Animals
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Doberman

Baby girl dies after attack by stray dogs in Delhi, India

dog attack
In an incident that is set to revive the debate over stray dogs, an infant has died in an attack by a pack of stray dogs in Delhi. One-and-a-half-year-old Divanshi suffered serious injuries on her legs and face after at least three stray dogs attacked her in Tughlakabad area.

Her family members heard her scream and chased the dogs away. She was rushed to a hospital, but doctors declared her dead. The body has been sent for autopsy and police are investigating the matter.

Attacks by stray dogs on pedestrians, especially children, have triggered demands for immediate steps by civic authorities. In some area, animal lovers feeding the strays have also come under fire over such incidents.

Attention

Wild elephants trample two to death in Assam, India

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Two persons were trampled to death by wild elephants in Assam's Goalpara district, police said on Saturday.

They said the two victims, including one female, were travelling on a motorbike when they encountered a herd of wild elephants near a bridge in the Gualguli area on Friday night.

"They were on their way to their homes in Gualguli from Lakhipur when they encountered the herd. They tried to flee but were chased by the pachyderm and killed, as per our preliminary investigation", police said.

On being informed, police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies.

PTI

Attention

Juvenile gray whale dead after stranding itself at La Jolla, California

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A young gray whale that washed up at La Jolla shores on Thursday afternoon has been confirmed dead.

According to reports, the whale beached itself in a shallow low-tide area. When the calls began to come in from beachgoers, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rushed to the scene to see if there was anything to be done to help the juvenile back into deeper waters. The whale was still alive, but its situation was dire. Sadly, NOAA officials believe that the whale was dead by 8:30 p.m.

NOAA told reporters from CBS8 that the whale was only a few years old, measuring 24-feet long and weighing around 11,000 pounds. At maturity, gray whales can be as large as 50-feet long and 90,000 pounds.


Fish

Endangered sawfish have been found dead in Lower Keys, Florida - other fish also dying

Paddle boarder Joyce Milelli came across this sick sawfish .
© Joyce MilelliPaddle boarder Joyce Milelli came across this sick sawfish in late January while leading a tour near Geiger Key. Five days later it was found dead amid an outbreak of deaths among endangered sawfish.
More than a dozen endangered sawfish have turned up dead in the Lower Keys in recent weeks amid an unusual fish kill that has also included goliath grouper, tarpon, stingrays and dozens of other species found dead or behaving erratically.

Early testing has so far ruled out harmful water conditions like low oxygen, temperature or salinity, but did detect elevated levels of a toxic algae found in ciguatera.

Fish that feed on reefs typically carry ciguatera because that's where the algae naturally grows. The toxin can build up, which can make eating the fish dangerous. It's rarely fatal, but symptoms including vomiting and neurologic damage, can be severe and take days or years to go away.

However, the toxin rarely harms fish, suggesting that a different species may be causing problems in the Keys. And having deaths across so many species is rare.


Doberman

Six-year-old boy mauled to death by stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh, India

dog attack
Action is being sought by the municipal authorities against stray dogs after a six-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of dogs in Muzaffarnagar while he was playing in the fields.

A six-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in a village here, police said on Thursday.

Circle Officer Rupali Devi said Dev alias Golu, a class 3 student, was playing in the fields on Wednesday evening when a pack of dogs attacked him.

Locals nearby rushed to Golu's rescue and rushed him to a hospital where he was declared dead, the CO said.

The officer said that they have informed the municipal authorities seeking action against stray dogs. Further probe is underway.

PTI

Comment: See also: Girl mauled to death by stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh, India - 10TH such fatality in 15 MONTHS for the Bijnor district


Camera

Magnificent yellow-crested bird photographed for the first time

The first-ever photograph of the yellow-crested helmetshrike
© Matt Brady/The University of Texas at El PasoThe first-ever photograph of the yellow-crested helmetshrike
The yellow-crested helmetshrike was considered lost after going unseen for nearly 20 years - now an expedition has rediscovered what appears to be a healthy population in central Africa

A rare bird with a stunning yellow crest has been photographed for the first time in the tropical mountains of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - almost two decades after its last confirmed sighting.

The yellow-crested helmetshrike (Prionops alberti), also known as King Albert's helmetshrike, is a small bird that lives in the humid forests of the Albertine Rift mountains in central Africa. Adults are covered in glossy black plumage with a splendid crown of bright, golden feathers on their heads. Their eyes are surrounded by distinctive orange tissue called a wattle.

Attention

Sperm whale dies in Osaka Bay, Japan

A whale confirmed dead in Osaka Bay in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on Monday | KYODO
© KYODOA whale confirmed dead in Osaka Bay in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on Monday
A whale as long as a train car that died after straying into a port in Osaka last month is set to be buried until it naturally becomes a skeletal specimen for a local museum.

It's the third year in a row that whales have become stranded in the area, raising questions about the reasons why and the cost of handling the incidents.

The animal is believed to be a male sperm whale, about 12 meters (39 feet) long and weighing an estimated 20 tons, and was earlier spotted in the Sakai Semboku Port in mid-January.

It had since been spotted in a number of locations in Osaka Bay, until Sunday, when a boat captain reported to the coast guard that the whale was not breathing. Prefectural officials and experts took a boat out to check on the whale and confirmed its death on Monday, presumably due to starvation.


Doberman

Girl mauled to death by stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh, India - 10TH such fatality in 15 MONTHS for the Bijnor district

dog attack
A eight-year-old girl was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh. Two other girls sustained injuries in the dog attack that took place at Nagla Maheshwari on Monday (February 19) evening. The deceased has been identified as Sonam. The district has recorded 10 deaths in separate dog attacks in the past 15 months, locals told a daily.

Sonam and two other girls were going to the fields where their father was working. They were carrying food for him. A pack of stray dogs suddenly attacked them. While Sonam suffered serious injuries on her neck, other two girls sustained injuries on their face, neck and limbs. Hearing their cries, farmers working in nearby fields came to the girls' rescue and rushed them to a hospital.

"Sonam died while undergoing treatment. The condition of other two girls is stable and they are out of danger. Further action is being taken," Sangram Singh, a police official, said.

Attention

Basking shark washes up on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick - experts say it is a rarity in winter

Photographer Gary Weekes said the sight of a 7.6-metre basking shark is something he’d never experienced.
© Gary WeekesPhotographer Gary Weekes said the sight of a 7.6-metre basking shark is something he’d never experienced.
An unusual find on the southeast shore of Grand Manan Island is attracting the attention of locals and visitors.

A 7.6-metre basking shark washed up on the island's shore earlier this month.

Island resident Debbie Bath first came across the carcass while out for her evening walk.

"Just very surprised," said Bath of her reaction. "We didn't realize what it was until we got up to it and then it was the initial, 'Wow, this is a very large fish.'"


Black Cat

Cougar attacks five mountain bikers on a trail in Washington state

A cougar
© DreamstimeA cougar
A group of five cyclists were riding on a trail in Fall City, Wash., when they were attacked by at least one cougar this past weekend.

The incident occurred on Saturday around 12:30 p.m., according to the King County Sheriff's Office, in a wilderness area along Tokul Creek approximately five miles north of the city of Snoqualmie.

A 60-year-old female was hospitalized for non-life threatening injuries, but is in stable condition, according to a statement from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

"We are thankful that the victim is stable after the incident this weekend," said Lieutenant Erik Olson. "The people on scene took immediate action to render aid, and one of our officers was able to arrive within minutes to continue medical aid and coordinate transport. We may have had a very different outcome without their heroic efforts."