Animals
S


Cow

Rampaging water buffalo attacks and injures 14 pedestrians, China

Karson Yiu
abcnews.go.com
Wed, 26 Nov 2014 17:12 UTC
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A water buffalo tore through a small southwestern Chinese town in a mad rampage
A water buffalo tore through a small southwestern Chinese town in a mad rampage, chasing down pedestrians and injuring at least 14 bystanders.

In surveillance video footage released by state media, the water buffalo is seen wandering in the center of town in Jingyan County located in China's Sichuan province.

In one shot, the buffalo is shown setting its sights on resident Liang Cuirong who was riding past on her bicycle. The animal chased Liang, knocked her off the bike and trampled her repeatedly.

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Attention

Wild boar attacks woman in her backyard, India

P. Oppili
The Hindu
Fri, 05 Dec 2014 16:45 UTC
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A 55-year-old woman of Adhivarahapuram near Tiruttani was admitted to government hospital on Friday after she was attacked by a wild boar.

"Around 4.30 in the morning, Pattammal went out to the backyard of her house, where the animal attacked her, injuring her right hand. The victim raised an alarm but the animal disappeared," Forest officials said.

A team of officials led by Tiruvallur District Forest Officer P. Muhammed Shabab visited the victim in the hospital. Financial assistance was handed over to Pattammal by Mr. Shabab at the hospital. A team has been sent to the village where the woman was attacked to check the movement of any animal. Further investigation is on, he added.
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Sheeple

Nature bites back: Study shows lethal control of wolf populations increase livestock depredations


Phys.org
Wed, 03 Dec 2014 00:00 UTC
pack wolves
© WikipediaMollies Pack Wolves Baiting a Bison.
Washington State University researchers have found that it is counter-productive to kill wolves to keep them from preying on livestock. Shooting and trapping lead to more dead sheep and cattle the following year, not fewer.

Writing in the journal PLOS ONE, WSU wildlife biologist Rob Wielgus and data analyst Kaylie Peebles say that, for each wolf killed, the odds of more livestock depredations increase significantly.

The trend continues until 25 percent of the wolves in an area are killed. Ranchers and wildlife managers then see a "standing wave of livestock depredations," said Wielgus.

Moreover, he and Peebles write, that rate of wolf mortality "is unsustainable and cannot be carried out indefinitely if federal relisting of wolves is to be avoided."

Comment: This study is timely, as there have been numerous reports of wolf attacks in the past several months, so it is becoming obvious that measures being taken aren't working so well:

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Arrow Down

North Carolina factory farm whistleblower unveils disturbing video

Anthony Gucciardi
Natural Society
Fri, 05 Dec 2014 18:35 UTC
Farm Chickens
© Natural SocietyPerdue farm chickens.
Does 'sustainable' farming really mean what you think it does? We've all seen the concerning images and videos depicting abused and sickly animals set for sale for the lowest possible price point, but very few have seen inside of a major 'sustainable' factory farm that even the USDA says passes its standard of care.

A North Carolina contractor for meat processing giant Perdue has now unveiled what truly happens behind these 'better' farming operations that we are made to believe are the much better option for ourselves and our families. The result: a very disturbing reminder to eat a high quality organic diet:

As a contractor for Perdue, farmer Craig Watts says he is contractually obligated to ensure that the chickens destined for your dinner table do not receive any form of sunlight or fresh air. In addition, the chickens are forced to lay not only on their own bed of feces, but feces that has accumulated for around the past year. This is because the floors are not cleaned between each import of new chickens, leading to thick layers of feces, other bodily fluids, limbs, and other items accumulating to the point where the underbellies of the chickens are worn red and their feathers are rubbed clean off.
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Attention

Killer whale washes up dead off Courtenay, Canada


cbc.ca
Fri, 05 Dec 2014 17:32 UTC
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© George BatesThe whale was towed in around 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon after a local resident notified DFO of what they thought was a dead orca off the beach.
Young adult female was believed to have been pregnant when spotted this summer

A young adult killer whale that washed up on the shores of Vancouver Island on Thursday has been identified as a member of the endangered southern resident population.

The whale was discovered by residents in Courtenay who saw it floating in the water and towed it to shore.

A biologist from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans - along with a whale watching expert - took preliminary samples as well as photos of the whale's dorsal fin in order to identify it.

The whale was identified as 18-year-old J-32, according to Paul Cottrell, a marine mammal coordinator with the department.
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Blackbox

Thousands of mollusks wash ashore in South Africa - event believed to be tied to 'heavy seas'?

David Strege
Grind TV
Thu, 04 Dec 2014 20:55 UTC
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Black mussels wash ashore on a South African beach. Photo is a screen grab from the video
A stretch of Rodderg Beach in South Africa turned into "mussel beach" recently when hundreds of thousands of black mussels washed ashore in a mystery that has local officials searching for the reason why.

The beach in Plettenberg Bay was covered with the black mussels over a 325-yard section. Some believed it was caused by a red tide, a harmful algal bloom, but marine experts dismissed that possibility.

Dr. Mark Brown of Nature's Valley Trust told The Herald of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, that the massive beaching is not linked "to red tide or anything sinister at this stage."

Instead, Brown believes the black mussels were dislodged by heavy seas.

"A similar event happened in November last year in the same spot," Brown told The Herald. "Essentially large swells and currents break beds of mussels off the reef and they wash up."

Comment: Residents evacuated as Pico do Fogo volcano in Cape Verde erupts after a 20 year silence

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Wolf

Man likely to have died from a dog pack attack in Madison, North Carolina

Danielle Battaglia
News and Record
Thu, 04 Dec 2014 19:31 UTC
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It was 1 p.m. and there was a chill in the air when Jose Robles left family he was visiting and went for a stroll down Bethany Road.

For Robles, 62, it would be the last steps of his life.

For his family, it was the last time they would see him alive.

That was Nov. 23.

About 10 a.m. the next day, deputies found Robles at the bottom of a steep embankment about a mile from where he was staying. He was dead.
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Health

Woman left bloodied after attack by koala in Willaston, Australia


au.news.yahoo.com
Wed, 03 Dec 2014 13:55 UTC
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Ms Forster was taken to hospital after the koala bite.
A woman has been left bloodied and required a four-day stay in hospital after being attacked by a koala north of Adelaide.

But despite her injuries, she says she doesn't blame the animal for the brutal attack.

Willaston woman Mary Anne Forster said she was walking her two dogs a fortnight ago when they pulled her towards a koala at the base of a tree.

"Obviously the koala felt very threatened because it attached itself with its mouth, jaws, to my leg and bit very hard, bit very deeply," she said.

After a struggle, she managed to break free.

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Wolf

An 85-year-old woman mauled by stray dogs dies, Louisiana


knoe.com
Tue, 02 Dec 2014 18:16 UTC
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An 85-year-old woman who was mauled by stray dogs has died, five days after the attack.

Grant Parish Sheriff Steve McCain confirmed the death of Bobbie Cheveallier Monday evening, after it was posted on social media.

Dogs attacked Cheveallier on Wednesday as she took out the trash from her home near Pollock.

McCain says deputies have caught 15 stray dogs for testing since the attack.

Cheveallier's son Randy Cheveallier says her legs had to be amputated.

He says nobody saw the attack.

Cheveallier says a neighbor's boyfriend saw three dogs in his mother's yard Wednesday afternoon, went over to see what was going on, and found her on the ground, unconscious.
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Health

4-year old boy savaged by family's rottweiler in New Port Richey, Florida

Chip Osowski
wfla.com
Mon, 01 Dec 2014 22:32 UTC
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The dog is currently under a 10-day rabies quarantine.
Kathryn Monroe is still trying to come to grips with what happened to her great grandson on Sunday. "I know we're all heartbroken. We're in tears." Said Monroe. "He's fighting for his life. That's all I can say. His one ear was severed, it's horrible."

Pasco County Sheriff's Deputies say 4-year old Jasper Debow Bridgeman was bitten by the family's Rottweiler at his grandmother's home at 9136 Suffolk Lane in New Port Richey shortly after 4pm on Sunday. Paramedics airlifted the boy to St. Joseph's hospital where he is recovering from his injuries. Pasco Animal Control took the dog to the shelter in Land O' Lakes.

The dog is currently under a 10-day rabies quarantine. Once the quarantine is completed, the dog's owners will then have an opportunity to determine if they want to keep the dog.

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