Earth ChangesS


Attention

Raccoon attacks infant inside his Idaho home

racoon
A raccoon attacked an infant inside an Idaho home this week as the baby boy was in a carrier, the state wildlife department said Friday.

The incident happened Monday in Cassia County after the infant's mother had just returned home, Idaho Fish and Game said in a statement.

The mother heard a noise, investigated and found the animal, it said.

"The mother found a raccoon attacking her infant. She was able to grab the animal to stop the attack," the department said.

The child's father and a Cassia County sheriff's deputy went to the home, found the raccoon still inside and they killed the animal, Fish and Game said.

Doberman

'Nature is sometimes cruel': Hyena kills girl, 3, at Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, South Africa

a spotted hyena
A spotted hyena
The young daughter of a staff member at one of the privately owned safari lodges at Timbavati Private Nature Reserve was killed by a spotted hyena on Friday, 27 December.

A hyena attack at a privately owned lodge in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve led to the death of a young girl on the evening of Friday, 27 December. The reserve lies on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park, extending into both Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

The victim was the daughter of one of the staff members employed at the lodge. Edwin Pierce, warden of the reserve, told Daily Maverick he was "deeply saddened" to confirm the deadly attack.

Volcano

Dofen mountain (Afar region, Ethiopia): volcano in the area of ongoing quakes starts erupting jets of steam and mud

New vent at Dofen mountain erupting a strong jet of steam and mud
© Fana Broadcasting CorporateNew vent at Dofen mountain erupting a strong jet of steam and mud
A new vent producing a powerful jet of gas, rocks and mud has been observed at Dofen volcano in Dulecha district a short time ago. This is the area closest to the ongoing seismic swarm in Ethiopia's Afar region, which we suspect to be caused by the intrusion of magma.

The embedded video below although not clear enough to see much details shows what might be phreatic or hydrothermal explosive activity, when ground water is heated by fluids from magma underneath and flashes to steam, escaping in this case from an open ground crack. It is not entirely clear if a vent had existed at the site before or if it opened recently.

There are no further details available immediately, but this clearly is a sign of escalation of the crisis and strongly hints that a volcanic eruption could be in the making.


Attention

Surfer attacked by shark on South Australia west coast identified as Lance Appleby - 2nd such fatality for the country in 5 days (4th globally)

Great white shark
The victim of a suspected fatal shark attack off South Australia's west coast has been identified as 28-year-old Lance Appleby.

Heartfelt tributes have been paid to the surfer and talented footballer, with friends describing Mr Appleby as a "loved character" and a "bloody champion man".

SA Police said Mr Appleby was surfing at Granites beach south-west of Streaky Bay on Thursday evening when witnesses reported seeing a shark attack him.

Emergency services will renew their search on Saturday morning after they suspended their efforts on Friday afternoon after searching the water for most of the day.

They also searched the area for a few hours on Thursday evening after initial reports of the attack just after 7pm.

Police and locals have described the incident as a "tragedy" and have expressed condolences to the victim's family, friends and colleagues.


Comment: Details of the 3 other recent deaths:


Attention

Shark attack kills man in New Caledonia

Great white shark
A man has been killed in a shark attack in the French territory of New Caledonia, according to local media. This marks the second fatal shark attack reported worldwide in a single day.

The incident occurred at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Thursday while the victim and his family were spearfishing near Kendek Islet, close to the city of Koumac, according to Nouvelle-Calédonie La 1ère, citing the prosecutor's office. The 40-year-old man was at a drop-off about 50 feet (15 meters) deep when he was attacked by the shark.

The man lost consciousness after sustaining severe injuries to his arm. Family members at the scene managed to bring him back to the islet before transporting him by boat to the marina.

The victim's wife attempted to provide first aid, including applying a tourniquet. Upon arrival at the marina, firefighters and volunteer healthcare professionals provided emergency treatment.

Seismograph

Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes Chile

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An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck Antofagasta, Chile on Thursday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

The quake was at a depth of 104 km (64.62 miles), EMSC added.

There were no immediate reports of possible casualties.

Cloud Precipitation

Cars abandoned as flooding strikes north-west England

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Hundreds of people have been forced to leave their homes after heavy rain and floods battered large parts of north-west England, leaving cars abandoned and cancelling trains.

Greater Manchester Police declared a major incident after torrential downpours across Stockport, Bolton, Didsbury, Harpurhey, Stalybridge and Wigan - with large parts of Lancashire and Cheshire also hit on New Year's Day.


Doberman

7-year-old-girl mauled to death by stray dogs in Rajasthan, India

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A seven-year-old girl was mauled to death by stray dogs in Rajasthan's Alwar, police officials said on Thursday. The incident took place while the girl was returning home on Wednesday evening, they said. The girl received multiple wounds on her body, officials added.

The locals working in the nearby fields saved the girl from the dog attack and took her to the hospital, where the doctors declared her dead, officials said.

Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission issued a notice to the Khairthal-Tijara district collector and municipality commissioner in connection with the incident. RSHRC Chairperson Justice G R Moolchandani has asked the authorities to submit a report on the incident by January 31 and compensate the victim's family.

The Commission termed the death of the girl, who suffered around 40 bite wounds, "shocking" and accused the authorities of not properly discharging their legislative responsibilities.

Seismograph

Magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits South Sandwich Islands region

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A very strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurred in the South Atlantic Ocean near Visokoi Island island, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, in the morning of Wednesday, Jan 1, 2025 at 11.48 am local time (GMT -2).

The epicenter was located 2 393 km (1 486 miles) SSW of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena, and 2 554 km (1 587 miles) ENE of Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.

Lightning

'Inauspicious start to 2025': Lightning strikes US Capitol, netizens link it to Trump

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Lightning struck the US Capitol building and Washington Monument simultaneously on New Year's Eve which garnered responses from netizens on social media.

A user remarked on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "After posting the videos of lightning simultaneously striking the U.S. Capitol building and the Washington Monument on New Year's Eve, I have lots of people telling me it's a sign or omen. Much of it based on their own political beliefs. I also think it's a sign. A sign that lightning often strikes the tallest objects."