Animals

About 70 whales found washed up on Japan beach

mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp
Mon, 06 Mar 2006 12:00 UTC

About 70 whales were found washed up on a beach in Ichinomiya, Chiba Prefecture, on Tuesday, but surfers and local residents cooperated in returning the mammals back to sea, a town official said.

Surfers initially reported seeing several whales beached up in Ichinomiya Tuesday morning, said town spokesman Takeshi Ide.

Ide said local officials later confirmed about 70 melon-headed whales had washed up on shore in the Pacific coastal town of Ichinomiya.

The whales, each about 2 meter long, resemble dolphins and usually inhabit only deep water, according to another town official Mieko Ishii.

Several local residents and about 50 surfers joined in the rescue and carried the whales back to the water, Ide said.

It was not immediately known why such a large number of whales washed up at one time, he said.

Cow Escapes Meat Plant, Dodges Cars, Train

Associated Press
Sat, 07 Jan 2006 12:00 UTC

Great Falls, Montana - A cow that escaped a slaughterhouse dodged vehicles, ran in front of a train, braved the icy Missouri River and took three tranquilizer darts before being recaptured six hours later. News of the heifer's adventures prompted a number of people to offer to buy the animal.

Frantic efforts to save whales

Anna Chalmers
stuff.co.nz
Wed, 21 Dec 2005 12:00 UTC

Hundreds of Farewell Spit residents and tourists have joined conservation workers in a frantic battle to help 123 stranded whales, and more rescue attempts are planned today.

The pod of pilot whales began beaching themselves at Puponga at midday yesterday and by last night were strewn the length of the beach, at the top of the South Island, the Conservation Department's Golden Bay area manager, John Mason, said.

Three had died by early last night. "They have basically thrashed themselves to death," Mr Mason said.

Mysterious carnivore spotted on Indonesia's Borneo: WWF

Agence France-Presse
Tue, 06 Dec 2005 12:00 UTC

Researchers from the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) may have spotted a new mammalian species in the dense central forests of Borneo island, the organisation said.

The carnivorous animal, slightly larger than a domestic cat with dark red fur and a long bushy tail, was caught by a camera trap at night twice in 2003, the WWF said in a press release.