Animals
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Doberman

Woman dies after being mauled by two pit bulls in Limpopo, South Africa - 7th such fatality for the country within 7 weeks

PIT BULL ATTACK
A 43-year-old Limpopo woman died after being mauled by two pit bulls.

Melitta Sekole was reportedly walking from a residential area in the Mara policing precinct towards Vivo on Friday at about 5am when she was attacked by the dogs, which ripped her clothes and bit her.

"She was rescued by community members and taken to hospital in a critical condition," said police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba.

Sekole was later transferred to the provincial hospital in Polokwane where she succumbed to the injuries on Friday.

Ledwaba said the dogs' owner, Nchabeleng Charles Masebe, 62, was arrested and a case of culpable homicide opened.

He appeared in the Senwabarwana magistrate's court and was remanded until Thursday.

Comment: Details of the other 6 attacks:


Attention

Hundreds of manatees flood Florida state park as rivers remain cold

Hundreds of manatees flood Florida state park as rivers remain cold 1:44  ·  15 hours ago
Hundreds of manatees flood Florida state park
Sea cows come to the spring because it's a constant 72 degrees

The St. Johns River's temperature is still in the 50s, and that means manatees continue to pile into nearby Blue Spring State Park in Volusia County.

The Save the Manatee Club counted 561 manatees at the spring Wednesday.

In recent days, so many manatees have been at the spring that it's been tougher to make the daily count.


Binoculars

Rare snowy owl spotted in Cypress, California

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© Mark Rightmire/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register
It's like something out of a Harry Potter movie... a rare snowy owl was spotted on top of a house in Orange County.

The majestic white and brown owl was seen December 27 on top of a chimney at a house located on Saipan street in Cypress.

Several people gathered outside the house to see the rare bird and take pictures. Snowy owls are rare, especially in Southern California, but can show up in winter to hunt.


Black Cat

13, including 3 forest staff injured in leopard attack in Assam, India

leopard
Thirteen people, including three forest personnel, were injured in a leopard attack in Assam's Jorhat district on Monday, officials informed.

According to the forest officials, the incident took place around Rain Forest Research Institute (ICFRE) located at Chenijan. The leopard came out of a forest located within the institute and started attacking people without provocation, they said.

"Total 13 people, three forest department staff and 10 civilians have been injured in the attack. The leopard's behaviour is erratic as they usually don't attack humans," said Mohan Lal Meena, superintendent of police (SP), Jorhat.


Attention

Dolphin and minke whale found dead on beaches in Portugal

dead
Dead minke whale.
On Christmas day, locals spotted a lifeless minke whale and a dolphin at Rocha beach and Prainha beach, in Alvor, respectively.

According to Sul Informação, the whale, found on Rocha beach, was close to six meters, while the dolphin, which came ashore in Prainha was about two meters.

The Municipal Water and Waste Company of Portimão (EMARP) is planning to remove the animals tomorrow, the 27th, at 7am, said the same newspaper.


Binoculars

Wrong place, wrong time: MacGillivray's warblers from West Coast that should be wintering in Mexico turn up in Virginia and Massachusetts

The MacGillivray's warbler spotted at Lake Shenandoah in Rockingham County. Courtesy of Garland Kitts.
The MacGillivray's warbler spotted at Lake Shenandoah in Rockingham County. Courtesy of Garland Kitts.
A brisk day on Lake Shenandoah just a few days before Christmas, Kent Scaggs searched the edge of the water for his prey.

The flighty creature was first spotted a couple weeks earlier just outside of Harrisonburg foraging in some thick nestle. Scaggs, 57, quietly scoured these secluded areas in hopes of catching a glimpse of a yellow wing, finally tracking it on a honeysuckle bush. The silky gray hood and striking white arcs around its eye identified the winged animal as the one he had been hunting. He slowly lifted the scope to his eyes for a clear, swift shot.

Click.

A perfect picture of MacGillivray's warbler, a bird thousands of miles away from the warm climate it flees to this time of year.

Comment: The other bird turned up in Boston, Massachusetts, from a report on December 12:
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Mary Ellen spotted this MacGillivray's Warbler in McLaughlin Woods, part of Mission Hill's McLaughlin Playground.

They're not usually seen east of Texas, so maybe it was blown here by one of the recent cross-country storms?



Snowflake Cold

No evidence for BBC claim that Churchill, Canada is simply getting too warm for polar bears

polar bear
© PostmediaZoologist Dr. Susan Crockford says that, contrary to the claims of environmental activists, polar bears are currently thriving and are at no risk of extinction from climate change.
Another pronouncement from conservation activists at Polar Bears International taken without a single check of facts makes the BBC look ineffective and gullible.

The photo above of a 'green dot' bear was taken 10 November 2022 by a Churchill resident. Bears released from the 'polar bear jail' when there is enough sea ice for them to resume hunting are marked with a green dot.

From a BBC article today (18 December 2022), 'Canada's polar-bear capital Churchill warms too fast for bears':

Doberman

Stray dogs maul 10 women to death over 2 months in a district of Bihar, India

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Three special shooters from Patna ended the terror streak of 12 barbaric dogs who have killed and attacked over a dozen women in the Begusarai district.

Authorities took this stringent action after stray dogs mauled 4 women to death in the month of December alone.

For the operation that will be continued further, a specialized team of 3 sharpshooters was called from Patna to encounter 10 of these barbaric dogs.

Since last month, villagers in the Pachchwara district were living in constant fear of dog attacks. A total of 10 women were mauled to death by dogs and a dozen others were injured.

Last week in Kadarabad Chaur, a 55-year-old woman named Kanti Devi was mauled to death by a pack of street dogs when she went to pick grass. When she didn't return home, her son went to look for her and witnessed the gruesome sight of 10 dogs feasting over her body.

Attention

Dead 30-foot humpback whale washes up on Jersey Shore beach - 3rd in 18 days

A deceased 30-foot humpback whale
A deceased 30-foot humpback whale washed up on an Atlantic City beach near Chelsea Ave Friday morning. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine determined that the whale was female and a little older than juvenile.
A dead 30-foot, female humpback whale washed ashore on a beach in New Jersey Friday morning amid harsh surf conditions.

An Atlantic City woman made a call to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine around 7:40 a.m. and reported that she spotted the deceased whale from her nearby high-rise apartment, according to officials.

The 25-ton whale was located near Chelsea Avenue in Atlantic City when the marine mammal response team made it to the beach around 9 a.m.


Comment: Another dead whale washes up at the New Jersey shore - 2nd within a week


Doberman

Family dog kills newborn baby girl in Cave Springs, Arkansas

dog attack
An investigation is ongoing in Arkansas after a baby girl was reportedly killed by the family dog on December 14.

Benton County prosecuting attorney Nathan Smith said that his office was notified that Cave Springs Police were investigating the death of a 4-day-old girl in Cave Springs.

"On Wednesday, December 14, my office was notified by the Cave Springs Police Department that they were investigating the death of a 4-day-old baby girl. Based on the statements of witnesses and the opinions of medical professionals, it was determined that the fatal injuries were inflicted on the child by the family dog," Smith told KNWA.

Newsweek has contacted Smith for comment.