Animals
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Attention

18 fatal shark encounters in 2023 highest for 20 years


The Daily Jaws
Thu, 18 Jan 2024 14:59 UTC
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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

Cedric Gallant
Nunatsiaq News
Wed, 17 Jan 2024 12:30 UTC
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.
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Info

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

oguz kayra
Arkeonews Net
Wed, 17 Jan 2024 14:42 UTC
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.
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Attention

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

Sian Elvin
Metro (UK)
Tue, 16 Jan 2024 13:40 UTC
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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.

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Doberman

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

Merritt Clifton
Animals24-7.org
Sat, 13 Jan 2024 12:53 UTC
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.
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Doberman

Infant dies after stray dog mauls her in Rajasthan, India


Times of India
Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:53 UTC
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.
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Cloud Lightning

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


The Independent (Uganda)
Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:45 UTC
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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.
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Doberman

Toddler dies in attack by stray dogs in Bhopal, India

Shefali Kohli
ptcnews.tv
Sat, 13 Jan 2024 12:24 UTC
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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.
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Question

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

Yashee Sharma
9news.com.au
Thu, 11 Jan 2024 13:00 UTC
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.

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Question

Nearly 700 swans found dead at nature reserve in Kyrgyzstan as specialists investigate bird flu


CBS News
Wed, 10 Jan 2024 13:43 UTC
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Hundreds of swans have been found dead at a nature reserve in the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan, environmental officials said Tuesday. The nature reserve is based around Lake Karakol, near the shores of the Caspian Sea, and is home to a variety of rare and endangered species.

"Between 21 December and 8 January, a total of 675 swan carcasses were discovered on Lake Karakol," the Kazakh ecology ministry told AFP.

The birds may have died from avian flu, the ministry said, adding that specialists had been dispatched to the site to investigate.

Lake Karakol was artificially formed in the Soviet era near the site of a nuclear plant, and has been the focus of conservation efforts.

Activists have previously raised concern about environmental problems in western Kazakhstan, particularly air and water pollution.

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