Animals
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Black Cat

Cougar attacks dog near Powell River, British Columbia


cbc.ca
Fri, 01 May 2015 18:11 UTC
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© Ron Smid/FacebookBruce, a 4-year-old pit bull, has a drainage tube running from his forehead to the side of his cheek to help him recover from a cougar attack.
A four-year-old pit bull is recovering after being attacked by a cougar near Powell River, B.C., last week.

Bruce, who lives with his owner Ron Smid in a secluded area, disappeared into the woods last Thursday, April 23, returning a few minutes later — bleeding.

"He must have caught a scent and he didn't want to be called back," said Smid.

It wasn't until Bruce was examined by the vet and his body shaved, that the full extent of his injuries could be seen.

There were puncture wounds all over the dog's body and lacerations across his head.

"The largest wound that is apparent is a large tooth-like fang that went through the middle of his skull and it actually penetrated right to the bone," said Smid.
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Attention

Man trampled to death by elephant in Nilgiris, India


The Hindu
Sat, 02 May 2015 17:21 UTC
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Elephant kicking up some dust.
K. Balan (47) of Bokkapuram was killed by an elephant late on Thursday, when he along with a few other people were collecting firewood in the nearby forest of The Nilgiris North division.

The group was chased by the elephant.

While the rest managed to flee to safety, Balan went missing. On Friday, Balan's body was found at Nelson estate near Bokkapuram. On behalf of the State Government,

Forest Department officials gave away the first instalment solatium of Rs. 25,000 to his family.

The body was sent to Gudalur Government Hospital for post-mortem examination.
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Info

Global decline of large herbivores could lead to an 'empty landscape'


sciencedaily.com
Fri, 01 May 2015 13:17 UTC
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© Halska HrabarThis is a mountain zebra, Equus zebra.
The decline of the world's large herbivores, especially in Africa and parts of Asia, is raising the specter of an "empty landscape" in some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, according to a newly published study.

Many populations of animals such as rhinoceroses, zebras, camels, elephants and tapirs are diminishing or threatened with extinction in grasslands, savannahs, deserts and forests, scientists say.

An international team of wildlife ecologists led by William Ripple, Oregon State University distinguished professor in the College of Forestry, conducted a comprehensive analysis of data on the world's largest herbivores (more than 100 kilograms, or 220 pounds, on average), including endangerment status, key threats and ecological consequences of population decline. They published their observations in Science Advances, the open-access online journal of Science magazine.
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Attention

More than 20 whales beach in Murdeira, Cape Verde


Ocean Press
Thu, 30 Apr 2015 12:31 UTC
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Beached whale at Murdeira, Cape Verde
Teams of biologists, environmentalists are already on Jorge Fonseca beach where they seek at all costs to save the life of the sea mammals and bring them back to the open sea.

Some vessels also already in place to support the rescue.

Experts on site frantically go forward because the main concern is to minimize the environmental tragedy and try to save the whales. At least twenty-three cases have been counted already. It is not yet possible to advance the causes but we know that we are in the time of year that this phenomenon tends to happen.

Ocean Press is already on the site and will continue to monitor on location this news, updating it soon with more information

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Attention

Dog infects four humans with the plague: Researchers fear outbreak could involve human-to-human transmission

Heather Saul
The Independent
Fri, 01 May 2015 18:01 UTC
pneumonic plague

A dog has spread the plague to four people in Colorado, in an outbreak officials say could involve the first person-to-person transmission of the infection in the US in 90 years.

A study published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the infection was spread when a pitbull terrier was taken ill and eventually put down by vets. The two vets who treated the animal, his owner and a friend of the owner developed similar symptoms as the dog shortly afterwards and tested positive for Yersinia pestis, which causes the plague.

All four were treated with antibiotics and made a full recovery, NBC reports.

Dr John Douglas, director of Colorado's Tri-County Health Department, said there are eight cases of the plague in humans each year on average. "Plague is virtually always confined in this day and age to rural regions in the West," he told the network. "That is because the vector of plague is typically the prairie dog although there are other rodents that can transmit as well."
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Attention

Herd of elephants trample woman to death in Bangladesh


The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
Fri, 01 May 2015 17:09 UTC
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A herd of 16 elephants trampled a woman on a hill of Satkania upazila in Chittagong this afternoon.

"The elephants destroyed a woman's house in the forest, eventually killing her," said Asheem Mollick, a wildlife inspector of Department of Forests.

The deceased has been identified as Ambia Khatun, 50.

Earlier in the day, the elephants were travelling from one hill to another, through the elephant pass.

On their way, they tampered with a recently built electric pole which finally killed a female aged elephant.

The rest of the elephants were still wandering in the forest.
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Binoculars

Migrating birds still delayed by cooler than normal weather in Canada

Bruce Di Labio
Ottawa Citizen
Fri, 01 May 2015 16:50 UTC
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© Judith Gustafsson / Ottawa CitizenThe group of Tree Swallows was spotted at Brewer Pond. During cool spells many swallows concentrate in sheltered areas along rivers, ponds and creeks feeding on insects.
The anticipation of spring migrants pouring into Canada's Capital is still just a dream. The continuing cool weather last week slowed north bound migration yet again but with warmer temperatures this past week, truly the dream will slowly become a reality.

How cool is it?

On a recent trip to Algonquin Park on April 28, some lakes were still partially frozen and snow drifts were visible in sheltered areas. What we need is a good dose of southern air.

This past week a few new arrivals were found making their way north in spite of the weather including Ovenbird, Palm Warbler, and Northern Waterthrush. A Blue-gray Gnatcher was seen in the Pakenham area on April 26.
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Attention

Woman killed by shark off Maui, Hawaii


nbcnews.com
Wed, 29 Apr 2015 11:38 UTC
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A Hawaii woman was killed in an apparent shark attack off the coast of Maui on Wednesday morning, prompting officials to close off beaches and a section of the ocean that includes a popular surfing spot.

Snorkelers near the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve on the southwest coast of the island found the woman's body floating face-down in the water just before 9 a.m., and the injuries are consistent with a shark attack, Maui County government said in a statement.

The woman was only identified as a 65-year-old resident of Kihei, up the coast about 12 miles from where her body was found. Authorities said she was snorkeling with two friends when they became separated, and she was alone when the body was discovered.

Beaches and the ocean from the reserve to Makena State Park to the north, including a surf spot called "The Dumps" were closed until at least noon Thursday, the Department of Land and Natural Resources said.

There have only been two other shark attacks in all of Hawaii so far this year, according to the DLNR, which tracks shark attacks. Neither was fatal.

Until Wednesday, there had been only three confirmed fatal shark attacks in Hawaii waters since 1995, but all three of those occurred off the coast of Maui - two in the past 16 months, DLNR records said.

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Smiley

Rhode Island woman finds wild turkey in bathroom

Melissa Randall
WLNE-TV
Thu, 30 Apr 2015 10:06 UTC
Turkey in Bathroom
© WLNE-TV
Imagine coming home to find a turkey sitting on your bathroom counter after crashing through a window. It happened to Nancy Page of Warwick.

"The door was open and I rounded the corner and there was a turkey— sitting on my vanity," she explained.

The wild bird came crashing through the window last week and created quite a mess. The turkey had accidentally turned on the faucet which ran for hours flooding the room. That's in addition to the glass and feathers that went everywhere.

Page says she wasn't really sure what to do, so she closed the door and called 911.

"My emergency was water gushing through the ceiling... and a turkey in my bathroom," said Page. "She [the dispatcher] said what? And I said it again and said this really is true."

Police, fire, and D.E.M came to the rescue. Page captured the birds' removal from the Algonquin Drive home on her cell phone. With a little prodding the turkey stands up and takes off completely unharmed.

"Everybody has gotten a really good laugh out of this because it is so comical. No one was hurt so we're real thankful for that," said Page.
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Attention

Second dead dolphin washes ashore in a week in Mumbai, India

Diksha Punjabi
mid-day.com
Wed, 29 Apr 2015 19:48 UTC
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The dolphin was taken to Bombay Veterinary College for a post-mortem and then cremated yesterday
While BMC had dumped the dead mammal, found last week, in the Deonar dumping yard, they took nearly 15 hours to clear the body found on Monday; officials said the body was stuck between the rocks and was difficult to remove

More people, perhaps, have seen dolphins in the city in the past week or so, than they might've seen in their entire lifetime. Another dead dolphin washed ashore Marine Drive on Monday, and this time, the civic body took nearly 15 hours to lift its body from the rocks.

The five-foot creature was spotted at 8 pm, on the rocks opposite the NCPA building. Locals informed the authorities and soon, officials from the Solid Waste Management of the A ward and the Marine Drive police reached the spot.
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