Animals
S


Binoculars

Canada sees its first European robin

Danielle Beurteaux
The Guardian
Tue, 10 Feb 2026 13:00 UTC
The European robin has appeared in the middle of a freezing Montréal winter.
© Sabrina JacobThe European robin has appeared in the middle of a freezing Montréal winter.
On a quiet Montréal street of low-rise brick apartment buildings on one side and cement barrier wall on the other, a crowd has gathered, binoculars around their necks and cameras at the ready. A European robin has taken up residence in the neighbourhood, which is sandwiched between two industrial areas with warehouses and railway lines and, a few blocks away, port facilities on the St Lawrence River.

Ron Vandebeek from Ottawa, Ontario, is here on a frigid February morning hoping to see the rare bird, which was first spotted at the beginning of January.

This is the first recorded sighting of a European robin in Canada, and only the fifth or sixth in North America. That it has taken up residence in Quebec is a source of delight but also consternation for birders. How did it travel thousands of kilometres from its home territory, and will it survive a very cold Montréal winter?

The bird's normal home range is western Europe, from Scotland to Turkey and as far north as Sweden during breeding season, and visiting Iceland on a seasonal migration stop.

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Doberman

Dog attack inside home leaves man dead in Independence, Missouri - officers fatally shoot animal

Robert A. Cronkleton
The Kansas City Star
Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:24 UTC
PIT BULL ATTACK
A man died after a dog attacked him inside an Independence home Wednesday afternoon, and responding officers shot and killed the animal when it became aggressive toward them, a police spokesman said.

Officers responded to a disturbance about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 700 block of North Mohican Drive, said Officer Bryan Conley with the Independence Police Department.

There, officers found a dog attacking a man inside a home. In response to the dog's aggressiveness and the severity of the wounds to the victim, one of the officers fired a gun, striking the animal. The dog then "addressed the officers in an aggressive manner," Conley said.

The officers, fearing for the public's safety if the dog escaped, fired again, fatally wounding the animal, Conley said. Officers then attempted lifesaving measures to the man wounded in the dog attack. He was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries, Conley said. No one else was injured during the incident.

Detectives and crime scene investigators responded to the scene, along with Independence Animal Control. There were no previous calls to the address for aggressive animals prior to Wednesday's fatal dog attack, Conley said.

The attack remains under investigation.

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Attention

Dead whale washes ashore in Newport Beach, California


KTLA 5
Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:54 UTC
Dead humpback whale washes ashore at Newport Beach
Dead humpback whale washes ashore at Newport Beach
A dead humpback whale washed ashore along a popular stretch of Newport Beach on Wednesday afternoon, drawing crowds of onlookers and prompting safety warnings as authorities work to determine how the massive marine mammal died.

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Attention

Over 10,000 dead seabirds wash up on the coasts of the UK, France, Spain and Portugal after recent storms

Lisa Young, Tamsin Melville
BBC
Wed, 18 Feb 2026 15:31 UTC
Puffins wintering at sea have been unable to feed due to storms
© Cornwall Wildlife TrustPuffins wintering at sea have been unable to feed due to storms
Thousands of dead seabirds have washed up on the south west coast, Channel Islands and French beaches, a wildlife trust has said.

The majority of the birds are puffins which had become starved and exhausted due to not being able to feed during the recent storms.

Alderney Wildlife Trust (AWT) said it had received reports of puffins stranded on the island's beaches and more than 10,000 of the birds had perished and washed up on beaches in France, Spain and Portugal.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) said 262 puffins had washed up on Cornish beaches in January and February while only two had been reported last year.

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Attention

Unprovoked shark attacks up sharply in 2025, with 12 human deaths worldwide

Richard Luscombe
Guardian
Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:31 UTC
shark
The number of people killed or bitten by sharks in unprovoked attacks globally increased significantly in 2025, a report published on Wednesday has found, while a single Florida county maintained its crown as the so-called shark bite capital of the world.

The International Shark Attack File, compiled by the Florida Program for Shark Research at the University of Florida, recorded 65 unprovoked attacks worldwide, up from 47 during 2024, and an increase on the five-year average of 61.

The report confirmed 12 human fatalities from shark bites during the year, almost double the previous year's total of seven, which it suggested might be because of increasing numbers of great white sharks at "aggregation sites", beaches popular with surfers, especially in Australia.
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Doberman

Woman mauled to death by 3 dogs in Northland, New Zealand


rnz.co.nz
Wed, 18 Feb 2026 11:00 UTC
Mihiata Te Rore, 62, was killed by three dogs after entering a property in the Northland town of Kaihu on Tuesday, 17 February 2026.
Mihiata Te Rore, 62, was killed by three dogs after entering a property in the Northland town of Kaihu on Tuesday, 17 February 2026.
Police have identified Mihiata Te Rore as the woman killed by dogs north of Dargaville yesterday.

The 62-year-old was killed while on a Kaihu property just before midday.

Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer said the three dogs involved lived on the property and are now with Animal Management.

"This was a very upsetting and tragic event in which a woman has suffered unsurvivable injuries," Pilmer said.

"I know the community will have a lot of questions; our investigation is still in the early stages and our focus is on establishing all the facts in this case.

"What we can say is that the three dogs involved live on the property, and the woman was visiting a person known to her when the attack occurred."

Pilmer said police wanted to hear from anyone in the Kaihu community who has had issues with dogs roaming in the area.
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Attention

Lioness kills woman in Gujarat, India - 3rd such incident in the state in 3 months


etvbharat.com
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:52 UTC
Lioness captured after the attack
© ETV BharatLioness captured after the attack
Two separate wild animal attacks in Gujarat's Amreli district on the same day have created fear among villagers. A 45-year-old woman was killed in a lioness attack, while a five-year-old girl was seriously injured after being attacked by a leopard, police said on Tuesday.

According to police, the fatal incident took place in Govindpur village under the Dalkhaniya Range of Dhari Gir East on Monday. The deceased woman has been identified as Manju Solanki. She was watering a mango orchard near the river area when a lioness suddenly attacked her. According to eyewitnesses, the lioness mauled her severely. Local villagers rushed to help and managed to rescue her from the animal's grip. However, she died from her injuries before she could be taken for medical treatment.

Forest department officials and police personnel reached the spot soon after receiving information. The department immediately launched an operation to capture the lioness. Four cages were placed in different directions to trap the animal.

Comment: See also: 4-year-old killed by lioness in Gujarat, India - 2nd such incident for the state in 2 months

To provide some context the whole of the Indian lion population (which exists solely in the state of Gujarat) according to Wikipedia stands at just 891 individuals:
[...]

The Indian population has steadily increased since 2010. In 2015, the 14th Asiatic Lion Census was conducted over an area of about 20,000 km2 (7,700 sq mi); the lion population was estimated at 523 individuals, and in 2017 at 650 individuals. In 2020 the population was 674 and by 2025 it had increased to 891.

[...]
Illustrating the rare and atypical nature of this event for Asiatic lions, Wikipedia also mentions only 2 other recent killings - in 2012 and 2013:
[...]

In July 2012, a lion dragged a man from the veranda of his house and killed him about 50 - 60 km (31 - 37 miles) from Gir Forest National Park. This was the second attack by a lion in this area, six months after a 25-year-old man was attacked and killed in Dhodada

[...]


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Attention

Siberian tiger fatally attacks hunter in Russia


News.az
Mon, 16 Feb 2026 13:44 UTC
mmmmm
© oneearth.org
A Siberian tiger attacked and killed a hunter in the Chuguyevsky district of Russia's Primorsky Region, according to the regional Ministry of Natural Resources.

The incident occurred on February 15, about 20 kilometers from the village of Izvilinka in a forested area, News.Az reports, citing TASS.

Authorities said the victim was delivering supplies to a feeding site when the attack took place. Law enforcement agencies informed that the man was a sailor who had returned home between voyages.

Following the fatal encounter, a special task force comprising police officers, hunting supervisors, and wildlife specialists has been deployed to track down the animal. The operation includes experts from the Amur Tiger Center, which focuses on the conservation of the endangered species.

According to Sergey Aramilev, director of the Amur Tiger Center, the tiger may have been injured and could have attacked in self-defense. Authorities continue to search for the animal while investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
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Doberman

Stray dog attack kills five-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh, India


Hindustan Times
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 20:02 UTC
MMMMMMMM
A five-year-old girl died after a pack of stray dogs attacked four children who had stepped out of their homes in the morning in the Dhaneipur area here on Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred around 7 am near the primary school in Madhavganj, anout 200 metres from the victim's house, Dhaneipur Station House Officer Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

The deceased, Muskan, 5, daughter of Bishun Lal, a resident of Kalyan Nagar ward here, had gone out along with her elder sister Mehak, 6, and two other children, Naitik and Sunaina, when the dogs attacked them.

While the other children managed to escape, Muskan was seriously injured in the attack, Singh said.

On hearing their cries, residents rushed to the spot, following which the dogs fled. Subsequently, Muskan was taken to the Community Health Centre and later referred to the medical college, where doctors declared her dead.

Local councillor Pawan Tiwari and Nagar Panchayat chairperson's representative Brijbhushan Verma met the bereaved family and assured them that steps would be taken to capture the stray dogs.

PTI
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Attention

Man killed by wild boar attack in Kerala, India


The Hindu
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:15 UTC
mmmmm
A 62-year-old man was killed in a wild boar attack here on Friday, the police said.

The deceased was identified as Rakhunadhan Pillai of Uppukuzhi, Chaliyekkara, near Thenmala, they added.

According to officials, Pillai was walking home with two others around 10.45 a.m. when a wild boar charged at them. While his companions managed to run away, Pillai was unable to escape and was attacked by the animal, sustaining severe injuries.

He was rushed to the Punalur Government Taluk Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the FIR stated.

The body will be handed over to his relatives after post-mortem examination, the police added.
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