8 June 2011
Thousands of fish have died after large amounts of storm sewage flooded into the River Thames.
More than 450,000 tonnes of sewage overflowed into the river in west London when heavy rain fell on Sunday.
The Environment Agency said oxygen had been added along a 1km (0.6m) stretch of water where dead fish and sewage debris has been spotted.
Thames Water is carrying out a clear-up operation along a 12km (7.5m) stretch between Kew and Albert Bridge.
The Environment Agency said more than 250,000 tonnes of storm sewage from sewer overflows, and at least 200,000 tonnes of storm sewage from the Mogden sewage treatment works in Isleworth, was released into the river at the weekend.
Oxygenation vessels
This, combined with the current warm, dry weather and low river flows, resulted in low oxygen levels and fish deaths along a 1km stretch of the river.
Fish, including flounder, bream, roach, eel, dace and other aquatic life such as water shrimps, have been found dead.
Thames Water has put hydrogen peroxide into the water at three different locations, to add oxygen, and the agency has sent its oxygenation vessels to the area.
According to the agency's director, Howard Davidson, discharges from combined sewers happen 50 to 60 times a year and can be caused by as little as 2mm of rainfall.
Mr Davidson said that on Sunday, more than 30mm had fallen over west London.
He said: "This is a major sewage pollution incident which has caused the death of a huge number of fish.
"We are currently monitoring Thames Water's clean up efforts and assessing the full impact but unfortunately we may never know the exact numbers of fish that have died."
'Totally unsatisfactory'
Storm sewage is waste diluted with rainwater and occurs where a combined sewage network operates - one which takes both sewage from homes and businesses and rainfall run-off from roads and other hard surfaces.
Martin Baggs, from Thames Water, said: "Incidents like this are clearly totally unsatisfactory in a modern capital city and we have a major programme of work under way to sort the problem out."
Thames Water is currently reviewing responses to the first round of consultation on plans for a 20-mile (32km) "super-sewer".
The proposed Thames Tunnel would run from west to east London, broadly following the route of the river, collecting storm sewage.
If approved, construction on the tunnel would begin in 2013 and be completed by 2020.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13693265
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Township mob burns 'talking' monkey as witch
Children traumatised as animal welfare group blames 'dreadful superstition' fuelled by ignorance
David Smith in Johannesburg
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 31 May 2011 14.07 BST
A monkey was pelted with stones, shot at and burned to death in a South African township because residents believed it was linked to witchcraft, an animal welfare agency has said.
A mob chanted "Kill that witch!" as the vervet monkey was put in a bucket, doused with petrol and set on fire, according to witnesses. Children who witnessed the killing last week were said to be traumatised.
One resident, Tebogo Moswetsi, admitted he had captured the monkey as it sought refuge up a tree in Kagiso, west of Johannesburg.
"I was curious to see this monkey that people claimed could talk, and when I saw a group of people chasing after it, I joined them," he told South Africa's Star newspaper. "When it went up the tree, I climbed after it and brought it down because I was curious as I found it unbelievable that a monkey could talk.
"I feel guilty. I shouldn't have taken it down from that tree. I dropped it down after someone poured petrol on it. I had no choice."
Moswetsi added: "Someone struck a match. [The monkey] got out of the bucket and dropped down dead. They continued throwing stones at it."
Cora Bailey, manager of Community Led Animal Welfare (Claw) in South Africa, was alerted by a local resident and arrived at a scene of "sheer criminality".
She said: "We just got there too late. What was incredibly sad is that there were so many little children in the crowd – some of them very traumatised.
"There were youngsters literally laughing in my face. But there were older people who were devastated by it. Everyone was saying sorry. While I was talking, the monkey was burning behind me."
Bailey said there is a "dreadful superstition" about monkeys and witchcraft in some communities, fuelled by ignorance that the animals can become separated from their troops or displaced from their natural habitats.
"We deal with this kind of situation on a very regular basis. We usually manage to do crowd control so the monkey doesn't come to any harm."
Bailey said she was horrified by racist comments that have appeared online in reaction to the incident. "Every time this happens, it's people in the community who call us. Cruelty to animals is not a racial thing. I've worked in townships for 20 years and there are good and bad people in all communities."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/31/mob-burns-monkey-as-witch
David Smith in Johannesburg
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 31 May 2011 14.07 BST
A monkey was pelted with stones, shot at and burned to death in a South African township because residents believed it was linked to witchcraft, an animal welfare agency has said.
A mob chanted "Kill that witch!" as the vervet monkey was put in a bucket, doused with petrol and set on fire, according to witnesses. Children who witnessed the killing last week were said to be traumatised.
One resident, Tebogo Moswetsi, admitted he had captured the monkey as it sought refuge up a tree in Kagiso, west of Johannesburg.
"I was curious to see this monkey that people claimed could talk, and when I saw a group of people chasing after it, I joined them," he told South Africa's Star newspaper. "When it went up the tree, I climbed after it and brought it down because I was curious as I found it unbelievable that a monkey could talk.
"I feel guilty. I shouldn't have taken it down from that tree. I dropped it down after someone poured petrol on it. I had no choice."
Moswetsi added: "Someone struck a match. [The monkey] got out of the bucket and dropped down dead. They continued throwing stones at it."
Cora Bailey, manager of Community Led Animal Welfare (Claw) in South Africa, was alerted by a local resident and arrived at a scene of "sheer criminality".
She said: "We just got there too late. What was incredibly sad is that there were so many little children in the crowd – some of them very traumatised.
"There were youngsters literally laughing in my face. But there were older people who were devastated by it. Everyone was saying sorry. While I was talking, the monkey was burning behind me."
Bailey said there is a "dreadful superstition" about monkeys and witchcraft in some communities, fuelled by ignorance that the animals can become separated from their troops or displaced from their natural habitats.
"We deal with this kind of situation on a very regular basis. We usually manage to do crowd control so the monkey doesn't come to any harm."
Bailey said she was horrified by racist comments that have appeared online in reaction to the incident. "Every time this happens, it's people in the community who call us. Cruelty to animals is not a racial thing. I've worked in townships for 20 years and there are good and bad people in all communities."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/31/mob-burns-monkey-as-witch
Monday, May 2, 2011
Nearly 10,000 bats die in Durham cave
 |
Courtesy of Pennsylvania Game Commission these bats hibernating in the Durham mine in September, 2010. |
By Amanda Cregan Calkins Media, Inc.
Of the 10,000 bats that have hibernated in an abandoned mine in Upper Bucks County for generations, only about 200 are still alive, officials said Friday.
Durham's bats became infected with White Nose Syndrome, a mysterious disease that's killing off bat colonies at an alarming rate from Vermont to Virginia.
In late March, Game Commission biologist Greg Turner checked in on the bats hidden in the hillside of Upper Bucks and found near devastation.
"We're looking at a 99 percent decline," he said.
And the bat deaths might continue.
"There's a few survivors. Hopefully, the ones that are there will survive."
http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/new_hope/nearly-bats-die-in-durham-cave/article_9b553884-72a3-11e0-bb2c-0019bb30f31a.html
Friday, April 15, 2011
Polar bear Mercedes put to sleep
15 April 201
Mercedes the polar bear has been "put to sleep" after a "recent rapid deterioration in her welfare", the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has announced.
The 30-year-old female bear was moved from Edinburgh Zoo to a new, larger enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore two years ago.
She had been suffering severe arthritis which was treated with painkillers.
The RZSS said it was "with great sadness" that it announced the death.
Mercedes was captured after being rescued from being shot in Canada in 1984 and added to the animal collection at Edinburgh Zoo.
She was relocated to the park at Kincraig in 2009.
During her 25 years in Edinburgh, Mercedes reared two cubs, both sired by her partner Barney, who was born at Whipsnade Zoo.
After the death of Barney in 1996, Mercedes lived by herself at Edinburgh Zoo until she moved to the Highland Wildlife Park in 2009.
A two-year-old male polar bear called Walker was introduced to Mercedes's enclosure in November 2010.
However, an ageing Mercedes was not happy to play with a young cub.
Rapid downturn
A statement from the RZSS, which runs Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, said: "More recently we noted a marked and rapid downturn in her behaviour and her demeanour, and she appeared to be ageing very rapidly and possibly showing signs of senility.
"We had been keeping her separate from the male bear so as to avoid any possibility of him causing her to move more than she wanted to.
"Recently, all of the individuals responsible for her care sadly concluded that our only remaining option was to put her to sleep on age and health grounds."
Simon Girling, RZSS head of veterinary services, said: "We have been monitoring Mercedes's condition for some time now and have tried a number of different therapies for her advanced arthritis, which we were having some success with.
"However, even on medication, Mercedes has now taken a significant turn for the worse in terms of her mobility and is also showing signs of mental confusion.
"This deterioration in her welfare has prompted us to step in and humanely euthanase her."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-13094316
Mercedes the polar bear has been "put to sleep" after a "recent rapid deterioration in her welfare", the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has announced.
The 30-year-old female bear was moved from Edinburgh Zoo to a new, larger enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore two years ago.
She had been suffering severe arthritis which was treated with painkillers.
The RZSS said it was "with great sadness" that it announced the death.
Mercedes was captured after being rescued from being shot in Canada in 1984 and added to the animal collection at Edinburgh Zoo.
She was relocated to the park at Kincraig in 2009.
During her 25 years in Edinburgh, Mercedes reared two cubs, both sired by her partner Barney, who was born at Whipsnade Zoo.
After the death of Barney in 1996, Mercedes lived by herself at Edinburgh Zoo until she moved to the Highland Wildlife Park in 2009.
A two-year-old male polar bear called Walker was introduced to Mercedes's enclosure in November 2010.
However, an ageing Mercedes was not happy to play with a young cub.
Rapid downturn
A statement from the RZSS, which runs Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, said: "More recently we noted a marked and rapid downturn in her behaviour and her demeanour, and she appeared to be ageing very rapidly and possibly showing signs of senility.
"We had been keeping her separate from the male bear so as to avoid any possibility of him causing her to move more than she wanted to.
"Recently, all of the individuals responsible for her care sadly concluded that our only remaining option was to put her to sleep on age and health grounds."
Simon Girling, RZSS head of veterinary services, said: "We have been monitoring Mercedes's condition for some time now and have tried a number of different therapies for her advanced arthritis, which we were having some success with.
"However, even on medication, Mercedes has now taken a significant turn for the worse in terms of her mobility and is also showing signs of mental confusion.
"This deterioration in her welfare has prompted us to step in and humanely euthanase her."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-13094316
Monday, March 28, 2011
Shocking number of animals dying at Kiev Zoo
Dozens, maybe hundreds, have died in recent years, animal welfare groups say
By Maria Danilova
The Associated Press
updated 3/23/2011 8:42:37 PM ET
KIEV, Ukraine — An Indian elephant called Boy, the pride of the Kiev Zoo, collapsed and died in his enclosure. Around the same time, Maya the camel succumbed to a digestive illness and Theo the zebra died after crashing into a metal fence.
And there's more, much more.
The animals just keep on dying at the Kiev Zoo, a place some have likened to an unkempt warehouse for those with fur and feathers. Animal welfare groups say dozens if not hundreds of animals have died at the zoo in recent years due to malnutrition, a lack of medical care and mistreatment — and some suspect that corruption is at the heart of the problem.
Naturewatch, a British-based animal welfare group, is among the organizations calling for the 100-year-old zoo to be closed and its animals sent elsewhere in Europe.
"The Kiev Zoo will never attain any basic standards, it's so far removed from any zoo in Europe," said John Ruane of Naturewatch. "The conditions have been absolutely horrendous and no matter how many more directors were appointed the situation still remained the same."
New managers appointed in October said that nearly half of the zoo's animals either died or mysteriously disappeared over two years under their predecessors, and a government audit found that thousands of dollars were misspent as animals were illegally sold and funds earmarked for their food and care disappeared. Ukrainian prosecutors have also opened an investigation.
But despite the management change, the zoo's animals are still dying. Some activists suspect a secret real estate deal is in the works — that the zoo is being deliberately decimated so it can be closed down and the prime land that it sits on in the center of Kiev can be sold.
Other violations included the purchase of medication for already deceased apes, paying for hyenas that were never shipped to the zoo, the illegal sale of 12 macaques, the unrecorded sale of zoo tickets and the misallocation of funds earmarked for feeding zoo animals. The violations totaled the equivalent of $200,000, according to Irina Parkhomenko, spokeswoman for the government auditing agency.
Deterioration started after Soviet Union's collapse
Once the jewel of the Ukrainian capital and a favorite weekend spot for families, the zoo began to deteriorate after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and the years of poverty that followed. Animals were kept in cramped, poorly lit and poorly heated enclosures, fed improperly and left unattended, according to watchdogs.
The Kiev Zoo gained international notoriety in 2007 when it was expelled from the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria after the tragic death of a female bear.
The elderly brown bear named Dinara had been moved from a small enclosure where she had spent all her life to a bigger pen with a male Malayan sun bear. Stressed by the new premises and her new companion, Dinara began to bang her head against the concrete walls of the enclosure, leaving blood stains on the walls and floor. After days of this, she was euthanized.
On a recent visit, the zoo looked desolate. The elephant's pen stood empty, a lonely wolf paced an open-air enclosure, a collection of farm animals was closed to visitors and two giraffes were locked in two small indoor cells.
Mayor accused of mismanagement
The zoo's problems grew worse under the leadership of the city's eccentric mayor, Leonid Chernovetsky, who has been widely accused of mismanagement. Under his appointed zoo director, Svitlana Berzina, about a quarter of the animals died and another quarter disappeared in the two years before she was ousted in October, according to the new zoo director, Oleksiy Tolstoukhov.
Boy, the biggest Indian elephant in a European zoo, collapsed in his enclosure and died in April at age 39. Berzina denied any wrongdoing and claimed the elephant was poisoned.
Others disagree. Serhiy Hryhoryev, a zoo worker who has set up a group to protect the animals, believes that Boy was killed by a yo-yo diet. He said zoo staff considered Boy to be overweight and put him on a diet of mainly water and hay, causing him to lose more than a third of his weight in four months.
"By the end, his ribs were sticking out," Hryhoryev said.
Then Boy was put back on beets, carrots and apples, which caused rapid weight gain, which Hryhoryev said led to the elephant's heart failure. An autopsy was inconclusive.
Bad diet — or poison?
A month later, Maya the camel died. Hryhoryev said zoo workers failed to treat her for abdominal bloating after a sudden diet change. The zoo, however, blamed the death on a mysterious poisoner, a middle-aged man with an earring who just happened to resemble the whistleblower Hryhoryev. He was fired from his job but then reinstated through a court order late last year.
Theo the zebra died in late March after being separated from his female companions, as the animals were let outside after spending the winter in cramped indoor quarters. The male zebra threw himself into a metal fence in a desperate attempt to reach the females.
Officials are having a hard time determining exactly how many animals died or disappeared under the previous management. The zoo now has 2,600 animals from 328 species.
'Not as bad as they say'
Oleksandr Mazurchak, deputy head of the Kiev city administration, said about 250 animals died due to "problems" during two years under Berzina. The government audit last year also found that 131 other animals were missing.
Mazurchak said 50 animals have died since Tolstoukhov took over, though most from old age. But some deaths could have been avoided, like those of the three fish that died in late December when a power outage stopped the flow of oxygen into their tank.
Defending his record, the new director said the zoo has not purchased any new animals in recent years due to funding shortages and 60 percent of the zoo's animals are approaching the end of their natural life span anyway.
"It's not as bad as they say," Tolstoukhov said. "In all the zoos, including in Europe, animals don't live a million years. They also die and get sick."
Ecologist cites close to 250 deaths
But Volodymyr Boreiko, an ecologist who has monitored developments at the zoo, said in a report last week that the number of animals that have died since the new managers took over in October is closer to 250 and includes a penguin, a crane, turkeys and mongooses. The zoo said his findings are falsified.
Tolstoukhov said the zoo hopes to attract funds to restore existing enclosures and build new ones, and to repair the heating, air conditioning and electric systems. The zoo also plans to acquire new animals, including two young female elephants and 12 blue sheep.
He denied any plans to sell the 84 acres of land the zoo occupies in central Kiev.
Luisa Kuznetsova, 26, who came to the zoo last week with her 2-year-old twins Kolya and Karina, hopes it can be saved.
"I want there to be a beautiful zoo here with all the beautiful animals because the kids are growing and the zoo helps them develop," Kuznetsova said as the twins watched a giraffe attempt to kiss them through a glass wall.
But Tamara Tarnavska of the Kiev-based SOS animal rights group believes the zoo must be closed to protect its animals from further abuse.
"The zoo is in such a condition that it's no longer a zoo, it's a concentration camp," Tarnavska said. "When I look those animals in the eyes, I am ashamed to be a human being."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42240723/ns/technology_and_science-science/
By Maria Danilova
The Associated Press
updated 3/23/2011 8:42:37 PM ET
KIEV, Ukraine — An Indian elephant called Boy, the pride of the Kiev Zoo, collapsed and died in his enclosure. Around the same time, Maya the camel succumbed to a digestive illness and Theo the zebra died after crashing into a metal fence.
And there's more, much more.
The animals just keep on dying at the Kiev Zoo, a place some have likened to an unkempt warehouse for those with fur and feathers. Animal welfare groups say dozens if not hundreds of animals have died at the zoo in recent years due to malnutrition, a lack of medical care and mistreatment — and some suspect that corruption is at the heart of the problem.
Naturewatch, a British-based animal welfare group, is among the organizations calling for the 100-year-old zoo to be closed and its animals sent elsewhere in Europe.
"The Kiev Zoo will never attain any basic standards, it's so far removed from any zoo in Europe," said John Ruane of Naturewatch. "The conditions have been absolutely horrendous and no matter how many more directors were appointed the situation still remained the same."
New managers appointed in October said that nearly half of the zoo's animals either died or mysteriously disappeared over two years under their predecessors, and a government audit found that thousands of dollars were misspent as animals were illegally sold and funds earmarked for their food and care disappeared. Ukrainian prosecutors have also opened an investigation.
But despite the management change, the zoo's animals are still dying. Some activists suspect a secret real estate deal is in the works — that the zoo is being deliberately decimated so it can be closed down and the prime land that it sits on in the center of Kiev can be sold.
Other violations included the purchase of medication for already deceased apes, paying for hyenas that were never shipped to the zoo, the illegal sale of 12 macaques, the unrecorded sale of zoo tickets and the misallocation of funds earmarked for feeding zoo animals. The violations totaled the equivalent of $200,000, according to Irina Parkhomenko, spokeswoman for the government auditing agency.
Deterioration started after Soviet Union's collapse
Once the jewel of the Ukrainian capital and a favorite weekend spot for families, the zoo began to deteriorate after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and the years of poverty that followed. Animals were kept in cramped, poorly lit and poorly heated enclosures, fed improperly and left unattended, according to watchdogs.
The Kiev Zoo gained international notoriety in 2007 when it was expelled from the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria after the tragic death of a female bear.
The elderly brown bear named Dinara had been moved from a small enclosure where she had spent all her life to a bigger pen with a male Malayan sun bear. Stressed by the new premises and her new companion, Dinara began to bang her head against the concrete walls of the enclosure, leaving blood stains on the walls and floor. After days of this, she was euthanized.
On a recent visit, the zoo looked desolate. The elephant's pen stood empty, a lonely wolf paced an open-air enclosure, a collection of farm animals was closed to visitors and two giraffes were locked in two small indoor cells.
Mayor accused of mismanagement
The zoo's problems grew worse under the leadership of the city's eccentric mayor, Leonid Chernovetsky, who has been widely accused of mismanagement. Under his appointed zoo director, Svitlana Berzina, about a quarter of the animals died and another quarter disappeared in the two years before she was ousted in October, according to the new zoo director, Oleksiy Tolstoukhov.
Boy, the biggest Indian elephant in a European zoo, collapsed in his enclosure and died in April at age 39. Berzina denied any wrongdoing and claimed the elephant was poisoned.
Others disagree. Serhiy Hryhoryev, a zoo worker who has set up a group to protect the animals, believes that Boy was killed by a yo-yo diet. He said zoo staff considered Boy to be overweight and put him on a diet of mainly water and hay, causing him to lose more than a third of his weight in four months.
"By the end, his ribs were sticking out," Hryhoryev said.
Then Boy was put back on beets, carrots and apples, which caused rapid weight gain, which Hryhoryev said led to the elephant's heart failure. An autopsy was inconclusive.
Bad diet — or poison?
A month later, Maya the camel died. Hryhoryev said zoo workers failed to treat her for abdominal bloating after a sudden diet change. The zoo, however, blamed the death on a mysterious poisoner, a middle-aged man with an earring who just happened to resemble the whistleblower Hryhoryev. He was fired from his job but then reinstated through a court order late last year.
Theo the zebra died in late March after being separated from his female companions, as the animals were let outside after spending the winter in cramped indoor quarters. The male zebra threw himself into a metal fence in a desperate attempt to reach the females.
Officials are having a hard time determining exactly how many animals died or disappeared under the previous management. The zoo now has 2,600 animals from 328 species.
'Not as bad as they say'
Oleksandr Mazurchak, deputy head of the Kiev city administration, said about 250 animals died due to "problems" during two years under Berzina. The government audit last year also found that 131 other animals were missing.
Mazurchak said 50 animals have died since Tolstoukhov took over, though most from old age. But some deaths could have been avoided, like those of the three fish that died in late December when a power outage stopped the flow of oxygen into their tank.
Defending his record, the new director said the zoo has not purchased any new animals in recent years due to funding shortages and 60 percent of the zoo's animals are approaching the end of their natural life span anyway.
"It's not as bad as they say," Tolstoukhov said. "In all the zoos, including in Europe, animals don't live a million years. They also die and get sick."
Ecologist cites close to 250 deaths
But Volodymyr Boreiko, an ecologist who has monitored developments at the zoo, said in a report last week that the number of animals that have died since the new managers took over in October is closer to 250 and includes a penguin, a crane, turkeys and mongooses. The zoo said his findings are falsified.
Tolstoukhov said the zoo hopes to attract funds to restore existing enclosures and build new ones, and to repair the heating, air conditioning and electric systems. The zoo also plans to acquire new animals, including two young female elephants and 12 blue sheep.
He denied any plans to sell the 84 acres of land the zoo occupies in central Kiev.
Luisa Kuznetsova, 26, who came to the zoo last week with her 2-year-old twins Kolya and Karina, hopes it can be saved.
"I want there to be a beautiful zoo here with all the beautiful animals because the kids are growing and the zoo helps them develop," Kuznetsova said as the twins watched a giraffe attempt to kiss them through a glass wall.
But Tamara Tarnavska of the Kiev-based SOS animal rights group believes the zoo must be closed to protect its animals from further abuse.
"The zoo is in such a condition that it's no longer a zoo, it's a concentration camp," Tarnavska said. "When I look those animals in the eyes, I am ashamed to be a human being."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42240723/ns/technology_and_science-science/
Friday, January 21, 2011
Paul the Octopus gets memorialized
Tentacled tipster immortalized by aquarium
Thursday, 20 Jan 2011, 6:11 PM EST
BERLIN (AP) - Paul the celebrated octopus has finally got his tentacles wrapped around a soccer ball.
The Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen on Thursday unveiled an outsized memorial to the World Cup's most unlikely star: A 6 1/2-foot (2-meter) tall plastic replica of Paul clutching a ball in his eight arms.
Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig says Paul's cremated ashes were placed in a gold-leaf-covered urn inside the ball. Paul died three months ago and Munzig says fans around the world had asked for a memorial.
Paul correctly tipped the outcome of all seven of Germany's games at last year's World Cup plus the Spain-Netherlands final. He made his predictions by opening the lid of one of two boxes, each containing a mussel and bearing a team flag.
http://www.myndytv.com/dpps/strange_news/strange/paul-the-octopus-gets-memorialilzed-wd11-tvw_3701711
Thursday, 20 Jan 2011, 6:11 PM EST
BERLIN (AP) - Paul the celebrated octopus has finally got his tentacles wrapped around a soccer ball.
The Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen on Thursday unveiled an outsized memorial to the World Cup's most unlikely star: A 6 1/2-foot (2-meter) tall plastic replica of Paul clutching a ball in his eight arms.
Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig says Paul's cremated ashes were placed in a gold-leaf-covered urn inside the ball. Paul died three months ago and Munzig says fans around the world had asked for a memorial.
Paul correctly tipped the outcome of all seven of Germany's games at last year's World Cup plus the Spain-Netherlands final. He made his predictions by opening the lid of one of two boxes, each containing a mussel and bearing a team flag.
http://www.myndytv.com/dpps/strange_news/strange/paul-the-octopus-gets-memorialilzed-wd11-tvw_3701711
Paul the Octopus gets memorialized
Tentacled tipster immortalized by aquarium
Thursday, 20 Jan 2011, 6:11 PM EST
BERLIN (AP) - Paul the celebrated octopus has finally got his tentacles wrapped around a soccer ball.
The Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen on Thursday unveiled an outsized memorial to the World Cup's most unlikely star: A 6 1/2-foot (2-meter) tall plastic replica of Paul clutching a ball in his eight arms.
Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig says Paul's cremated ashes were placed in a gold-leaf-covered urn inside the ball. Paul died three months ago and Munzig says fans around the world had asked for a memorial.
Paul correctly tipped the outcome of all seven of Germany's games at last year's World Cup plus the Spain-Netherlands final. He made his predictions by opening the lid of one of two boxes, each containing a mussel and bearing a team flag.
http://www.myndytv.com/dpps/strange_news/strange/paul-the-octopus-gets-memorialilzed-wd11-tvw_3701711
Thursday, 20 Jan 2011, 6:11 PM EST
BERLIN (AP) - Paul the celebrated octopus has finally got his tentacles wrapped around a soccer ball.
The Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen on Thursday unveiled an outsized memorial to the World Cup's most unlikely star: A 6 1/2-foot (2-meter) tall plastic replica of Paul clutching a ball in his eight arms.
Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig says Paul's cremated ashes were placed in a gold-leaf-covered urn inside the ball. Paul died three months ago and Munzig says fans around the world had asked for a memorial.
Paul correctly tipped the outcome of all seven of Germany's games at last year's World Cup plus the Spain-Netherlands final. He made his predictions by opening the lid of one of two boxes, each containing a mussel and bearing a team flag.
http://www.myndytv.com/dpps/strange_news/strange/paul-the-octopus-gets-memorialilzed-wd11-tvw_3701711
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
‘Big cat killed in gruesome manner’
 |
| Forest officials carry the body of a leopard for postmortem in Bhubaneswar. (PTI) |
Bhubaneswar; Jan. 14: The preliminary inquiry report of city divisional forest officer (DFO), Jayant Das, was submitted to the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), P.N.Padhi today who had ordered an inquiry of the incident.
The report claimed that the leopard killed at Gandarpur on the outskirts of the city on Thursday was done in the most gruesome manner with the villagers blocking all his escape routes.
Sources said that the report described in detail how the beast was surrounded by lathis and iron rod-wielding villagers who attacked him from all sides.
Two persons had also been injured after being attacked by the leopard.
The injured had been admitted to the Capital Hospital. The condition of the victims is said to be improving.
Das said that the forest ranger of the area had registered an ‘undetected’ case in connection with the incident.
“If we come across definite proof about the involvement of individuals we would take action against them,” the DFO added.
The official who assured that he would try to conclude his inquiry as soon as possible so that guilty could be punished, said that the ‘undetected’ case was filed since it was not clear as to who had killed the animal.
“After recording the statements of the locals and observing the video clippings, we will try to fix the guilt,” he added.The forest department officials today scoured the Khairapada area near the Gandarpur village following strong rumours that another leopard had been spotted by the people there.
“But neither our officials nor the policemen accompanying them could locate any leopard,” he said. Forest officials had conducted a similar search in and around the Nuapatna village but failed to find even the pugmarks of any leopard.
Officials said since leopard was Schedule I animal those responsible for its inhuman killing would be punished under section 51 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
While section 9 of the Act describes killing or hunting a protected animal as a punishable crime, section 51 of the law says that the guilty could draw jail term up to a maximum of seven years and a fine of Rs 25,000. Efforts are also being made to ascertain as to where do the animal come.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110115/jsp/orissa/story_13443034.jsp
‘Big cat killed in gruesome manner’
|
| Forest officials carry the body of a leopard for postmortem in Bhubaneswar. (PTI) |
Bhubaneswar; Jan. 14: The preliminary inquiry report of city divisional forest officer (DFO), Jayant Das, was submitted to the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), P.N.Padhi today who had ordered an inquiry of the incident.
The report claimed that the leopard killed at Gandarpur on the outskirts of the city on Thursday was done in the most gruesome manner with the villagers blocking all his escape routes.
Sources said that the report described in detail how the beast was surrounded by lathis and iron rod-wielding villagers who attacked him from all sides.
Two persons had also been injured after being attacked by the leopard.
The injured had been admitted to the Capital Hospital. The condition of the victims is said to be improving.
Das said that the forest ranger of the area had registered an ‘undetected’ case in connection with the incident.
“If we come across definite proof about the involvement of individuals we would take action against them,” the DFO added.
The official who assured that he would try to conclude his inquiry as soon as possible so that guilty could be punished, said that the ‘undetected’ case was filed since it was not clear as to who had killed the animal.
“After recording the statements of the locals and observing the video clippings, we will try to fix the guilt,” he added.The forest department officials today scoured the Khairapada area near the Gandarpur village following strong rumours that another leopard had been spotted by the people there.
“But neither our officials nor the policemen accompanying them could locate any leopard,” he said. Forest officials had conducted a similar search in and around the Nuapatna village but failed to find even the pugmarks of any leopard.
Officials said since leopard was Schedule I animal those responsible for its inhuman killing would be punished under section 51 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
While section 9 of the Act describes killing or hunting a protected animal as a punishable crime, section 51 of the law says that the guilty could draw jail term up to a maximum of seven years and a fine of Rs 25,000. Efforts are also being made to ascertain as to where do the animal come.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110115/jsp/orissa/story_13443034.jsp
Saturday, January 15, 2011
200 Dead Cows Found In Wisconsin Field
January 15, 2011 10:01 AM
TOWN OF STOCKTON, Wis. (AP) — An investigation is under way after 200 dead cows were found in a field in the Town of Stockton.
The Portage County sheriff’s office says the owner of the cattle has been working with a local veterinarian and it’s believed the animals died from the IBR/BVD virus. The virus can cause respiratory and reproductive problems.
WSAW reports samples from the dead cows have been sent to Madison for testing.
Authorities say there is no threat to humans or other animals.
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/01/15/200-dead-cows-found-in-wisconsin-field/
(Submitted by D.R. Shoop)
TOWN OF STOCKTON, Wis. (AP) — An investigation is under way after 200 dead cows were found in a field in the Town of Stockton.
The Portage County sheriff’s office says the owner of the cattle has been working with a local veterinarian and it’s believed the animals died from the IBR/BVD virus. The virus can cause respiratory and reproductive problems.
WSAW reports samples from the dead cows have been sent to Madison for testing.
Authorities say there is no threat to humans or other animals.
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/01/15/200-dead-cows-found-in-wisconsin-field/
(Submitted by D.R. Shoop)
200 Dead Cows Found In Wisconsin Field
January 15, 2011 10:01 AM
TOWN OF STOCKTON, Wis. (AP) — An investigation is under way after 200 dead cows were found in a field in the Town of Stockton.
The Portage County sheriff’s office says the owner of the cattle has been working with a local veterinarian and it’s believed the animals died from the IBR/BVD virus. The virus can cause respiratory and reproductive problems.
WSAW reports samples from the dead cows have been sent to Madison for testing.
Authorities say there is no threat to humans or other animals.
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/01/15/200-dead-cows-found-in-wisconsin-field/
(Submitted by D.R. Shoop)
TOWN OF STOCKTON, Wis. (AP) — An investigation is under way after 200 dead cows were found in a field in the Town of Stockton.
The Portage County sheriff’s office says the owner of the cattle has been working with a local veterinarian and it’s believed the animals died from the IBR/BVD virus. The virus can cause respiratory and reproductive problems.
WSAW reports samples from the dead cows have been sent to Madison for testing.
Authorities say there is no threat to humans or other animals.
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/01/15/200-dead-cows-found-in-wisconsin-field/
(Submitted by D.R. Shoop)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Horse Cachet stabbed, scalped in fatal attack at Epping
By Wayne Flower
From: Herald Sun
October 08, 2010
THE sickening stabbing and mutilation of a former champion show horse in Melbourne is one of the worst cases of animal cruelty, an RSPCA inspector says.
RSPCA senior inspector Daniel Bode today said the knife attack on 15-year-old dressage champion Cachet in an agistment paddock was "absolutely shocking".
"It's one of the worst cases I've seen," Mr Bode said today.
Mr Bode said the maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty in Victoria was two years imprisonment or a $24,000 fine.
"We'll be doing everything in our power to make sure that whoever has done this sort of cruelty is not allowed to do it again," he said.
Cachet's owner Michelle Azzopardi collapsed when she saw her beloved mare lying dead, covered with flies last Sunday in Epping.
"I was numb, in disbelief," she said, trying to hold back tears.
"My heart is broken. I haven't slept, I haven't eaten and not moved outside the house."
She said the image of Cachet dead and covered in blood keeps haunting her.
The senseless killing has been devastating for her and her family.
Willy, another family horse sharing the paddock with Cachet, is fretting for her friend and hasn't eaten all week.
Ms Azzopardi said Cachet must have been targeted.
Her paddock is off the road, away from other horses, and whoever did it would have had to walk up a long laneway to reach her, she said.
But the other mystery is Cachet is wary of strangers.
Ms Azzopardi said the mare would have run away or reared at an approaching stranger.
She said it must have been two or more attackers because the horse would have been too strong for one person to subdue.
"She had been stabbed three times at least and her neck had been scalped," Ms Azzopardi said.
"They cut her mane and cut at least two inches into her flesh down her neck.
"They have to be mentally sick for someone to do this to an innocent horse.
"She was beautiful, cheeky, she would run around the paddock and try to bite me, playing.
"If I took too long to feed her she would stamp her feet at me."
Ms Azzopardi last saw Cachet alive last Friday.
Police are appealing for anyone with any information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
http://www.news.com.au/national/horse-cachet-stabbed-scalped-in-fatal-attack-at-epping/story-e6frfkvr-1225935756449#ixzz11yQ6szHT
From: Herald Sun
October 08, 2010
THE sickening stabbing and mutilation of a former champion show horse in Melbourne is one of the worst cases of animal cruelty, an RSPCA inspector says.
RSPCA senior inspector Daniel Bode today said the knife attack on 15-year-old dressage champion Cachet in an agistment paddock was "absolutely shocking".
"It's one of the worst cases I've seen," Mr Bode said today.
Mr Bode said the maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty in Victoria was two years imprisonment or a $24,000 fine.
"We'll be doing everything in our power to make sure that whoever has done this sort of cruelty is not allowed to do it again," he said.
Cachet's owner Michelle Azzopardi collapsed when she saw her beloved mare lying dead, covered with flies last Sunday in Epping.
"I was numb, in disbelief," she said, trying to hold back tears.
"My heart is broken. I haven't slept, I haven't eaten and not moved outside the house."
She said the image of Cachet dead and covered in blood keeps haunting her.
The senseless killing has been devastating for her and her family.
Willy, another family horse sharing the paddock with Cachet, is fretting for her friend and hasn't eaten all week.
Ms Azzopardi said Cachet must have been targeted.
Her paddock is off the road, away from other horses, and whoever did it would have had to walk up a long laneway to reach her, she said.
But the other mystery is Cachet is wary of strangers.
Ms Azzopardi said the mare would have run away or reared at an approaching stranger.
She said it must have been two or more attackers because the horse would have been too strong for one person to subdue.
"She had been stabbed three times at least and her neck had been scalped," Ms Azzopardi said.
"They cut her mane and cut at least two inches into her flesh down her neck.
"They have to be mentally sick for someone to do this to an innocent horse.
"She was beautiful, cheeky, she would run around the paddock and try to bite me, playing.
"If I took too long to feed her she would stamp her feet at me."
Ms Azzopardi last saw Cachet alive last Friday.
Police are appealing for anyone with any information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
http://www.news.com.au/national/horse-cachet-stabbed-scalped-in-fatal-attack-at-epping/story-e6frfkvr-1225935756449#ixzz11yQ6szHT
Horse Cachet stabbed, scalped in fatal attack at Epping
By Wayne Flower
From: Herald Sun
October 08, 2010
THE sickening stabbing and mutilation of a former champion show horse in Melbourne is one of the worst cases of animal cruelty, an RSPCA inspector says.
RSPCA senior inspector Daniel Bode today said the knife attack on 15-year-old dressage champion Cachet in an agistment paddock was "absolutely shocking".
"It's one of the worst cases I've seen," Mr Bode said today.
Mr Bode said the maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty in Victoria was two years imprisonment or a $24,000 fine.
"We'll be doing everything in our power to make sure that whoever has done this sort of cruelty is not allowed to do it again," he said.
Cachet's owner Michelle Azzopardi collapsed when she saw her beloved mare lying dead, covered with flies last Sunday in Epping.
"I was numb, in disbelief," she said, trying to hold back tears.
"My heart is broken. I haven't slept, I haven't eaten and not moved outside the house."
She said the image of Cachet dead and covered in blood keeps haunting her.
The senseless killing has been devastating for her and her family.
Willy, another family horse sharing the paddock with Cachet, is fretting for her friend and hasn't eaten all week.
Ms Azzopardi said Cachet must have been targeted.
Her paddock is off the road, away from other horses, and whoever did it would have had to walk up a long laneway to reach her, she said.
But the other mystery is Cachet is wary of strangers.
Ms Azzopardi said the mare would have run away or reared at an approaching stranger.
She said it must have been two or more attackers because the horse would have been too strong for one person to subdue.
"She had been stabbed three times at least and her neck had been scalped," Ms Azzopardi said.
"They cut her mane and cut at least two inches into her flesh down her neck.
"They have to be mentally sick for someone to do this to an innocent horse.
"She was beautiful, cheeky, she would run around the paddock and try to bite me, playing.
"If I took too long to feed her she would stamp her feet at me."
Ms Azzopardi last saw Cachet alive last Friday.
Police are appealing for anyone with any information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
http://www.news.com.au/national/horse-cachet-stabbed-scalped-in-fatal-attack-at-epping/story-e6frfkvr-1225935756449#ixzz11yQ6szHT
From: Herald Sun
October 08, 2010
THE sickening stabbing and mutilation of a former champion show horse in Melbourne is one of the worst cases of animal cruelty, an RSPCA inspector says.
RSPCA senior inspector Daniel Bode today said the knife attack on 15-year-old dressage champion Cachet in an agistment paddock was "absolutely shocking".
"It's one of the worst cases I've seen," Mr Bode said today.
Mr Bode said the maximum penalty for aggravated animal cruelty in Victoria was two years imprisonment or a $24,000 fine.
"We'll be doing everything in our power to make sure that whoever has done this sort of cruelty is not allowed to do it again," he said.
Cachet's owner Michelle Azzopardi collapsed when she saw her beloved mare lying dead, covered with flies last Sunday in Epping.
"I was numb, in disbelief," she said, trying to hold back tears.
"My heart is broken. I haven't slept, I haven't eaten and not moved outside the house."
She said the image of Cachet dead and covered in blood keeps haunting her.
The senseless killing has been devastating for her and her family.
Willy, another family horse sharing the paddock with Cachet, is fretting for her friend and hasn't eaten all week.
Ms Azzopardi said Cachet must have been targeted.
Her paddock is off the road, away from other horses, and whoever did it would have had to walk up a long laneway to reach her, she said.
But the other mystery is Cachet is wary of strangers.
Ms Azzopardi said the mare would have run away or reared at an approaching stranger.
She said it must have been two or more attackers because the horse would have been too strong for one person to subdue.
"She had been stabbed three times at least and her neck had been scalped," Ms Azzopardi said.
"They cut her mane and cut at least two inches into her flesh down her neck.
"They have to be mentally sick for someone to do this to an innocent horse.
"She was beautiful, cheeky, she would run around the paddock and try to bite me, playing.
"If I took too long to feed her she would stamp her feet at me."
Ms Azzopardi last saw Cachet alive last Friday.
Police are appealing for anyone with any information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
http://www.news.com.au/national/horse-cachet-stabbed-scalped-in-fatal-attack-at-epping/story-e6frfkvr-1225935756449#ixzz11yQ6szHT
Chimp Charlie dies at 52 despite smoking habit
6 October 2010
A chimpanzee famous for smoking cigarettes has died at a South African zoo, aged 52.
Charlie the chimp started smoking when some visitors to Mangaung zoo, in Bloemfontein, threw him lit cigarettes.
Zoo spokesman Qondile Khedama said Charlie had become an institution, entertaining thousands of visitors every year with his antics.
An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death.
For years, zookeepers had been trying to get the chimp to kick the habit, and they discouraged visitors from giving him cigarettes.
But Mr Khedama said he did not believe the addiction had ended Charlie's life prematurely, as he had lived around 10 years longer than the average chimp.
"He was on serious medications and in and out of the vet," he said.
"Even though he has been receiving special care, and a special diet including protein shakes, vitamin and mineral supplements, he succumbed to old age."
Charlie is not the only chimp to have picked up human bad habits.
In February, it was reported a Russian chimpanzee was being sent to rehab after he started pestering visitors for alcohol and cigarettes.
Mr Khedama said the zoo hopes to find a new companion for its female chimp, Judy.
But he said: "We realise it will be almost impossible to replace a character like Charlie."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/11484057
A chimpanzee famous for smoking cigarettes has died at a South African zoo, aged 52.
Charlie the chimp started smoking when some visitors to Mangaung zoo, in Bloemfontein, threw him lit cigarettes.
Zoo spokesman Qondile Khedama said Charlie had become an institution, entertaining thousands of visitors every year with his antics.
An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death.
For years, zookeepers had been trying to get the chimp to kick the habit, and they discouraged visitors from giving him cigarettes.
But Mr Khedama said he did not believe the addiction had ended Charlie's life prematurely, as he had lived around 10 years longer than the average chimp.
"He was on serious medications and in and out of the vet," he said.
"Even though he has been receiving special care, and a special diet including protein shakes, vitamin and mineral supplements, he succumbed to old age."
Charlie is not the only chimp to have picked up human bad habits.
In February, it was reported a Russian chimpanzee was being sent to rehab after he started pestering visitors for alcohol and cigarettes.
Mr Khedama said the zoo hopes to find a new companion for its female chimp, Judy.
But he said: "We realise it will be almost impossible to replace a character like Charlie."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/11484057
Chimp Charlie dies at 52 despite smoking habit
6 October 2010
A chimpanzee famous for smoking cigarettes has died at a South African zoo, aged 52.
Charlie the chimp started smoking when some visitors to Mangaung zoo, in Bloemfontein, threw him lit cigarettes.
Zoo spokesman Qondile Khedama said Charlie had become an institution, entertaining thousands of visitors every year with his antics.
An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death.
For years, zookeepers had been trying to get the chimp to kick the habit, and they discouraged visitors from giving him cigarettes.
But Mr Khedama said he did not believe the addiction had ended Charlie's life prematurely, as he had lived around 10 years longer than the average chimp.
"He was on serious medications and in and out of the vet," he said.
"Even though he has been receiving special care, and a special diet including protein shakes, vitamin and mineral supplements, he succumbed to old age."
Charlie is not the only chimp to have picked up human bad habits.
In February, it was reported a Russian chimpanzee was being sent to rehab after he started pestering visitors for alcohol and cigarettes.
Mr Khedama said the zoo hopes to find a new companion for its female chimp, Judy.
But he said: "We realise it will be almost impossible to replace a character like Charlie."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/11484057
A chimpanzee famous for smoking cigarettes has died at a South African zoo, aged 52.
Charlie the chimp started smoking when some visitors to Mangaung zoo, in Bloemfontein, threw him lit cigarettes.
Zoo spokesman Qondile Khedama said Charlie had become an institution, entertaining thousands of visitors every year with his antics.
An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death.
For years, zookeepers had been trying to get the chimp to kick the habit, and they discouraged visitors from giving him cigarettes.
But Mr Khedama said he did not believe the addiction had ended Charlie's life prematurely, as he had lived around 10 years longer than the average chimp.
"He was on serious medications and in and out of the vet," he said.
"Even though he has been receiving special care, and a special diet including protein shakes, vitamin and mineral supplements, he succumbed to old age."
Charlie is not the only chimp to have picked up human bad habits.
In February, it was reported a Russian chimpanzee was being sent to rehab after he started pestering visitors for alcohol and cigarettes.
Mr Khedama said the zoo hopes to find a new companion for its female chimp, Judy.
But he said: "We realise it will be almost impossible to replace a character like Charlie."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/11484057
Saturday, October 9, 2010
80-Foot Pregnant Whale Washes Up in California
Lauren Frayer
(Oct. 7) -- Hundreds of hikers, scientists and schoolkids are flocking to a northern California beach to see the carcass of an 80-foot pregnant blue whale that washed ashore last weekend after apparently colliding with a ship.
The dead whale and its fetus washed up Saturday on a rocky beach in Bean Hollow State Park near Pescadero. It's believed to be the first time in more than 30 years that a blue whale -- the world's largest known creature -- has washed up on U.S. shores.
Researchers collecting tissue and bone samples from the whale's 75-ton carcass concluded Wednesday that it died of blunt-force trauma, likely in a collision with a large boat, the Half Moon Bay Review reported.
"Because the whale was on its back, we couldn't tell anything as far as possible cause of death," Guy Oliver, a research fellow at the nearby Long Marine Lab, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. "I'd say it probably died four to five days (before reaching the shore). The fetus was about 50 feet from the carcass, and most likely came out, after it died, from a discharge of gas pressure."
Even the whale's fetus is 17 feet long.
Adult blue whales can grow to 110 feet. "Its heart is probably the size and weight of a Volkswagen Beetle," Oliver told the newspaper.
Tourists out for a weekend stroll along the seaside in Bean Hollow State Park got a surprise last weekend when they discovered the whale's corpse. "I literally had to step back a few feet and say 'Oh my gosh! This isn't real!'" park visitor Marcia Yaw told local KTVU TV station.
Park ranger Frank Balthis said it's the first time he's ever seen a blue whale. "And what really is incredible is there's the fetus of a calf. It's one of the first times that's ever been seen," he told the same station.
One visitor left a bouquet of blue and white flowers next to the whale's body. Dozens of cars have been parked illegally and traffic is backed up along nearby U.S. Highway 1 as onlookers try to get a glimpse of the behemoth.
"Well, it's just so special," visitor Yvonne Bartel told KTVU. "It's sad ... and yet it's awesome."
http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/80-foot-pregnant-whale-washes-up-in-california/19664468
(Oct. 7) -- Hundreds of hikers, scientists and schoolkids are flocking to a northern California beach to see the carcass of an 80-foot pregnant blue whale that washed ashore last weekend after apparently colliding with a ship.
The dead whale and its fetus washed up Saturday on a rocky beach in Bean Hollow State Park near Pescadero. It's believed to be the first time in more than 30 years that a blue whale -- the world's largest known creature -- has washed up on U.S. shores.
Researchers collecting tissue and bone samples from the whale's 75-ton carcass concluded Wednesday that it died of blunt-force trauma, likely in a collision with a large boat, the Half Moon Bay Review reported.
"Because the whale was on its back, we couldn't tell anything as far as possible cause of death," Guy Oliver, a research fellow at the nearby Long Marine Lab, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. "I'd say it probably died four to five days (before reaching the shore). The fetus was about 50 feet from the carcass, and most likely came out, after it died, from a discharge of gas pressure."
Even the whale's fetus is 17 feet long.
Adult blue whales can grow to 110 feet. "Its heart is probably the size and weight of a Volkswagen Beetle," Oliver told the newspaper.
Tourists out for a weekend stroll along the seaside in Bean Hollow State Park got a surprise last weekend when they discovered the whale's corpse. "I literally had to step back a few feet and say 'Oh my gosh! This isn't real!'" park visitor Marcia Yaw told local KTVU TV station.
Park ranger Frank Balthis said it's the first time he's ever seen a blue whale. "And what really is incredible is there's the fetus of a calf. It's one of the first times that's ever been seen," he told the same station.
One visitor left a bouquet of blue and white flowers next to the whale's body. Dozens of cars have been parked illegally and traffic is backed up along nearby U.S. Highway 1 as onlookers try to get a glimpse of the behemoth.
"Well, it's just so special," visitor Yvonne Bartel told KTVU. "It's sad ... and yet it's awesome."
http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/80-foot-pregnant-whale-washes-up-in-california/19664468
80-Foot Pregnant Whale Washes Up in California
Lauren Frayer
(Oct. 7) -- Hundreds of hikers, scientists and schoolkids are flocking to a northern California beach to see the carcass of an 80-foot pregnant blue whale that washed ashore last weekend after apparently colliding with a ship.
The dead whale and its fetus washed up Saturday on a rocky beach in Bean Hollow State Park near Pescadero. It's believed to be the first time in more than 30 years that a blue whale -- the world's largest known creature -- has washed up on U.S. shores.
Researchers collecting tissue and bone samples from the whale's 75-ton carcass concluded Wednesday that it died of blunt-force trauma, likely in a collision with a large boat, the Half Moon Bay Review reported.
"Because the whale was on its back, we couldn't tell anything as far as possible cause of death," Guy Oliver, a research fellow at the nearby Long Marine Lab, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. "I'd say it probably died four to five days (before reaching the shore). The fetus was about 50 feet from the carcass, and most likely came out, after it died, from a discharge of gas pressure."
Even the whale's fetus is 17 feet long.
Adult blue whales can grow to 110 feet. "Its heart is probably the size and weight of a Volkswagen Beetle," Oliver told the newspaper.
Tourists out for a weekend stroll along the seaside in Bean Hollow State Park got a surprise last weekend when they discovered the whale's corpse. "I literally had to step back a few feet and say 'Oh my gosh! This isn't real!'" park visitor Marcia Yaw told local KTVU TV station.
Park ranger Frank Balthis said it's the first time he's ever seen a blue whale. "And what really is incredible is there's the fetus of a calf. It's one of the first times that's ever been seen," he told the same station.
One visitor left a bouquet of blue and white flowers next to the whale's body. Dozens of cars have been parked illegally and traffic is backed up along nearby U.S. Highway 1 as onlookers try to get a glimpse of the behemoth.
"Well, it's just so special," visitor Yvonne Bartel told KTVU. "It's sad ... and yet it's awesome."
http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/80-foot-pregnant-whale-washes-up-in-california/19664468
(Oct. 7) -- Hundreds of hikers, scientists and schoolkids are flocking to a northern California beach to see the carcass of an 80-foot pregnant blue whale that washed ashore last weekend after apparently colliding with a ship.
The dead whale and its fetus washed up Saturday on a rocky beach in Bean Hollow State Park near Pescadero. It's believed to be the first time in more than 30 years that a blue whale -- the world's largest known creature -- has washed up on U.S. shores.
Researchers collecting tissue and bone samples from the whale's 75-ton carcass concluded Wednesday that it died of blunt-force trauma, likely in a collision with a large boat, the Half Moon Bay Review reported.
"Because the whale was on its back, we couldn't tell anything as far as possible cause of death," Guy Oliver, a research fellow at the nearby Long Marine Lab, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. "I'd say it probably died four to five days (before reaching the shore). The fetus was about 50 feet from the carcass, and most likely came out, after it died, from a discharge of gas pressure."
Even the whale's fetus is 17 feet long.
Adult blue whales can grow to 110 feet. "Its heart is probably the size and weight of a Volkswagen Beetle," Oliver told the newspaper.
Tourists out for a weekend stroll along the seaside in Bean Hollow State Park got a surprise last weekend when they discovered the whale's corpse. "I literally had to step back a few feet and say 'Oh my gosh! This isn't real!'" park visitor Marcia Yaw told local KTVU TV station.
Park ranger Frank Balthis said it's the first time he's ever seen a blue whale. "And what really is incredible is there's the fetus of a calf. It's one of the first times that's ever been seen," he told the same station.
One visitor left a bouquet of blue and white flowers next to the whale's body. Dozens of cars have been parked illegally and traffic is backed up along nearby U.S. Highway 1 as onlookers try to get a glimpse of the behemoth.
"Well, it's just so special," visitor Yvonne Bartel told KTVU. "It's sad ... and yet it's awesome."
http://www.aolnews.com/weird-news/article/80-foot-pregnant-whale-washes-up-in-california/19664468
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Mystery kangaroo put down after car collision ... in Germany
Published: 30 Sep 10 14:40 CET
Veterinarians in Lower Saxony were forced to euthanise a kangaroo on Wednesday after the mystery animal bounced in front of a car and suffered a severe broken leg.
A 53-year-old driver in the Lower Saxony town of Haren was startled when the kangaroo bounced into the path of his car on Wednesday. Despite slamming on his brakes, he hit and injured the animal.
With the help of a local resident, the man captured the kangaroo and took it to the nearby Nordhorn zoo. Vets at the zoo established that the animal had a serious leg fracture they were unable to mend. They therefore put the animal down.
Police announced on Thursday that it was still unclear where the iconic Australian animal had come from.
“So far, no kangaroo from a zoo or animal park has been reported as missing,” a police spokesman said.
However, there had been several reports of sightings of a kangaroo in recent weeks.
Oddly enough, it is not the only escaped kangaroo to have made headlines in Germany in the past couple of years. An escaped kangaroo named Toto was caught after being “on the hop” for 15 days from the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen in Hannover.
Zoo staff in that case lured the kangaroo with his favourite food: peanut butter.
DAPD/The Local/dw
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20100930-30191.html
(Via CFZ Australia)
Veterinarians in Lower Saxony were forced to euthanise a kangaroo on Wednesday after the mystery animal bounced in front of a car and suffered a severe broken leg.
A 53-year-old driver in the Lower Saxony town of Haren was startled when the kangaroo bounced into the path of his car on Wednesday. Despite slamming on his brakes, he hit and injured the animal.
With the help of a local resident, the man captured the kangaroo and took it to the nearby Nordhorn zoo. Vets at the zoo established that the animal had a serious leg fracture they were unable to mend. They therefore put the animal down.
Police announced on Thursday that it was still unclear where the iconic Australian animal had come from.
“So far, no kangaroo from a zoo or animal park has been reported as missing,” a police spokesman said.
However, there had been several reports of sightings of a kangaroo in recent weeks.
Oddly enough, it is not the only escaped kangaroo to have made headlines in Germany in the past couple of years. An escaped kangaroo named Toto was caught after being “on the hop” for 15 days from the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen in Hannover.
Zoo staff in that case lured the kangaroo with his favourite food: peanut butter.
DAPD/The Local/dw
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20100930-30191.html
(Via CFZ Australia)
Mystery kangaroo put down after car collision ... in Germany
Published: 30 Sep 10 14:40 CET
Veterinarians in Lower Saxony were forced to euthanise a kangaroo on Wednesday after the mystery animal bounced in front of a car and suffered a severe broken leg.
A 53-year-old driver in the Lower Saxony town of Haren was startled when the kangaroo bounced into the path of his car on Wednesday. Despite slamming on his brakes, he hit and injured the animal.
With the help of a local resident, the man captured the kangaroo and took it to the nearby Nordhorn zoo. Vets at the zoo established that the animal had a serious leg fracture they were unable to mend. They therefore put the animal down.
Police announced on Thursday that it was still unclear where the iconic Australian animal had come from.
“So far, no kangaroo from a zoo or animal park has been reported as missing,” a police spokesman said.
However, there had been several reports of sightings of a kangaroo in recent weeks.
Oddly enough, it is not the only escaped kangaroo to have made headlines in Germany in the past couple of years. An escaped kangaroo named Toto was caught after being “on the hop” for 15 days from the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen in Hannover.
Zoo staff in that case lured the kangaroo with his favourite food: peanut butter.
DAPD/The Local/dw
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20100930-30191.html
(Via CFZ Australia)
Veterinarians in Lower Saxony were forced to euthanise a kangaroo on Wednesday after the mystery animal bounced in front of a car and suffered a severe broken leg.
A 53-year-old driver in the Lower Saxony town of Haren was startled when the kangaroo bounced into the path of his car on Wednesday. Despite slamming on his brakes, he hit and injured the animal.
With the help of a local resident, the man captured the kangaroo and took it to the nearby Nordhorn zoo. Vets at the zoo established that the animal had a serious leg fracture they were unable to mend. They therefore put the animal down.
Police announced on Thursday that it was still unclear where the iconic Australian animal had come from.
“So far, no kangaroo from a zoo or animal park has been reported as missing,” a police spokesman said.
However, there had been several reports of sightings of a kangaroo in recent weeks.
Oddly enough, it is not the only escaped kangaroo to have made headlines in Germany in the past couple of years. An escaped kangaroo named Toto was caught after being “on the hop” for 15 days from the Serengeti Park Hodenhagen in Hannover.
Zoo staff in that case lured the kangaroo with his favourite food: peanut butter.
DAPD/The Local/dw
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20100930-30191.html
(Via CFZ Australia)
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Egrets shot to safeguard flights
Thursday, September 30, 2010
By Star-Advertiser staff
HILO » The U.S. Department of Agriculture says about 80 cattle egrets were shot and killed in Keaukaha to protect planes at nearby Hilo Airport.
The department's state director of wildlife services, Mike Pitzler, said the birds were shot Monday from a boat on Lokoaka Pond.
Pitzler said officials don't want a "miracle on the Hudson River" happening on the Big Island, in reference to a US Airways plane that splashed down in the river in New York last year after a flock of geese disabled the jet.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported that it received many calls from people who complained about the noise from the shotgun blasts and about the birds being killed.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/newswatch/20100930_Newswatch.html
(Submitted by Sally Tully-Figueroa)
By Star-Advertiser staff
HILO » The U.S. Department of Agriculture says about 80 cattle egrets were shot and killed in Keaukaha to protect planes at nearby Hilo Airport.
The department's state director of wildlife services, Mike Pitzler, said the birds were shot Monday from a boat on Lokoaka Pond.
Pitzler said officials don't want a "miracle on the Hudson River" happening on the Big Island, in reference to a US Airways plane that splashed down in the river in New York last year after a flock of geese disabled the jet.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported that it received many calls from people who complained about the noise from the shotgun blasts and about the birds being killed.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/newswatch/20100930_Newswatch.html
(Submitted by Sally Tully-Figueroa)
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