Animals
S


Attention

Crocodile shark found on UK coastline for first time

Ian Johnston
The Independent (UK)
Thu, 02 Mar 2017 13:30 UTC
The animal was found dead on a beach at Hope Cove near Plymouth
© Ross SpearingThe animal was found dead on a beach at Hope Cove near Plymouth
A crocodile shark - a species that normally lives in tropical waters off Brazil and Australia - has been found on the UK coast for the first time in recorded history.

The animal was found dead on a beach at Hope Cove near Plymouth, according to the National Marine Aquarium in the Devon city.

Experts have identified it as a crocodile shark, Pseudocarcharias kamoharai.

James Wright, the museum's curator, said: "This species has never been recorded in the UK before, as it is normally found in deep waters during the day in tropical climates, such as Brazil and Australia, then coming shallower at night to feed.

"It is likely to be an isolated incident, but there have been similar stranding incidents in South Africa. This time of year though UK waters are at their coldest so this occurrence is very unusual."

He added the shark may have died because the water off the UK was too cold.
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Arrow Down

Hundreds of North American bee species facing extinction due to pesticide use

Gina Gherelus
Reuters
Wed, 01 Mar 2017 21:20 UTC
western bumble bee
© Reuters/ Stephen AusmusThe western bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis
More than 700 of the 4,000 native bee species in North America and Hawaii are believed to be inching toward extinction due to increased pesticide use leading to habitat loss, a scientific study showed on Wednesday.

The Center for Biological Diversity's report concluded that of the 1,437 native bee species for which there was sufficient data to evaluate, about 749 of them were declining. Some 347 of the species, which play a vital role in plant pollination, are imperiled and at risk of extinction, the study found.

"It's a quiet but staggering crisis unfolding right under our noses that illuminates the unacceptably high cost of our careless addiction to pesticides and monoculture farming," its author, Kelsey Kopec, said in a statement.

Habitat loss, along with heavy pesticide use, climate change and increasing urbanization are the main causes for declining bee populations, the study found.

Comment: Bayer and Syngenta knew: Ag giants discovered in secret tests that pesticides severely harmed bees

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike kills 8 cattle in Boyle County, Kentucky


lex18.com
Wed, 01 Mar 2017 13:55 UTC
Lightning
A Boyle County farmer says a single lightning strike killed thousands of dollars worth of livestock this afternoon.

For Matt Nolan, Tuesday morning's round of storms proved devastating for his livestock, though it took him several hours to learn how.

"I fed them at eleven o'clock, put the bale out, and i went to the house because it started storming again," he said.

Nolan said that storm brought heavy rain and intense lightning. One strike sounded like it hit just outside his home.

Hours later he learned it did and the proof was what he found around this bale feeder.

"They have hay still in their mouths, so it knocked them out quick," Nolan said.

Nolan believes that lightning strike hit the bale ring and each cow feeding from it.
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Attention

Over 4,200 birds dead in Idaho after massive outbreak of avian cholera


Idaho State Journal
Tue, 28 Feb 2017 18:32 UTC
Waterfowl
Waterfowl
Wildlife officials estimate that more than 4,200 birds have died from an avian cholera outbreak that started in early February.

The outbreak has occurred on private land, and the disease has killed mostly duck, but also some geese and other birds.

Currently, Idaho Fish and Game personnel are continuing to find and collect dead waterfowl in the Parma area in western Idaho. The dead birds are being collected by Fish and Game crews and volunteers and buried at the Fort Boise Wildlife Area to prevent and reduce further spread of the disease.

"We're trying to minimize the impact," said Tyler Archibald, Fish and Game habitat biologist at Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area.
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Wolf

76-year-old victim of pit bull attack in Los Angeles dies


abc7.com
Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:20 UTC
Valentine Herrera, 76, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after being attacked by two pit bulls in Lincoln Heights on Thursday, Feb. 2.
© KABCValentine Herrera, 76, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after being attacked by two pit bulls in Lincoln Heights on Thursday, Feb. 2.
A 76-year-old victim of a vicious pit pull attack earlier this month has died, according to family members.

Valentine Herrera was critically injured after he and his small dog were mauled by two neighborhood pit bulls in Lincoln Heights.

The man's Pomeranian was killed.

The incident happened shortly before 6 p.m. in the 2600 block of Lincoln Park Avenue on Feb. 2.

Herrera's family said Herrera was in grave condition until earlier this week but passed away Monday afternoon.

A GoFundMe account was set up to raise funds. To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/3fdokt4.
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Snowflake

At least 65 Snowy owls invade Bruce County, Ontario

Rob Gowan
Owen Sound Sun Times
Tue, 28 Feb 2017 17:19 UTC
A snowy owl flies over a field near Chesley.
© Rob GowanA snowy owl flies over a field near Chesley.
The snowy owls have landed in Bruce County.

As many as 40 of the birds have been spotted in an area north of Chesley over the past couple of weeks, attracting birders, photographers and others to the area.

"It is quite remarkable," said local birder Peter Middleton, who has been down to count and document the owls on a couple of occasions.

The flat open farmland in the area has traditionally been an area hot spot for the large, majestic birds whose traditional territory is the Arctic. But locals are reporting larger numbers of owls over the past couple of weeks than traditionally have made their way to the area, with some reports of over 40 owls in the area near Chesley and 65 across southern Bruce County.

Middleton said the reason why the birds have made their way to Bruce County recently is open to conjecture, but he believes it is related to a massive irruption of the birds on the Arctic tundra about three years ago.

"This is an irruptive species, which means it will move either according to weather or more normally in response to the presence of prey," said Middleton. "If prey is thin-spread they will move south in search of it."
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Attention

Fourth dead whale in a month washes ashore in Virginia

Hillary T Chesson
Delmarva Now
Tue, 28 Feb 2017 16:25 UTC
The carcass of what appears to be a heavily decomposed and scavaged humpback whale washed ashore at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, according to Matthew Klepeisz, public relations manager at the Virginia Aquarium.
© Chase HaughThe carcass of what appears to be a heavily decomposed and scavaged humpback whale washed ashore at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, according to Matthew Klepeisz, public relations manager at the Virginia Aquarium.
The carcass of what appears to be a heavily decomposed humpback whale washed ashore over the weekend at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, officials said.

"We are planning to get a team out there this week for a necropsy, but, candidly, I don't know how much they will be able to find given the advanced state of decomposition," said Matthew Klepeisz, public relations manager at the Virginia Aquarium.

It is the fourth humpback whale to wash ashore in Virginia in the past month.
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Wolf

Man found dead overnight after alleged pitbull terrier attack in Philadelphia


fox29.com
Sun, 26 Feb 2017 15:13 UTC
Dog attack
Philadelphia police are investigating whether a pitbull killed a man late Friday night.

The victim and his dog were found in his apartment on the 5300 block of Rising Sun Avenue.

Neighbors say the victim and his brother had only recently found the 8-month-old dog, and it appeared to be malnourished.

A friend allegedly went to check on the man when he saw the dog through a crack in the wall, and the victim not moving.

"The dog was trying to get through the crack," said Tyrone Giddings. "I didn't open the door, cause it wasn't letting me in the door. So I looked through the crack. It's trying to jump through the crack and attack me. It wouldn't let me in the room. So I can't really check no pulse or nothing, but from my stand point, I couldn't see his chest moving."

Comment: Other serious dog attacks of late include the first one listed below which happened in the same city as the one above:

Girl, 7, bitten in face by pit bull in Germantown, Philadelphia

Toddler hospitalized after dog attack in Florida City

Family Dog Shot Dead In Concord After Attack On Toddler

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Attention

Dead Humpback whale found in river near Fairfield Township, New Jersey

Bill Gallo Jr.
nj.com
Mon, 27 Feb 2017 17:57 UTC
A humpback whale which had been seen in the Delaware Bay has been found dead in the Cohansey River in Cumberland County. The whale is seen along the river shoreline Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.
© Ed HymerA humpback whale which had been seen in the Delaware Bay has been found dead in the Cohansey River in Cumberland County. The whale is seen along the river shoreline Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017
A humpback whale has been found dead along the shoreline of the Cohansey River in Cumberland County.

The whale is the same injured one that was seen about three weeks ago in the Delaware Bay but then disappeared, according to Bob Schoelkopf, founding director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center based in Brigantine.

According to Schoelkopf, the Stranding Center received a call from PSEG Nuclear that a whale was seen "rolling around," in front of the cooling water intakes at its Artificial Island nuclear generating station

Schoelkopf said it was "very unusual" to see a humpback whale in the waters near Artificial Island. He said the whale appeared to be acting strangely.
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Question

At least 150 peacocks reportedly die of contagious disease over 4 weeks in Thar, Pakistan

Hanif Samoon
Dawn
Mon, 27 Feb 2017 15:08 UTC
The neck of the birds get swollen after contracting the infection, after which they suddenly fall on the ground.
© Hanif SamoonThe neck of the birds get swollen after contracting the infection, after which they suddenly fall on the ground.
At least 150 peacocks have succumbed to a disease during the last four weeks in the Thar region of Sindh, with reportedly 12 more peacocks dying on Sunday in the Nagarparkar and Mithi tehsils of Tharparkar district.

The sudden spike in deaths of the birds have sparked doubt and fear among local experts as well as natives who say this might be an onset of the Newcastle disease, locally known as Ranikhet, a contagious avian disease.

Abdul Majeed Junejo, chairman of Joru union council near Mithi, told the local journalists that during past couple of weeks, more than 30 peafowls have died of disease.

"The neck of the birds swell up after contracting the infection, after which they eventually collapse and die," Junejo added, saying there are plenty of birds who are ailing and are in a need of treatement.
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