Frigid temperatures across a large swath of the United States this week followed by warmer conditions could aid the spread of a fatal pig disease now in 22 states, affecting hundreds of thousands of pigs, a swine veterinarian said on Thursday.

"The virus likes cold, wet and cloudy days," said Rodney Baker, a swine veterinarian at Iowa State University at Ames, Iowa, the top pork producing state in the United States.

At this time of year the virus gets frozen on clothes and shoes, making it easy to track around and spread, Baker added.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv), which causes diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration in hogs, has spread quickly across the U.S. hog belt since its discovery in the United States in April 2013.

California and Wyoming are the latest states to report confirmed cases of the deadly pig virus, bringing the number of states affected to 22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday.

The number of new cases increased by 134 for the week of December 29, bringing total reported cases to 2,084, according to the USDA's National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN)

Extermination of large predators such as wolves and bears has a cascading effect on delicate ecological balance

A plea to restore populations of some of the world's most dangerous animals has been made by scientists who claim the loss of large carnivores is damaging ecosystems.

More than three-quarters of the 31 species of large land predators, such as lions and wolves, are in decline, according to a new study. Of these, 17 species are now restricted to less than half the territory they once occupied.

Large carnivores have already been exterminated in many developed regions, including western Europe and eastern United States - and the same pattern of "carnivore cleansing" is being repeated throughout the world, said scientists.

Yet evidence suggests carnivores play a vital role in maintaining the delicate balance of ecosystems which cannot be replaced by humans hunting the animals they normally prey on.

The battle over animal experimentation in Italy took a nasty turn this week when anonymous activists posted fliers showing photos, home addresses, and telephone numbers of scientists involved in animal research at the University of Milan and labeled them as "murderers." The leaflets, which appeared in the night of 6 to 7 January, triggered widespread condemnation in academic and political circles.

The posters targeted physiologist Edgardo D'Angelo, parasitologist Claudio Genchi, pharmacologist Alberto Corsini, and Maura Francolini, a biologist. The texts say they are "guilty" of performing animal experiments; Corsini is said to "have tortured and killed animals for more than 30 years." His flier ends with his phone number and the suggestion to "call this executioner and tell him what you think of him."

Although the fliers didn't contain a specific call to violence, the implicit threat is unmistakable, Italian scientists say. Pro-Test Italia, an organization that seeks to defend and explain animal research, has likened the campaign to a witch hunt. "It's unacceptable that those who work for the good of science and public health are called murderers by someone who publicly incites violence against them," says Dario Padovan, a biologist and coordinator of Pro-Test Italia's scientific committee.

Utah wildlife officials say the number of bald eagles that appear to have died from West Nile Virus has climbed to 40.

Leslie McFarlane, a wildlife disease coordinator with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, reports say that besides the 40 dead birds, there are five others in rehabilitation centers.

McFarlane says the number of dead eagles should start to drop off as the spread of infection appears to have slowed.

Wildlife officials first started finding the birds on Dec. 1 with head tremors and signs of weakness and paralysis.

They were not sure what was killing the animals until last week, when they received test results.

They suspect the animals contracted West Nile by eating dead aquatic birds that were infected with the disease.

Source: AP

New study paints dire picture and outlines conservation needs

Lions may soon disappear entirely from West Africa unless conservation efforts improve, a new study predicts.

The study, published January 8 in the peer-reviewed scientific journal PLOS ONE, presents "sobering results" of a survey that took six years and covered 11 countries.

Lions once ranged from Senegal to Nigeria, a distance of more than 1,500 miles. The new survey found an estimated total of only 250 adult lions occupying less than one percent of that historic range. The lions form four isolated populations: one in Senegal; two in Nigeria; and a fourth on the borders of Benin, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Only that last population has more than 50 lions.

Even as the nation is busy conducting the third synchronised national tiger census across the country, the death toll due to poaching tells a grim tale, with this year's figures showing highest number of tigers killed in the last seven years.

According to Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), 39 tigers have fallen prey to poachers so far in 2013. The NGO, which works with government enforcement agencies throughout the country to fight poaching, states that this year's toll has surpassed last year's figure of 31, and also the previous high of 37 in 2006. However, the figure is strictly conservative as it does not take into account the confessions of poachers arrested by Maharashtra officials, which would take the toll to 51, crossing the highest ever recorded figure of 46 cases of poaching registered in 2005.

Additionally, WPSI also informs that the overall tiger deaths, including road accidents, natural deaths, electrocution, natural territorial conflicts besides poaching cases, is 76 so far in this year. However, the National Conservation Authority (NTCA), the apex tiger conservation authority in the country, puts the toll at a much lower figure of 64.

"Our data is based on field inputs and is correct," states Program Manager of WPSI, Tito Joseph.

Speaking about the discrepancy between the two figures, Inspector General with NTCA, H. S. Negi, said that the NTCA and WPSI data on tiger deaths generally do not differ. For example, both NTCA and WPSI had recorded 89 tiger deaths in 2012.

NTCA officials say that the difference in data could be due to the delay in communication of figures from states as they often learn about tiger deaths quite late. An example of this is the NTCA figures of five cases of confiscation of tiger parts in 2013. However, this figure skips the three poaching cases involving seizure of tiger parts that were registered in Maharashtra.

Stuart Gillespie was investigating a strange noise coming from the vent when the baby reptile dropped through the roof onto the bathroom floor

A New Farm Loch man had a frightening start to the new year when a snake fell through his bathroom vent.

Stuart Gillespie was investigating a strange noise coming from the vent when the baby reptile - named Lou by the SSPCA - dropped through, falling six feet onto the bathroom floor.

Stuart's partner Jan Bryan said: "I was at the front door saying bye to my daughter on January 2, when I heard Stuart shouting that there was a snake in the bathroom.

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Stuart was chalk white.

"I refused to go upstairs until it had been removed, but my daughter's partner managed to get a couple of pictures.

"It's not what we were expecting at new year, but it will be one we'll never forget."

The family, of Grant Place, were advised by the SSPCA to check with neighbours to see if anyone was missing a pet snake.

When Brisbane software developer Chris Baine went to the toilet on Monday night he encountered something he never expected to.

A 1.5m carpet python was curled up in the toilet bowl, but that was not the end of the story.

Despite his wife Carly's advice to leave it alone, Mr Baine tried to grab the serpent with a towel before it disappeared down the bowl.

"It was about 11.30pm when Chris went to the bathroom, we had both used it an hour before and there was nothing there so it was a complete shock," Mrs Baines said.

"When he lifted the lid he screamed out "holy s**t, come and look at this" and I said no way, not until you tell me what it is.''

Mrs Baines, who works at a veterinary hospital, called her boss to make sure they had identified it correctly.

"He told us to try to use a hook shaped implement to take it out, but Chris decided to go with a towel and a pair of garden gloves,'' she said.

But the saga did not end there. The python reappeared early the following morning when Mrs Baines went to the bathroom.

Endangered tigers, red pandas and lions in the country are succumbing to infection caused by canine distemper virus (CDV), a disease common in domestic dogs.

The scientists at Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly found the presence of CDV in the blood samples of dead animals.

"Since last one year we have found many blood samples of dead tigers, red pandas and lions, who were positive for CDV. The disease has been found in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Patna Zoo and many areas of West Bengal and Darjeeling," said AK Sharma, principal scientist and in charge of Centre for Wildlife, IVRI.

CDV affects different systems of the body including nervous and respiratory system in these animals. It breaks down the immunity system and causes various secondary bacterial infections which leads to their death.

"As this disease damage the brain, it badly affect their decision making power. Due to this, the animals go beyond their natural habitat and enter human settlements. It leaves them an easy prey for poachers," Sharma said.

The source of CDV among tigers, lions and red pandas is the direct contact like licking. Even these animals are eating dogs infected with the virus. The disease is also spreading through infected material such as drinking water from same source. Sharma said, "If all the dogs are vaccinated in the buffer zone of forest, it could stop the spread of disease."

Researchers believe that many more species could have been exposed to this virus in the country. "We can say about the status of disease only after we collect blood samples of different species of animals from various areas of India," said Gaya Prasad, assistant director general, animal health, Indian Council of Agriculture Research and acting director, IVRI.

Investigation to take a few days

AltaLink is investigating reports about dozens of dead ducks near one of its transmission lines in southwest Alberta.

McIntyre estimates the deaths may be in the hundreds based on a 10-minute walk along the line he took on Dec. 31.

Judging from the damage to ducks, he thinks they may be hitting the line in bad weather when they can't see it.

The company is sending workers to an area near Pincher Creek and may install "flappers" to help make the lines more visible.

Director Scott Schreiner says it appears it happened near an existing line and not near one of the new transmission lines under construction.

"We've sent a team of environmental experts from AltaLink and external providers down to investigate.