Animals
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Man bitten by alligator while gardening in Lake County, Florida


kirotv.com
Wed, 11 Nov 2015 13:27 UTC
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Man bitten on arm by alligator in Tavares
A man was taken to the hospital Wednesday after being bitten by an alligator in Lake County, fire officials said.

William Bechard, 68, was bitten on the arm. He was taken to Florida Hospital Waterman and released Wednesday night.

Bechard was attacked while pulling weeds outside his home, which is on a canal on Lynn Circle in Tavares.

Bechard said he is shaken up by the incident, but won't let that stop him from going near the water.

"I was pulling out the weeds and all I (felt) was pressure. No splash, no nothing, and I got up like this and it splashed right here," he said.


Comment: See also these other recent reports: Alligator killed swimmer in Blue Spring, Florida; medical examiner confirms

Alligator rips off woman's arm near Wekiva Island, Florida

Father, grandfather rescue boy from alligator attack at Lake Charlotte, Texas

Alligator kills man swimming at marina in Orange, Texas

400 pound alligator attacks 9-year-old boy, Florida

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Attention

Humpback whale washes up at Warrnambool beach, Australia

Madeleine McNeil and Jono Pech
Newcastle Herald
Thu, 12 Nov 2015 20:00 UTC
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Whale washes up at Warrnambool beach
The carcass of a young humpback whale has washed up at Levy's Point.

Two Warrnambool residents walking their dog made the discovery on Tuesday evening and reported it to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning on Wednesday afternoon.

Their father, who contacted The Standard, said the whale washed up at the eastern end of the beach, near the rocks.

"It's in a reasonable condition at the moment and is washed fairly high on the sand," he said.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning confirmed the reports on Wednesday night.
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Attention

Boy saved from black bear attack by his friend and a daredevil dachshund in Russia


The Siberian Times
Thu, 12 Nov 2015 19:23 UTC
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© Channel 1, The Siberian TimesIt was discovered that earlier the bear had rampaged into the yard of the resident of Amgu Anatoly Ardashov.
Black bear pounced on Stas Nagornov as he returned home from the shop in the centre of Amgu village.

His friend Nikita Nikonov said: 'He caught up with Stas first. The bear threw him to the ground, began to trample him, bite him. He grabbed his head, then shoulder and back. I watched - and ran at the bear. I didn't think about myself or what would happen. I just wanted to save my friend.'

Stas, 8, said: 'Nikita ran and saved me. He hit the bear's head with a stone.' This made the bear turn his attention to Nikita, gnawing and clawing him instead.

Comment: See also: Russian town besieged by hungry bears; one man killed and other locals attacked

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Attention

Three injured in two bear attacks in Kaghan, Pakistan; over 5 recent incidents in 2 months


The Express Tribune
Sun, 08 Nov 2015 19:17 UTC
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More than five people wounded in similar attacks over past few months.
At least three people were injured after being attacked by bears in separate incidents in Kaghan Valley on Saturday.

A police official told The Express Tribune on Sunday, Sajid Mehmood, a resident of Shangriyan village and a student of class eight, was on his way home with his mother, Razia Bibi, when he was attacked by a wild bear in the neighbouring village.

"The mother and son were passing through a forest when the bear attacked the boy," the official said.

He added Razia Bibi tried to save her son by throwing stones at the bear. However, the animal attacked her as well.
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Attention

Dead false killer whale washes ashore on Big Island, Hawaii


hawaiinewsnow.com
Mon, 09 Nov 2015 19:08 UTC
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© Ian Chun
Marine mammal experts are investigating the death of an endangered false killer whale found washed ashore Saturday on the Big Island.

The female became stranded in the South Point area.

Officials with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration said this particular whale had been seen eight times between 2000 and 2014. It's rare for Hawaii's false killer whales to strand themselves, officials said, adding that it has happened three times in the last 17 years.

"If you consider that there are 200 individuals in the population and if you take away one female from a critically endangered population and she has the reproductive potential to produce many calves throughout her life and to remove her at a young age from the population, we're removing that contribution to the recovery of the species," said David Schofield, NOAA Marine Mammal Response manager.

The animal was brought to Oahu for a necropsy to determine the cause of death.
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Wolf

Girl dies following pit bull attack in Elmont, Nassau

Ted Phillips
NewsDay
Mon, 09 Nov 2015 18:20 UTC
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© Ted PhillipsThe scene of an apparent dog attack in Elmont. Photo
A 9-year-old girl died Sunday, hours after she was mauled by a pit bull while playing with friends in the backyard of an Elmont house, Nassau police said.

It could be the first known fatal attack by a pit bull on Long Island. A search of Newsday archives dating to the 1940s found no records of a similar death.

Nassau police and neighbors described a harrowing scene as attempts to free the girl from the dog's clenched jaws failed and her two friends ran into the front of the house on Holland Avenue screaming for help.

Det. Michael Bitsko said the mother of one of the girl's friends tried unsuccessfully to get the dog to let go of the child.

Bitsko said officers had surrounded the house and one went inside. When one officer came out in the backyard, she drew the dog's attention, and when the animal charged, the officer fired several shots. It was not known why the dog attacked, he said.

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Attention

Dead dolphins continue to appear on the shores of Mumbai, India


iamin.in
Mon, 09 Nov 2015 17:10 UTC
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© dnaDead dolphins continue to dot Mumbai shores. File photo.
The bizarre spree of dead dolphins washing ashore on Mumbai beaches seems to continue. The latest was a five-feet-long dolphin carcass on Manori beach found on Wednesday, 4 November afternoon.

According to locals, the decomposed body of the marine mammal was spotted on as the tide receded. The carcass, like the earlier ones, was discoloured with bloated internals and fluids spilling from the rostrum (snout of the dolphin).

Fishermen from the area informed BMC officials immediately, who took away the carcass, which was emanating foul stench.

"Dolphins are seen far, in deeper waters, from the Manori coast. It is the first-time around that, a dead dolphin has surfaced here. There were incidents of similar carcasses washed ashore on Versova and Aksa beach," local fisherman Ramdas Agaskar told iamin over phone.
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Attention

Farm worker killed by wild boar in Andhra Pradesh, India


The Hindu
Sun, 08 Nov 2015 17:58 UTC
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A 45-year-old farm worker was killed in a wild boar attack near Buchireddypalem mandal headquarters near here on Friday night, while two others escaped unhurt in the incident.

The deceased has been identified as Tirumalasetti Chenchaiah. He was returning home, along with two other daily wagers from work in a neighbouring village when the boar attacked them.

An injured Chenchaiah started running to escape the attack, as the animal gave him a chase. While running without realising where he was heading to, Chenchaiah accidentally fell into an open well, so did the animal. Confined within the walls of the well, the animal attacked Chenchaiah again and he had nowhere to escape, before succumbing to his serious injuries. The other two daily wagers who succeeded to escape alerted the villagers. The villagers did arrive at the well to the rescue Chenchaiah, but it was too late by then. The boar also reportedly died when it was being taken out of the well.
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Bug

7 kilometre long swarm of beetles in Mosul, Iraq


Rudaw
Sat, 07 Nov 2015 12:48 UTC
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Masses of black beetles have spread in the Peshmarga forces' strongholds in Tel Askof, in Mosul province, Kurdish military authorities in the area told Rudaw.

Commanders are concerned the insects could harm the Peshmarga if proper measures are not taken.

It is horrible. We cannot even take a rest,. We cannot have our meals. If they are not stopped, then they might get to the town of Tel Askof. We are waiting for the medical team to come and check the state of the Peshmergas' health," said Jalal Mohammed, a Peshmerga fighter.

In another location, grasshoppers have descended on farm land in Duhok province.

The Peshmerga on the scene say this is the first time they have ever seen such an incredible number of beetles in the same place. They said the beetle swarm has spread over 7km long of Peshmerga frontlines.

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Attention

29 pilot whales die after mass stranding in Doughboy Bay, New Zealand


3news.co.nz
Fri, 06 Nov 2015 18:57 UTC
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© Department of ConservationDOC ranger Phred Dobbins with the whales stranded at Doughboy Bay on Stewart Island.
A pod of 29 pilot whales have died after stranding on a remote Stewart Island beach, the Department of Conservation said today.

The dead and dying pilot whales were discovered by hikers on Tuesday night, but it was two days before they were able to raise the alarm with conservation rangers.

Ranger Phred Dobbins was one of two staff flown to the site at Doughboy Bay yesterday.
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