Animals
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Attention

Dead grey whale calf washes ashore in Del Mar, California

Monica Garske and Artie Ojeda
nbcsandiego.com
Fri, 11 Dec 2015 18:07 UTC
Dead whale calf
© Chris StoneMembers of the National Marine Fisheries Service examine the dead calf.
Lifeguards closed off beach access to Del Mar Shores Friday morning after a dead, newborn gray whale washed ashore, officials confirmed.

The decomposing whale was discovered at the Del Mar Shore access point, near Solana Beach, around 8:10 a.m.

According to Jim Gilpatrick with the NOAA Fisheries, the calf is about three to four weeks old.

"It may have been separated from its mother and was unable to nurse because they'll nurse all the way down to the lagoons," said Gilpatrick.

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Snow Globe

Bison herd on the loose cross highway in Saskatchewan, Canada

CBC
CBC News
Fri, 11 Dec 2015 12:54 UTC
Buffalo
People in the Tisdale, Sask., area are being told to watch out for a large herd of buffalo that's running loose. A Yukon herd is shown here. (Government of Yukon)
The Mounties are warning the public about "a herd of buffalo" running loose near Tisdale, Sask.

On Friday, a herd of as many as 100 animals was seen crossing Highway 35, about 30 kilometres south of the east-central town.

The buffalo, or bison as they are more properly called, have also been spotted on grid roads in the area in the rural municipality of Barrier Valley.

The RM says it's working on a plan to corral them to eliminate the risk to the public and motorists.

It's asking the public not to chase or scare the animals, as it will make capturing them more difficult.
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Horse

Lightning bolt kills three horses in Warwick, Australia

Sophie Lester
Warwick Daily News
Fri, 11 Dec 2015 16:44 UTC
Lightning
UPDATE 4.45PM: A lightning strike has killed three horses this afternoon as a thunderstorm ripped through Warwick.

Owner Terryanne Kalms is mourning the loss of the horses that were struck while grazing in their paddock near the Victoria St Bridge.

"There were people driving past who knew who owned them," Ms Kalms said.

"They called us saying 'these guys have been hit, they're not moving and the others are afraid of them'.

"It's definitely a shock - they're like family."
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Attention

Dead dwarf sperm whale found on Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida


First Coast News
Fri, 11 Dec 2015 14:10 UTC
dead darf whale
© SJCSOThe whale was found in the sand about a mile south of the Jacksonville Beach-St. Johns County line at some point Wednesday, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
A dead dwarf sperm whale washed ashore on Ponte Vedra Beach Wednesday, authorities said.

The whale was found in the sand about a mile south of the Jacksonville Beach-St. Johns County line at some point Wednesday, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

The whale, which measured about 6.5 feet long and 800 pounds, had been dead awhile before it was found, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist Nadia Gordon told First Coast News.

A field necropsy was completed, Gordon said.
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Black Cat

Two cheetahs stationed on South African air base attack officer

Lynsey Chutel
The Sacramento Bee
Thu, 10 Dec 2015 13:45 UTC
A cheetah
© Wikimedia Commons/Mukul2uA cheetah
Two cheetahs used for animal control on a South African air base attacked an air force officer, slightly injuring her.

The cheetahs, reared by humans and housed on the base to keep other animals off the runway, are part of a natural security program. Exploring their new environment, the two males on Tuesday entered a hangar on the Makhado Air Force Base, where a few officers were gathered.

The animals were shooed away, but as they stalked off, a warrant officer tried to take their picture. They began to growl. As the warrant officer turned to flee, they pounced. The woman was treated for minor injuries on her shoulders and the back of her head.

The cheetahs, who were deployed two weeks ago, will keep their home on the base, and the air force will do more to educate the officers who share the base with the world's fastest land animals, spokeswoman Brig. Gen. Marthie Visser said on Thursday.
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Fish

Great white shark washes up on Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina


wect.com
Mon, 07 Dec 2015 19:54 UTC
Dead shark
© WECTThe ten-foot deceased shark was found near Crystal Pier at the Oceanic Restaurant.
Officials at UNCW released the findings from the necropsy performed Tuesday of a female great white shark that washed up on Wrightsville Beach Monday morning.

The five-hour necropsy began by photo documenting the 10-foot, 687-pound juvenile animal for matching against images of known great white sharks in the North Atlantic.

The animal had multiple shark bites along the flank and ventrum, and was missing the left flipper. Samples were collected to determine if these wounds occurred pre- or post- mortem. There was one deep linear laceration on the right side that was in the process of healing and was not implicated in the death of the shark.

Officials then began the internal exam by opening the right abdomen and removing the large left and right lobes of the liver, which represented 15 percent of the shark's weight.

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Attention

25 dead peacocks and other birds found in Khurda Forest, India

Busta Sebetseba
News Tonight Africa
Thu, 10 Dec 2015 19:44 UTC
Dead peacocks
© Express News ServiceA forest staffer carries dead peacocks to the OUAT Veterinary College in Bhubaneswar from Madhupur near Khurda
There are concerns about a possible spread of bird flu after 25 peacocks and a large number of other birds were found dead at Madhapur village forest under Khurda Forest Division on Tuesday morning.

The villagers found a large number of birds including pigeons, crows and cranes dead in the area. The birds were found near a water body at Madhupur village forest under Khurda Forest Division. After finding the birds, the villagers immediately informed the Forest officials of Khurda and Chandaka divisions, who recovered the dead birds in the area.

Chandaka DFO Manoj Mohapatra said, "Some carcasses have been sent to OUAT for the preliminary examination. Samples would be sent to Animal Disease Research Institute (ADRI) of State Veterinary Department and National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSD), Bhopal, for determining the nature of deaths".
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Horse

Two-headed deer caught in Teifi Valley, Wales


Carmarthen Journal
Wed, 02 Dec 2015 20:01 UTC
DEER
© Gary ReynoldsThe positioning of the two deer made it look at first as though they were the same animal
A photographer has captured on camera a creature similar to the "pushmi-pullyu" from Doctor Dolittle at a Teifi Valley nature reserve.

Gary Reynolds photographed the beautiful two-headed deer grazing at the Welsh Wildlife Centre in Cilgerran on November 20. The image was remarkably similar to the two-headed gazelle-unicorn cross from Doctor Dolittle.

Mr Reynolds captured the brilliantly timed photo on a visit to the popular nature reserve. The positioning of the two deer made it look at first as though they were the same animal.

The centre is no stranger to exotic and unexpected creatures - it is even home to a herd of water buffalo. The Wildlife Trust in Wales-run centre has also been home to a giant willow badger.
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Attention

Suspected burglar hides in pond, is killed by alligator

Lee Moran
Huffington Post
Tue, 08 Dec 2015 17:31 UTC

A suspected burglar was killed by an alligator while hiding in a Florida pond to avoid arrest, police believe.

The body of Matthew Riggins, 22, was discovered floating in a lake in Barefoot Bay, Brevard County, on Nov. 23, according to multiple reports.

The lower sections of his legs and a part of one arm were missing, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

The 11-foot-long alligator was so ferocious it had to be euthanized by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission trapper as Riggins' corpse was being recovered, according to Florida Today.
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Fish

Dolphins use 'sono-pictorial' form of language

Jennifer Viegas
Discovery News
Mon, 07 Dec 2015 18:54 UTC
CymaScope image
© SpeakDolphin.com, CymaScope laboritoryOriginal CymaScope image of how a dolphin saw a submerged man (left) and the computer enhanced version of the same image (right).
In a scientific first, researchers have just reproduced what a dolphin saw as it encountered a male diver.

This "what the dolphin saw" image of the submerged man reveals that dolphin echolocation results in fairly detailed images. What's more, it's now thought that dolphins may share such images with each other as part of a previously unknown marine mammal language.

Research team leader Jack Kassewitz of SpeakDolphin.com said in a press release that "our recent success has left us all speechless. We now think it is safe to speculate that dolphins may employ a 'sono-pictorial' form of language, a language of pictures that they share with each other. If that proves to be true an exciting future lies ahead for inter species communications."

For the research, which took place at the Dolphin Discovery Center in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico, Kassewitz had colleague Jim McDonough submerge himself in front of the female dolphin "Amaya" in a research pool at the center. To avoid bubbles from a breathing apparatus (which might have hurt the later recreation of the image), McDonough wore a weight belt and exhaled most of the air in his lungs to overcome his natural buoyancy before positioning himself against a shelf in the pool.
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