Animals
S


Lightning

Lightning strike kills 11 buffaloes in Himachal Pradesh, India


The Tribune (India)
Fri, 06 Jun 2025 21:16 UTC
Pic for representational purpose only.
Pic for representational purpose only.
A lightning strike in Pakhara ridge under the Chanju area of Churah sub-division claimed the lives of 11 buffaloes belonging to a Gujjar hearder.

The buffaloes, owned by Sharif Ali, were grazing in the ridge when the lightning struck around 6:30 pm. However, no loss of human life was reported.

The incident was reported to local authorities by Sharif Ali, following which the animal husbandry department visited the site on Thursday. The department assessed the losses, recorded the death of the animals and has forwarded the report to higher authorities for further action.

Gujjar pastoralists from Punjab migrate to highland pastures in Chamba district during summer to ensure fodder for their cattle. Many of them, including Sharif Ali, had set up temporary camps in the Chanju region. The families are expected to return to their native places after the summer season ends.

Sharif Ali expressed deep distress, stating that his entire family depends on these buffaloes for livelihood. "With all the buffaloes gone, we are left with nothing. We request the government and administration to provide us with compensation at the earliest," he said.
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Black Cat

Chandrapur district in Maharashtra, India sees surge in tiger attacks with 22 deaths reported so far this year - 150 in the last 5 years

Prathamesh Kharade
Free Press Journal
Thu, 05 Jun 2025 10:39 UTC
Representational image
Representational image
Chandrapur district in Maharashtra, home to a thriving tiger population, is facing an alarming rise in human-wildlife conflict, with tiger attacks becoming increasingly frequent. In May alone, 11 people lost their lives to tiger encounters, displaying the growing tension between conservation success and human safety. The human deaths toll recorded in 2025 so far is 22.

Between 2021 and May 2025, 173 people in the district have died in wildlife encounters, with 150 of those deaths linked to tigers. Injuries have also soared, from 76 in 2021 to over 314 in 2024, with 129 cases already reported this year. Livestock losses have been severe too, with more than 10,900 animals killed during the same period. The state has paid over Rs 122 crore in compensation, Rs 31.39 crore of which was disbursed in the 2024 - 25 financial year alone.
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Doberman

Pack of stray dogs maul child to death in Madhya Pradesh, India


Deccan Herald
Thu, 05 Jun 2025 10:30 UTC
Representative image showing stray dogs.
Representative image showing stray dogs.
A four-year-old boy died after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district, an official said on Thursday.

The dogs bit Ayush while he was playing with friends outside his home in the Suwasra-Runija road area, about 80 km from the district headquarters, on Wednesday, he said.

The canines from across the road charged at the children who were busy playing. While his friends managed to run away, Ayush could not escape, the official said.

Collector Aditi Garg has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Sitamau Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shivani Garg is part of the investigation team, officials said.

"The collector has said that a proposal would be sent to the chief minister's office for financial assistance to the victim's family," SDM Shivani told PTI.

She said the authorities have been asked to vaccinate and sterilise stray dogs in the area.

"Stray dogs from residential areas will be moved to non-residential areas," The SDM said, quoting the collector's order.

PTI
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Lightning

Lightning kills 10 sheep in Kashmir, India


Greater Kashmir
Mon, 02 Jun 2025 13:53 UTC
nnnn
© Lightning kills 10 sheep in J&K's Poonch --- File Photo
At least ten sheep were killed after they were struck by lightning in Mandi tehsil of Poonch district on Monday.

The incident occurred in village Luran Bela Bala of Tehsil Mandi when lightning accompanied by heavy thunder and hailstorm hit the shelter of Abdul Gaffar, son of Rahim Sheikh.

Eye witnesses said that 10 sheep got killed in the incident. They said the affected person has little means of resources, and appealed administration to help him in bad times.
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Attention

A man can dream? - The BobCat speaks

Julian MacFarlane
News Forensics
Wed, 04 Jun 2025 01:07 UTC
Bobcat
© pinterest.com
Bob the Bob Cat

Bobcats are found all over North America — but less so in Canada since they are feet are not adapted to snow like the Canadian Lynx. Basically, they are American originals.

They look pretty fierce but are not particularly aggressive. No, you can't keep them as pets: they are highly individualistic.

I am VERY fond of bobcats and lynxes.

My friend "Bob", the itinerant genius and coffeebuyer has another of his polemics, which he wrote to me as an email.

I asked him for permission to post it because I thought it had impact and might stir some discussion.

Now, with the US on the cusp of almost everything, it seems like a good time to air Bob's perspective.

I have added a few graphics and titles (mostly clumsy, sorry). Nothing else.
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Attention

Dead whale washes up on Montara Beach, California - 14th of the year for the Bay Area

Crystal Bailey and Ian Bradley
ktvu.com
Mon, 02 Jun 2025 10:40 UTC
Dead whale washes up on Montara Beach
Dead whale washes up on Montara Beach
A dead whale washed up on the shores of a Bay Area beach over the weekend, marking the fifth such instance in the last week, and the 14th of the year.

The whale, which washed up on Montara Beach, was a gray whale, according to the Marine Mammal Center. The organization told KTVU they had not yet had a chance to closely examine the animal to determine a cause of death.

Researchers with the California Academy of Sciences and the Marine Mammal Center said they haven't seen so many dead whales in the region since what they call the "unusual mortality event" between 2019 and 2023.

The Montara Beach whale was the 14th dead whale in the region since the start of the year — 13 of those were gray whales and one was a minke whale.

Since May 21 alone, stranded whales have died near Alcatraz, Point Bonita, Berkeley, the Farallon Islands and Bolinas.

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Fish

'Doomsday Fish' in Tamil Nadu, India: fishermen catch rare oarfish


Lastly.com
Sat, 31 May 2025 11:49 UTC
Doomsday Fish in Tamil Nadu
© X/@sanatan_kannadaDoomsday Fish in Tamil Nadu
Fishermen off the coast of Tamil Nadu recently caught a rare deep-sea creature known as the oarfish also called "Doomsday Fish".

Scientifically called Regalecus glesne, the oarfish is a ribbon-like marine species that can grow up to 30 feet long.

It is typically found at depths of 200 to 1,000 meters and rarely surfaces, making its appearance highly unusual.

With its silvery, wavy body and striking red fin-like crest near the head, the fish's rare sighting has sparked curiosity and speculation among locals.

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Doberman

Man mauled to death by neighbour's pitbull in Zimbabwe

Patie
iharare.com
Sun, 01 Jun 2025 11:41 UTC
Harare man killed by neighbour’s pitbull
© @X(crimewatchzimbabwe)Harare man killed by neighbour’s pitbull
A Harare man was mauled to death by a neighbour's pitbull in the Bluffhill suburb last night. The residents of Bluffhill woke up to the gruesome scene as one of their neighbours was attacked to his death by a pitbull.

The horrifying dog attack has left a man in his thirties dead in New Bluffhill, Harare, after the pitbull with known aggressive tendencies escaped its property.

Residents Raised Concerns Against Vicious Pitbull Before

Local residents report the canine had previously demonstrated dangerous behaviour by repeatedly jumping over the half-height perimeter wall surrounding its owner's home.

According to pictures shared online, the owner's durawall is low, and his dog could easily jump over it. The locals raised concerns, asking for the owner to lock his animal in before. However, pictures of the dog roaming the roads without a leash in previous months have been shared all over the internet.
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Black Cat

Man dies in tiger attack in Uttarakhand, India - 9th killing for the state this year


Times of India
Sat, 31 May 2025 11:08 UTC
tiger
A 34-year-old man was mauled to death by a tiger while collecting leaves used to make eco-friendly utensils in the forests of Rishikesh range in Lal Tappar area of Dehradun district on Friday. This marks the ninth human death from tiger attacks in the state this year.

Officials said a male tiger, recently relocated from Corbett to Rajaji Tiger Reserve, had been exploring new territory and moving between Tapovan and Rajaji over the past 20 days but has since returned to the reserve.

The area is also home to a tigress, and it is yet to be determined which animal was responsible for the attack, officials added.

The victim, identified as Raju (only first name available), had entered the forest with his brother around 9.30am when the tiger attacked them. His brother, Sanju, ran for help, but by the time others arrived, Raju had died. Officials noted that the body was intact, suggesting it was an accidental encounter rather than a predatory attack.

"An ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh has been given to the family, and the remaining compensation to follow upon completion of formalities," said Dehradun DFO Neeraj Sharma.

The recent tiger movement from Motichur to Rishikesh and Barkot forest ranges underscores the ecological connectivity of the Kansrao-Motichur-Barkot wildlife corridor.

Comment: See also these reports indicating a rising trend in recent years of fatal attacks across India:


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Info

Unearthing a forgotten monument in Turkey

Leman Altuntaş
Arkeonews Net
Sat, 31 May 2025 18:03 UTC
Kurt Tepesi
© Prof. Dr. Bahattin Çelik
In the arid plains of southeastern Anatolia, a quiet giant slumbers. While Göbekli Tepe has dazzled archaeologists and the global public alike as the world's earliest known temple complex, a lesser-known site within the Taş Tepeler archaeological zone is beginning to attract the curiosity of scholars: Kurt Tepesi. Long overshadowed by its more famous neighbors, Kurt Tepesi is now emerging as a crucial piece in the complex puzzle of early Neolithic society.

Located within the Şanlıurfa province of Türkiye, Kurt Tepesi forms part of the ambitious Taş Tepeler Project, a network of twelve archaeological mounds that challenge the traditional narrative of civilization's dawn. This collective of sites — including Karahan Tepe, Sayburç, Sefer Tepe, and Harbetsuvan — is revealing that monumental architecture, social organization, and symbolic behavior flourished in the Fertile Crescent far earlier than previously believed.

Yet among these names, Kurt Tepesi has remained strangely quiet in both media and academic circles. This is not due to a lack of potential. On the contrary, Kurt Tepesi may offer a rare window into a transitional phase of Neolithic life — one that bridges the gap between mobile forager societies and settled, symbolically complex communities.
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