animals
Explosive Dead Whale
The residents of a town on Canada’s Newfoundland Island fear a blue whale carcass that washed up on its boardwalk last week could explode at any time.
The 25m (81ft) whale on Trout River’s rocky beach is one of several believed to have died in heavy ice weeks ago.
Town Clerk Emily Butler says the body is bloated with methane gas caused by decomposition and will soon reek, regardless of whether it explodes.
Local and federal authorities disagree which are responsible for its disposal.
Ms Butler said the town of 600 people did not have the resources to deal safely with the carcass, though Canadian officials say it is their responsibility.
She told broadcaster NTV that if the town were to push the whale out to sea, it could pose a hazard to passing ships.
The whale appears to have bloated beyond twice its normal size
The town, a tourist destination inside Gros Morne National Park on the Canadian island’s west coast, has seen a new type of visitor since the whale carcass came ashore.
“It’s very difficult to keep people away, simply because it’s not too often that you see a blue whale,” Ms Butler told broadcaster CBC.
Last year a sperm whale carcass that washed up on the Faroe Islands exploded as a biologist attempted to dissect it.
(BBC.co.uk)
Monster Rat Chews Concrete
A Swedish family suffered the shock of a lifetime when they discovered that the ‘kitchen mouse’ that had their cat running around in circles was in fact a gigantic monster rat.
The Bengtsson-Korsås family first noticed something was wrong when their cat Enok refused to enter the kitchen in their flat in Solna, north-west Stockholm.
The rat measured 15 inches, without its tail, and had made it into the family’s flat by gnawing a tunnel between a wooden panel and concrete.
The family did not discover their gigantic guest until it was time to take out the bins.
‘I was terrified. It was so huge that I barely saw what it was and I jumped up on the kitchen table,’ Signe Bengtsson-Korsås told newspaper Aftonbladet.
The rat had made itself comfortable behind the family’s dishwasher and even caused a leak by chewing its way through the water-pipes.
Despite attempts from Mrs Bengtsson-Korsås and her two children to scare the rodent, the ‘Viking rat’ only grew bolder and eventually dared to venture out on the kitchen floor.
Exterminators were called in and placed industry-sized traps to catch the rat, and less than a day later one of them snapped.
However, when the family checked, the trap was gone. The rat was so powerful that it had carried the trap with it, snapped around its neck.
‘It didn’t die when it went into the trap, but scurried away. It went underneath a wooden plant, where it got stuck and choked itself to death,’ Mr Bengtsson-Korsås said.
‘It was the biggest rat I have ever seen, and it looked like it was in good shape as the fur was nice,’ he added.
(Sara Malm/Daily Mail)
Man Lets Hyena Eat His Genitals
He was told it would make him rich
A man allowed a hyena to attack him and eat his genitals after being told it would help him to become rich.
Chamangeni Zulu said he was mauled by the animal in the African bush.
As well as eating his genitals, Zulu also said it ate three of his toes.
It happened after he arrived in Chipata, where he says he met a witchdoctor who told him that sacrificing body parts was the best way to become rich.
Speaking to the Times of Zambia, Zulu, who is aged between 20 and 24, said: “I came from Malawi and when I arrived in Chipata I met someone who told me that the best way to become rich was to sacrifice parts of my body…I went to a bush where I was instructed to be naked and a hyena came to me and started eating my toes and eventually my manhood was eaten.”
After being attacked, he crawled to a road and was taken to a hospital by passing police officers. He is now being treated at Chipata General Hospital, who confirmed he had lost his genitals following the incident on March 24.
(Daily Mirror)
Dynamite Fishing, Killing of Whales in Siargao
Recent reports indicated that dynamite fishing is occurring in the waters of Siargao in Surigao del Norte. Senator Loren Legarda today called the attention of government agencies mandated to enforce the country’s Fisheries Code as she expressed alarm over the bannedfishing practice, which recently caused the killing of at least 22 dwarf sperm whales and dolphins.
“This is another unfortunate case of marine resource abuse. Dynamite fishing has long been banned and is punishable under the Fisheries Code along with illegal fishing methods. Authorities must strictly enforce the law because this is not only about a fisher’s catch or a community’s livelihood, but also about the state of marine biodiversity, which affects the nation as a whole,” said Legarda.
“Our law enforcement agencies should go after the perpetrators of this crime against nature and ensure that our seas and marine species are safe from such cruelty. We should be more vigilant because this could be happening in other parts of the country as well,” she added.
It has been reported that two dwarf sperm whales and at least 21 dolphins were badly injured from dynamite fishing and sustained stab wounds from fishermen in Siargao.
“Siargao is world-famous for being a surfer’s haven. It does not have to stop there. It would be more beneficial to the communities surrounding the area if they become a model for marine conservation through sustainable fishing methods and other marine protection practices. Fishing is not only a form of livelihood but also a way by which a fisherman can carry out his responsibility as a steward of our marine resources,” Legarda stressed.
Under the Fisheries Code of 1998, a ban is imposed on the use of fine mesh net and electricity, explosives, noxious or poisonous substance in our seas. It is also illegal to exploit and export corals as well as the fishing and taking of any rare, threatened and endangered species.
Mandated to enforce this Code are the law enforcement officers of the Department of Agriculture, Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police and including local government units.
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