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Tag: attack

  • Cat Saves Young Boy From Dog Attack

    On Tuesday, May 13, a surveillance video caught on film a young boy being attacked by a dog while he riding his bike. The incident could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for his unlikely rescuer … his pet cat.

    Four-year-old Jeremy was riding his bike in front of his home in Bakersfield, California, when, out of nowhere, a dog, said to be an eight-month-old labrador/chow mix, appeared and proceeded to bite his leg. Jeremy fell off his bike and was struggling to get free from the dog’s grasp when his cat Tara came to his rescue.

    Tara rushed to Jeremy, pounced on the dog, and then continued to chase it away. Erika Triantafilo, Jeremy’s mother, was outside at the time of the incident, watering a nearby tree. She heard the screams, but did not realize what was happening right away. “I didn’t really even realize what had happened until after when my husband showed me the surveillance video,” Erika said.

    Jeremy, who has a mild form of autism, was taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries. He had to have a few stitches, but is currently doing fine. “I’ve never seen a cat do that,” Roger Triantafilo, Jeremy’s father said. “Especially ours. It just shows how much she really has a family-oriented mind set.”

    The Bakersfield Animal Care Center took the neighbor’s dog, and is currently holding it for observation. A spokesman for the Bakersfield Police said that the dog will be quarantined for 10 days and then will be euthanized.

    Image via NDN

  • Solange Knowles Attacks Jay Z In Elevator

    Solange Knowles Attacks Jay Z In Elevator

    So, what is going on between Solange Knowles and her brother-in-law Jay Z? That is the question we are all wanting to know after TMZ released a surveillance video of Solange attacking Jay Z in an elevator.

    The incident happened last week at the Met Gala after party that was being held at the Standard Hotel in New York City. In the video you can see Jay Z and Solange enter the elevator peacefully. However, in a few short seconds you see Solange verbally and then physically attacking him.

    A large man, said to be a bodyguard, stepped in to try and hold Solange back. However, despite his efforts, she was able to land three good swings, and even attempted to kick Jay Z, but he was able to stop it before it hit him.

    Where was Beyoncé during all of this? Apparently, she was standing close by, but never got involved in the altercation. Upon exiting the elevator, Beyoncé and Solange entered one vehicle while a security guard escorted Jay Z to another.

    So far, neither Solange or Jay Z have commented on their fight, and it is not known what triggered Solange’s attack. However, the hotel did issue a statement on Monday regarding the incident.

    “We are shocked and disappointed that there was a clear breach of our security system and the confidentiality that we count on providing our guests. We are investigating with the utmost urgency the circumstances surrounding the situation and, as is our customary practice, will discipline and prosecute the individuals involved to our fullest capacity.”

    Image via Twitter

  • Shaq Alleged Assault: The Former NBA Player is Under Investigation

    Former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal, 42, is under investigation for an alleged assault towards a fellow co-worker at Turner Studios.

    Robert Williams, 44, accuses O’Neal for violently tackling him as he was working at the studio on May 19, 2013.

    Williams’ claims are: “Shaquille O’Neal ran out of a room and hit me with a tackle punch to the back knocking me down and falling on top of me injuring my neck and back.”

    The incident was reported to Turner Security. Williams says he received medical care following the attack.

    The Atlanta Police Department was also informed about the confrontation that took place between Williams and O’Neal, but not within the same night.

    Williams later recounted the events to the department.

    “(The co-worker) alleged Shaquille O’Neal tackled him to the ground causing injury to his back while they were at work at Turner Studios,”Sgt. Greg Lyon said, according to WSB-TV 2. He later stated: “I don’t know the extent of his injury, but I have heard that as well, that his injuries were severe to his back.”

    O’Neal’s attorney has associated the incident with “horseplay” and asserts that his client never intended to harm Williams.

    Although charges were never filed against the NBA star, investigators say that they will continue to look into the allegations.

    Lyon told the station that because the investigation was primarily “handled by the zone,” they plan to take their findings and go from there.

    Williams’ attorney sent a statement to WSB-TV 2, stating that his client is in surgery and is very aware of the criminal investigation underway.

    “However, he does state emphatically, that the permanent injuries he received were not the result of participation in any form of ‘horseplay.’”

    O’Neal, who retired from the NBA in 2011, is currently a lead analyst on Inside the NBA for TNT’s sports coverage in Atlanta.

    Image via  Wikimedia Commons

  • Cat Traps Family After Trying to Attack a Baby in Oregon

    All of the cat haters in the world will feel vindicated after reading about an incident in Oregon where a cat traps a family in a bedroom. This happened after the cat tried to attack a baby and the family dog. The bizarre incident led to the dad placing a call to 911 to get help with the situation.

    The cat terrorizing event happened on Sunday when a 22-pound Himalayan named Lux apparently decided he had enough of pretty much everyone in the household and went postal. After trying to attack the Palmer family’s 7-month-old baby, father Lee Palmer kicked the feline in the butt, causing the cat to get extremely angry. The cat then tried to attack the family’s dog and began charging the Palmers, which led to them shutting themselves in their bedroom to avoid injury.

    After realizing the cat had trapped his family in the bedroom and that they weren’t going to be able to get out of the room safely, Palmer placed a 911 call to ask for help.

    Palmer told the 911 dispatcher that the four-year-old cat that trapped the family “has a history of violence.” It isn’t every day that 911 gets calls about abusive pets, but Palmer made his case and was able to get help after telling the dispatcher, “We aren’t safe around the cat. We’re trapped in the bedroom, he won’t let us out of our door,” and “I kicked the cat in the rear, and it has gone over the edge. He’s trying to attack us–he’s very hostile. He’s at our door; he’s charging us.”

    Listen to the audio of the 911 call here.

    After placing the 911 call, officers came out to the apartment and found the hefty cat perched on top of the refrigerator. According to the Portland Police Bureau report, the responding officers used a dog snare to capture the cat and place him in a pet carrier. Fortunately for the family and all involved, no one–including the baby–was injured.

    Even though the cat has a history of aggressive behavior, Palmer says he hasn’t decided whether to get rid of the cat. “We are debating what to do,” Palmer said. “We definitely want to keep (the cat) away from the baby and keep an eye on his behavior.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Kim Pham Dies From Brutal Attack Outside of Nightclub

    A 23-year-old graduate of Chapman University died Tuesday after a brutal attack outside of a nightclub left her on life support.

    “She had so much to give back, so much to experience and it was cut so short,” said her uncle as he reflected back on the life of his niece.

    Kim Pham, who most say to be witty and charming, was beaten to death on Saturday while waiting in line outside of the Crosby club in Santa Ana, Calif.

    Apparently, a fight broke out among her friends and another group of people. It’s unknown what caused the confrontation, but one friend has reported to investigators that the group became furious when Pham and her friends cut in front of their camera during a photo capturing moment.

    In a very short video of the vicious attack, it shows what seem to be five people ganging up on the victim. Pham was hit multiple times and stomped to the ground.

    When police arrived to the scene, Pham was unresponsive. She was then rushed to a local hospital where she was declared as brain dead.(image)

    One woman has been arrested in connection to Pham’s death.

    “People have come forward that have provided us with videos and have come in,” said a police official in regards to the detained suspect. “And provided statements that have given detectives enough information to believe that this person was involved in at least the physical part of this altercation.”

    Authorities are still in search for the remaining suspects.

    As an aspiring TV personality, Pham’s life was full of accomplishments and dreams. One in particular was contributing to a collection of essays, one being titled “Pho for Life.”

    According to the executive director Mai Bui, he told LA Times that she was a big part of the project and even then helped him with a fundraiser for tsunami victims in Japan.

    “She did everything she could to make it a success,” he said.

    Pham lost her mother to breast cancer at the age of five and eventually became an advocate. Those closed to her said that she used to visit her mother’s grave often, which commonly helped her create some of her most personal and heart-felt essays.

    Here is a video of Pham during an interview about “Pho for Life.” It shows just how camera ready she was:

    Here is a news report on the incident:

    Images via Youtube

  • Maui Shark Attack Kills Fisherman

    Maui Shark Attack Kills Fisherman

    A shark attack in Maui resulted in the death of a kayak fisherman whose foot was severed in the attack. The fisherman, who has been identified by the Maui County Police Department as Patrick Briney Stevenson, was reported to have been fishing with a partner at the time of his attack.

    Briney’s fishing partner allegedly spotted a nearby boat from which he sought help. Briney was taken ashore by the boat and then to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.  According to CNN,  William Dunaway was one of the passengers of the boat that helped to transport Briney’s body. Dunaway reported what he says he witnessed of the incident:

    “We noticed in the distance there was a man in a kayak that was waving to us, and he started paddling over to us. We saw that he was tethered to another kayak. And as he got closer we saw that there was a body lying flat out in the kayak and the body didn’t look good. It had a very odd tint to it, and I think we all realized that there was something wrong.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VacKx9s7q4w

    While shark attacks have been greatly feared (especially since the production of Jaws), marine scientists have always worked hard to assure the public that shark attacks are typically rare and few in number.

    But little consolation comes to those who frequent the waters as well as those who do not, due to the highly televised stories of the most grizzly shark attacks, such as the attack suffered by pro-surfer Bethany Hamilton back in 2003. Hamilton was only 13 years old when she lost her arm to a tiger shark during a morning surf at Tunnels Beach in Kauai.

    And this year, Hawaii has been more shark-infested than usual with a total of 13 shark attacks recorded. Of the 13 incidents, Maui makes up the majority of these attacks with what is being counted now as its eighth attack this year.

    The chairman of the Department of Land and Natural Resources William J. Aila has announced measures toward finding the reason for the increase in shark attacks happening around Hawaii:

    “We are not sure why these bites are occurring more frequently than normal, especially around Maui. That’s why we are conducting a two-year study of shark behavior around Maui that may give us better insights.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

    Video and via Youtube

  • Hawaii Surfer Repeatedly Punches Attacking Shark

    A 25-year-old former boxer landed multiple punches on a hark that bit into his surfboard in Hawaii Sunday.

    Jeff Horton was with ten other surfers off of Kauai when the incident occurred. He initially spotted a fin in the water, and about 20 minutes later, a dark shape appeared in the water. Horton initially figured it was a stingray as it approached – the mass was black on top, white on the bottom.

    It turned out to be a shark, and Horton quickly pulled his leg out of the water. “It came flying straight toward me,” Horton said. The shark then got a mouthful of the board, knocking Horton into the water in the process.

    The surfer then grabbed onto one of the shark’s fins, and began beating it over the head with his free fist, as hard as he could. Horton guesses he got about 8 good blows in. “I finally got one nice punch into the eye,” Horton said. “I put some really good hits on it, for sure.”

    Ideally, the finest way to ward off a shark attack is to leave the water. When this isn’t possible, playing dead, like one might do with a Grizzly bear, isn’t going to cut it. What Horton did was the right course of action, according to The Florida Museum of Natural History.

    If a shark is trying to eat you, the best thing to do is attack its nose, eyes or gills, which are all very sensitive areas on the fish. Though, one must be sure to remember that a shark can’t actually be frightened; it’s a killing machine running on basic instinct, and lacks a limbic system. Essentially, after beating a shark, be sure to get away from it, because there’s a large chance it might return.

    After Horton poked the shark in the eye, it took off for a bit, allowing him time to get back onto his board. Along with another surfer, Horton caught a wave and headed to shore. The shark briefly followed, but then lost interest. Upon making it to the beach, a tourist gave Horton $50 to go buy some booze, and his only injuries were scrapes made by the rough skin of the shark.

    His 7-foot board, which Horton plans to mount on his wall, has teeth marks in it. Horton was back in the water surfer at another beach the next day.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Biker Straps GoPro Onto Ram, Gets Clobbered

    Nelson, New Zealand dirt-bike enthusiast Budd Hanz recently uploaded a video of a ram attacking him head-on during a ride.

    Hanz recounts his encounter: I was riding my trail bike up a hill when I came across this grumpy old ram with huge horns, It charged my bike then started attacking me, surprisingly powerful animal. I Couldn’t turn my bike around as I was on a steep hill & if I did he would have charged me side on which could have broken my leg. This guy is known for his aggression & attacks for no reason, he’s even attacked a group of pig hunting dogs. In the end I had to pick up a branch & wave it in front of him, he didn’t like the noise & backed off enough for me to make my escape.

    Quickened by over a million YouTube views, and emboldened by the notion of potential internet fame, Hanz decided to obey some of the requests made via video comments, and somehow strapped a GoPro camera to the mean “pig-hunting dog attacking” ram to get a different perspective.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPwZm7hkKYY
    The ram appears to be chilling, and then things escalate to another charge, to where Hanz and his bike are damaged. Rams are called rams, as they ram, as can be seen in Hanz’ “STABILIZED” clip.

    Strapping GoPro-type cameras to animals has been a thing to do since they were launched in 2004. Some of the footage has been pretty spectacular, like this clip of a French eagle below:

    Still, it doesn’t seem like any of this would be good for the animals, but we humans have been know to attach worse things to our faunal underlings. A cat in Moldava was just discovered to be smuggling marijuana that was taped to its collar into a prison.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Transformers Director Attacked On Set in Hong Kong

    Someone in Hong Kong must really want to prevent Transformers 4 from happening. A man believed to be under the influence of drugs attempted to smash director Michael Bay’s head in on Thursday using an air conditioner. The air conditioner was of the household variety, not a Decepticon. This went down on the set of the new Transformers.

    Initial reports stated that Bay was actually hit in the face with an air conditioner and was injured, but according to a statement made by Paramount, that isn’t exactly what happened.

    “Contrary to several erroneous news reports made today, Bay did not get hurt in a fight on set. The production company did have a bizarre encounter with a man (allegedly under the influence of a narcotic substance) who was wielding an air conditioning unit as a weapon. The man, who had earlier accosted several other crew members, rushed onto the set in Quarry Bay and swung the air conditioning unit directly at Bay’s head. The director ducked and wrested the air conditioner from his attacker, preventing what could have been a serious accident. The company’s security team quickly stepped in and subdued the assault.”

    You can breathe now. Bay wasn’t injured and the filming of Transformers 4 will go on.

    To make the situation even stranger, another report that surfaced today said the air conditioner attack occurred while a couple of people in Hong Kong were trying to shakedown Bay. Two men wanted Bay to fork over around $12,000 since the filming was deemed to be an “inconvenience.”

    Michael Bay posted about the incident on his personal blog and Twitter. Bay jokingly described the attacker as being like a “Zombie in Brad Pitt’s movie World War Z.” It’s good to see that Bay is making light of the incident because that means it’s free game for the rest of us.

    Now that it has been established that Transformers director Michael Bay is unharmed, a lot of folks on Twitter have decided to have fun with the attack. After all, it isn’t every day that you hear about someone attacking a director with a household appliance.

    Image via Twitter

  • Are Los Angeles Police Dogs Racist?

    Perhaps it’s not as critical as the Rampart controversy in the late 90’s, where a flock of rogue cops, who were associated with gangs, robbed a bank, engaged in a fatal road rage incident, and were accused of killing rapper Biggie Smalls. It’s (debatably) not as reckless as that early morning on February 7th of this year, when a pickup truck that looked like it belonged to cop killer Christoper Dorner was shot up 100 times.

    No, the police of Los Angeles are suffering a different type of controversy, one that questions the very sanctity of what it means to be “man’s best friend”; racist dogs.

    A report by the Police Assessment Resource Centre (PARC), a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization, found that in the first six months of 2013, all 17 Los Angeles Sheriff Department (LASD) K-9 unit dog bites were inflicted upon African American and Latino individuals. The report mentioned that between the years of 2004 and 2013, Latino individuals bitten by LASD canines rose 30 per cent (39 individuals bitten), while African Americans bit were increased by 33 per cent (12 individuals bitten).

    The report mentions that  the large minority populated areas of Century, City of Industry, Compton, Lakewood, and South LA and Lennox incur more dog bites than all the other 21 districts that the LASD patrols combined.

    So is there a discrepancy? Is this a case of institutionalized racism? Is the crime in those areas just higher? Are the dogs not socialized?

    The US Department of Justice found that in the areas patrolled by the LASD, “African Americans, and to a lesser extent Latinos, are more likely to be stopped and/or searched than whites, even when controlling for factors other than race, such as crime rates.” A report in 2008 by the Los Angeles Times found that “For every 10,000 residents, about 3,400 more black people are stopped than whites, and 360 more Latinos are stopped than whites. Stopped blacks are 127% more likely to be frisked — and stopped Latinos are 43% more likely to be frisked — than stopped whites.”

    A critic over at Blur Brain says that crime is the reason for the increased dog bites, mentioning that, “The most obvious being that the vast majority of crimes in LA are committed by either blacks or Latinos.” And that PARC is actually “another Democrat money laundering front who’s cover story is to create excuses for wanton criminality among the Democrat’s victim class constituents. But their real purpose is to kickback a some of the money they receive to the DNC.”

    Since racism is a learned behavior, the dogs are, perhaps, just conditioned and not socialized with those of color. One redditor commented on the story, saying that it’s a matter of socializing the pooches:

    So, who’s barking up the wrong tree here?

    (Pictures via WikiCommons (1), (2))

  • Cafeteria Lady Hires Hit On 4th Grader

    You’re working as a janitor at an elementary school. One day, a 4th grade student walks up to you and says something rude and inappropriate. So what do you do with that fresh rage inflicted upon you by one politely mannered snowflake? After being provoked to such a degree of spitefulness, you seek out two other 4th grade students, offer them a crisp dollar bill, and hire them to beat him up.

    On Monday, over at Campus Elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a contracted Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) janitor did just that, hiring two 4th grade students to beat up one of their school mates because he said something he shouldn’t have to her. The revenge seeking cafeteria worker was sent to the principal’s office, where she admitted to her dirty deeds, and subsequently, lost her job.

    The mother of the intended target “couldn’t believe it”, and told 24 Hour News 8 how shocked she was: “To think that there’s an adult that can be just so, like, twisted, to sit there and watch a little boy, a little 9-year old boy get beat up and get enjoyment out of it.”

    The mother wished to remain unidentified, citing that if someone is twisted enough to hire a school yard hit on her son, who knows what they’re capable of.

    “I don’t know what kind of woman I’m dealing with. It’s a little sick and twisted to me, to get enjoyment out of making a group of kids beat up a little kid you don’t like,” she said.

    The unknown mom said that her son was not only being bullied, but that he had been beaten up.

    “Not only is other kids picking on him, but the worse thing I’m telling him that could happen to him is being done by an adult,” she said.

    The school is still investigating whether or not the 9-year old 4th grader was roughed up or not.
    “We’re still investigating that. That’s not something I’ve received a report on. That doesn’t mean it did or didn’t happen,” GRPS spokesman John Helmholdt said.

    “You hear something like this and it certainly makes you shake your head.”

    The fired employee had a clean criminal record and passed the two background checks issued by the West Michigan Janitorial Service, a company that provides contract workers to the GRPS district.

    (Pictures via WikiCommons (1), (2))

  • Attack In Riverside Park: 5 People Wounded

    Attack In Riverside Park: 5 People Wounded

    An attack occurred this morning in Riverside Park, which is located along the Hudson River on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The suspect has been identified as Julius Graham, who is 43 years old. He was armed with a pair of scissors and is obviously emotionally disturbed, as he slashed five people early this morning, including a father and his toddler. The police reported that he was carrying identification on him that said he was from Texas, but was reported to have been living in a homeless shelter in New York City, as recently as a week ago.

    Attacks continue to occur all over this country, and while this time it wasn’t even a gunman, it is still a very serious incident. Who could have predicted someone stabbing people in a park with scissors? It just goes to show that people are not getting enough help, and as a result they act out and attack people. According to The New York Times, the seemingly random rampage just before 8 a.m. near 65th Street and Riverside Park South, and the attack lasted under 10 minutes. The rampage began when Graham approached a 36 year old woman jogging on a path and stabbed her in the back, who was the most seriously injured victim in the attack.

    The attack continued until he hit a man and his toddler, prompting a bystander to come to his rescue and wrestle the suspect to the ground. He kept him subdued until the police were able to arrive on the scene at 8:04 a.m. Riverside Park, which stretches four miles from 72nd to 158th Streets along the Hudson River, had to be shut down all morning, in order to allow police officers canvass the area for witnesses.

    Police commissioner Raymond Kelly says that all of the victims are expected to survive. USA Today mentions that aside from the toddler, who is one-and-a-half, all of the other victims were in their 30’s. Martin Speechley, a detective with the New York Police Department, said that the park is normally a very safe area. The attack was completely unexpected and shocking for everyone around. All of the victims were taken to St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital. The suspect was sent to Bellevue Hospital, and is getting ready to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, according to NY 1 News.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIOh9wyAMRg

    Image via Youtube

  • Eagle Attacking Deer Caught On Camera

    Nature strikes again. In Russia, a camera was placed in the wild to take snaps of untainted nature. Though the camera was originally intended to capture pictures of tigers, another unusual predator was captured instead. The camera took a series of images depicting a golden eagle attacking a young sika deer.

    Linda Kerley of the Zoological Society of London and Jonathan Slaght of the Wildlife Conservation Society had hoped to see a rare glimpse into the daily habits of Siberian tigers when the camera caught the adult golden eagle attacking the young deer. In December of 2011, the camera took the series of images, which included three pictures during the span of just 2 seconds. Full size adult golden eagles can weigh up to 14 pounds; however, the baby deer was estimated to be somewhere in the range of 90 to 100 pounds. Though smaller in bodily frame, the eagles have powerful talons and beaks, which make them formidable predators.

    The following video includes stills from the golden eagle’s attack.

    Two weeks after the attack, Linda Kerley went to check on the equipment and monitor the camera. She noticed that the carcass of the deer, that was partially skeletal, had dropped in the exact same place of the attack. The placement and remains of the deer led researchers to assume that other carnivores had traveled in the vicinity. The following image shows the remains of the deer’s leg.

    The researchers have stated that golden eagles do not typically attack deer, and there is no reason to suspect that the overall deer population will suffer from such attacks. However, there is no doubt that eagles are predators. Various types of eagles have been known to not only attack deer, but other land-dwelling creatures as well with some of these mammals being predators themselves. Other animal victims have included wolves, foxes, bears, and mountain goats to name a few. The following video shows pictures of some of the other types of attacks in nature that people have captured eagles attacking.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GoEalfyMqM

    [Image And Videos Via YouTube]

  • Shark Attack in Daytona; 11-Year-Old Gets Souvenir

    This past weekend 11-year-old Riley Breihan was bitten by a shark in Daytona Beach, Florida. She was swimming at WinterHaven Park in Ponce Inlet on Sunday when something began to bite at her leg.

    Breihan was on her boogie board when she realized that her leg had come in contact with a shark.

    The little girl said, “At first I wasn’t thinking about pain, I was thinking I got bit by a shark and I have to go to the emergency room. Then I felt the sting and it hurt real bad.”, according to WKMG-TV, Orlando.

    She was bitten on her leg and near her ankle. Two people who did not know Breihan witnessed the attack and very quickly wrapped her leg up in a towel and took her to the hospital.

    Doctors soon began to check her wounds and confirm that she had been bitten by a shark. As they were examining her, they found a shark tooth in her skin, where one of the bites had taken place.

    The medics had to numb the area in order to remove the shark tooth from the 11-year-old’s leg. “They had to numb me and they had to prick it out,” Breihan also told WKMG-TV, Orlando.

    She is now at home, recovering on crutches with the assistance of her family.

    [Image via Youtube]

  • Wolf Attack In Minnesota Is The State’s First

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYG6yePNLA4

    The first official reporting of a gray wolf attack in Minnesota occurred on Saturday at the West Winnie Campground located on Lake Winnibigoshish. The victim, a sixteen-year-old boy named Noah Graham, was attacked and bitten in the head by a 75 pound gray wolf, which appeared in the early morning hours close to 4 a.m. when Noah was preparing to fall asleep. Noah was in the vicinity of the campsite’s beach area with members from his church when the attack happened.

    Scott Graham, the boy’s father, spoke about the ordeal. “The wolf just came up behind Noah, he didn’t hear anything, and it just grabbed him by the back of the head and wouldn’t let go. He had to physically pry the jaws of the wolf open, to get it off of him, and once he got it off of him and he was up, the wolf stood there growling at him. And he had to shout at it and kick at it to get it to go away.”

    The Department of Natural Resources reports that this is the first known human attack in Minnesota by a gray wolf, which is also called a timber wolf. The enforcement director for the Department of Natural Resources, Colonel Ken Soring, said, “Our records do not reflect that we’ve had wolf attacks like this in Minnesota.”

    Authorities tracked and killed the wolf responsible for the attack in order to test for rabies where the University of Minnesota veterinary lab will be responsible for completing the tests. What could have triggered this rare display of aggression? The wolf was noted as having a deformed jaw, which could have been a contributing factor in the attack. Due to the abnormally-shaped jawline, the wolf may have potentially struggled with the process of tracking, locating, and consuming food.

    Are campsites safe? Should other campers be readily prepared to confront wolves while enjoying the wilderness? Colonel Soring surmised the situation. “It’s too early to speculate as far as the condition or the causes with this animal, but it is not characteristic of wolves to approach people,” he said.

    Noah Graham is fortunate to have responded quickly to the situation. His recovery includes the placement of 17 stitches in the back of his head as well as undergoing shots as part of rabies precautionary measures.

    [Image via Wikimedia Commons]

  • Crocodile Attack During Birthday Party

    Crocodile Attack During Birthday Party

    A crocodile attack occurred Saturday in the Northern Territory of Australia at Mary River Park. The popular camping site and tourist destination is located 65 miles from Darwin, the state’s capital.

    “The Mary River [in Australia] is known worldwide to have the greatest saturation of adult saltwater crocodiles in the world,” said Senior Sergeant Geoff Bahnert. Why then, did a 24-year-old man, knowing this fact, decide to take a swim in this river?

    A group of friends were celebrating one of the members 30th birthday at Mary River Park. One of the party goers, his name has not yet been identified by officials, along with his friend, decided to swim in the river. They avoided the signs that were posted warning swimmers to stay out of the water and as they made their way way across the river, one of the men was suddenly snatched by a 5 meter-long crocodile.

    http://youtu.be/Rwoang3yCic

    Bahnert, who is from the Northern Territory Police Force said: “Several of the group in the party witnessed the male being taken in the jaws of the croc for a period of time, and then he was out of sight.”

    Police carried out a search for the man on Saturday and were continuing their search on Sunday. In the process of searching for the victim, the police had to kill the largest crocodile at the site for the safety of the search team.

    The man has still not been found and has been presumed to be dead. It is unknown whether or not alcohol played a factor in the man’s decision to swim in the river.

    “We tell people to stay away from the water, they obviously went against this (and) a man was taken,” an employee of the resort, Erin Bayard said. “We say to everybody it’s full of crocs. It’s one of the most populated rivers in the Territory, every couple of kilometres there is a large croc.”

    Image via thinkstock.com

  • U.S. Cruise Missile Syria Attack Looms

    Are the days of Hitler’s poisonous gas brutality behind us? Several hundred lost their lives in Syria last Wednesday to what many are estimating was a chemical attack. However, the Syrian government has strongly denied any connection to the disastrous event even though photos of the atrocities victims endured have been leaked.

    The Syrian government is officially not assuming responsibility for the situation. The chemical attack has not only threatened those directly attacked, but many more have fled the country as refugees. In fact, estimates claim 30,000 people are now refugees as a result of the attack.

    U.N. representatives arrived in Syria to investigate; however, the Syrian government would not allow these representatives access to the Damascus area where the supposed chemical attack occurred. Now, as a result of the looming threat, officials for the United States are considering involvement in order to prevent potentially global devastation.

    The White House National Security Advisor, Susan Rice, took to Twitter to condemn those responsible for the attacks.

    Barrack Obama said in a CNN exclusive, “Some core issues that the United States has both in terms of us making sure that methods of mass destruction are not proliferating as well as needing to protect our allies, our bases in the region. I think that it is fair to say that as difficult as the problem is, this is something that is going to require America’s attention and hopefully the entire international community’s attention.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP13L-7Jes0

    President Barrack Obama shared his concerns with CNN. “If the U.S. goes in and attacks another country, without a U.N. mandate and without clear evidence that can be presented then there are questions in terms of whether international law supports it, ‘Do we have the coalition to make it work?’ Those are considerations that we have to take into account,” President Obama said.

    [Image via Wikimedia Commons is not indicative of potential considerations by U.S. government]

  • Alaska Hunter Survives Bear Attack

    Alaska Hunter Survives Bear Attack

    A hunter spent nearly 36 hours in the Alaskan wilderness awaiting rescue, after being mauled by a brown bear, according to the Alaska National Guard. The grizzly attack took place about 35 miles north of Anaktuvuk Pass, a small Nunamiut Eskimo village in the North Slope Borough of the state.The victim was a member of a guided hunting party.

    Initial rescue attempts by locals and Alaska State Troopers were thwarted by dense fog, though luckily, a medical professional from another hunting party happened to be in the vicinity. The mauled hunter had suffered excessive blood loss and various other injuries, and the medic was able to stabilize him while awaiting rescue.

    Roughly a day and a half after the attack, the 11th Air Force Rescue Coordination Center got word of the situation, and according to Master Sgt. Armando Soria, the medic at the scene can take credit for saving the man’s life. “He was able to decrease the blood loss and maintain life until help could arrive. He provided expert care with limited resource for several hours, ultimately stabilizing, warming and rehydrating the victim,” Soria said.

    The Alaska Air National Guard dispatched an HC-130 plane, carrying a crew of pararescuemen from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, to meet up with a waiting helicopter at Eielson Air Force Base, near Fairbanks. Both teams then flew 280 miles northwest towards the site of the attack. Upon arrival at Anaktuvuk Pass, the plane’s crew launched flares to help guide the HH-60 helicopter to the site, and also provided refueling between cloud layers.

    The landing party, using night-vision goggles, finally reached the injured hunter at about 3 A.M. The victim arrived at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital after 5 A.M., and was listed in stable condition, as of Saturday.

    No details concerning the actual mauling were released.

    In related news, four people near Yellowstone were also recently attacked by grizzly bears.

  • Yellowstone Area Grizzlies Attack, Four Injured

    Four people suffered minor injuries Thursday, after two separate grizzly bear attacks in and around Yellowstone National Park.

    The first attack occurred after two hikers came across a grizzly cub near Canyon Village, which lies in the northern area of the park. The two used bear spray and played dead, both suggested tactics to employ during a grizzly attack. One hiker was treated at the scene, and the other was taken to a hospital for relatively minor bite and claw wounds. Park officials decided not to pursue the attacking bear, and according to park spokesperson Al Nash, the “bear by all accounts was acting on instinct, defending its cub. That is natural and normal behavior for a sow grizzly.”

    Later that day, two Bureau of Land Management employees were also attacked, roughly 70 miles west of the Yellowstone incident. In this instance, both victims wound up in the hospital. According to Idaho Department of Fish and Game spokesman Gregg Losinski, the grizzly “hit the first fellow, bit him in the thigh and backside. The second person got out his bear spray. When the bear hit him, it bit his hand.” Both workers were treated at a Rexburg, Idaho hospital and released.

    Grizzly attacks have been on the rise the region, as bear populations have been on the rebound over the past couple of decades. Four people were mauled to death in Yellowstone since 2010. Incidentally, attacks are typically on the upswing in the fall, as hunters pursue backcountry elk in the area.

    In related news, for anyone curious, here is what one might see while being eaten by a bear.

  • Teen Fights Giant Gator; Gator Killed

    Teen Fights Giant Gator; Gator Killed

    Andrew Hudson, 17, was swimming on Monday at Little Big Econ State Forest in Florida. His foot hit what he thought was a log. Until that log clamped down on his head and neck and took him under. Hudson was in a fight for his life with a 10-foot-long gator.

    He recounted the tale for ABC News.

    “It took me a couple of seconds to actually figure out that it was a gator,” Hudson recalled. “He took me under, and I felt the gator’s claws and body and stuff. And I just started trying to do whatever i could to get away. I didn’t really want to die.”

    Hudson was caught by the head, neck and shoulders in the gator’s powerful jaws.

    “He came up behind me and clamped. I was worried about how much blood I was losing, because I couldn’t see.

    Hudson’s kicked and started punching the gator. Then, as quickly as it had grabbed him, the gator turned loose.

    “I got lucky there,” says Hudson. “I didn’t think he would [let go]. And then I got on land, bleeding everywhere. I took off my shorts and wrapped them around my head to stop the bleeding.”

    Hudson has 19 stitches in his back and 15 staples in his head from the ordeal. Bu he says he was just grateful that the gator attacked him, and not his female friend with him.

    “I was really glad it was me and not her, because I was able to get away,” he said.

    WPTV News reports that area Fish and Wildlife officials looked into the case. They found a gator even bigger than the one Hudson described near where his ordeal took place. They were able to bait a trap for it, and it showed no fear of the trappers. That indicated to them that they had the right gator. They killed the animal and it will be processed for meat and hide.

  • News Crew Attack: Woman Charged With Assaulting Reporter

    Earlier this week, a reporter and cameraman for Providence, Rhode Island’s ABC 6 news station were attacked by a woman while attempting to question her. The woman’s daughter was shot during a recent graduation party, and the suspect in the shooting had just been caught. When asked how she felt about it, the woman threw a rock at the cameraman, brandished a bat at the crew, and sent two dogs to attack the newswoman.

    The newswoman, Abbey Niezgoda, received a tetanus shot for a dog bite and then filed a police report against her attacker, 35-year-old Melissa Lawrence. Now, Lawrence has been charged in connection with the attack.

    According to a Providence Journal report, Lawrence now faces two felony assault charges for the attack. She reportedly wore a shirt reading “My Attitude is Your Problem” to court on Wednesday, where not guilty pleas were entered on her behalf. She has been released on personal recognizance and forbidden to contact Niezgoda or the cameraman.

    The entire incident was caught on video, leaving little doubt that Niezgoda attacked the news crew:

    ABC6 – Providence, RI and New Bedford, MA News, Weather