Animals
S


Attention

2 rare Irrawaddy dolphins die in East Kalimantan, Indonesia

N.Adri
The Jakarta Post
Thu, 14 Jul 2016 09:57 UTC
Protected species -- A local resident rescues a wounded Irrawaddy dolphin, locally known as pesut, from the Mahakam River, East Kalimantan. Mahakam pesut currently number only 87 individual animals, down from 96 recorded last year.
© TempoProtected species -- A local resident rescues a wounded Irrawaddy dolphin, locally known as pesut, from the Mahakam River, East Kalimantan. Mahakam pesut currently number only 87 individual animals, down from 96 recorded last year.
Conservation activists are calling for a more concerted effort to protect the habitat of Irrawaddy dolphins, or pesut, in Mahakam River in East Kalimantan after two of the protected species were found dead, thought to be as a result of widespread environmental problems.

Save Mahakam Pesut Community activist Innal Rahman said the Mahakam pesut was a protected species as it was critically endangered. The population of Mahakam pesut now numbers only 87 individual animals, down from 96 recorded last year.

The first dolphin was found dead in Kutai Kartanegara regency on July 3. It was suspected that the female dolphin died four days before it was found by local residents traveling on the river.

"We saw it stranded near a coal stockpile of coal company PT Morris," said Rahman, who spotted the dolphin at the location. At 233 centimeters in length and a body circumference of 128 cm, it is believed the dolphin was fully mature.
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Black Cat

Leopards now attacking people in their houses in India

Jotirmay Thapliyal
The Tribune (India)
Thu, 14 Jul 2016 17:38 UTC
Leopards now attacking humans in their houses
Leopards now attacking humans in their houses
Man-leopard conflicts in Uttarakhand are increasing as the latest trend shows desperate leopards are now venturing into houses in villages and brazenly attacking villagers. There have been two incidents of leopards entering the inner rooms of houses and attacking people fast asleep. A few days ago, a woman managed to escape from a prowling leopard that had entered her house in the Gangolihat area of Pithoragarh district. Similarly, in another incident, a leopard attacked family members fast asleep in their house in the Jakhnidhaar block of Tehri Garhwal district around midnight last night. However, in both cases the inmates of the houses showed exceptional bravery and managed to save themselves.

The first incident happened in Gangolihat tehsil of Pithoragarh district on July 9 when Prema Devi, a resident of Sunyoda village, fought a leopard that had entered into a room of her house. Despite getting injured, Prema Devi hit the leopard with a stick and forced the animal to flee.

Similarly, Vimla Devi along with her four children was fast asleep when a leopard barged into her house in the Jakhnidhar block of Tehri Garhwal district last night. The leopard attacked Vimla but her 16-year-old son Pankaj showed bravery and attacked the animal with a stick. Taken by surprise, the leopard fled the house. Both these incidents point towards the fact that villagers in hills are now not safe even in their houses.

Comment: See also this selection of reports from India for the last 2 years of what seems to be increasingly bold, atypical behaviour by this big cat: Girl killed by leopard as she slept next to her parents in India

Leopard attacks rise in Nashik region India: 12 people killed in five years

Leopard kills boy after entering house in Junnar, India: 'Very abnormal activity'

Leopard kills three-and-half-yr-old girl in Rampur, India

Leopard attacks boy and father in Dhar, India

50-yr-old woman killed by leopard in Junnar, India

Leopard changing its spots? Big cat attack on human, scooter and 4 by 4 vehicle in India

Hunt on for man-eater leopard after 2 killed in Alirajpur, India

Eight separate leopard attacks on humans across India within 2 months: Leopard attacks 5 people, beaten to death in Assam, India

Man-eating leopard preys on drunk villagers in the Didihat region, Himalayas

Leopard on the loose in Indian city sparks terror as it runs wild in a hospital, cinema and apartment block

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Bizarro Earth

Mutant fish with frightening face, sharp teeth and body of an eel caught in central Russia

Gareth Davies
Daily Mail
Tue, 12 Jul 2016 23:59 UTC
mutant fish kama river russia
Fishermen were left reeling when they caught this bizarre mutant-looking black fish with a frightening face, big sharp teeth and the body of an eel
Fishermen were left reeling when they caught this bizarre mutant-looking black fish with a frightening face, sharp teeth and the body of an eel.

It was caught in the Kama River in central Russia's Udmurt Republic by fishermen using earth worms.

There is still confusion over what the creature is, with the fishermen themselves saying it's a mutated freshwater fish while others claim it's a piranha.

The creature, which held up against the fisherman's arm looks to be at least two feet long, completely stumped its hunters when they pulled it out of the water.
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Cloud Lightning

2 pedigree cows killed by lightning bolt in County Wicklow, Ireland

John Lawrence
Irish Independent
Wed, 13 Jul 2016 21:01 UTC
2 pedigree cows were killed by a bolt of lightning as they grazed.
© Victor Jackson2 pedigree cows were killed by a bolt of lightning as they grazed.
Victor Jackson, from Kiltegan in Co Wicklow, described how both heavily pregnant Holstein Friesian cows were found "stone dead only three feet from each other" after a period of intense thunder and lightning.

He found one of the valuable cows, who was mainly white in colour, "with singe marks on her back where she had been roasted".

"There were about 30 cows in a group at the time and they were standing near an electric fence in the wide open. There was no shelter," said the award-winning dairy farmer.

"There had been a lot of thunder and lightning in the area at the time. At one stage there was an almighty bang of thunder and it nearly shook the house."

But he only suspected something was wrong with his herd when some surviving animals walked into his yard.
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Cloud Lightning

2 dogs killed by lightning bolt at animal rescue shelter in Darlington, South Carolina


wbtw.com
Wed, 13 Jul 2016 20:44 UTC
Dogs home
© Darlington Rescue Facebook page
Two dogs at a local animal rescue were killed this week after lightning struck their kennels.

According to the Darlington Rescue Facebook page, the incident happened Monday night when a severe thunderstorm rolled through the area.

The dogs were electrocuted because their bodies were in contact with the kennels when they were struck. "Cora", a young brown and white hound mix, and "Amelia", a blue bull mix, were killed by the storm.

Holley Farmbrough said they could feel the electrical current running through the metal when they went into the kennels, and immediately turned the power off.

Power was lost - and remains lost in many areas - and our shelter staff and volunteers are scrambling to care for our residents as best they can, while also grieving for two innocent lives lost, the page stated.
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Camera

Wild elephant kills man trying to take a selfie in Nepal


iol.co.za
Wed, 13 Jul 2016 20:26 UTC
Charging elephant
© GettyCharging elephant
A man was killed in southern Nepal as he tried to take a selfie with a wild elephant, authorities said Wednesday.

The man had been driving a water tanker when he stopped to take a photograph with the animal. The wild elephant attacked the man and killed him, Parsa Wildlife Reserve officials said.

The wild elephant was part of a herd moving from the western to the eastern part of the reserve, an annual movement during the monsoon.

A herd of 21 jumbos made the movement on Tuesday. The elephants disrupted traffic on the highway that passes through the forest for several hours.

There are 65 elephants in the Parsa Wildlife Reserve and around 170 total wild elephants in the country. About the same number are kept as working elephants at tourist resorts and government-run breeding centres.

Deaths from elephant attacks are not uncommon in southern Nepal's buffer zones near forest areas.

Source: DPA

Comment: See also: Elephant kills woman taking photographs on Java, Indonesia

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Attention

Rough seas toss up dead whale in New Zealand

Mike Dinsdale
New Zealand Herald
Wed, 13 Jul 2016 14:19 UTC
At 22 metres long, the decomposing whale is starting to get
At 22 metres long, the decomposing whale is starting to get "very smelly" and potentially dangerous.
A 22-metre long blue whale washed up on a private Far North beach has excited a marine mammal expert but also sparked a health warning as the giant sea creature decomposes.

The whale was probably a blue whale, but whether it is a pygmy blue or a true blue whale would not be known until samples taken by the Department of Conservation had been analysed, Forest & Bird marine mammal specialist Anton van Helden said.

It washed up on a private beach about 40 minutes north of Kerikeri on Saturday.

Mr van Helden said even the best analysis may never uncover the cause of death.

The 22-metre long blue whale washed up on a private Far North beach.
The 22-metre long blue whale washed up on a private Far North beach.
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Cow Skull

Spanish bull community claim killing matadors part of culture

Formelia Alberthine
News Thump
Tue, 12 Jul 2016 23:07 UTC
Bull fight
© News Thump
The Spanish bull community has defended the cold-blooded killing of matadors, insisting that upholding of a centuries-old tradition is definitely not cruel.

Following the tragic death of matador, Victor Barrio, Madrid's bull community have remained defiant in the face of accusations of brutal and inhumane acts conducted to sate the bloodlust of baying spectators. A spokesperson for the bull community told us, "Look - we regularly face this kind of criticism from people around the world who simply do not respect the wretched things we hold so dear.

"They say 'oh its so barbaric that you still attack and kill humans in cold blood for fun whilst other bulls stand around cheering and singing - we can't believe you still do that stuff'.

"But simply stopping the horrible things you've been doing for generations is extremely difficult - American Law Enforcement can attest to that.

"Besides - Matadors have very sharp spears which they stick in us and wave around capes coloured an infuriating shade of red - what's to like?

Former Matador, Javier Gomes, agreed it was important for bull's to retain the right to conduct barbaric acts in the name of perpetuating national heritage.

"Every once in a while we need bull's to redress the balance.

"Generally speaking, a bull killing a matador is extremely rare.

"Frankly, there is more chance of Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom doing a girl-on-girl scene for Playboy."
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Health

Beaver attacks paddle boarder in Asheville, North Carolina

John Boyle
wcsh6.com
Mon, 11 Jul 2016 18:30 UTC
Beaver
Beaver
A beaver suspected of carrying rabies attacked a paddle boarder on Beaver Lake, inflicting multiple lacerations.

An animal control officer with the Asheville Police Department caught the beaver Saturday, less than a day after the 3:30 p.m. ET Friday incident. It was euthanized and was being tested Monday at a state laboratory in Raleigh N.C., for the virus.

"I saw a big splash, but I didn't see what the splash was from," said Betsy Bent, 67, who has used Beaver Lake for 22 years. "It came up under my board and knocked my board over, and then it latched onto my leg and wouldn't let go. I didn't know what it was at that time. I didn't think there was any 'Jaws' in Beaver Lake."

Once Bent fell in the water, the beaver kept attacking.

"I was yelling, 'Help, I'm being bitten!' " she said. " A very nice fisherman was talking to me and motioning me to come over, and then it turned around and attacked me again and latched onto my hand. Then it came around a third time and latched onto my other hand."
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Alarm Clock

Over 50 young sharks killed, left on shore in Mobile Bay, Alabama


AL.com
Mon, 11 Jul 2016 21:42 UTC
Black tip sharks
© WKRG
Alabama's Marine Resources Division and Dauphin Island Sea Lab are investigating the deaths of dozens of sharks found Saturday morning along the shore of Mobile Bay, WKRG television news is reporting.

The director of the Alabama Marine Resources Division said the number of sharks an officer found was 57.

The sharks, identified mostly as bull sharks, were discovered by residents and visitors on the beach on Belleair Boulevard, near Dauphin Island Parkway, the television station reported. One woman, who is on vacation with her family, reported finding a net with close to 40 sharks inside, the television station reports.

"It definitely caught our attention because I know that that is illegal and you shouldn't be doing that. We just didn't know what to do about it," Sabrina Rios told WKRG. Rios reported she and others tried to bury as many of the sharks as they could because of the smell.

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