Earth ChangesS


Binoculars

Rare Ivory Gull from the high Arctic turns up in Poland on November 23, subsequently found dead


Birdguides.com
Fri, 06 Dec 2024 21:24 UTC
Ivory Gull, Władysławowo, Pomerania
© Zbigniew KajzerIvory Gull, Władysławowo, Pomerania
Poland's second-ever Ivory Gull has been found dead at a coastal town in the north of the country.

The bird, an adult, was found at Władysławowo, Pomerania, on 23 November. It frequented the town harbour, offering point-blank views and attracting plenty of admirers in the process.

However, after the bird was last seen alive on 29 November, it was discovered dead the following day.

Ivory Gull breeds in the High Arctic and has a circumpolar distribution through Greenland, northernmost North America and Eurasia. It is a rare but regular vagrant to Continental Europe. The only previous Polish record was at Rewa, Pomorskie, on 29 September 1989.

Britain's most recent record came in January 2019, when a bird at Loch Ryan, Dumfries and Galloway, was taken into care before being released at Stevenson Point, Ayrshire.

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Attention

Man severely injured in polar bear attack while defending wife in Ontario

Natalie Neysa Alund
USA TODAY
Thu, 05 Dec 2024 13:09 UTC
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A man who jumped onto a polar bear to protect his wife from being mauled in Canada is recovering from serious injuries, local officials said this week.

Nishnawbe Aski Police Service officers responded to a home in a residential area of Ontario following reports of gunfire and, at the scene, said they located a dead polar bear.

Prior to arrival, the department announced in a news release, police also received reports of a possible bear sighting in the same area.

Arriving officers learned a husband and wife at the address left their home at 5 a.m. to look for their dogs.
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Doberman

Horror as man dies after attack by 'fighting dog' in east London as woman charged

Jon King
Daily Express
Fri, 06 Dec 2024 12:11 UTC
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A man has died after an alleged dog attack in east London, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Officers were called to Shirley Road, Stratford, at 4.53am on Wednesday, after reports the man had been seriously wounded, according to Scotland Yard.

The man, 42, was taken to hospital where he later died. His family has been informed and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

Leanne McDonnell, 32, of Shirley Road, Stratford, has been charged with owning a dog dangerously out of control causing injury resulting in death.

She is also charged with failing in the duty as a person responsible for an animal to ensure its welfare and with having custody of a fighting dog.

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Seismograph

Best of the Web: Tsunami warning cancelled after shallow magnitude 7 earthquake strikes California coast - multiple aftershocks

Christal Hayes
BBC
Thu, 05 Dec 2024 11:11 UTC
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A strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of northern California, according to the US Geological Survey.

A tsunami warning was initially issued along the coasts of both northern California and southern Oregon - an area that includes about 4.7 million people - but was later rescinded.

The earthquake's epicentre hit closest to the town of Ferndale, California, a small city in Humboldt County about 260 miles (418km) north of San Francisco.

Local officials said no deaths or major widespread damage had been reported in the aftermath of the quake, which is one of only nine such 7 magnitude quakes to strike globally this year.

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Tsunami

11 die, 48,000 displaced in heavy rains in Malawi

Jessica Okonkwo
Independent (Nigeria)
Wed, 04 Dec 2024 12:47 UTC
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At least 11 people have died and 80 others have been injured during torrential rains in Malawi over the past few days, the country's disaster management agency said Wednesday.

Addressing the media in Lilongwe, Malawi's capital, Chipiliro Khamula, spokesperson for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), said lightning, flooding, and collapsing walls caused the fatalities and injuries.

"During the last few days, most parts of the country have received heavy rains which have caused heavy damage to both households and schools. About 48,000 people have been affected through displacement," Khamula said.

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Doberman

92-year-old woman found dead after pit bull attack in Rochester, New York


13wham.com
Wed, 04 Dec 2024 12:38 UTC
PIT BULL ATTACK
Police said a woman's suspicious death on the city's west side Tuesday night was discovered after a dog attack.

Officers responded to a home on Orange Street around 9 p.m. and found Velma Leake, 92, "clearly deceased."

Police said Leake lived at the home with other family members, one of whom woke up and went downstairs to find Leake had been mauled by a pit bull owned by the residents.

The Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office is investigating the cause of death. Police said it's unclear whether she died as a result of the mauling or from other causes.

The dog is in the custody of Rochester Animal Services pending further investigation.
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Lightning

Lightning strikes claimed 1,075 lives in last 3 years in Odisha, India


Odisha Bytes
Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:23 UTC
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At least 1,075 people were killed due to lightning strikes during the last three years in Odisha, the state Assembly was informed on Thursday.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari shared this information while replying to a question in the House. The highest number of 81 deaths due to lightning strikes between 2022 and 2024 took place in the Mayurbhanj district followed by Balasore district (68) and Ganjam district (60), he said.

The data presented by the Minister in the House revealed that lightning strikes have claimed 306 lives during 2022-23 and 272 during 2023-24.

Similarly, 201 deaths have been confirmed during the current financial year so far. Ex-gratia has been paid to 77 victims' families and 124 cases are under consideration.
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Marijuana

Rare corpse flower blooming at Auckland Zoo, New Zealand

Ripu Bhatia
Stuff
Tue, 03 Dec 2024 13:39 UTC
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One of the world's rarest flowers is in the process of blooming at Auckland Zoo.

Amorphophallus titanum, or the corpse flower of Sumatra, Indonesia, is one of the largest flowers in the plant kingdom and only flowers once every seven to ten years.

The flower blooms for just two to three days, sometimes even less, and once fully opened emits a powerful stench to attract pollinators.

The unique specimen stands nearly two meters tall in its pot and is on display in the South East Asia Jungle Track's high canopy habitat, Auckland Zoo said.

It is usually based in the Indonesian swamp forest exhibition, which is a climate-controlled tropical drone, but this is currently closed for upgrades.

The zoo said it can't guarantee how long the flower is going to bloom for as individual specimens can vary.

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Snowflake Cold

Best of the Web: New research paper shows Little Ice Age, climate fueled by a number of natural driving factors

Klimanachrichten
No Tricks Zone
Sat, 30 Nov 2024 09:12 UTC
The Little Ice Age generated image
© Klimanachrichten/AI-generatedThe Little Ice Age, 1250 to 1860 AD
The period between 1250 and 1860 is also known as the Little Ice Age. We have already reported on it several times here. The Little Ice Age was the undoing of the Franklin expedition, among others. In search of the Northwest Passage, the crew failed because of the ice, even though they had set off in summer. Franklin was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He paid with his death.

But what was the climate like at the time and what were the climate drivers? Volcanoes played a major role, but so did a minimum of solar activity. However, summers were by no means consistently wet and cool.

Comment: The importance of the NAO has been coming into focus in the last decade. It's potential collapse is perilous.

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Doberman

Dog attack claims life of 8-year-old boy in Onslow County, North Carolina

Alaina Laster
wcti12.com
Mon, 02 Dec 2024 13:56 UTC
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An 8-year-old boy tragically lost his life following a dog attack in Onslow County over the weekend. The incident occurred as the boy and his sibling were letting their family's pit bull and Great Dane mixes outside, according to investigators.

The Onslow County Sheriff's Office reported that deputies responded to a home off Harris Creek Road in Jacksonville at approximately 2:54 p.m. on Friday, November 29. Upon arrival, they found the young boy suffering from a bite mark on his neck. He was transported to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.

Authorities stated that neither of the dogs involved had any recorded history of violence with law enforcement or Onslow County Animal Services. The family also reported that the dogs had not shown any signs of aggression prior to the attack.

Both dogs have been quarantined as the investigation into the incident continues. The reason for the attack remains unknown.

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