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'Hello, I'd like to eat a genetically modified animal today'

"Do you have one on the menu?"
GMO Chicken
© meatreality.org
I found an interesting section in an FDA report, "GMO Crops, Animal Food, and Beyond." The information is listed as current as of August 2022.
Are There GMO Animals in the Food Supply? Yes. FDA has approved an application allowing the sale of the AquAdvantage Salmon to consumers. The AquAdvantage Salmon has been genetically modified to reach an important growth point faster. FDA has also approved an alteration in the GalSafe pig for human food consumption and potential therapeutic uses. The GalSafe pig was developed to be free of detectable alpha-gal sugar on its cell surfaces. People with Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) may have allergic reactions to alpha-gal sugar found in red meat (e.g., beef, pork, and lamb). FDA has determined that food from the AquAdvantage Salmon and the GalSafe pig are as safe and nutritious to eat as food from non-GMO salmon and pigs.
Sounds wonderful. Shall we try a bit of each? I've ways wanted to eat salmon that was engineered to grow faster than usual.

Perhaps we should read a piece in the Alaska Beacon first. Title: "Pushback continues against genetically modified salmon being raised at Indiana farm." October 10, 2023.
Engineered by biotech company AquaBounty Technologies Inc., the "AquAdvantage" salmon is the first such altered animal to be cleared for human consumption in the United States.

In 2018, the federal agency greenlit AquaBounty's sprawling Indiana facility, which as of last December was raising roughly 492 metric tons of salmon from eggs imported from Canada but is capable of raising more than twice that amount. The company is currently making improvements to its Indiana production facility. Once completed, salmon harvests are expected to increase.

During the 2023 Farm Aid concert site, organizers from Block Corporate Salmon traveled an hour north to AquaBounty's salmon growing facility where they sought to raise awareness about the "risks and harms" of genetically engineered fish.

"AquaBounty misrepresents its system to raise salmon in tanks that they claim will be recirculating water," said Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director of Center for Food Safety. "In fact, their operations literally mine water, foul it with salmon feces, and dump it into the nearest river. They have a serious problem of illness in their chronically inflamed fish. They are not disclosing how many antibiotics they use. Consumers don't need sick fish like these."

Earlier, in 2022, Block Corporate Salmon also released "AquaBounty Exposed," a report that outlined allegedly concerning conditions at AquaBounty's Albany facility.

Former employee Braydon Humphrey, who spoke at last month's news conference, shared more than 60 pages of photos and videos that he claims detail how AquaBounty "regularly violated food and worker safety standards, ignored animal welfare concerns, and caused environmental damage unbeknownst to the public and its investors."

"I was deeply disturbed by what I witnessed during my time at AquaBounty," said Humphrey, who worked as a tech at the Indiana facility from December 2018 to January 2020. "Among other atrocities, we saw high mortalities in densely packed fish tanks — including common instances of AquAdvantage salmon dying from ruptured stomachs, caused by their artificially fast growth rate."
— Waiter? I'll pass on the salmon. How about the rattlesnake fang sushi instead? I think it'll be safer.

Attention

18 fatal shark encounters in 2023 highest for 20 years

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In 2023, public records documented a total of 84 shark attacks, with 18 proving fatal; five of these fatalities were attributed to encounters with great white sharks. Christian Kemper of TrackingSharks.com remarked, "There haven't been this many deaths in over 20 years. In some cases, the victims were completely consumed."

Among the 18 fatalities, four were surfers, three of whom hailed from South Australia. On May 13, 2023, Simon Bacanello, a 46-year-old teacher, disappeared during a great white shark attack while surfing, and his remains were never recovered. On October 31, Todd Gendle, 55, was struck by a shark described as "as long as a limousine."

Tragedy struck again on December 28 when 15-year-old Khai Cowley lost his life while surfing in South Australia. The final fatality occurred on December 30 when 39-year-old Jason Carter suffered a tiger shark attack while surfing on Maui. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he eventually succumbed to his injuries.


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Doberman

Child's death in dog attack leads to roundup, killing of strays in Salluit, Quebec

dog attack
A four-year-old boy in Salluit died after being attacked by four dogs while he was walking to his grandfather's home, Nunavik Police Service confirmed.

In response, more than 70 stray dogs have been captured and killed in the northern village since the Jan. 11 attack and the effort to round up stray dogs will continue, according to the village's treasurer.

In an interview, police Capt. Patrice Abel said the incident happened midday and that two of the dogs were known to the child and were not strays but had been left untied outside.

Officers were unable to determine whether the boy did something to provoke the dogs before they he was attacked, he said.

Info

Nearly 300-million-year-old fossilized reptile skin found in Oklahoma cave resembles that of modern crocodiles

collage of skin fossils
© Current Biology, Mooney et al.A visual collage of skin fossils described in the new study. The mummified skin specimen is shown sliced into two pieces in the center-left of the image. The surrounding specimen scans are of fossilized skin impressions.
Paleontologists say they've identified and described the oldest fossilized reptile skin ever found.

A team of paleontologists from the University of Toronto Mississauga discovered the fossilized skin of a reptile-like animal in a cave in Oklahoma. The skin fossil is estimated to be more than 20 million years older than the previous record-holder.

The finding, which is believed to be at least 286 million years old, was discovered in the Richards Spur cave system, a fascinating area of Oklahoma uniquely suited to preserve fossilized remains.

The soft tissue fossil is a rare find, made possible by a series of chance events. It provides insight into a distant evolutionary past that predates both mammals and the oldest dinosaurs.

In caves, fine sediment deposits and low oxygen levels help delay decomposition, according to lead study author Ethan Mooney, who is pursuing a master's degree in paleontology at the University of Toronto (U of T).

The limestone caves of Richards Spur in Oklahoma contain some of the world's most diverse and well-preserved fossils from the Paleozoic. At that time, the caves were filled with petroleum and tar from the nearby Woodford Shale, which saturated the fossils and further protected them from decay.

Richards Spur contains many fossils of Captorhinus aguti — an iguana-size, lizardlike reptile. Most specimens are skeletons, but one C. aguti fossil described in the Current Biology study retains a portion of its epidermis — the scaly outermost layer of skin made of the same keratin found in human hair and fingernails. Mooney emphasizes the importance of developing a thick, waterproof epidermis for survival on land.

Attention

Monkeys have had just about enough of tourists so start attacking them on beach in Thailand

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Terrifying footage shows the moment a troop of monkeys suddenly turned on beachgoers and started to attack them.

The wild and unexpected encounter was filmed at the Phi Phi islands in Thailand on Christmas Eve.

The video clip from the aptly named Monkey Beach shows how tourists wearing bikinis and swimsuits leapt to their feet when several monkeys - including babies - launched themselves at people's legs.

Visitors to Thailand are reminded that wild animals are unpredictable and may act defensively if they feel threatened or provoked.


Doberman

Record 68 dog attack deaths in 2023 in the U.S. and Canada included also record 55 by pit bull

dog attack
Arguably the two most publicized and discussed dog attack fatalities in the U.S. and Canada during 2023, including a record 65 in the U.S. alone and an also record 55 by pit bull, were two that apparently did not happen.

If Jean Robinson, 76, and Allison Joy Cumming, 53, actually died by dog during the early morning hours of December 27, 2023, at their Pawsitive Dog Kennel training and boarding facility on Red Schoolhouse Road in Farmington, Maine, the U.S. dog attack body count for 2023 would rise to 70.

ANIMALS 24-7, logging the body count since 1982, delayed releasing our annual wrap-up of U.S. and Canadian dog attack deaths and disfigurements for two weeks while awaiting confirmation of how Robinson and Cumming died, reportedly more than five hours before their remains were discovered.

Doberman

Infant dies after stray dog mauls her in Rajasthan, India

dog attack
A six-month-old girl was killed in Bhilwara district on Sunday evening after being brutally mauled by a stray dog in a village.

The incident occurred around 4 pm in Hajiyas village of Gulabpura police station. Chhoti Devi, the mother of a 6-month-old baby girl named Chinki, had placed her daughter in a swing made of cloth and was engaged in feeding fodder to the cows and buffaloes in the nearby animal enclosure after putting the child to sleep.

A police official said, "A stray dog from the street attacked the sleeping girl.

The girl cried, and following this, her mother immediately came to the rescue and witnessed the dog scratching and growling at the child. Despite Devi's attempts to drive the dog away, the attack continued, resulting in severe injuries to the girl's mouth and jaw."

The family transported the critically injured Chinki to Bhilwara Hospital, where surgery was performed to save her life. However, the girl succumbed to her injuries just an hour after the surgery. The angered villagers rushed to the scene. Later they identified and beat the dog to death following the incident.

Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike kills 4 family members in Uganda, another kills 18 livestock

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Fred Ishungisa, also known as Rukara, a farmer in his 50s and a resident of Ntungamo village in Katenga parish, Kaharo sub-county, Kabale district, is in shock and counting losses after his six cows and 12 sheep were struck dead by lightning.

He recounts that the incident took place on Monday evening at around 06:30 PM while he was grazing the animals at Kinyinya Hill, located in the same village, during a drizzle. In the process, he witnessed lightning striking the animals.

Edmond Tumwesigye, the area sub-county LC3 Chairman, mentions that despite the tragedy that targeted the animals, Ishungisa survived unhurt. He expresses sympathy for the situation, noting that it has strained Ishungisa's income.

This incident occurred just a day after lightning struck four children of a same family in Sheema district. The incident took place on Saturday, January 13, 2024, in Kimondo II village, Kitagata ward, in Kitagata town council. The victims, Mujuni Trevor (11), Akankunda Shanitah (9), Nahabwe Comfort (10), and Ainembabazi (7), were all in the kitchen when the incident occurred.

In December 2023, lightning struck Treasure Arinda, a 13-year-old son of Vincent Wednesday and a primary five pupil at Kacherere Primary School, and Elia Mwebesa, also 13 years old and the son of Patrick Barigigye. They were residents of Kilwa village, Kiruruma ward, Kacherere town council, Rubanda district, and the incident happened while they were collecting firewood.

Doberman

Toddler dies in attack by stray dogs in Bhopal, India

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Stray dogs have long been a subject of debate in India. The problem of stray dogs and bite cases became widespread in India.

In horrific, dreadful and fatal incident, a seven-month-old toddler was mauled to death by stray dogs in Bhopal.

The heart-wrenching incident unfolded in the Ayodhya Nagar area on Wednesday. The dreadful incident was captured in a video that subsequently went viral on social media, prompting the police and administration to take notice.

According to the official statement, the authorities exhumed the baby's body, which had been buried by the family on the day of the incident, and sent it for post-mortem on Saturday.

Question

Dozens of dead sea animals mysteriously wash up on South Australia beach

Dozens of dead fish were found on the shores
© Limestone Coast Community NewsDozens of dead fish were found on the shores of South Australia's Eight Mile Beach.
Dozens of dead sea animals, including sharks and octopuses, have mysteriously washed up on South Australian shores.

Residents were shocked to discover a mass of fish bodies littered on Eight Mile Creek, south-east of Mount Gambier.

Most of them were wobbegong sharks, but authorities also found snapper, wrasse, octopuses, Port Jackson sharks, stingrays, salmon and ling.