Animals
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Sun

Drought spurs rodent problems across California


RT
Fri, 24 Apr 2015 23:15 UTC
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© Reuters/Lisi Niesner

The four year-old drought in California is causing an influx of rats and mice to seek sustenance inside homes and around public water sources during their spring breeding season, according to reports.

With less available water outdoors, rodents are using structural vulnerabilities and accessible lawn foliage to gain access inside California homes that provide the necessary water sources, CBS 13 in Sacramento reported.

"It's a very busy time especially with the drought situation," Kevin Carpenter of Good Earth Pest Control told CBS 13 of rodent breeding season.
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Attention

Pilgrim killed by wild boar in Kerala, India


The Hindu
Sat, 18 Apr 2015 18:46 UTC
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© DJS PhotographyWild Boar
65-year-old pilgrim, Govinda Swami from Peramballoor in Tamil Nadu, was killed in an attack by a wild boar at Pandithavalam at the Sabarimala Sannidhanam on Friday.

Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sanghom stretcher service captain Thanchavur Damodaran said the pilgrim had gone to Pandithavalam for tea around 5 a.m. when he was fatally attacked by the animal.

Volunteers rushed him to the Sannidhanam Government Hospital, where he died.

The body was later shifted to the General Hospital in Pathanamthitta for post-mortem examination.

Govinda Swami reached Sabarimala on Thursday with a 50-member group from Peramballoor, sources said.
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Wolf

Three-year-old girl mauled by family dog in Neyland, Wales

Sion Morgan and Steffan Rhys
Western Mail
Fri, 24 Apr 2015 18:25 UTC
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© Creative CommonsA three-year-old girl was airlifted to hospital after being attacked by an Alaskan Malamute, the breed pictured above
The dog was an Alaskan Malamute, the same breed believed to have been responsible for the death of a six-day-old baby in 2014

A three-year-old girl was airlifted to hospital after being attacked by an Alaskan Malamute, the breed pictured above

A three-year-old girl mauled by a family dog would have suffered "far more serious injuries" if it wasn't for the quick thinking actions of her family, police have revealed.

The young girl suffered head injuries when she was attacked "completely out of the blue" by the pet in Neyland, near Milford Haven, on Thursday,

She was airlifted to Morriston hospital in Swansea and has since been treated for facial injuries.

The breed of the family dog responsible for the attack was an eight year old Siberian Huskey cross Alaskan Malamute.

The breed is the same as that believed to have been responsible for the death of a six-day old baby, Eliza-Mae Mullane, at a house in Pontyberem in February 2014.
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Attention

Authorities investigate two dead gray whales off Santa Cruz County coast

Calvin Men
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Fri, 24 Apr 2015 17:49 UTC
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© Jodi FredianiA woman snaps a photo of a young gray whale on Wednesday that washed ashore at Pajaro Dunes Beach on the southern end of Santa Cruz County.
Two gray whale carcasses washed up in Santa Cruz County this week, prompting Long Marine Lab officials to investigate their deaths.

The whales — one at the northern end of the county and the other at the southern end — were first reported Wednesday, but officials couldn't conduct necropsies when they were reported because of the tide, said Terri Sigler, marine mammal stranding coordinator for Long Marine Lab.

A necropsy conducted Thursday on a 40-foot adult gray whale that washed ashore near Waddell Beach near Davenport couldn't determine the cause of death, Sigler said.

The team did say there was no evidence of the animal dying because of a ship strike or entanglement and likely was dead for at least a couple of days, she said.

"Because of the incoming tide, the necropsy was curtailed," said Sigler, though an abridged version was performed.

Comment: Since the turn of the year there have been an alarming number of dead whales of various species washing up on the west coast of North America, see below -

Dead sperm whale found on beach in Pacifica, California

Dead killer whale found near Fort Bragg, California

Fin whale found dead in San Pedro harbor, California

Dead grey whale washes up near Ucluelet, Canada

Humpback whale found dead near Westport, Washington

Dead Humpback whale washes ashore in Monterey, California

Dead gray whale found off Torrey Pines State Beach, California

Beached pygmy sperm whale dies at Point Reyes, California

Dead gray whale discovered at Seattle ferry terminal

14 whales and 16 turtles wash up dead on Baja California Sur coast

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Attention

Elephant kills two villagers in Odisha, India


The New Indian Express
Fri, 24 Apr 2015 17:09 UTC
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Peeved pachyderm
Two villagers were trampled to death by a tusker in a forest near Nuakheta village here on Thursday morning.

They along with a few locals had gone to collect mangoes which fell on the ground of the forest after Wednesday night's storm when the incident occurred. While others managed to escape, the two were attacked by the elephant. They have been identified as Dillip Pradhan (35) and Kadali Maharana (34).

Reports stated that a herd of elephants is roaming near Nuapkheta village for the last two months. Though the villagers have appealed to the officials of the Angul Forest Division several times to drive away the pachyderms, their pleas elicited no response.

Blaming the forest authorities' negligence for the death of two villagers, irate locals ransacked Forest Beat House, damaged the watch tower and the check gate besides some vehicles. They also demanded immediate solar fencing around their village. Regional Chief Conservator of Forest Anup Nayak said steps would be taken for solar fencing of the village. Despite several attempts, the Divisional Forest Officer of Angul could not be contacted.
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Wolf

Coyote fights 2 large dogs in back yard in Pinellas, Florida

Casey Cumley
wtsp.com
Wed, 22 Apr 2015 14:06 UTC
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© WTSPTwo-year-old Teddy got the brunt of the fight receiving a two-inch gash on his face.
A St. Petersburg man says his two German shepherds were attacked by a coyote in his back yard leaving one injured.

"It was just a horrible fight you know dogs whimpering and dogs crying," said Danny Stephen, who says he saw his two German Shepherds right outside his kitchen window in the a brutal fight Wednesday morning with a coyote.

"I can't even describe the noise. It was just like if a dog could scream, it would be screaming -- just an ungodly howl," Stephen said.

Two-year-old Teddy got the brunt of the fight receiving a two-inch gash on his face and luckily 1½-year-old Kira came out unharmed.

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Wolf

2 dogs appear to take owner's car for a joyride in Yarmouth, Canada

Preston Mulligan
cbc.ca
Mon, 20 Apr 2015 13:17 UTC
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© Edward d'EntrementOne dog was in the driver's seat and the other was in the passenger's seat, making what looked like a getaway from the animal hospital in Yarmouth.
Some onlookers in Yarmouth were treated to an unusual sight last week after two dogs took their owner's car on a short lived joyride.

Harry d'Entrement and his friend, Edward d'Entrement, went for a coffee run on Friday morning and while they were driving on Parade Street, a car started to pull out of the animal hospital parking lot.

Harry d'Entrement said something didn't look right.

"At a glance, I thought it was a couple of old ladies driving a little car," he said Monday.

As the car got closer, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"I was kind of speechless. I couldn't make sense of what I was seeing," he said.

It turned out, the drivers were dogs. One was in the driver's seat and the other was in the passenger's seat, making what looked like a getaway from the animal hospital.
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Cow

Weird animal behaviour: Dairy cow develops a taste for eating sheep in Kenya

Magdalene Wanja
Daily Nation (Kenya)
Wed, 22 Apr 2015 17:25 UTC
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© Suleiman Mbatiah | Nation media group.A dairy cow bites a merino sheep at Miti Mingi Village in Elementaita, Nakuru County, on April 22, 2015.
A family in Miti Mingi Village in Nakuru County is reeling in shock after its cow developed a liking for meat about a week ago.

Mr Charles Mamboleo on Wednesday said he woke up to find the cow feeding on one of his sheep that it had gored to death.

The following day, it fed on another sheep, having given fresh fodder and water in its feeding trough a wide berth.

"After the first incident, we thought the cow was starving, so we increased the supply of fodder and water, but it still continued chasing after sheep," said Mr Mamboleo.

He expressed fears that his animal could have been bewitched since it had not calved since it was bought.

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Smiley

Mutual aid: Raccoon rides a boar to get to corn feeder

Sam Webb
Daily Mirror, UK
Wed, 22 Apr 2015 15:17 UTC
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A raccoon was pictured on the back of a boar
It looks like something out of a Disney movie, but this picture of a raccoon riding a boar is completely legit.

The incredible picture was snapped by an automatic camera close to a corn feeder and is believed to have been taken in Texas.

After it emerged online, some commenters speculated that the raccoon was hopping on the back to reach the feeder - so both animals could feast.

One said: "The animals go to eat the corn that is dropped from the feeder twice a day, and the camera snaps a picture.

"Probably, the boar and the raccoon found themselves at the feeder every day waiting for the corn to come out.
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Attention

Portents and signs: Lamb born with face like an 'angry old man' in Dagestan

Sam Adams
Daily Mirror, UK
Mon, 30 Mar 2015 14:33 UTC
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© CENA vet said the lamb's deformity may have been caused by too much vitamin A in its mother's diet
Proud owner Blasius Lavrentiev's shock soon turned to delight after he was offered 10 times the normal price for her

A lamb born with a face 'like an angry old man with a big nose' has avoided the chop after a circus made an offer for her.

Proud owner Blasius Lavrentiev's shock soon turned to delight after he was already offered 10 times the normal price for her.

Sheep farmer Lavrentiev, 45, from the village of Chirka close to the Republic of Dagestan in south-western Russia, had been waiting all week for his prized ewe to give birth.

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