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Three dead beached whale sharks found in Indonesia


The Jakarta Post
Fri, 29 Sep 2017 09:39 UTC
whale shark
Three whale sharks were found dead at Nangalili Beach in Benteng Dewa village, West Manggarai regency, West Nusa Tenggara, on Tuesday.

Two of the whale sharks were found dismembered after fishermen and local people took their meat for consumption, Kupang National Marine Conservation Bureau (BKKPN) chief Ikram Sangadji said, adding that the sharks died before they were found by the fishermen.
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Attention

Hunter hurt, grizzly bear sow killed in surprise encounter at Hungry Horse Reservoir, Montana

Perry Backus
Billings Gazette
Wed, 27 Sep 2017 20:00 UTC
BROWN BEAR
A bear hunter was injured and a grizzly sow killed in the Hungry Horse area Sunday following a surprise encounter on the east side of Hungry Horse Reservoir.

A father and his adult son, both from Kalispell, were pursuing a black bear through thick vegetation on steep hillsides at about 9 a.m. near the Dry Park Park area when they encountered the grizzly, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

The father was in his 60s and the son in his 30s.

The first indication a bear was near came when the men noticed brush moving about 25 to 30 yards away.

The grizzly appeared about 12 feet from them and grabbed the son's right arm at the elbow. While the bear was still holding onto his son, the father shot it in an attempt to get it to let go. The bear released the son and the father fired again. He shot the bear one more time at very close range when it turned toward him.
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Attention

Small shark attacks swimmer and refuses to let go off coast of Marathon, Florida

Catherine Chapman
Daily Mail
Wed, 27 Sep 2017 15:23 UTC
Ervin Maccarty emerges from the water with a small shark attached to his stomach. It really doesn't want to let go
Ervin Maccarty emerges from the water with a small shark attached to his stomach. It really doesn't want to let go
A man had to forcibly remove a shark from his stomach with a knife after it latched onto him while he was swimming off the coast of Marthon, Florida.

Shocking video shows Ervin Maccarty emerging from the water into a boat with a small shark attached to his body that won't let go.

He is heard swearing and the shark begins to struggle, sending Mr Maccarty down on the ground in pain.

His friends immediately come to his assistance, deciding to cut into the shark with a knife and 'bleed it out' until it lets go.

Blood spurts everywhere as they stab the shark and try to get it to let go over Mr Maccarty.

(WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT )

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Attention

Storm-driven tropical seabird discovered in Wellfleet, Massachusetts

Ethan Genter
Cape Cod Times
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:00 UTC
Wild Care staff are working to save a rare tropical seabird found Tuesday at LeCount Hollow Beach in Wellfleet
Wild Care staff are working to save a rare tropical seabird found Tuesday at LeCount Hollow Beach in Wellfleet
Wild Care staff is working to save a rare tropical seabird found Tuesday at LeCount Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, after it was apparently blown ashore by Tropical Storm Jose, according to a statement from the wildlife rehabilitation hospital.

Wild Care received a call about what was originally believed to be an injured gannet at the oceanside beach but it turned out to be the first masked booby to ever touch down on Massachusetts soil, officials said.

"Much to our surprise, the bird was not a gannet, but instead was a species of booby (a tropical relative of the Northern Gannet)," Stephanie Ellis, Wild Care's executive director, said in the statement. "The bird is very thin, weak and is experiencing respiratory discomfort likely due to a fungal infection. The bird's condition is grave, but we are providing supportive care and keeping it comfortable at this time."
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Attention

Surfer lucky to be alive after great white shark bit her board near Gracetown, Western Australia

Nkayla Afshariyan
Daily Mail
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:30 UTC
The woman was knocked off her board by a four metre Great White shark just before 6pm on Monday
The woman was knocked off her board by a four metre Great White shark just before 6pm on Monday
A woman in her 20s has been left shaken after a close call with a huge great white shark in Western Australia.

The woman, a Belgian national, was surfing off North Beach, near Gracetown, just before 6pm on Monday, when she was knocked off her board by a four-metre beast.

Her surfboard was damaged in the attack, with chunks missing from where the shark knocked her off.

North Beach was promptly closed following the near miss.

'To reduce the threat to people, North Point to Lefthanders surfing spot has now been closed,' the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said in a statement.
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Attention

Dead minke whale found on beach in Nakhodka, Russia


Pravda.Ru
Thu, 28 Sep 2017 09:01 UTC
WHALE
Surfers and fishermen found a dead whale in the sea near the beach of Nakhodka in the Far East of Russia. The fetid carcass stirred quite a commotion among sea gulls, crows and local selfie amateurs.

The dead whale is said to be about six meters long. Specialists identified the species as the little pike whale. Local residents asked the authorities to remove the dead whale from the beach. According to Primamedia, the carcass of the mammal has started decomposing and has poisoned air along the coastline. The stench may ruin the vacation for many of those who enjoy themselves at local recreation centers.

For the time being, the authorities have taken no action to remove the body of the whale from the beach line.

Doctor of Biological Sciences Vladimir Rakov noted in a comment for the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper that there was nothing surprising in the appearance of the little pike whale, aka Minke's whale, in the area. These whales may often be killed by propellers of vessels, the professor said.

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Binoculars

Rare sighting of frigatebird in Wausau, Wisconsin, a likely hurricane refugee

Meg Jones
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 18:38 UTC
frigatebird
© Kory Renaud
It's easy to notice magnificent frigatebirds — their large black "M-shaped" wings, long beak and long straight tails cut quite a silhouette in the sky, and the males are known for puffing out a large red pouch at their throat to attract females.

When a birding enthusiast saw a frigatebird last Friday, she snapped several photos of the majestic bird and posted them on Facebook.

Had the birder been in Florida or Texas, it wouldn't have been noteworthy. But this ocean-going frigatebird was seen flying over

How the female frigatebird ended up hundreds of miles away from her native ocean habitat in the middle of Wisconsin is unknown, but it's a good bet she was blown up here by one of the hurricanes that slammed Texas and Florida.

Friday's sighting was only the fourth recorded in Wisconsin dating back to 1880 and the first in a decade.

Melanie Coulthurst photographed a magnificent frigatebird over Bluegill Bay Park in Wausau on Sept. 22, 2017.
Melanie Coulthurst photographed a magnificent frigatebird over Bluegill Bay Park in Wausau on Sept. 22, 2017.

Comment: A similar event took place in June as Tropical Storm Cindy hit the coast, see: Wrong place, wrong time: Tropical seabird turns up at Point Pelee, Ontario

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Attention

Forty seven dead dolphins found on Gulf Coast so far in 2017

Gina Tomlinson
wxxv25.com
Thu, 21 Sep 2017 17:57 UTC
dead dolphin
Nearly 50 dolphins have washed up dead on the Gulf Coast this year. That number is concerning scientists at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies.

The 47th dead dolphin was found this morning east of Fort Maurepas Pier in Ocean Springs. According to the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, the female dolphin that died weighs about 340 pounds, measuring over seven feet long.

The institute has also counted 52 dead sea turtles this year. Marine experts say the cause may be due to environmental changes. Dr. Moby Solangi said, "We've had a lot of rainfall in June and elsewhere, a lot of freshwater coming in. We've had some of these hurricanes that have disrupted the habitat and then we have this huge dead zone at the mouth of the Mississippi River which is the largest in the history."

Marine experts say they're working to better understand the cause of the dolphin's death. To report a stranded dolphin call the Institute's rescue team at 1-888-SOS-DOLPHIN.

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Black Cat 2

Kitten born with two faces in Chongqing, China

Dami Olonisakin
IFL Science
Mon, 25 Sep 2017 16:38 UTC
Janus cat
© NewsFlare
Cats are usually said to have nine lives, but this kitten had two faces. It was dubbed the "Janus" cat after the two-faced Roman God of the same name.

Below is a video of the cat gently meowing from both of its mouths. The footage was originally found in Chongqing, China. Unfortunately after two days, it was reported that Janus had died due to its rare condition, known as diprosopus.

Now, this isn't the first time anything like this has been seen before - a two-faced gray feline called "FrankenLouie" died in 2014 from cancer, at the age of 15. He made his mark in the Guinness World Records for being the longest ever surviving Janus cat, despite predictions that he would only live for a few days.

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Attention

Grizzly bear attacks hunter in Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming

Erika Dahlby
Jackson Hole News and Guide
Mon, 25 Sep 2017 11:37 UTC
Bear attack
A 41-year-old man was attacked by a grizzly bear in Pacific Creek, resulting in severe injuries, but was able to ride out on his own, police say.

The Rock Springs man has severe lacerations on his head, lip, nose and left arm, Sgt. Todd Stanyon from the Teton County Sheriff's Office said, along with bite marks on his back and rear hip area.

Stanyon said the man and his brother were hunting in the forest when he was attacked around 10 a.m.

"He's a tough guy," Stanyon said. "He was able to ride out of there on his own."
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