Animals
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Attention

2 sperm whales wash up on Kenya and Tanzania beaches

Alphonce Gari
The Star (Kenya)
Sat, 22 Oct 2016 16:43 UTC
Tanzanians view the dead sperm whale found three days ago in Kilwa
© Alphonce GariTanzanians view the dead sperm whale found three days ago in Kilwa
Marine scientists have raised concerns about the safety of sea mammals after two large sperm whales were found dead in Kenya and Tanzania along the shores of the Indian Ocean.

The first sperm whale was found dead two weeks ago at Ngomeni Beach in Magarini subcounty. Three days ago another one was spotted in Kiilwa, Tanzania. It was larger than the one found in Kenya.

The one found in Ngomeni was stranded while the one in Tanzania died under unclear circumstances.

Fishermen believe the two could have died as a result of offshore oil and gas exploration.

"No one is sure what's caused the death of these sperm whales," Hadley Becha of Conservation and Community Advocates said. The organisation raises awareness about the problems of the oil and gas industry.

Experts say oil and gas survey interfere with marine animals' hearing and orientation and cause stranding.
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Cow

Woman killed in cattle attack in County Down, Northern Ireland

Cate McCurry
The Independent (Ireland)
Thu, 20 Oct 2016 20:41 UTC
cow face
A woman has been killed after she was attacked by cattle on a family farm in Co Derry.

The pensioner, who has been named locally as Brigid McKeefry and is aged in her 70s, was rushed to the Causeway Hospital for treatment.

However she later died from her injuries and a post-mortem is taking place.

The tragic incident happened on the family farm off Carhill Road in Garvagh at about 2.30pm when the woman was attacked by cattle.

It is understood Mrs McKeefry had been working with livestock at the time.

DUP east Londonderry MLA Adrian McQuillan expressed his sympathies to the elderly woman's family.

Mr McQuillan said late last night: "This news is very shocking to the entire close-knit community of Garvagh and the surrounding areas.
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Attention

Whale washes up on beach in Cameron, Louisiana


myarklamiss.com
Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:57 UTC
WHALE WASHES UP ON BEACH IN CAMERON
Whale washes up on beach in Cameron
A dead whale has washed up on a southwest Louisiana beach.

The whale was discovered Thursday, October 20th on Little Florida beach just west of Holly beach in Cameron Parish.

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries agents say the 21-foot animal is believed to be a sperm whale.

An examination of the whale is underway to determine what happened.
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Attention

Elephant kills tourist in Kenya; 3rd attack in a month


The Herald (South Africa)
Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:25 UTC
African elephant
A Belgian tourist was trampled to death by an elephant near Kenya's famed Maasai Mara wildlife reserve.

It was the second such incident in a month.

"He was badly injured by the rogue elephant and succumbed to injuries at the Talek Health Centre," a police officer said.

The death of the Belgian man on Monday in circumstances that remain unclear comes after an Italian man was trampled in the Tsavo National Park, southeast Kenya, while trying to take a photograph of an elephant.

Kenyan daily The Standard reported that in a separate incident on Tuesday, a Kenyan secondary school student had been killed by an elephant while on the way to school.

The Kenya Wildlife Service warned that a fierce drought was pushing wildlife further from their traditional habitats in search of food and water.

Source: AFP

Comment: See also: Tourist trampled to death by elephant after provoking it by moving too near to takes pictures in Kenya

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Attention

'Nature can bite back': Doctors warn of otter attacks after one viciously attacks Quebec woman

Sharon Kirkey
Ottawa Citizen
Sun, 25 Sep 2016 19:00 UTC
A river otter
© Charles KennardA river otter
Following an encounter naturalists are calling beyond bizarre, Canada's top medical journal is warning of otter attacks on humans after a Quebec woman received multiple deep puncture wounds in her legs from being bitten while swimming at a lakefront chalet.

The case — if the vicious marine animal was indeed a Lontra canadensis (North American river otter), and Elizabeth Elbourne is absolutely convinced it was — joins only 44 reports of otter attacks published worldwide since 1875.

The alarming encounter occurred last August, after Elbourne told her daughter she was going for a "quick dip" in the lake at their rental cottage in the Laurentians.

Suddenly, while doing the front crawl, the woman felt something sharp hit her leg. "So I stopped, and saw this otter's head sticking of the water."

Comment: See also these other reports from recent years: 9 year old boy recovering from otter attack near Kalispell, Montana

Minneapolis girl attacked and chased by otter in Wisconsin lake

Boy and grandmother attacked and injured by river otter on Pilchuck River, Washington

River otter attacks woman swimmer in British Columbia lake

Girl, 13, attacked by otter in Kalama River, Washington

Woman recovering after 'vicious' OTTER attack in West Yellowstone, Montana

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Wolf

143% increase in dog attacks between 2010 and 2015 for the county of Essex, UK

Charlotte Sullivan
Heart
Thu, 20 Oct 2016 18:25 UTC
Dog attack
Figures obtained by Heart following a freedom of information request, show dog attacks in Essex have increased by 143% over the last 5 years.

Between 2010 and 2015 the number of attacks by dogs here, where injury has been caused, has gone up by 278.

The figures also show that attacks on children under the age of 18 has almost doubled.

In the last 3 months alone, there have been two fatal dog attacks on children here in Essex. In August this year, 3 year old Dexter Neal was mauled to death in a garden in Halstead and then last Thursday, 4 month old Archie Darby died after being attacked by a dog at his aunt's house in Colchester.

And the trend shows no evidence of slowing down. This year alone, between January and August, there's already been 397 dog attacks in Essex.
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Attention

Whale washes up on beach in Norfolk, UK

Chris Bishop
Eastern Daily Press
Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:45 UTC
Holkham Beach, where the whale washed up
© Mattheew UsherHolkham Beach, where the whale washed up
A spokesman for the Holkham estate said the beach remained open but plans were in place to remove the creature.

She added: "On Thursday afternoon, a dead 40ft Finn whale was washed up on Holkham Beach, part of Holkham National Nature Reserve, on the north Norfolk coast.

"Wardens from the reserve have reported the whale to the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) who hope to carry out a post-mortem to establish cause of death.

"Plans are in place to remove the whale from the beach. Holkham Beach remains open but we advise the public not to venture close to the carcass and to keep dogs on leads."
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Attention

Whale carcass washes up on Southbroom Beach, South Africa


South Coast Herald
Thu, 20 Oct 2016 16:33 UTC
Whale carcass
© John Neaves
Beachwalkers stumbled across a decomposing whale washed up on Southbroom beach this morning.

Madelene Stopforth, (52), of Margate was walking along the beach with her husband when they found across the carcass wedged up between the rocks, about half a kilometre south of Southbroom's main beach.

She described the sight as very gory, as the whale's flesh was peeling off it's massive body.

"The mammal's backbone was sticking out and it's intestines, which were full of gas and looked bubbly, were floating in the water."
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Attention

Signs and Portents: Video shows 'mutant' pig with two snouts and three eyes born in China

Natalie Evans
Daily Mirror
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 17:53 UTC
The piglet was born with two snouts and three eyes
The piglet was born with two snouts and three eyes
More disturbing footage has emerged online showing another 'mutant' pig born in China.

The animal was born with three eyes and two snouts on a farm in a rural area in the south west of the country.

Owner He Ruxian said the piglet had been hand-reared since birth as its deformity makes it difficult to feed, according to the New China newspaper.

Despite being scared by the creature's bizarre appearance, He said she now thinks it is "quite cute".

Owner He Ruxian now thinks the animal is
Owner He Ruxian now thinks the animal is "quite cute"
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Binoculars

Yellow-nosed albatross from the southern hemisphere makes rare appearance on Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Mark Faherty
capeandislands.org
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 15:06 UTC
Yellow-nosed Albatross
© Ed Dunens Yellow-nosed Albatross
Already one of the great seabird watching locations in the world, Cape Cod recently produced yet another staggering record. Following last weekend's storm, a Yellow-nosed Albatross was spotted doing what albatrosses do, casually gliding around in the wicked winds off First Encounter Beach in Eastham.

First Encounter has long been known in the birding world as the place to be following the passage of a Nor'easter, and the legendary location came through again.

During a Nor'easter, seabirds that would normally be well offshore get blown into Cape Cod Bay, where they wait for the right conditions to exit the bay and head back out to sea. During the easterly blow, the north facing beach at Sandy Neck in Barnstable is a good place to see these birds as they struggle to fly into the strong headwinds. But when the storm has passed and the winds shift to the northwest, the west-facing First Encounter offers the best chance to see birds typically difficult or impossible to see from land in this part of the world, and often right off the beach. Everything from puffins to rare Caribbean petrels have passed this beach over the years. And this is the second Yellow-nosed Albatross for First Encounter, the last one recorded in 2003. Local sea birding legend Blair Nikula is responsible for both of these records
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