Animals
S


Binoculars

Wrong place, wrong time: Myrtle warbler from North America turns up in Scotland

Amber Allott
National World
Tue, 27 Feb 2024 15:11 UTC
The last sighting of a myrtle warbler in the US is thought to have been in 2014
© Stevie Clarke/SWNSThe last sighting of a myrtle warbler in the US is thought to have been in 2014
A tiny rare bird not seen in the British Isles for a decade has caused a flap in the world of birders - after one appeared in an Ayrshire garden.

A myrtle warbler - a relative of the yellow-rumped warbler - has been frequenting a Kilwinning garden for the last week. The bird is native to the US and is only a rare visitor to Britain and Ireland, with the last recorded sighting on mainland UK thought to have been in 2014 - when one was spotted in County Durham.

There are thought to have been less than 30 sightings of the bird in the UK ever, and the species' latest appearance has attracted hundreds of visitors from as far away as Cornwall. Local amateur photographer and bird fan Stevie Clarke told SWNS his birder friend, Jimmy Crawford, first spotted it last Tuesday (February 20).

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Doberman

Child dies after being bit by dog in north Alabama, authorities say

Howard Koplowitz
The Huntsville Times
Mon, 26 Feb 2024 12:33 UTC
dog attack
Original story: A child is in critical condition after they were bitten by a dog Monday in north Alabama, authorities said.

Morgan County sheriff's deputies and EMS personnel responded to Ramblewood Private Drive off of Vaughn Bridge Road in Hartselle, the agency said Monday evening.

The child was set to be evacuated from the area by aircraft, the sheriff's office said.

A "large police and EMS presence" led authorities to urge motorists to avoid the area and "use caution."

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Attention

15-foot whale shark washed ashore in Andhra Pradesh, India

Apoorva Jayachandran
India Today
Tue, 27 Feb 2024 12:21 UTC
The image shows the whale shark found at a beach in Srikakulam.
The image shows the whale shark found at a beach in Srikakulam.
Residents along the shores of Srikakulam beach in Andhra Pradesh were greeted with an unexpected sight as a massive whale shark was found to have been washed up on the shore early this morning.

The shark whale measures an impressive 15 feet in length, 6 feet in width, and weighing approximately 2 tons, has left the local community in awe.

Another video showed children jumping on the carcass of the dead whale as people flocked to see the massive creature.

According to local fishermen, the whale shark was found stranded on the beach near Donkuru village.

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Snowflake Cold

2.1 million animals dead as extreme winter weather hits Mongolia


France 24
Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:46 UTC
This winter has been more severe than usual in Mongolia, with lower than normal temperatures and very heavy snowfall
© Byambasuren BYAMBA-OCHIR / AFPThis winter has been more severe than usual in Mongolia, with lower than normal temperatures and very heavy snowfall
The landlocked country is no stranger to severe weather from December to March, when temperatures plummet as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 Fahrenheit) in some areas.

But this winter has been more severe than usual, with lower than normal temperatures and very heavy snowfall, the United Nations said in a recent report.

As of Monday, 2.1 million head of livestock had died from starvation and exhaustion, Gantulga Batsaikhan of the country's agriculture ministry said.

Mongolia had 64.7 million such animals, including sheep, goats, horses and cows, at the end of 2023, official statistics show.


Comment: Mongolia experiences largest winter snowfall in 49 years

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Binoculars

Florida bird rescuers shocked by rare visitors: Puffins

Dinah Voyles Pulver
USA TODAY
Mon, 26 Feb 2024 13:34 UTC
An Atlantic puffin was rescued from the beach in Ponce Inlet, Florida
© Michael BrothersAn Atlantic puffin was rescued from the beach in Ponce Inlet, Florida and treated at the Volusia County Marine Science Center's Mary Keller Seabird Rehabilitation Sanctuary, but did not survive its emaciated condition.
Atlantic puffins arrive on beaches more than 1,000 miles from home

One question keeps surfacing this month, as reports of a certain quirky and beloved seabird keep popping up along Florida's east coast: A puffin?

The black and white seabirds with the bright orange beaks are almost unheard of anywhere in the Southeast, but at least four puffins have been seen along Florida's east coast beaches since Feb. 8, shocking bird rescuers and others.

Bird watchers know one of the easiest places to see an Atlantic puffin is to head for the islands off the coast of Maine, but something odd has happened this winter.

A flurry of seabirds usually seen most often off the Northeastern coast - including puffins, razorbills and dovekies - have surprised birdwatchers along the Southeastern coast from the Carolinas to Florida. Experts say the birds' wayward path could possibly be linked to offshore storms or winds that stirred up colder water near the coast.

Before February, only five Atlantic puffin sightings had ever been reported in Florida, all weakened birds found stranded on beaches, said Andrew Kratter, collections manager of birds at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

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Doberman

Baby girl dies after attack by stray dogs in Delhi, India

Saikat Kumar Bose
NDTV
Sun, 25 Feb 2024 14:07 UTC
dog attack
In an incident that is set to revive the debate over stray dogs, an infant has died in an attack by a pack of stray dogs in Delhi. One-and-a-half-year-old Divanshi suffered serious injuries on her legs and face after at least three stray dogs attacked her in Tughlakabad area.

Her family members heard her scream and chased the dogs away. She was rushed to a hospital, but doctors declared her dead. The body has been sent for autopsy and police are investigating the matter.

Attacks by stray dogs on pedestrians, especially children, have triggered demands for immediate steps by civic authorities. In some area, animal lovers feeding the strays have also come under fire over such incidents.
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Attention

Wild elephants trample two to death in Assam, India


The Indian Express
Sat, 24 Feb 2024 14:00 UTC
mmmm
Two persons were trampled to death by wild elephants in Assam's Goalpara district, police said on Saturday.

They said the two victims, including one female, were travelling on a motorbike when they encountered a herd of wild elephants near a bridge in the Gualguli area on Friday night.

"They were on their way to their homes in Gualguli from Lakhipur when they encountered the herd. They tried to flee but were chased by the pachyderm and killed, as per our preliminary investigation", police said.

On being informed, police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies.

PTI
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Attention

Juvenile gray whale dead after stranding itself at La Jolla, California

Alexander Haro
The Inertia
Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:38 UTC
mmmmmmm
A young gray whale that washed up at La Jolla shores on Thursday afternoon has been confirmed dead.

According to reports, the whale beached itself in a shallow low-tide area. When the calls began to come in from beachgoers, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rushed to the scene to see if there was anything to be done to help the juvenile back into deeper waters. The whale was still alive, but its situation was dire. Sadly, NOAA officials believe that the whale was dead by 8:30 p.m.

NOAA told reporters from CBS8 that the whale was only a few years old, measuring 24-feet long and weighing around 11,000 pounds. At maturity, gray whales can be as large as 50-feet long and 90,000 pounds.

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Fish

Endangered sawfish have been found dead in Lower Keys, Florida - other fish also dying

Jenny Staletovich
wlrn.org
Thu, 22 Feb 2024 12:46 UTC
Paddle boarder Joyce Milelli came across this sick sawfish .
© Joyce MilelliPaddle boarder Joyce Milelli came across this sick sawfish in late January while leading a tour near Geiger Key. Five days later it was found dead amid an outbreak of deaths among endangered sawfish.
More than a dozen endangered sawfish have turned up dead in the Lower Keys in recent weeks amid an unusual fish kill that has also included goliath grouper, tarpon, stingrays and dozens of other species found dead or behaving erratically.

Early testing has so far ruled out harmful water conditions like low oxygen, temperature or salinity, but did detect elevated levels of a toxic algae found in ciguatera.

Fish that feed on reefs typically carry ciguatera because that's where the algae naturally grows. The toxin can build up, which can make eating the fish dangerous. It's rarely fatal, but symptoms including vomiting and neurologic damage, can be severe and take days or years to go away.

However, the toxin rarely harms fish, suggesting that a different species may be causing problems in the Keys. And having deaths across so many species is rare.

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Doberman

Six-year-old boy mauled to death by stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh, India


Deccan Herald
Thu, 22 Feb 2024 12:07 UTC
dog attack
Action is being sought by the municipal authorities against stray dogs after a six-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of dogs in Muzaffarnagar while he was playing in the fields.

A six-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in a village here, police said on Thursday.

Circle Officer Rupali Devi said Dev alias Golu, a class 3 student, was playing in the fields on Wednesday evening when a pack of dogs attacked him.

Locals nearby rushed to Golu's rescue and rushed him to a hospital where he was declared dead, the CO said.

The officer said that they have informed the municipal authorities seeking action against stray dogs. Further probe is underway.

PTI

Comment: See also: Girl mauled to death by stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh, India - 10TH such fatality in 15 MONTHS for the Bijnor district

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