Rory O’ConnorThousands of dead fish have surfaced in three Central Alberta ponds and lakes because of winterkill.
Thousands of dead fish have surfaced in three Central Alberta ponds and lakes because of winterkill.

In Crimson Lake, thousands of perch died and collected around the shoreline.

While not pleasant for lake visitors to look at or smell, winterkill is a natural phenomenon.

"They're very common in Alberta," said Jessica Reilly, senior fisheries biologist out of Alberta Environment and Parks Rocky Mountain House office.

In Central Alberta, winterkill was also reported at Dickson Trout Pond and Pine Lake.

"Basically what happens is the plants and algae in the lake over winter die and decompose. When they decompose they use up oxygen."

The longer the decomposition, the more oxygen is used up. That is exacerbated in a long winter because oxygen can't be replenished while the water is covered by ice.

Comment: See also: Thousands of dead fish found at lake in Alberta

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Attention

10-year-old boy suffered heavy blood loss after shark attack at Hilton Head, South Carolina

Joan McDonough and Mandy Matney
The Island Packet
Mon, 14 May 2018 18:40 UTC
Jei Turrell, 10, was bitten by a shark while swimming at a Hilton Head Island beach on Sunday, May 13, 2018. He is recovering at the Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah.
Jei Turrell, 10, was bitten by a shark while swimming at a Hilton Head Island beach on Sunday, May 13, 2018.
A shark bit 10-year-old Jei's right forearm while he and his older brother were splashing in waist-deep water Sunday, his mom Tonya Turrell told the Island Packet.

They had only been at the beach for about an hour when Tonya heard her younger son screaming and made out the word "shark!" That's when she saw the blood, she said.

Jei was airlifted to the Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah. The rest of the family followed in their car.

"That was the longest hour of my life, driving here," his mom said. They didn't know how bad his injuries were. They didn't know what to expect. All they were told was that getting him to a trauma center was the first priority.
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Frog

Scientists discover the origin of the amphibian 'apocalypse' that's killing more than 200 species

Mollie Cahillane
Daily Mail
Thu, 10 May 2018 14:30 UTC
Scientists have traced the origin of the chytrid fungus to the Korean peninsula.
Scientists have traced the origin of the chytrid fungus to the Korean peninsula. It has driven more than 200 amphibian species to extinction or near-extinction
Scientists have traced a deadly fungus responsible for killing frogs, toads and newts worldwide to the Korean peninsula, sparking new calls for a halt to the international amphibian pet trade.

A dangerous infectious disease with the potential to drive species to extinction, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is also known as chytrid fungus.

It has already decimated more than 200 amphibian species and rewired echo systems all over the world.

Chytrid is passed from animal to animal and spreads rapidly in the wild, causing catastrophic mortality and declines in some species, while others are less affected.
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Wolf

Feral dogs kill another girl in Sitapur, India - death toll rises to 13 in 7 months

Rohit K Singh and Chandan Kumar
Hindustan Times
Sun, 13 May 2018 13:10 UTC
Villagers chasing away dogs in Sharfapur village in Sitapur on May 1.
Villagers chasing away dogs in Sharfapur village in Sitapur on May 1.
In yet another fatal attack, a pack of feral dogs killed another child in Sitapur district's Maheshpur Chilwara village on Sunday, taking the toll to 13 in the last six months, officials said.

District magistrate, Sitapur, Sheetal Verma said the 12-year-old girl Reena was attacked by a pack of seven dogs when she was going to the fields alone at around 7 am on Sunday.

"The girl died on the spot. I have asked the senior administrative officials to visit the village and meet the girl's family," she added.

Agitated over the death, at least 300 villagers blocked traffic for about half an hour on the national highway and demanded action to rein in feral dogs. The administration deployed police force near the highway to ensure law and order.
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Attention

Sick brown pelicans mysteriously turning up in Southern California

Angie Trumbo
MSN News
Fri, 11 May 2018 12:35 UTC
Devin Hanson, a rehabilitation technician with International Bird Rescue, examines a young, hungry and anemic brown pelican at a wildlife rehabilitation center in San Pedro.
© Angie Trumbo / APDevin Hanson, a rehabilitation technician with International Bird Rescue, examines a young, hungry and anemic brown pelican at a wildlife rehabilitation center in San Pedro.
The number of sick and dying brown pelicans along the Southern California coast has mysteriously surged in the last week, a wildlife organization said Thursday.

More than 25 pelicans have been brought to a wildlife rehabilitation center in the San Pedro, International Bird Rescue said.

The big birds are showing signs of emaciation, hypothermia and anemia, the organization said.

It's normal to receive recently fledged baby pelicans this time of year, but the current wave includes many second-year birds, said Kylie Clatterbuck, the center's manager.


Comment: Pelican attack sparks graduation ceremony chaos

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Attention

Raging bear attacks 4 villagers in Chhattisgarh, India

Alex Green
Daily Mail
Fri, 11 May 2018 11:50 UTC
The bear closes in on the villager in the town near Bhanwaradadar in Gomarda area Raigad District in Chattisgarh
The bear closes in on the villager in the town near Bhanwaradadar in Gomarda area Raigad District in Chattisgarh
Shocking footage shows a bear which had just attacked four villagers knocking over a man as it runs to hide up a tree.

The bear wandered out of a forest and reached a village near Bhanwaradadar in Gomarda area Raigad District in Chattisgarh, in India.

At about 5am the bear attacked an elderly man - who managed to escape by jumping into water next to a dam.

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Attention

Bear mauls a man to death who tried to take a selfie with it in Orissa, India

Connor Boyd
Daily Mail
Fri, 11 May 2018 11:26 UTC
The man became trapped underneath the animal before a mob of men with sticks came to his rescue Facebook
The man became trapped underneath the animal before a mob of men with sticks came to his rescue
Dramatic footage shows a bear being beaten by a crowd of men with sticks and spears after the animal mauled a man trying to take a selfie with it.

The unidentified victim, 27, was saved by locals in Orissa, India, who sprung to his defence when the distressed animal pounced on him.

Video footage captured by one of the bystanders shows the bear attacking the man as he struggles to escape its grip.


Comment: The latter incident: Man mauled to death by bear after trying to take selfie with it in Odisha, India.

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Wolf

Woman killed by pack of 7 dogs in Ardmore, Oklahoma

McKenna Eubank
KTEN News
Fri, 11 May 2018 10:38 UTC
canine attack
© Angela Antunes / CC by 2.0
Officials said a woman was attacked and killed by a neighbor's dogs on Thursday night.

Carter County Sheriff Chris Bryant said the victim -- whose name has not yet been released -- was attacked by seven dogs and later died from her injuries.

Bryant said the incident happened before 10 p.m. at a residence just east of Ardmore on Banyon Road. He said one of the dogs was a pit bull; the others were medium-sized dogs of other breeds, all with the same owner.

"Once we were notified that this female had succumbed to her injuries, the owner of the dogs decided to put the dogs down," Sheriff Bryant said.

Comment: A week earlier in the same state a pack of 4 pit bull terriers attacked 2 people in Oklahoma City.

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