Animals
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Wolf

Two women mauled by packs of feral dogs in Bareilly, India

Priyangi Agarwal
The Times of India
Thu, 26 Feb 2015 18:48 UTC
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Feral dogs in India
The stray dog menace in Baheri tehsil has taken on a new dimension as the canines have now started targeting adults as well. Two women, aged 37 and 50, were reportedly mauled by dogs in separate incidents in the district on Tuesday.

According to reports, Reshamvati, 37, was attacked by a pack of ten dogs while she was collecting fodder in a field in Faizganj Kamthena village. She received injuries on stomach, legs and hands. Locals rushed to the spot after hearing her cries and rescued her. The villagers attacked the dogs with bamboo sticks and shooed them away. The woman has been admitted to community health centre (CHC) in Baheri where she is undergoing treatment.

In a similar incident, 50-year-old Heerakali, 50, was attacked by a pack in Nazarganj village when she had gone to the outskirts of the village for some work. However, with timely intervention of locals, the woman managed to escape with minor injuries. She is also being treated at a CHC.
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Binoculars

The canary in the coal mine? Nesting wading bird population crashes by 28% in a year, Florida Everglades

Luis Hernandez
wlrn.org
Tue, 03 Feb 2015 18:09 UTC
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© Joe Rimkus Jr. / Miami Herald StaffWoodstorks gather on the dike on the south side of the conservation area.
It's not a canary or a coal mine in Florida, but the idea from Audubon of Florida is the same. Wading birds hold the same function as the canary, and in this case the coal mine is the Everglades. Tabitha Cale with the society says things are dire.

The 20th anniversary of the Wading Bird Report is out and there's some bad news. Everglades restoration is not going well. The report shows that in 2014 there were 34,714 wading bird nests in the Greater Everglades. That's 28 percent fewer than in 2013.

The biggest drops included little blue herons, 83 percent, tricolored herons, 42 percent, and snowy egrets, 47 percent.

Counting wading bird nests is an indicator of where water flows are improving. The report shows the area with great progress is the Kissimmee River Basin. Meanwhile, Everglades National Park still needs improvement.
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Attention

Moose went "out of its way" to trample woman in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Daniel Xu
outdoorhub.com
Wed, 25 Feb 2015 16:43 UTC
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© US Fish and Wildlife ServiceA dog walker found herself on the wrong side of a bull moose last weekend
The popular ski resort town of Steamboat Springs is well-known for its hot springs, skiing festivals, and abundant moose population. Visitors are often warned to give the area's resident moose a wide berth, but sometimes the animals have ideas of their own. According to CBS4, a dog walker was injured on Sunday when she was trampled by a spooked moose.

The victim, who has been identified by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) as Katharine Hash, sustained serious injuries during the encounter and was later airlifted to a Denver hospital. Witnesses told investigators that the bull moose had struck Hash from behind, despite having ample space to run around her, and some even said that the animal deliberately crossed the road to trample the dog walker.

"At this point, our best guess is something else happened on an adjacent property and caused the moose to run (into Storm Mountain Ranch), and for whatever reason it came across the woman and ran over her," CPW wildlife manager Jim Haskins told the Steamboat Pilot. "Whatever happened probably didn't have anything to do with the dogs."
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Hardhat

Aggressive eagle owl terrorises residents in Wotton-under-Edge, UK


itv.com
Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:04 UTC
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This eagle owl could be one of the biggest in the world
An eagle owl has been terrorising residents in Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire.

It's thought the owl has been hand reared, and so is attracted to people.

The bird, which may have escaped from a private collector, is one of the biggest owls it the world - and expert Jemima Parry-Jones says that during the breeding season people do need to take care.

One woman broke her arm as she tried to run away from him.
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Bizarro Earth

Rogue owl terrorizing Dutch town


Discovery News
Wed, 25 Feb 2015 16:15 UTC
European Eagle Owl
© Wikimedia Commons/AlvesgasparA European eagle owl in Portugal is shown in captivity. One of its breed has been wreaking havoc in the Dutch town of Purmerend.
The northern Dutch town of Purmerend has advised residents to arm themselves with an umbrella when going out at night after a mysterious spate of bloody rogue owl attacks.

Over the last three weeks, the European eagle owl has silently swooped on dozens of residents of the usually peaceful town, with many victims requiring hospital treatment.

The latest aerial assault on Tuesday evening saw two members of a local athletics club attacked, with one runner requiring stitches for six head wounds caused by the nocturnal bird of prey's talons.

The club has cancelled all training until further notice.

Comment: US: Maine skiers warned about late-night owl attacks

Canadian rabbit trapper says owl attack left his head bleeding

Multiple owl attacks reported in Springfield, Missouri

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Binoculars

Arctic Gyrfalcon seen in the Chicago area

John Cody
chicago.cbslocal.com
Tue, 03 Feb 2015 23:01 UTC
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© Wikimedia Commons.Gyrfalcon.
Chicago's hosting an extremely rare visitor which is good for bird watchers but tough on other birds, reports WBBM's John Cody.

Wildlife biologist Chris Anchor with Cook County Forest Preserve District says the same conditions that brought snowy owls to Chicago have also brought Chicago the biggest falcon in the world.

The Gyrfalcon has a wing span up to 4 and 1/2 feet and weighs three or four pounds. Anchor says they can kill other birds as large as ducks and geese.

He says the Gyrfalcon, spotted at Navy Pier and also in Barrington northwest of Chicago, has a maximum air speed of 120 miles an hour.

Anchor says this is only the fourth one he's seen in his 30-year career as a wildlife biologist.

Comment: See also: Rare Arctic gyrfalcon located in Ulster County, NY

Rare Arctic gyrfalcon found in Wells Harbor, Maine

Rare Arctic gyrfalcon seen in Madbury, New Hampshire

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Attention

Rhino attacks car at West Midland Safari Park, UK

Mike Lockley
Birmingham Mail
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 18:53 UTC
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Rhino at West Midlands Safari Park
Two tonne rhino smashes into mum's car while her toddler son screamed, then chased them through West Midlands Safari Park

A mum has demanded tighter safety controls at West Midlands Safari Park after a charging rhino smashed into her vehicle - with her screaming toddler inside.

The two tonne beast caused £500-worth of damage to Vicky Liggins' Mitsubishi Warrior during the heart-stopping attack at the tourist attraction in Bewdley, Worcestershire.


Comment: See also: Keeper at UK's Whipsnade Zoo trampled by rhino

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Attention

Dozens of dead sea lion pups found on Malibu beaches, California

Christine O'Donnell
myfoxla.com
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 18:13 UTC
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Dead sea lion
Malibu is known for it's beauty and scenic views, but that's changed at some local beaches. A family stumbled upon nearly 10 dead sea lions on a Malibu beach Sunday.

"We just came down the stairs and little sea lions are being washed on to shore dying," Neda Soderqvist says in a video she posted on her Facebook Page after making the discovery with her family at State Dume State Beach.

"It was devastating to see a bunch of sea lions just lyind dead. It wasn't one or two it was six or eight," Soderqvist said to FOX 11's Christine O'Donnell.

The sight was especially difficult for her seven-year-old daughter Isabella Soderqvist. "They came up and just died right in front of us," Isabella said. "I was crying to my mom and I said I was really emotional so i wanted to go."

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Wolf

12-yr-old boy dies in dog attack, 5th victim in 40 days in Bareilly, India

Priyangi Agarwal
The Times of India
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 18:47 UTC
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Stray dogs in India
A pack of stray dogs attacked and killed a 12-year-old boy in Navayal, Bareilly, on Sunday evening, making him the fifth victim in the region in the last 40 days.

According to reports, Ashok, along with his two friends, were attacked by the dogs that also bit the other two when they tried to save him.

Shockingly, the boy is the fifth in just the last month or so to lose his life in vicious attacks by stray dogs in the region. Explaining the reason behind the rising attacks by strays on children, Dr Abhijit Pawde, co-ordinator at the referral veterinary polyclinic, Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), said: "Dogs are hungrier in winter compared to the other seasons. They have started attacking children as they probably are not able to feed on their regular meal."

Comment: The other earlier reports: Eight-year-old boy attacked by pack of dogs in Baheri, India

Feral dogs kill 5-yr-old in Bareilly, India: Third fatality in a month of 10 attacks

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Wolf

Family dogs attack a 3-year-old girl and her grandmother in Amite, Louisiana

Ashley Rodrigue
wwltv.com
Mon, 23 Feb 2015 18:25 UTC
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© WWLTVA family dog is on day six of a ten day bite quarantine
A family dog is on day six of a ten-day bite quarantine hold at the Tangipahoa Parish Animal Shelter.

It's a Cane Corso, a large breed not known to show aggression.

But authorities say the dog, and another like it, are responsible for putting a 3-year-old and her grandmother, their owner, in the hospital last week.

Shelter Director Chip Fitz said the child was on a swing outside of her grandmother's home near Amite, with her grandmother watching in the yard, when the animals suddenly attacked.

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