British tourist killed in bee attack

A British man was stung to death by a swarm of bees while he was on holiday with his wife in Africa, it has emerged.

Mick Bryan, 61, and Jacqueline, 43, were exploring Tanzania when the killer bees launched an attack on the Cambridgeshirecouple at a remote campsite.

The father-of-three attempted to drive off after the attack but collapsed and later died in hospital. His wife was also stung but survived.

Speaking to The Sun, a family member said: “They were out in the middle of nowhere getting ready to have some lunch when they heard a buzzing noise. Mick shouted to Jacqueline to run. 

“He was covered in bees. He tried to drive off but it all happened too quickly. Jacqueline couldn't get any phone reception so she had to run to the main road for help.”
His sister Louise Adam, 64, is also quoted as saying: “He was a wonderful man. He'd do anything for anyone.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware of the death of a British National in Tanzania and are in contact with the family, providing consular assistance.”


http://uk.news.yahoo.com/british-tourist-killed-in-bee-attack.html

Shark rips at boat

RECREATIONAL fisherman Adrian Hinds says he would still go swimming off Tasmania's coast despite encountering a 4.5m great white shark at the weekend.

Mr Hinds and his mates were fishing off Port Sorell on Saturday when a massive great white started nosing around their boat.

"It was probably between four and five metres, it was 500kg I reckon," Mr Hinds, 32, of Launceston said last night.

He said the shark spent a couple of hours circling the boat, but neither he nor his fellow fishermen felt any fear.

"It was awesome. It was just checking out what was going on, pretty much," he said. "We were pretty awestruck. We never felt any danger."

Aerial shark patrols started off the East Coast on Friday because the hot weather has seen an increase in bait fish and sharks. Surveillance is concentrating between The Gardens and Scamander.

"The blokes I went out with, they've been fishing for years and never seen one before," Mr Hinds said.

He said the shark nudged the motor when the propeller was out of the water and ripped a protective mat hung over the side of the boat.

"When it had a go at the protective mat it got stuck into it a bit, had a little bit of a thrash," he said.

They were 50km off Port Sorell at the time.

Despite hearing rumours of other shark sightings, Mr Hinds said he would still swim at the beach.

"Yeah I still would, I think they're a fair way out," he said.

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/01/09/290971_most-popular-stories.html

Drunk zoo visitor attacked by monkeys

Joao Leite Dos Santos, a mechanic from Sao Paulo, decided it would be fun to join a colony of spider monkeys in their enclosure to see if they wanted to play.

After climbing the fence he waded across the dividing pool where a group of the primates gathered on the bank.

Thinking that they were inviting him to join them, Mr Dos Santos reached out to touch them. But the fiercely territorial monkeys bit his wrist, while another bit and clawed his elbow and shoulder.

Zoo officals quickly dragged Mr Dos Santos out of the enclosure where he lay in a pool of blood in front of a horrified crowd.

He was taken to hospital where he was treated for severe bites to his body.

In a series of sheepish interviews to the local press Mr Dos Santos admitted drinking heavily prior to the incident.

It is not known whether he will face criminal charges.

Read more and see video here ...

Piranhas Attack Swimmers Off Brazil Beach

Thousands of flesh-eating piranhas have been attacking swimmers off a river beach in western Brazil - with at least 15 people suffering injuries.

The creatures have infested the waters of the Paraguay river off the city of Caceres' Daveron beach, in Mato Grosso state.

Officials say it is the first time they have had a problem with piranhas in the area, where the aggressive fish began schooling about two weeks ago.

Elson de Campos Pinto, 22, was among those attacked.

"I took a dip in the river and when I stood up, I felt pain in my foot," he told Globo TV's G1 website.
"I saw that I had lost the tip of my toe. I took off running out of the river, afraid that I would be further attacked because of the blood. I'm not going back in for a long time."

Firefighter Raul Castro de Oliveira told G1: "People have got to be very careful. If they're bitten, they've got to get out of the water rapidly and not allow the blood to spread."

Read more here ...

Pet Hippo Humphrey Mauls His Owner To Death

A hippopotamus called Humphrey who became an internet sensation after being raised as a pet has mauled his keeper to death.

The animal, which weighs over a ton, reportedly bit Marius Els, dragged him into the water and killed him on his 400-acre farm in South Africa.

The man's mutilated body was found submerged in the river where years earlier the creature had been rescued from a flood.
Humphrey had learned to swim with humans and found a home with Els when it became too big for the people who had initially adopted him.

The 40-year-old farmer, who said the animal was like a "son" to him, was confirmed dead by medics early on Sunday morning.

Netcare 911 spokesman Jeffrey Wicks reported paramedics attended Els' home on the banks of the Vaal River in Free State province.

He said: "Paramedics responded to the scene to find that the man had been bitten several times by the animal.

"It had also been immersed in the river for an unknown period."

Humphrey, who is six, was found as a calf and had been raised as a pet in Free State.

Els built a bond with him that enabled the former army major to ride on his back, feed him and even brush his teeth.

But neighbours said there were signs Humphrey was perhaps not quite as docile as Els suggested, as he was spotted wandering off the farm and onto a nearby golf course.

Els said he returned when he was called.

"We tried to warn him, but he wouldn't listen," an unnamed neighbour was quoted as saying by the Afrikaans daily Beeld.

The hippo is one of the most aggressive creatures in the world, especially when young calves are present.

And it is often regarded as among the most dangerous animals in Africa.

Hippos are very aggressive towards humans, whom they commonly attack whether in boats or on land with no apparent provocation.

Read more here ...

Aquarium Fishes Are More Aggressive in Reduced Environments, New Study Finds

ScienceDaily (Sep. 21, 2011) — An angry glare from the family goldfish might not be the result of a missed meal, but a too-humble abode. Fish in a cramped, barren space turn mean, a study from Case Western Reserve University has found. Ornamental fishes across the U.S. might be at risk, all 182.9 million of them.

"The welfare of aquarium fishes may not seem important, but with that many of them in captivity, they become a big deal," said Ronald Oldfield, an instructor of biology at Case Western Reserve. Why, then, has the welfare of pet fishes been overlooked among the scientific community?

Oldfield is the first to scientifically study how the environment of home aquariums affects the aggressive behavior of ornamental fishes. The results are published in the online Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, volume 14, issue 4.

Oldfield compared the behavior of Midas cichlids (Amphilophus citrinellus) in a variety of environments: within their native range in a crater lake in Nicaragua, in a large artificial stream in a zoo, and in small tanks of the sizes typically used to by pet owners.

The study focused on juvenile fish to remove aggressive behavior related to mating. Also, resources such as food and shelter were removed prior to observation to eliminate direct competition.

Along with environment size, Oldfield tested the complexity of an environment and the effects of number of fish within tanks.

The addition of obstacles and hiding places using rocks, plants, or other similar objects can increase the complexity of the aquarium environment.

He found that an increase in tank size and complexity can reduce harmful aggressive behaviors, and make for healthier fish at home.

Oldfield quantified aggressive behavior as a series of displays and attacks separated by at least a second. Displays are body signals such as flaring fins. An attack could be a nip, chase, or charge at another fish.

In aquariums, these behaviors can lead to injury and in extreme cases to death.

Aggressive behavior was not correlated with small-scale changes in either group size or habitat size alone. However, a significant difference was observed in environments sufficiently large and complex: fish spent less time exhibiting aggressive behavior.

"This more natural environment elicits more natural behaviors, which are more interesting to observers," Oldfield said.

And, for the fish themselves, their lives can be vastly improved with these simple changes to their environments.

"If we are going to try to create a society as just as possible, we need to do everything we can to minimize negative effects," Oldfield said.

But why should anyone beyond fish enthusiasts care about fish behavior?

Minimizing negative effects extends beyond the treatment of ornamental fishes. Interactions between humans and other species could apply.

Humans have intimate relationships with a variety of fishes. They provide food and sport for many people. Some are used for decoration, and others are well-loved pets or may become addicting hobbies.

Additionally, conditions for animals in the rapidly growing field of aquaculture and on factory farms are issues of contention.

Oldfield is not trying to support any extreme agendas. "I'm not trying to ban human use of animals- I just think that if we are going to interact with them then we should be as informed as possible."

Relatively simple fish behavior can also serve as a basic model for more complex behaviors.

In the future, Oldfield said, "This study might help us to better understand how human behavior changes when people are placed in different social environments." Violence in prisons might be linked in part to the smaller space and reduced stimuli.

Until then, the 182.9 million ornamental fishes in the United States may benefit from this study. The family goldfish can swim in peace, enjoying the remodeled space.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922102241.htm

Dolphin baby given 'ticking off'

Dolphin watchers in west Wales have spotted unusual behaviour as a female repeatedly tossed a newborn calf into the air.

They say it is the first time such 'violent' behaviour has been seen by a mother in Cardigan Bay although males dolphins have been known to kill their young.

Dr Peter Evans, from the Sea Watch Foundation, said it might have been a case of a severe telling off due to the two to three day old calf wandering too far away.

"She was nosing it away in a particular direction, then suddenly she threw the infant right up into the air, and then did this about three times," he explained.

"Normally when you see something like an animal thrown into the air it's an aggressive action by a male dolphin.

"In this instance it was the mother doing it (the attacking), and she was doing it very rigorously.

"It was moving away, several times, from the mother, and perhaps it was straying too far and she wanted to keep a close eye on it."

Dr Evans said this may have been because there were humans nearby or other adult dolphins.

"It was possible a got a strong scolding because of that, and the animal was unharmed at the end," he added.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14921415

Rare tigress kills mate in US zoo

Officials at a zoo in the US where a rare Malayan tiger was killed by his mate have said there were no warning signs of violence.

Steve Marshal, director of El Paso Zoo in Texas, said three-year-old Seri and six-year-old Wzui seemed to have bonded during their two-and-a-half months together and had even mated.

He said the animals were seen playing and being affectionate with one another just hours before Seri bit down on Wzui's neck and choked him to death.

Minnesota Zoo conservation director Tara Harris said tigers sometimes fight but very rarely kill one another. She said it is even rarer that a female would kill a male.

Mr Marshal said the zoo hopes to find another suitable mate for Seri soon.

http://news.uk.msn.com/environment/rare-tigress-kills-mate-in-us-zoo-10

Assassin bug sneaks up on spiders

Assassin bugs hunt spiders on their webs by stalking or luring their victims before stabbing them with their long, sharp snouts.

Researchers studying these aggressive arthropods have now found that they use noise to cover their tracks.

The bugs wait for the wind to rustle the web, then take the opportunity to sneak up on their prey.

The findings will be published in the journal Animal Behaviour.

The bugs they studied, Stenolemus bituberus, are found in eastern and northern Australia. They live and hunt in spider webs on tree trunks or in rocky crevices.

The team, led by Dr Anne Wignall from Macquarie University in Sydney, brought juvenile assassin bugs into their laboratory.

They had spiders, of several species known to be preyed on by the bugs, build their webs in special wooden frames in the laboratory. The frames allowed the scientists to vibrate the webs, creating background "noise" and observing how the bugs reacted.

Dr Wignall and her team used the webs to find out exactly how the bugs avoided being spotted as they stalked their prey.

"Web-building spiders have only rudimentary eyesight, so avoiding being seen is not an issue for web-invading arthropods," the team explained in the paper.

"The main sensory system of web-building spiders is based on interpreting vibrations in the web - web silk is exquisitely proficient at transmitting vibrations from potential prey and predators in the web."

'Smokescreen'
The researchers placed the bugs onto the spider webs and used a desk fan to simulate a breeze on the web.

When the fan was on, "the assassin bugs stepped more often and walked in a more continuous manner", the team explained. They described this tactic as "opportunistic smokescreen behaviour".

"Generally, noise is considered a big obstacle that needs to be overcome, such as when trying to communicate or when searching for predators," Dr Wignall told BBC Nature.

"The exciting thing in this study is that the assassin bugs can increase their chances of catching food by using wind noise as cover."

The breeze did not seem to trigger the assassin bug to move when it was in an unoccupied spider web. This, the team wrote, suggested that "noise-related timing of behaviour reflects decisions made as part of a predatory strategy", rather than just a response to the physical movement of the web.

By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC Nature
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/14836370

Wrasse and starfish gang up on sea urchins

SEA urchins beware: you are under attack from two sides. Wrasse and starfish are both partial to sea urchin, but struggle to catch it on their own. So they give each other a helping hand to tackle their common prey.

Ornate wrasse, Thalassoma pavo, like to eat the tube feet of sea urchins, but as the urchins keep their feet buried in the sea bed the wrasse can't get to them easily. Marthasterias glacialis, a starfish, also likes sea urchin but isn't always fast enough to catch them.

Nicola Galasso of Tuscia University in Viterbo, Italy, and colleagues have found that the two help each other out. When a sea urchin is attacked by a starfish, it uproots itself and moves away. That exposes its tube foot, so a lurking wrasse can sweep in for a meal. The wrasse's feast disables the sea urchin, allowing the starfish to catch it and finish the job.

The two predators don't seem to be truly cooperating as neither makes a sacrifice for the other. But their actions nevertheless benefit each other. It is further evidence that wrasse are intelligent and can adapt their foraging methods, says Galasso, who presented her research last week at the summer conference of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour in St Andrews, UK. She has also found that ornate wrasse have learned to follow scuba divers, as they often break open sea urchins to attract fish.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128284.300-wrasse-and-starfish-gang-up-on-sea-urchins.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

Mortal combat is the rational choice for wasps

Males of an unusual group of wasps fight to the death over females, even if they've already mated or are competing with their own brothers, a new study shows. The behaviour was seen in parasitoid wasps, which lay their eggs inside living animals.


The only thing that affects these parasitoids' belligerent ways is how many combatants need to be fought. It seems that when it comes to violent conflict, they have a simple script and stick to it - fight whenever you can.


Most animals don't engage in this kind of mortal combat, because no matter how valuable the resource they're fighting over - usually food or the chance to mate - it's generally not worth risking their lives for.

But males of the parasitoid wasp Melittobia engage in exceptionally vicious battles that often end in dismemberment and decapitation. How can this be a sensible risk to take in the great struggle to survive long enough to mate? The answer seems to lie in the unusual situation they find themselves in when looking for mates.

Male parasitoid wasps fighting

A team of researchers decided to investigate what affects the likelihood of deadly violence in this particular parasitoid family. They put males in enclosed environments and tracked how much they fought after emerging as adults. They varied three factors that theory predicts might influence their violent tendencies - how related the potential combatants were, the absolute number of males available to fight, and the relative value of the mating opportunity being fought over.


Parasitoid wasps lay their eggs inside developing offspring of other insects like caterpillars. These luckless individuals then play host to the brood of larvae growing within them, which eventually emerge to start the cycle again.

Male Melittobia wasps develop into adults before females, and are relatively few in number - sometimes as little as five per cent of a brood. They have ferocious scythe-like mandibles and immediately set about each other, puncturing bodies, amputating limbs and even chopping off heads. Losers are killed and even winners often walk away badly wounded.

The males are blind and flightless, so they can't get away from the host they are born in, and this turns out to be crucial. 'Because of these wasps' unusual biology, what's at stake in these contests is a male's only chance to mate - its entire lifetime opportunity to reproduce,' says Dr Tabitha Innocent, who led the research while a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh. 'The males emerge first and begin fighting; the male (or males) that make it through this gladiatorial process get to mate with all the females in the local area. So what they are fighting over is incredibly valuable to them, and it makes sense to risk everything to get it.'


The scientists manipulated the value of the mating opportunity being fought over by letting some males mate before the fighting began, reasoning that for a male that has already mated many times, the chance to do so again will be relatively less valuable than it would be for a male that's never mated. The male that's already mated might therefore be less willing to fight for the chance to do so again.

But they found that only the number of opponents makes any difference; the more males in an area, the more lethal fighting goes on. The insects don't seem to be able to recognise their kin, and they still fight just as often and ferociously even with their brothers - opportunities to mate are so scarce that they're always worth risking everything for.

'These males don't seem to carry out any assessment of the costs of fighting,' Innocent says. 'It seems that they have such a small window of time in which to mate, and the number of potential females to mate with is so limited, that it's always worth fighting, even if they're unlikely to win.' She says this supports earlier work by the same group, which showed the wasps' eagerness to fight isn't affected by their opponent's size, even though this affects their chance of winning considerably.

The research helps illuminate the theory of fighting in animals more generally. 'There is massive variation in the extent of violence when males compete in different species of animal,' Innocent explains. 'If the resource being fought over is limited in space and time, you're more likely to get fatal fighting - this is exactly what we see in the parasitoid wasps.'

According to evolutionary theory, what matters is the resource's current value compared to its future value. In animals where costly conflict is limited such as deer, a chance to mate now is valuable, but not as valuable as the total of all future mating opportunities. Stags can always hope to find other females or to mate another year, so it's not worth risking their lives for any particular female. But for these wasps the future value of mating opportunities is very low - males have to mate quickly with as many females as possible, or they'll miss their only chance.

Innocent says the wasps are at the extreme end of the spectrum stretching from extreme violence to peaceful resolution, but understanding their behaviour will provide insights into more typical cases. 'Looking at extremes of conflict and cooperation really helps us understand how these behaviours evolve,' she observes. 'Fatal fighting is rare, but competition for mates is common across animal species. This research improves our understanding of why this competition varies and what influences how violent these fights become.'

The research is published in Behavioral Ecology.

http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=1036

Leopard wounds 11 people in village

A leopard that mauled 11 people in a fierce showdown with Indian villagers has died of knife wounds after being captured.

The adult male leopard leapt at locals and forest officials as they tried to drive it into a wildlife sanctuary in West Bengal state.

Forest official Dharma Dev Rai says villagers used knives, stones and batons to beat back the cat.

It injured six villagers, a policeman and four forest guards before being hit with a tranquilliser gun.

The people are recovering from their injuries, mostly swipes from the cat's claws.

Leopards are protected in India though more are straying into villages for food.

http://news.uk.msn.com/world/leopard-wounds-11-people-in-village?ocid=today

Bear killed B.C. native elder, coroner confirms

Autopsy results have confirmed that a bear attack killed a well-known elder in the Xaxli'p First Nation whose remains were found last week near Lillooet, B.C.

After Bernice Evelyn Adolph had been reported missing, police dogs found her remains on Thursday near her remote property about 175 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.

There was evidence that Adolph, 72, had been partially consumed by bears, but before the autopsy, police were not sure how she died.

"After reviewing the autopsy results, evidence from the scene, and expertise and information provided by conservation officers, the B.C. Coroners Service was able to confirm a bear attack as the cause of her death," spokesman Mark Coleman said in a release on Tuesday.

Coleman said no decision about an inquest had been made.

Tried to enter house
Conservation officers killed four bears Sunday that matched the description of the animal that had fed on the woman.

Samples from the bears were sent to Edmonton for DNA testing to determine which bears were involved in the attack.

Adolph had complained to conservation authorities about bears on her property.

Investigators found evidence that bears had tried to enter her house.

While contact between black bears and humans is common, even in Metro Vancouver, the animals tend to fear humans and fatal attacks are rare.

Two people have died in black bear attacks in B.C. since 2000

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/07/05/bc-woman-bear-autopsy.html

Grizzly Bear Kills Hiker Who Disturbed Cubs

A female grizzly bear has killed a man hiking with his wife in Yellowstone National Park after the couple surprised the animal and her cubs.


The attack happened about a mile and a half from the start of the popular Wapiti Lake trail.

Another group of hikers nearby who heard the victim's wife screaming for help called park rangers.

A National Park Service statement said the couple had inadvertently surprised the mother grizzly and her cubs, and in "an attempt to defend a perceived threat to her cubs, the bear attacked and fatally wounded the man".

Grizzly bears can weigh up to 1,500lb and despite their size, they can run at speeds of up to 35mph, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The bears tend to avoid humans but can be extremely aggressive if they perceive a threat to their young.

There are warning signs about grizzlies throughout the national park and Wednesday's attack took place in an area where bear sightings are common.

The victim's identity has not been released while his family is informed.
Park officials said the animals involved have not been captured and rangers do not have enough information yet to determine what measures they might take.

But park spokeswoman Linda Miller said the mother bear behaved normally in defending her cubs and would not be killed as a result of her actions.

Bears found to have repeated run-ins with park visitors are, however, sometimes relocated.

"If we have an aggressive bear that continually poses a threat to human safety, then we work to remove it from the ecosystem," Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash said.

Attacks by bears are extremely rare and the mauling marks the first fatal bear attack in the park since 1986, the Park Service said.

But a mother grizzly killed one man and injured two other people in an unusual night-time attack on sleeping campers just outside Yellowstone in Montana last July.

The animal involved was later trapped and destroyed because the attacks were considered to be unprovoked and predatory.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/grizzly-bear-kills-hiker-disturbed-cubs-080643772.html

Hitchcockian Crows Spread the Word About Unkind Humans

http://www.livescience.com/14819-crows-learn-dangerous-faces.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+C2C-InTheNews+%28Feed+-+Coast+to+Coast+-+In+the+News%29

The common crow knows when you're out to get him — and he's likely to teach his friends and family to watch out for you, a new study finds.

In results that can only be described as Hitchcockian, researchers in Seattle who trapped and banded crows for five years found that those birds don't forget a face. Even after going for a year without seeing the threatening human, the crows would scold the person on sight, cackling, swooping and dive-bombing in mobs of 30 or more.

Read on...

Washington cops under attack... by aggressive crows

Story Published: Jun 10, 2011 at 12:15 PM PDT

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) - Officers at a Seattle-area police department have found themselves in a flap with some unusual suspects: an angry flock of birds.

Crows have been attacking police in the parking lot of an Everett Police Department precinct station. They've been swooping down and dive-bombing the officers as they walk to and from their cars.

Lt. Bob Johns said he recently was flanked by the aggressive birds and "got zinged."

"They're like velociraptors," Johns said.

One officer used his siren to try to scare away the crows, but it didn't work. The birds responded by decorating his car with droppings, The Daily Herald reported.

State Fish and Wildlife Department biologist Ruth Milner said the birds are simply protecting baby crows that have been kicked out of the nest and are learning to fly. Adult crows are quite protective of their young - a common trait among larger birds and birds of prey.

"All they're doing is defending their nest," Milner said.

She noted crows also can recognize people's individual features. And they hold grudges.

"If your cops have done something that (the crows) perceive as a threat, they could be keying in on them because they're all wearing the same kind of uniform," Milner said.

In addition to the officers, at least a dozen city employees have encountered the angry crows, and some have complained about being attacked, city spokeswoman Kate Reardon said. But she said police and city workers have agreed to let the crows be, and wait out the aggression.

She said the employees will be cautious but can use umbrellas to defend themselves if need be.

http://www.kval.com/news/offbeat/123648944.html

Otter causes chaos in Tulla in County Clare

19 April 2011

An unlikely water-dweller has been making waves in a County Clare town.

A wayward otter turned on its would-be rescuers in Tulla on Monday as it was found wandering up the town's main street.

Farmer Joe Burke and shop owner Mike Hogan first noticed the animal as it passed by on the footpath outside Mr Hogan's window.

Concerned for its safety, they decided to come to its aid. However, the otter clearly had other ideas.

As a large crowd gathered, the otter became "very aggressive" and started trying to bite people.

Mr Burke was rewarded for his efforts with a nasty cut.

Tayto crisps

Eventually, the two men managed to corner the ungrateful creature in a courtyard. They planned to wait for professionals to come and take it to safety.

However, as Mr Burke explained: "He then put his head into a Tayto bag. It was wrapped tightly around his head.

"He couldn't see where he was going, he was bumping into walls and everything."

Fearing for the otter's life, Mr Burke decided to take on the rescue himself.

He took a thick bag used for holding animal feed, and after a minor struggle, managed to capture the animal.

The two men loaded their charge into the back of Mr Burke's jeep, and made their way to a local lake with the intention of releasing the otter back into its natural habitat.

But again the otter was refusing to go quietly.

"He chewed his way out of the bag," said Mr Hogan. "The back window was missing on the jeep so he jumped out when we stopped."

Traffic cone

The resourceful animal then made a dash for freedom half a mile back towards Tulla, before Mr Burke was able to catch it under a traffic cone.

The men slid a piece of plywood under the cone and carried it back to the lake, where they let the otter back into the water.

However, again the drama continued. The animal was so exhausted from its efforts that it began to sink.

"We pulled him towards the reeds and sort of propped him up," said Mr Hogan.

"After 10 or 15 minutes he got his breath back again and swam off."

A dramatic day indeed. The residents of Tulla may never see an otter one like it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13126139

Millions of bees dead after invading home

CUTLER BAY, Fla. (WSVN) -- Two battling colonies made up of millions of bees have died after invading a South Florida home.


The bees were found inside the Hernandez home, at 9394 SW 212th Terrace, Tuesday morning. According to the homeowner, Miguel Hernandez, he woke up and found his home surrounded by bees. Speaking in Spanish, Hernandez said, "I went out of my front door, and the entry was full of bees, so I called 911. The fire department told me to lock myself in the bathroom. They got here, and they were not able to enter because of all the bees flying around."

"I'll Bee There" Pest Removal arrived on the scene to get rid of the bees. According to Beekeeper Adrian Valero, there were two warring bee colonies inside the home. "Probably like two million bees over here, flying around," Valero said. "You have two main beehives that they got to the same place at the same time, and they're fighting each other, so that makes them aggressive against each other, so they tried to kill each other."

The hives found within Hernandez's home are believed to have been building there for years.

Bee removal teams inserted a camera into Hernandez's attic to watch the bee brawl. However, no exterminator was needed, because the bees attacked and killed each other.

Bee experts warned residents to plug any small holes on the outside of their homes, because these holes can attract bees.

Millions of bees dead after invading home

CUTLER BAY, Fla. (WSVN) -- Two battling colonies made up of millions of bees have died after invading a South Florida home.


The bees were found inside the Hernandez home, at 9394 SW 212th Terrace, Tuesday morning. According to the homeowner, Miguel Hernandez, he woke up and found his home surrounded by bees. Speaking in Spanish, Hernandez said, "I went out of my front door, and the entry was full of bees, so I called 911. The fire department told me to lock myself in the bathroom. They got here, and they were not able to enter because of all the bees flying around."

"I'll Bee There" Pest Removal arrived on the scene to get rid of the bees. According to Beekeeper Adrian Valero, there were two warring bee colonies inside the home. "Probably like two million bees over here, flying around," Valero said. "You have two main beehives that they got to the same place at the same time, and they're fighting each other, so that makes them aggressive against each other, so they tried to kill each other."

The hives found within Hernandez's home are believed to have been building there for years.

Bee removal teams inserted a camera into Hernandez's attic to watch the bee brawl. However, no exterminator was needed, because the bees attacked and killed each other.

Bee experts warned residents to plug any small holes on the outside of their homes, because these holes can attract bees.

Turkeys terrorize New York neighborhood

NEW YORK, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Residents of a New York neighborhood said aggressive turkeys are terrorizing the area.


Locals in the Ocean Breeze neighborhood said the fowl have been blocking traffic, filling their yards with droppings and even trapped resident Gina Guaragno in her car for a short time before she splashed them with window washing fluid, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.

Residents said the turkey trouble began about 10 years ago after a woman released her nine pets, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation estimates there are now about 100 of the wild birds in the neighborhood.

City Councilman James Oddo said many area seniors have told him they are afraid to leave their homes. He said officials balked at a plan he forwarded two years ago to move the turkeys upstate.

"How are people supposed to have faith that their government can deal with problems like terrorism when we can't even deal with turkeys?" Oddo said.