Animals
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Microscope 2

Discovery: Mutated fish that have become 8,000 times more resistant to toxic waste

Mike McRae
Science Alert
Sat, 10 Dec 2016 00:00 UTC
golden fish
© Andrew Whitehead/UC DavisThe Future of Fish
Researchers have discovered that a fish living off the east coast of the US has evolved to be 8,000 times more resilient to toxic waste than normal fish. The small striped 'mud minnow', or killifish, is known for living in heavily polluted estuaries such as New Jersey's Newark Bay and Virginia's Elizabeth River. And scientists have now shown that it survives thanks to an extreme mutation that lets them endure toxic waste.

The killifish is a favourite among aquarium owners for its small size and beautiful colours. It's also a favourite for ecologists as an indicator species, acting as an aquatic canary in polluted environments. "You see killifish at these sites that are extremely tolerant of some very nasty chemical pollutants," environmental toxicologist Andrew Whitehead from the University of California, Davis, told National Geographic.

The mix of dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), and heavy metals in these sites were anywhere up to 8,000 times the level that would make most killifish go belly-up. Just like Blinky the three-eyed fish from the Simpsons, these fish were thriving in a toxic soup. Unlike good old Blinky, there was nothing physically different about these populations. Their genes told a different story, however.
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Attention

Dead humpback whale found on beach in North Truro, Massachusetts


Boston Herald
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 18:48 UTC
Dead humpback whale on High Head Beach
Dead humpback whale on High Head Beach
An animal welfare group says a dead humpback whale was found on a beach in Massachusetts.

Misty Niemeyer, a necropsy coordinator with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, tells The Cape Cod Times the beached carcass was reported to IFAW on Wednesday by Center for Coastal Studies staff on a boat that was passing by the Atlantic Ocean beach in North Truro.

IFAW experts examined the animal on High Head Beach on Thursday, but couldn't immediately determine a cause of death.

Niemeyer says experts determined the 32-foot-long female humpback— estimated to be about 3 to 7 years old —has likely been dead for at least two days and possibly more than a week.

Source: Associated Press
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Bizarro Earth

Conservation body warns giraffes undergoing a 'silent extinction'

Marlowe Hood
Yahoo
Thu, 08 Dec 2016 16:18 UTC
giraffes
© AFP Photo/Mark RALSTON
Wild giraffe numbers have plummeted by 40 percent in the last three decades, and the species is now "vulnerable" to extinction, a top conservation body warned Thursday.

The population of the world's tallest land mammal dropped to below 100,000 in 2015, mainly due to shrinking habitat and illegal hunting, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reported.

The group added 742 newly-discovered birds to the global species inventory, but said 11 percent were already facing annihilation and 13 previously unknown species have already disappeared in the wild.

"These majestic land animals are undergoing a silent extinction," Julian Fennessy, co-chairman of the IUCN's specialist group on giraffes, said in a statement.

Previously, giraffes held the status of "least concern" on the IUCN's Red List, which tracks the conservation status of fauna and flora and ends with the category "extinct".
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Wolf

Stray dogs kill 4 children within a week in 2 Uttar Pradesh villages, India

Nazar Abbas
The Times of India
Wed, 07 Dec 2016 16:30 UTC
Stray dogs
Representative image
Villagers in Kundarki sub-division of Moradabad have taken to the streets in protest after two more children, six-year-old Abdul Samad and 10-year-old Rehnuma, were mauled to death by strays. Two days ago, two kids were killed by dogs in another village. In all, eight children have fallen to dog attacks in the area this year. Officials are unable to understand how the number of canines has gone up again when 160 dogs were caught in the area and released into the wild just last month.

The situation has become so grim that the administration now wants trained shooters and tranquiliser guns to deal with the menace. The district magistrate has ordered a probe into the growing number of dog attacks.

Abdul Basit, sub-divisional magistrate, said, "The alarming frequency of dog attacks indicates that the canines here may have developed the habit of eating human flesh and find easy prey in children. On occasions, we have placed pieces of animal meat in jungles in our bid to lure them into traps, but they didn't eat it." The administration has also blamed forest officials for not providing assistance in catching dogs. "The forest department says the problem is out of their purview as jungle dogs are not categorised as vermin," Basit added.

Six-year-old Abdul Samad was attacked by a pack of over a dozen dogs in Bhishmpur village of Kundarki on Tuesday when he was playing near a field along with four other children. "My son resisted the dogs and fought them for 10 minutes before he fell down. By the time other children informed others and he was rescued, it was too late," said his father Ibne Hasan. Ten-year-old Rehnuma was killed by dogs in Chitupur village on Monday.
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Attention

Safari leader killed by elephant in Malawi

Julian Robinson
Daily Mail
Wed, 07 Dec 2016 16:12 UTC
A safari leader has died after his vehicle was flipped over by an elephant
A safari leader has died after his vehicle was flipped over by an elephant
A safari leader has died after his vehicle was flipped over by an elephant which then attacked him when he got out and took a photograph.

Norwegian Sigurd Halvorsen was taking a group of four tourists and two other guides around the Majete Game Reserve in Malawi when the enraged animal rammed into them.

The elephant battered the car against a tree and turned it over before the terrified passengers managed to escape unhurt.

Halvorsen, from Haugesund in Norway, started taking pictures when he believed he was at a safe distance - only for the huge animal to launch an attack.

His family insist that he was not using a flash despite claims in Malawi media, according to Norwegian website Haugesund Avis.
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Wolf

Pit bull terrier seriously injures four-year-old boy in Pocatello, Idaho

Misty Inglet
localnews8.com
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:52 UTC
Dog attack
A four-year-old boy is recovering Monday night after he was attacked by a pit bull Sunday afternoon.

The boy is currently in his mother's custody and was living with her. The pit bull was owned by the mother's boyfriend.

The attack happened just off Highway 30 in a camper home next to the Idaho Salvage Pool. Greg Hamann, the boy's father, said his son went into the kitchen to talk to his mom. That's when the pit bull attacked. Hamann said they don't know why the dog would have attacked.

Now his son has a lot of healing to do. The attack damaged two of the boy's facial nerves, which control movements, like smiling. Other wounds damaged the spit glands, the upper lip and below one eye.

dog attack
It took surgeons six and a half hours of surgery to repair the damage. Hamann said there were so many stitches no one could even get an exact count, but he said there's more than 1,000. He said his son will not only have a long to recovery physically, but emotionally.

"He's going to have to do a lot of counseling because he's going to be terrified," Hamann said. "A poor four-year-old don't know what's going on when something like that happens. So it's going to take a lot of time and a lot of counseling, a lot of love."

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Wolf

Woman mauled by at least 1 of her 3 dogs in Lauderhill, Florida

Amanda Batchelor
local10.com
Mon, 05 Dec 2016 17:21 UTC
Dog attack
A woman was rushed to a hospital Monday afternoon after she was attacked by at least one of her dogs, police said.

The incident was reported in the 4100 block of Northwest 21st Street.

Lauderhill Fire Rescue officials said the woman was taken to Broward Health Medical Center in critical condition after she was attacked by three pit bulls. However, Lauderhill police Maj. Rick Rocco said the breed of dog is unconfirmed.

Rocco said the woman was visiting from out of state and brought her three dogs with her. She was alone in her nephew's apartment when he came home to find the dog attacking her.

He called police, and officers arrived to help.

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Attention

213 killed by elephants in three years in the state of Odisha, India


Odisha Sun Times
Tue, 29 Nov 2016 19:27 UTC
Not so fast
Not so fast
As many as 213 persons have been killed in elephant attacks in Odisha in the last three years from 2013 to 2016, said Environment, Forest and Climate Change minister Anil Madhav Dave answering an unstarred question raised by BJD parliamentarian Narendra Kumar Swain on Monday.

67 persons in 2013-14, 65 persons in 2014-15 and 81 persons in 20115-16 were killed in jumbo attacks in the state, the information read.

While only one person was killed in tiger attacks in Odisha, 101 persons were killed in the last three years in 19 states in the country, the minister added.
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Question

Hundreds of migratory birds found dead at lake in Odisha, India


Orissa Post
Sat, 03 Dec 2016 18:25 UTC
Birds at Chilika Lake
Birds at Chilika Lake
Carcasses of hundreds of migratory birds have been floating over last two days in Chilika lake under local tehsil area in Puri district, according to a report.

Surprisingly, wildlife officials have no knowledge about the development even as nearby villagers are on a collection spree of dead birds for consumption purpose. Some people are even selling these birds to some restaurant owners at Satapada, it was learnt.

A large number of birds flock to Chilika, Asia's largest brackish water lake, flying across thousands of miles during November. A special department has also been formed to ensure the safety of birds who stay here till February. Though a number of squads have been formed for their protection, ignorance of the department is baffling over the massive death of the winged guests.

It is suspected that the birds are dying after suffering from bird flu in the region.

According to reports, nearly three lakh feathered guests have come to Chilika lake this year which is spread across three districts - Ganjam, Puri and Khurda. It is feared that none of the visitors would survive unless the concerned department diagnoses the reason of death after collecting the samples. The carcasses were spotted near Tichhini, Gurubai, Sipia, Nuapada villages, locals said.
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Wolf

6-year-old boy dies after pit bull terrier attack in Huntington, West Virginia

Bishop Nash
The Herald Dispatch
Sun, 04 Dec 2016 18:03 UTC
Dog attack
A 6-year-old boy has died from injuries suffered when he was mauled by a pit bull Friday night, Huntington Police Chief Joe Ciccarelli confirmed Saturday.

The attack happened just after 9 p.m. Friday in the 2600 block of 9th Avenue. Scanner traffic at the time indicated the boy had suffered severe injuries to his neck and head, and that the dog remained aggressive as first responders arrived.

The boy was rushed to Cabell Huntington Hospital, where he died of his injuries later Friday night. His name has not been released.

Huntington police are conferring with Cabell County prosecuting attorneys to determine if any criminal charges will be filed, Ciccarelli said. The dog and the boy were living in the same household.
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