327 Turtles, Podocnemis expanas adult females destined for Christmas Eve Dinner were confiscated from poachers and released in the Rio Branco near Caracaraí by , ICMBio authorities.
Glauco Araújo Do G1, em São Paulo , 12/22/11----
Game wardens recuperated 327 tartarugas and captured 6 trafficers the wild animlas during na operation that began on December 15 and terminated on the 21st in the lower Rio Branco, near Caracaraí (RORAIMA). Supposedly the turtles were destined for Christmas Eve Dinner and were commissioned for the hunters to catch these turtles by people with a lot of political power.
The turtles according to the technician from Instituto Chico Mendes (ICMBio), were found tied up and in sacks, ready to take to Boa Vista, where they were to be delivered to the buyers for R$300 ($225US) for the larger ones and R$100 for the smaller ones
In addition to the turtles 311 eggs were confiscated., disse Antonio Lisboa, chefe do Parque Nacional do Viruá e analista ambiental do ICMBio.
The prisoners Said that the turtles were to be delivered to a particular address to people of high Power in Boa Vista..
The operation was to be extended until December 30 with the help of IBAMA and Military Police of the Environment in the Stat of Roraima. "The registered 23 auto fines. Among the crimes commited by these trafficantes of wildlife, were bad treatment of the animals and formation of na organized trafficking unit "quadrilha". All of the prisoners were taken to the state Penetencery Agrícola Monte Cristo.
Showing posts with label animal rescue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animal rescue. Show all posts
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
5000 birds crash land in a car park - 1500 die
1,500 Waterbirds Killed in Bizarre Incident in Utah
December 2011. Officials in Utah are puzzled by the death of about 1,500 Eared Grebes that were killed, possibly as a result of confusing a Wal-Mart parking lot in Cedar City, USA, with a body of water and landing on the asphalt during a storm. An additional 3,500 grebes, apparently dazed and confused, were rounded up through the night by hand by volunteers and staff of the Utah Department of Wildlife, and eventually released into a nearby lake.
It appears that a storm and associated cloud cover was a key factor in causing the birds' confusion, as well as a glistening parking lot surface that may have looked like a water body in conditions of poor visibility.
Grebes can only land and take off on water
According to American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation's leading bird conservation organization, several traits of this bird likely played a role in this incident. Grebes are only able to land and take off from water so a shimmering parking lot on a stormy night may have looked like a natural landing area. The Eared Grebe carries out the latest fall migration of any bird species in North America, putting it in this storm at a time when other migrating birds have already arrived south. The Eared grebe only migrates at night, which increases the risk of the bird getting confused by city lighting and cloud cover.
"Night-flying birds use dim light from the moon and stars and the earth's magnetic field for navigation. Adverse conditions may have caused the same kind of disorientation that can afflict pilots in fog - the birds may have flown directly into the ground, not realizing they were descending. Urban lights attract and confuse birds, so when you bring the storm into play, I think this is a serious possibility," said Dr. Christine Sheppard, Bird Collision Program Director for ABC.
"However, we will probably never know for sure exactly what happened, so it may be very hard to know if it is something that can be mitigated. Large kills of night-migrating birds are unfortunately not unusual, and are generally related to man-made light sources-from spotlights to cell phone towers. Even light from office windows, street lights, and decorative lighting can attract birds to land in cities, where they are at high risk of colliding with glass on buildings as they try to feed the next day. Reducing unnecessary lighting can reduce this type of mortality, but in the case of the grebes, we simply don't know if they took tarmac for a body of water or lost orientation," Sheppard said.
Eared grebes
Eared Grebes are the most abundant grebe in the world. They breed in shallow wetlands in western North America. The Eared Grebe occurs in greatest numbers on Mono Lake and the Great Salt Lake in fall, where it doubles its weight in preparation for a nonstop flight to its wintering grounds in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is a small waterbird – about 9-12 inches long – with a wingspan of about 23 inches. The bird’s diet consists of mostly aquatic insects and crustaceans, occasionally tadpoles, small frogs, and small fish.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/eared-grebe.html
December 2011. Officials in Utah are puzzled by the death of about 1,500 Eared Grebes that were killed, possibly as a result of confusing a Wal-Mart parking lot in Cedar City, USA, with a body of water and landing on the asphalt during a storm. An additional 3,500 grebes, apparently dazed and confused, were rounded up through the night by hand by volunteers and staff of the Utah Department of Wildlife, and eventually released into a nearby lake.
It appears that a storm and associated cloud cover was a key factor in causing the birds' confusion, as well as a glistening parking lot surface that may have looked like a water body in conditions of poor visibility.
Grebes can only land and take off on water
According to American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation's leading bird conservation organization, several traits of this bird likely played a role in this incident. Grebes are only able to land and take off from water so a shimmering parking lot on a stormy night may have looked like a natural landing area. The Eared Grebe carries out the latest fall migration of any bird species in North America, putting it in this storm at a time when other migrating birds have already arrived south. The Eared grebe only migrates at night, which increases the risk of the bird getting confused by city lighting and cloud cover.
"Night-flying birds use dim light from the moon and stars and the earth's magnetic field for navigation. Adverse conditions may have caused the same kind of disorientation that can afflict pilots in fog - the birds may have flown directly into the ground, not realizing they were descending. Urban lights attract and confuse birds, so when you bring the storm into play, I think this is a serious possibility," said Dr. Christine Sheppard, Bird Collision Program Director for ABC.
"However, we will probably never know for sure exactly what happened, so it may be very hard to know if it is something that can be mitigated. Large kills of night-migrating birds are unfortunately not unusual, and are generally related to man-made light sources-from spotlights to cell phone towers. Even light from office windows, street lights, and decorative lighting can attract birds to land in cities, where they are at high risk of colliding with glass on buildings as they try to feed the next day. Reducing unnecessary lighting can reduce this type of mortality, but in the case of the grebes, we simply don't know if they took tarmac for a body of water or lost orientation," Sheppard said.
Eared grebes
Eared Grebes are the most abundant grebe in the world. They breed in shallow wetlands in western North America. The Eared Grebe occurs in greatest numbers on Mono Lake and the Great Salt Lake in fall, where it doubles its weight in preparation for a nonstop flight to its wintering grounds in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is a small waterbird – about 9-12 inches long – with a wingspan of about 23 inches. The bird’s diet consists of mostly aquatic insects and crustaceans, occasionally tadpoles, small frogs, and small fish.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/eared-grebe.html
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Crocodile left outside animal park
Staff at an exotic animals learning centre have condemned the owner of a young crocodile who dumped the reptile outside the premises in near-freezing temperatures.
Jimmy Wick, who runs Wickid Pets animal park in Wolverhampton, said the metre-long female crocodile - left in a sealed box on Thursday morning - was the latest in a string of animals to be abandoned near his gates.
The animal expert, whose centre offers guidance in caring for exotic species, said of the crocodile: "It's the fourth one we've had in 18 months and so now when we see a plastic box we have to approach it with caution.
http://news.uk.msn.com/odd-news/crocodile-left-outside-animal-park
Jimmy Wick, who runs Wickid Pets animal park in Wolverhampton, said the metre-long female crocodile - left in a sealed box on Thursday morning - was the latest in a string of animals to be abandoned near his gates.
The animal expert, whose centre offers guidance in caring for exotic species, said of the crocodile: "It's the fourth one we've had in 18 months and so now when we see a plastic box we have to approach it with caution.
http://news.uk.msn.com/odd-news/crocodile-left-outside-animal-park
Monday, December 12, 2011
'Bionic' cat survives multi-storey fall
Sebastian the cat is no ordinary moggy.
After slipping out of a window several storeys up, he was given just a 10% chance of survival.
But the cat's parents were determined to see their pet back to full strength, and stumped up a massive £6,000 to pay for pins and supports to be implanted within the injured creature.
Now Sebastian has made a full recovery.
Patison Harrigan, who owns the cat along with his partner Katrin Toots, said: "I still can't believe he's got through it."
Sebastian tumbled out of Mr Harrigan's flat in Edgbaston, Birmingham earlier this year.
The cat was found by the RSPCA, who later traced its owners thanks to Sebastian's microchip.
He was then treated by vet Mark Barton from Manor Vets in Halesowen.
"He deteriorated quite rapidly over the first night. His injuries were critical," Mr Barton recalled.
"[Sebastian's owners] fed him through a tube at home, they were incredibly caring. It was hard work".
"He jumps a little bit higher now since the metal was put in him," Mr Harrigan added.
"He's become a bit bionic".
http://news.uk.msn.com/blog/news-bite-blogpost.aspx?post=87c13235-1b7b-4eb5-9ede-f80d17b3fc4d
After slipping out of a window several storeys up, he was given just a 10% chance of survival.
But the cat's parents were determined to see their pet back to full strength, and stumped up a massive £6,000 to pay for pins and supports to be implanted within the injured creature.
Now Sebastian has made a full recovery.
Sebastian with vet and 'parents'
Patison Harrigan, who owns the cat along with his partner Katrin Toots, said: "I still can't believe he's got through it."
Sebastian tumbled out of Mr Harrigan's flat in Edgbaston, Birmingham earlier this year.
The cat was found by the RSPCA, who later traced its owners thanks to Sebastian's microchip.
He was then treated by vet Mark Barton from Manor Vets in Halesowen.
"He deteriorated quite rapidly over the first night. His injuries were critical," Mr Barton recalled.
"[Sebastian's owners] fed him through a tube at home, they were incredibly caring. It was hard work".
"He jumps a little bit higher now since the metal was put in him," Mr Harrigan added.
"He's become a bit bionic".
http://news.uk.msn.com/blog/news-bite-blogpost.aspx?post=87c13235-1b7b-4eb5-9ede-f80d17b3fc4d
Friday, December 9, 2011
Freezing lemur found on UK common
Lemurs are usually found on the tropical island of Madagascar so vets were stunned when one of the animals was admitted to hospital, suffering from hypothermia, after being discovered in sub-zero conditions on a common in the UK.
The severely ill ring-tailed primate, who has been named King Julien after the character in the animated film Madagascar, was found on Tooting Common in south-west London on Tuesday night.
He had collapsed in the sub-zero temperatures and was diagnosed with hypothermia, severe dehydration and shock by staff at the Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria, London.
He was put on a drip and taken to the hospital's isolation unit for close monitoring.
Mark Bossley, Blue Cross chief vet at Victoria animal hospital, said: "We were very concerned about King Julien's health as he was very cold, scared and didn't want to eat.
"But our nurses managed to coax him into taking some drops of honey from a syringe, then he gradually started eating bits of banana and grapes."
The animal charity said there was no way of knowing where the lemur had come from. The creatures originate from the island of Madagascar in Africa and require a special licence to own.
Mr Bossley added: "We mainly treat cats and dogs at the Blue Cross but we do get the odd snake or tortoise, and we have been known to treat chickens, goats and even possums.
"But this has got to be the most unusual animal we've ever taken in. How a ring-tailed lemur turned up in Tooting Common, I'll never know."
The lemur is now on the road to recovery and strong enough to leave the hospital. He will now be transferred to the Specialist Wildlife Services who will try to rehome him.
http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/freezing-lemur-found-on-uk-common
.
The severely ill ring-tailed primate, who has been named King Julien after the character in the animated film Madagascar, was found on Tooting Common in south-west London on Tuesday night.
He had collapsed in the sub-zero temperatures and was diagnosed with hypothermia, severe dehydration and shock by staff at the Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria, London.
He was put on a drip and taken to the hospital's isolation unit for close monitoring.
Mark Bossley, Blue Cross chief vet at Victoria animal hospital, said: "We were very concerned about King Julien's health as he was very cold, scared and didn't want to eat.
"But our nurses managed to coax him into taking some drops of honey from a syringe, then he gradually started eating bits of banana and grapes."
The animal charity said there was no way of knowing where the lemur had come from. The creatures originate from the island of Madagascar in Africa and require a special licence to own.
Mr Bossley added: "We mainly treat cats and dogs at the Blue Cross but we do get the odd snake or tortoise, and we have been known to treat chickens, goats and even possums.
"But this has got to be the most unusual animal we've ever taken in. How a ring-tailed lemur turned up in Tooting Common, I'll never know."
The lemur is now on the road to recovery and strong enough to leave the hospital. He will now be transferred to the Specialist Wildlife Services who will try to rehome him.
http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/freezing-lemur-found-on-uk-common
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Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Baby Seal On St Andrews Beach Rescued From Freezing Scottish Weather
Staff from an aquarium came to the rescue of a seal pup as it struggled in freezing temperatures.
St Andrews Aquarium in Fife said it was "inundated" with phone calls from members of the public telling them a small, grey seal pup, thought to be only weeks old, had washed up on West Sands beach in St Andrews.
Aquarium staff tended to the seal before the Scottish SPCA took the pup to its wildlife rescue centre in Fife.
Andrew Whiston, displays manager at the aquarium, said: "Upon assessing the situation we immediately called the Scottish SPCA to attend.
"Because of the general physical state of the young animal, who was very underweight, shivering and clearly very ill, they asked if we could capture him and administer immediate first-aid treatment pending their arrival, which we duly did.
"Time was clearly of the essence and our first task was to get the young pup warm as he was clearly struggling with the temperatures of the Scottish winter.
"We kept him off the ground on a warm vet bed until the Scottish SPCA could collect him and take him to their wildlife rescue centre in Fife."
The Scottish SPCA said the young seal, who staff named Atlantis after the space shuttle, is expected to make a full recovery.
Rescue centre manager Colin Seddon said: "Atlantis was very light and hadn't been thriving, so this was clearly a seal pup that needed rescuing.
"We'll continue to care for him until he is ready to be released back into the wild."
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/12/05/baby-seal-on-st-andrews-beach-weather-freezing-ice-scotland_n_1129652.html?ref=uk
St Andrews Aquarium in Fife said it was "inundated" with phone calls from members of the public telling them a small, grey seal pup, thought to be only weeks old, had washed up on West Sands beach in St Andrews.
Aquarium staff tended to the seal before the Scottish SPCA took the pup to its wildlife rescue centre in Fife.
Andrew Whiston, displays manager at the aquarium, said: "Upon assessing the situation we immediately called the Scottish SPCA to attend.
"Because of the general physical state of the young animal, who was very underweight, shivering and clearly very ill, they asked if we could capture him and administer immediate first-aid treatment pending their arrival, which we duly did.
"Time was clearly of the essence and our first task was to get the young pup warm as he was clearly struggling with the temperatures of the Scottish winter.
"We kept him off the ground on a warm vet bed until the Scottish SPCA could collect him and take him to their wildlife rescue centre in Fife."
The Scottish SPCA said the young seal, who staff named Atlantis after the space shuttle, is expected to make a full recovery.
Rescue centre manager Colin Seddon said: "Atlantis was very light and hadn't been thriving, so this was clearly a seal pup that needed rescuing.
"We'll continue to care for him until he is ready to be released back into the wild."
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/12/05/baby-seal-on-st-andrews-beach-weather-freezing-ice-scotland_n_1129652.html?ref=uk
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Hunting A Bushy-Tailed Killer
We shouldn't have laughed, but we did and it was wrong, what with the plight of the victims. But…
At 4.16pm, Scotland Yard put out an appeal for help in finding the killers of three wallabies at an animal park in West London.
Acting Detective Inspector Steve Mayes was suitably grim: "These sorts of incidents are very unusual and we are determined to find the person or people responsible. Our wildlife team is investigating."
Councillor Bassam Mahfouz could barely contain his anger: "I am utterly disgusted that someone has broken into the park for a second time and killed these gentle animals. Three new wallabies were brought in this week to keep 'Rolph' company after his companion died in the previous attack. It's awful to think that within days of arriving in their new enclosure, they have been attacked.
“We are installing CCTV at the site and in the meantime we have introduced additional overnight security patrols. The surviving wallabies are being moved to an alternative location overnight to keep them safe."
In less than an hour a new message from my friends at the Yard's press bureau: "It might have been foxes."
So now they are hunting a red-haired suspect with a long nose and a bushy tail, but isn't that illegal?
http://blogs.news.sky.com/lifeofcrime/Post%3afac5b93f-bf07-4788-9397-919d86cec165
At 4.16pm, Scotland Yard put out an appeal for help in finding the killers of three wallabies at an animal park in West London.
Acting Detective Inspector Steve Mayes was suitably grim: "These sorts of incidents are very unusual and we are determined to find the person or people responsible. Our wildlife team is investigating."
Councillor Bassam Mahfouz could barely contain his anger: "I am utterly disgusted that someone has broken into the park for a second time and killed these gentle animals. Three new wallabies were brought in this week to keep 'Rolph' company after his companion died in the previous attack. It's awful to think that within days of arriving in their new enclosure, they have been attacked.
“We are installing CCTV at the site and in the meantime we have introduced additional overnight security patrols. The surviving wallabies are being moved to an alternative location overnight to keep them safe."
In less than an hour a new message from my friends at the Yard's press bureau: "It might have been foxes."
So now they are hunting a red-haired suspect with a long nose and a bushy tail, but isn't that illegal?
http://blogs.news.sky.com/lifeofcrime/Post%3afac5b93f-bf07-4788-9397-919d86cec165
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Penguins return to wild after NZ oil spill rescue
The birds released Nov. 22 are among 343 little blue penguins that have been cleaned of oil since a cargo ship ran aground on a reef near Tauranga on Oct. 5 and spilled some 400 tons of fuel oil.
Three little blue penguins stand by a water pool during a cleaning session to get rid of fuel oil from their bodies at the wildlife facility in Tauranga, New Zealand, Friday, Oct. 14, 2011. The penguins were rescued from the sea polluted by oil leaked from the Liberia-flagged container ship Rena that has already spilled hundreds of tons of oil since it ran aground Oct. 5 on Astrolabe Reef, 14 miles (22 kilometers) from Tauranga Harbour on New Zealand's North Island. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Read more here ...
Three little blue penguins stand by a water pool during a cleaning session to get rid of fuel oil from their bodies at the wildlife facility in Tauranga, New Zealand, Friday, Oct. 14, 2011. The penguins were rescued from the sea polluted by oil leaked from the Liberia-flagged container ship Rena that has already spilled hundreds of tons of oil since it ran aground Oct. 5 on Astrolabe Reef, 14 miles (22 kilometers) from Tauranga Harbour on New Zealand's North Island. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Read more here ...
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Dogs rescued from Hot Springs 'puppy mill'
The ASPCA announced this morning that it was working with the Garland County sheriff's office to care for more than 100 dogs removed today from what it described as a Hot Springs puppy mill. The news release said the sheriff's office had been investigating mistreatment of dogs there since 2009 and mostly small breeds such as Boston terriers, dachsunds, chihuahuas and West Highland terriers were involved.
The ASPCA said the dogs had been neglected and were living "in feces-encrusted pens and deplorable conditions."
More follows:
Read more here ...
The ASPCA said the dogs had been neglected and were living "in feces-encrusted pens and deplorable conditions."
More follows:
Read more here ...
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Orphaned elephant calf rescued in Zambia
Found emaciated and woundedNovember 2011: A newly orphaned elephant calf has been rescued in Zambia.
The orphan, named Kavalamanja, was rescued by the Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP) a few weeks after the body of its mother was discovered. The elephant had been killed by poachers and her tusks had been removed.
When he was found, Kavalamanja was emaciated and bearing infected wounds on his body, his face was quite sunken in and his spine protruding. But he was instantly responsive towards staff trying to eat and drink whatever they could offer. The team rehydrated him with electrolytes and then started him on a weak milk formula, which he took to immediately.
Hopes he will be able to rejoin the herdHe was then mildly sedated for the journey back to the orphanage. Rachael Murton, the EOP manager, was present throughout the journey and the calf took comfort in sucking on her finger. Kavalamanja is still responding well to the team and it is hoped that after a period of quarantine he will be able to join the rest of the herd.
EOP is supported by Colchester Zoo's charity Action for the Wild rescues, rehabilitates and releases orphaned elephants back into the wild. The Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP) which operates in South Kafue in Zambia has worldwide support - including funding from Colchester Zoo in Britain.
For more information or to donate to this project or other projects which Action for the Wild supports please visit www.actionforthewild.org.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/elephant-zambia2011.html
The orphan, named Kavalamanja, was rescued by the Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP) a few weeks after the body of its mother was discovered. The elephant had been killed by poachers and her tusks had been removed.
When he was found, Kavalamanja was emaciated and bearing infected wounds on his body, his face was quite sunken in and his spine protruding. But he was instantly responsive towards staff trying to eat and drink whatever they could offer. The team rehydrated him with electrolytes and then started him on a weak milk formula, which he took to immediately.
Hopes he will be able to rejoin the herdHe was then mildly sedated for the journey back to the orphanage. Rachael Murton, the EOP manager, was present throughout the journey and the calf took comfort in sucking on her finger. Kavalamanja is still responding well to the team and it is hoped that after a period of quarantine he will be able to join the rest of the herd.
EOP is supported by Colchester Zoo's charity Action for the Wild rescues, rehabilitates and releases orphaned elephants back into the wild. The Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP) which operates in South Kafue in Zambia has worldwide support - including funding from Colchester Zoo in Britain.
For more information or to donate to this project or other projects which Action for the Wild supports please visit www.actionforthewild.org.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/elephant-zambia2011.html
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Man withdraws snake from cash machine
A Spanish man had a shock when he went to withdraw some money - and a snake came slithering out of the cash machine.
The man had stopped to get some cash from a branch of the Caja Madrid bank in Llodio, Alava, at 8am on his way to work.
The middle-aged man managed to grab hold of his money despite the snake attempting to attack him, reports Euro Weekly News.
He then alerted the police, who arrived on the scene, and with the help of the bank manager, discovered that the snake was trapped by the mechanism of the cash point.
The manager activated it from the inside, freeing the snake, which was put in a box and taken to a shelter.
Police say they have not ruled out the possibility that someone may have put it there for a prank.
However, they say that it is a rural area so it's possible the snake got there of its own accord.
http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Man_withdraws_snake_from_cash_machine
The man had stopped to get some cash from a branch of the Caja Madrid bank in Llodio, Alava, at 8am on his way to work.
The middle-aged man managed to grab hold of his money despite the snake attempting to attack him, reports Euro Weekly News.
He then alerted the police, who arrived on the scene, and with the help of the bank manager, discovered that the snake was trapped by the mechanism of the cash point.
The manager activated it from the inside, freeing the snake, which was put in a box and taken to a shelter.
Police say they have not ruled out the possibility that someone may have put it there for a prank.
However, they say that it is a rural area so it's possible the snake got there of its own accord.
http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Man_withdraws_snake_from_cash_machine
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
'One in a Million' Beagle Survives Alabama Pound's Gas Chamber
A stray beagle mix that cheated death in an Alabama dog pound's gas chamber is up for adoption in New Jersey.
Volunteers began looking for a new home for the dog known as Daniel after the animal walked out unscathed from the carbon monoxide administered by the Animal Control Department in Florence, Ala., on Oct. 3.
The nonprofit Eleventh Hour Rescue group arranged to have the dog flown to New Jersey, where it is awaiting adoption at its shelter in Rockaway.
"He’s one in a million," Linda Schiller, founder of Eleventh Hour Rescue, told the Star-Ledger of Newark. "This doesn’t happen. They don’t survive."
"It may be that his breathing was shallow because of a cold or something. Or maybe God just had a better plan for this one," Stevenson said.
Stevenson said the gas chamber is a stainless-steel box that's roughly the size of a pickup truck bed. A computer-controlled pump slowly feeds carbon monoxide into the chamber once it's sealed, and an operator presses a button.
"It sort of rocks them to sleep slowly. It's like the cases you hear about where people are overcome by carbon monoxide in their home and just never wake up," he said.
A new operator placed the dog into the chamber with other animals and started the machine, Stevenson said, although it's unclear how many animals were in the chamber in all, or what species.
Three animals have survived the gas chamber in the last 12 years or so, and every effort is made to find new homes for any that do survive, Stevenson said.
Alabama lawmakers passed a law in June to ban the use of gas chambers effective Dec. 31. At the time, Florence was one of only two places in the state using the chambers.
Click here for more on this story from the Star-Ledger of Newark.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/28/one-in-million-beagle-survives-pound-gas-chamber/?test=faces#ixzz1cSGZvuXp
Volunteers began looking for a new home for the dog known as Daniel after the animal walked out unscathed from the carbon monoxide administered by the Animal Control Department in Florence, Ala., on Oct. 3.
The nonprofit Eleventh Hour Rescue group arranged to have the dog flown to New Jersey, where it is awaiting adoption at its shelter in Rockaway.
"He’s one in a million," Linda Schiller, founder of Eleventh Hour Rescue, told the Star-Ledger of Newark. "This doesn’t happen. They don’t survive."
Phil Stevenson, a Florence city spokesman, said Friday that no one is sure why Daniel was the lone survivor.
Stevenson said the gas chamber is a stainless-steel box that's roughly the size of a pickup truck bed. A computer-controlled pump slowly feeds carbon monoxide into the chamber once it's sealed, and an operator presses a button.
"It sort of rocks them to sleep slowly. It's like the cases you hear about where people are overcome by carbon monoxide in their home and just never wake up," he said.
A new operator placed the dog into the chamber with other animals and started the machine, Stevenson said, although it's unclear how many animals were in the chamber in all, or what species.
Three animals have survived the gas chamber in the last 12 years or so, and every effort is made to find new homes for any that do survive, Stevenson said.
Alabama lawmakers passed a law in June to ban the use of gas chambers effective Dec. 31. At the time, Florence was one of only two places in the state using the chambers.
Click here for more on this story from the Star-Ledger of Newark.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/28/one-in-million-beagle-survives-pound-gas-chamber/?test=faces#ixzz1cSGZvuXp
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Rescued squirrel develops a taste for family's crunchy nut cereal
A squirrel taken in after being mauled by a cat in Cornwall joins its rescuers for breakfast – and has developed a taste for Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes.
The domesticated grey rodent, aptly named Kellogg, was found close to death suffering from bite wounds and abscesses after being mauled by a cat three weeks ago.
But Gary and Aly Zammit have been amazed at the speed of Kellog’s recovery after feeding her up on milk three times a night.
Mr Zammit, manager of Feadon Farm wildlife centre in Portreath, Cornwall, said: ‘She’s a real cheeky little thing. I was bottle-feeding her one day and she obviously thought she was ready to move on to solids and nosedived into my cereal.
‘So she leapt off my chest straight into my bowl of Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes and started going wild eating them. Since then, if she doesn’t get them she goes berserk and will run around the room jumping on my shoulder until she gets a bowl.
‘She turns her nose up at other cereals, so we’ve stuck with Crunchy Nut for the time being. I suppose I will have to wean her off at some point. It must be the combination of honey and nuts.’
His wife, Aly, said: ‘Gary didn’t even do the night feeds with our children but the squirrel will feed at any hour without complaining.’
It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild as they oust our native red variety so the couple will keep the animal.
Mr Zammit said: ‘We’ve developed quite a bond with Kellog. We have a licence from a previous rescue so we can keep her. I’ll have to start cutting down her cereal. But for the time being, she can have breakfast with us as long as she behaves herself.’
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/878548-rescued-squirrel-develops-a-taste-for-familys-crunchy-nut-cereal#ixzz1aqzIN8nh
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/878548-rescued-squirrel-develops-a-taste-for-familys-crunchy-nut-cereal#ixzz1aqyzFDio
The domesticated grey rodent, aptly named Kellogg, was found close to death suffering from bite wounds and abscesses after being mauled by a cat three weeks ago.
But Gary and Aly Zammit have been amazed at the speed of Kellog’s recovery after feeding her up on milk three times a night.
Mr Zammit, manager of Feadon Farm wildlife centre in Portreath, Cornwall, said: ‘She’s a real cheeky little thing. I was bottle-feeding her one day and she obviously thought she was ready to move on to solids and nosedived into my cereal.
‘So she leapt off my chest straight into my bowl of Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes and started going wild eating them. Since then, if she doesn’t get them she goes berserk and will run around the room jumping on my shoulder until she gets a bowl.
‘She turns her nose up at other cereals, so we’ve stuck with Crunchy Nut for the time being. I suppose I will have to wean her off at some point. It must be the combination of honey and nuts.’
His wife, Aly, said: ‘Gary didn’t even do the night feeds with our children but the squirrel will feed at any hour without complaining.’
It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild as they oust our native red variety so the couple will keep the animal.
Mr Zammit said: ‘We’ve developed quite a bond with Kellog. We have a licence from a previous rescue so we can keep her. I’ll have to start cutting down her cereal. But for the time being, she can have breakfast with us as long as she behaves herself.’
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/878548-rescued-squirrel-develops-a-taste-for-familys-crunchy-nut-cereal#ixzz1aqzIN8nh
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/878548-rescued-squirrel-develops-a-taste-for-familys-crunchy-nut-cereal#ixzz1aqyzFDio
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
How to clean an oil-slicked penguin
Biologist Jeremy Gray is among those volunteering at the Oiled Wildlife Response Centre in Tauranga, New Zealand, after the Rena oil spill. He explains how to clean rescued wildlife.
I got put on the wildlife team as I am a biologist in real life. I'm "nurse" to the vets here - handing them equipment, cleaning stuff and such like - while they wash the birds. On Wednesday there were four vets and two nurses, and hopefully more tomorrow.
The response centre has been set up at a wastewater treatment plant that can handle up to 500 birds.
First the penguins must be warm and happy - most are kept overnight before washing, as it is very stressful and they need to get their strength up.
Then the birds are brought into the cleaning room and put on the table.
Normally detergent is used to clean wildlife caught in an oil slick. But the fuel oil that's spilled from the Rena is really thick, so we first rinse the birds with canola oil, sold as cooking oil at the supermarket. This helps soften the fuel oil and get off the really thick stuff.
Read on...
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Flushed baby gator survives
HAMILTON - A baby alligator survived a wild ride down a toilet and through the city's wastewater plant then promptly snapped his little jaws at one of his rescuers.
"When I got there, he was in a bucket, just kind of sitting there wondering what in the world was going on, and he tried to bite me, as a little gator will do," said Damien Oxier, a Butler County man who heads Arrowhead Reptile Rescue, a nonprofit Greater Cincinnati group of volunteers.
"I felt sorry for him," Oxier said. "We humans put these animals in these situations."
It was remarkable that the foot-long, months-old alligator emerged unscathed despite his perilous path though the city's wastewater pumping station, said Oxier, an animal rescuer for 20 years: "This is
the first time that I've actually had one survive being flushed down the toilet."
Workers think there's no other explanation for the reptile ending up at their plant this week, Oxier said. The alligator apparently passed through a 50-foot-tall "mechanical bar rack" that removes large debris from wastewater and "a mechanized rake" that cleans the rack to deposit debris to the first floor Dumpster, where workers found the alligator, Oxier said.
In a typical year, Oxier's group rescues about a dozen alligators found loose or unwanted in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. A number of those were in Hamilton, where gator sightings in the Great Miami River grabbed headlines in 1998.
Workers at the Hamilton plant told Oxier they have found unusual things caught in the debris-raking system, "but they usually don't find anything alive," he said.
Plant officials contacted Oxier late Wednesday, a day after finding the alligator.
When Oxier was allowed to enter the plant Friday, he found the alligator covered in grease, oil and chemicals. So Oxier went to work, scrubbing the alligator with Dawn dishwashing detergent, which is
known for its grease-cutting properties.
"He didn't like it very much," Oxier said. "He struggled and kept trying to bite me, but toward the end, he just sort of laid there, like he was just going to put up with it."
Then Oxier positioned the alligator in some water in a plastic tub, under a warm light.
"He probably hates me but I'll be the best friend to him, even if he doesn't know it."
As of Friday, the gator had no name.
His treacherous journey rivals one chronicled in "Finding Nemo." In that 2003 Pixar film, a little clownfish escapes from an aquarium and returns to his ocean home after going down a drainpipe.
So Oxier thinks he just might name the little guy "Nemo."
Oxier plans to pick up the animal Monday and take him to a foster home, where he will remain for about a year before being transferred to a wildlife sanctuary.
While it's legal for people to buy alligators in Ohio, some communities forbid ownership. Oxier's group says it does not condone anyone keeping alligators as pets a responsibility that people generally are unprepared to handle, considering that American alligators can live more than 75 years and can exceed 12 feet long.
For more information, visit www.arrowheadreptilerescue.org.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110930/NEWS01/110930020
"When I got there, he was in a bucket, just kind of sitting there wondering what in the world was going on, and he tried to bite me, as a little gator will do," said Damien Oxier, a Butler County man who heads Arrowhead Reptile Rescue, a nonprofit Greater Cincinnati group of volunteers.
"I felt sorry for him," Oxier said. "We humans put these animals in these situations."
It was remarkable that the foot-long, months-old alligator emerged unscathed despite his perilous path though the city's wastewater pumping station, said Oxier, an animal rescuer for 20 years: "This is
the first time that I've actually had one survive being flushed down the toilet."
Workers think there's no other explanation for the reptile ending up at their plant this week, Oxier said. The alligator apparently passed through a 50-foot-tall "mechanical bar rack" that removes large debris from wastewater and "a mechanized rake" that cleans the rack to deposit debris to the first floor Dumpster, where workers found the alligator, Oxier said.
In a typical year, Oxier's group rescues about a dozen alligators found loose or unwanted in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. A number of those were in Hamilton, where gator sightings in the Great Miami River grabbed headlines in 1998.
Workers at the Hamilton plant told Oxier they have found unusual things caught in the debris-raking system, "but they usually don't find anything alive," he said.
Plant officials contacted Oxier late Wednesday, a day after finding the alligator.
When Oxier was allowed to enter the plant Friday, he found the alligator covered in grease, oil and chemicals. So Oxier went to work, scrubbing the alligator with Dawn dishwashing detergent, which is
known for its grease-cutting properties.
"He didn't like it very much," Oxier said. "He struggled and kept trying to bite me, but toward the end, he just sort of laid there, like he was just going to put up with it."
Then Oxier positioned the alligator in some water in a plastic tub, under a warm light.
"He probably hates me but I'll be the best friend to him, even if he doesn't know it."
As of Friday, the gator had no name.
His treacherous journey rivals one chronicled in "Finding Nemo." In that 2003 Pixar film, a little clownfish escapes from an aquarium and returns to his ocean home after going down a drainpipe.
So Oxier thinks he just might name the little guy "Nemo."
Oxier plans to pick up the animal Monday and take him to a foster home, where he will remain for about a year before being transferred to a wildlife sanctuary.
While it's legal for people to buy alligators in Ohio, some communities forbid ownership. Oxier's group says it does not condone anyone keeping alligators as pets a responsibility that people generally are unprepared to handle, considering that American alligators can live more than 75 years and can exceed 12 feet long.
For more information, visit www.arrowheadreptilerescue.org.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110930/NEWS01/110930020
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Thumper the giant bunny taken into care after she's found in Swindon
The bunny, larger than most dogs at nearly 60cm long, weighs 8kg (18lb) – and one theory is she was dumped by her owners who couldn’t afford her feed bills.
Nicknamed Thumper by staff at Thameswood Veterinary Clinic who have taken her in, she has had to be housed in its dog kennels because she is so big.
Chris Wood, the clinic’s client care manager, said the four-year-old rabbit is ‘absolutely fine and perfectly fit and healthy’. He added: ‘She has clearly been looked after and well fed. But we have not yet had any contact from anyone looking for her.
‘We are hoping she has just escaped and not been dumped as she has a lovely nature and enjoys cuddles with our nurses.
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/876702-thumper-the-giant-bunny-taken-into-care-after-shes-found-in-swindon#ixzz1ZFGOJkiG
Nicknamed Thumper by staff at Thameswood Veterinary Clinic who have taken her in, she has had to be housed in its dog kennels because she is so big.
Chris Wood, the clinic’s client care manager, said the four-year-old rabbit is ‘absolutely fine and perfectly fit and healthy’. He added: ‘She has clearly been looked after and well fed. But we have not yet had any contact from anyone looking for her.
‘We are hoping she has just escaped and not been dumped as she has a lovely nature and enjoys cuddles with our nurses.
Rabbiting on: Thumper is resting after her travels (Picture: Wessex News Agency)
‘She’s in one of our big walking kennels we use for the dogs and she might get fostered by one of the nurses while we try to find her home, unless the owners recognise her and come forward.’Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/876702-thumper-the-giant-bunny-taken-into-care-after-shes-found-in-swindon#ixzz1ZFGOJkiG
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Baby red squirrels saved from Hurricane Katia
The five week-old squirrels were found in the aftermath of the gale-force winds that hit the UK last week, with their mother nowhere to be seen.
They were taken to a veterinary surgery in Alnwick before being delivered to the animal welfare centre at Ulgham near Morpeth, where volunteers now feed them goat's milk every three hours and will continue to look after them through winter.
Sanctuary owner Kim Olson said: "At this time of year the squirrels would be collecting food for winter but even if we released them in November they wouldn't have enough time.
"We're planning to release them gradually back into the wild next spring at our special unit, which is at a secret location in Northumberland."
The family-run sanctuary, which cares for unwanted pets and farm animals as well as injured wildlife, was established by Mrs Olson and her husband in 1993.
She said: "We're probably the largest animal sanctuary in the whole of the North East. We look after so much wildlife; we've got a badger cub, young foxes and injured birds of prey."
With running costs totalling £70,000 a year proving tougher and tougher to meet, the Olsens depend on public donations to care for unwanted or injured animals that are brought in to them.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8778720/Baby-red-squirrels-saved-from-Hurricane-Katia.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8778720/Baby-red-squirrels-saved-from-Hurricane-Katia.html
Friday, September 9, 2011
Drunk Moose Gets Stuck in Tree
Police believe the inebriated elk got into a state after eating fermented apples, and got stuck while trying to reach fruit higher up the tree.
The binge-drinking beast somehow managed to wedge itself into the branches of the tree with all four legs off the ground.
Fire crews had to chop down the tree to help free the animal from the branches.
By Alex Pielak, Metro.co.uk
Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/874733-moose-drunk-on-apples-gets-stuck-in-tree#ixzz1XMPsaZzX
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Stranded baby whale rescued in Humber
A novel rescue by 50 emergency staff and marine specialists has saved a stranded whale and seen it safely out to sea.
Firefighters dug a trench in mudflats on the Humber estuary and then worked with other specialists to turn the 15-tonne minke whale round and gently heave it loose.
Boats were used alongside the rescuers to create wakes that helped the 30ft (9 metre) mammal's escap e after eight hours on the edge of Immingham, one of the UK's largest docks.
The alarm was raised when the stranding was spotted by a passing ship at 8am on Tuesday, an estimated four hours after it is thought to have grounded. A second, larger whale was seen circling nearby and rescuers believe that ship movements may have confused the younger one.
Torrential rain also eased the animal's plight although it stretched the rescue team and monitors who are now stationed round Immingham in case the minke turns back inshore. This has happened previously with disorientated whales and the RSPCA said the minke had initially tried to resist the turn-round effort.
A witness of the operation, a 58-year-old local man who did not wish to be named, said: "The teams waited until high tide but that was still quite low so there wasn't enough water. They turned the whale to face the sea but it kept wanting to come back in.
"To make the water deeper, they had boats running up and down alongside the whale to make a wave so the water was high enough to get it out. They then basically walked it out towards sea and then it just swam out. Hopefully, it will able to make its way down the Humber now."
Geoff Edmond, of the RSPCA, said: "We got on the scene this morning when coastguard and RNLI crews were already in attendance with a vet. We waited until about 1.30pm when it was high tide to attempt to re-float the whale.
"With a lot of effort and advice from the vet everyone managed to re-float it. It hung about for a bit before finally disappearing from view. It still needs to get back into the North Sea so I think the next 24 hours will be crucial."
Earlier Mike Puplett, of Humber coastguard, said low tide had hampered initial approaches and raised concern that the whale might be crushed by its own weight as water levels sank to cover only some 10% of its bulk. But rescuers were heartened by continuing signs of life as the tide came back in.
Minkes prefer the open sea but are occasionally drawn close to land where they become vulnerable to unfamiliar tidal movements.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/06/whale-rescue-stranded-humber
Firefighters dug a trench in mudflats on the Humber estuary and then worked with other specialists to turn the 15-tonne minke whale round and gently heave it loose.
Boats were used alongside the rescuers to create wakes that helped the 30ft (9 metre) mammal's escap e after eight hours on the edge of Immingham, one of the UK's largest docks.
The alarm was raised when the stranding was spotted by a passing ship at 8am on Tuesday, an estimated four hours after it is thought to have grounded. A second, larger whale was seen circling nearby and rescuers believe that ship movements may have confused the younger one.
Torrential rain also eased the animal's plight although it stretched the rescue team and monitors who are now stationed round Immingham in case the minke turns back inshore. This has happened previously with disorientated whales and the RSPCA said the minke had initially tried to resist the turn-round effort.
A witness of the operation, a 58-year-old local man who did not wish to be named, said: "The teams waited until high tide but that was still quite low so there wasn't enough water. They turned the whale to face the sea but it kept wanting to come back in.
"To make the water deeper, they had boats running up and down alongside the whale to make a wave so the water was high enough to get it out. They then basically walked it out towards sea and then it just swam out. Hopefully, it will able to make its way down the Humber now."
Geoff Edmond, of the RSPCA, said: "We got on the scene this morning when coastguard and RNLI crews were already in attendance with a vet. We waited until about 1.30pm when it was high tide to attempt to re-float the whale.
"With a lot of effort and advice from the vet everyone managed to re-float it. It hung about for a bit before finally disappearing from view. It still needs to get back into the North Sea so I think the next 24 hours will be crucial."
Earlier Mike Puplett, of Humber coastguard, said low tide had hampered initial approaches and raised concern that the whale might be crushed by its own weight as water levels sank to cover only some 10% of its bulk. But rescuers were heartened by continuing signs of life as the tide came back in.
Minkes prefer the open sea but are occasionally drawn close to land where they become vulnerable to unfamiliar tidal movements.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/06/whale-rescue-stranded-humber
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Happy Feet penguin does U-turn for NZ
HAPPY Feet may miss New Zealand after all, according to a tracking device showing the wayward emperor penguin is swimming north.
The penguin was liberated in sub-Antarctic waters south of Stewart Island yesterday more than two months after coming ashore on Pekapeka Beach near Wellington.
The sickly bird, the first of his kind seen in New Zealand in 44 years, was nursed back to health at Wellington Zoo, winning the hearts of Kiwis and animal lovers worldwide in the process.
Returned to good fitness and fitted with a GPS tracking device, Happy Feet had an "excellent chance" of meeting other adolescent penguins and finding his way back to Antarctica, experts say.
But online monitoring on ourfarsouth.org seems to show that he has turned in a north-east direction and is heading back to New Zealand.
Wellington Zoo vet Lisa Argilla, who is credited with saving the penguin's life, has said some deviations in his swimming course were to be expected.
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/happy-feet-penguin-does-u-turn-for-nz/story-e6frfku0-1226129387080
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/happy-feet-penguin-does-u-turn-for-nz/story-e6frfku0-1226129387080#ixzz1XAoAOesj
The penguin was liberated in sub-Antarctic waters south of Stewart Island yesterday more than two months after coming ashore on Pekapeka Beach near Wellington.
The sickly bird, the first of his kind seen in New Zealand in 44 years, was nursed back to health at Wellington Zoo, winning the hearts of Kiwis and animal lovers worldwide in the process.
Returned to good fitness and fitted with a GPS tracking device, Happy Feet had an "excellent chance" of meeting other adolescent penguins and finding his way back to Antarctica, experts say.
But online monitoring on ourfarsouth.org seems to show that he has turned in a north-east direction and is heading back to New Zealand.
Wellington Zoo vet Lisa Argilla, who is credited with saving the penguin's life, has said some deviations in his swimming course were to be expected.
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/happy-feet-penguin-does-u-turn-for-nz/story-e6frfku0-1226129387080
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/happy-feet-penguin-does-u-turn-for-nz/story-e6frfku0-1226129387080#ixzz1XAoAOesj
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