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Tag: wildlife

  • Eva Shockey Maligned on Social Media for Bear Photos

    Eva Shockey, Canadian co-host of Outdoor Channel series Jim Shockey’s Uncharted, has come under fire after appearing in pictures with a 510-pound black bear her father shot, during a hunting exhibition in North Carolina on November 14.

    Shockey, 26, the first woman to appear on the cover of Field & Stream magazine in three decades, has received death threats from animal rights supporters on her various social media accounts. After posting a couple of pictures with the dead bear, thousands chimed in to convey their disdain for the kill.

    Shockey told FOX News, “I believe with every part of me that what I’m doing is right, so there’s nothing that I’m apologizing for,” while pointing out that in North Carolina, the bear population is rising rapidly. “Obviously we’re not gonna get rid of the humans. … You have to keep the bear population in check.”

    Here are the Facebook posts that riled the indoor types:

    While many of the anti-hunting comments were objectively tame, some were a bit overwrought, prompting Shockey to defend her and her father’s actions as avid hunters.

    Commenting on being the only woman to be featured in a Field & Stream cover photo aside from Queen Elizabeth, Shockey remarked, “it’s a huge, huge honor. It’s really amazing. It doesn’t even really feel real. She’s a really important woman.”

  • PETA Offering Reward for Squirrel Kicker Identity

    PETA Offering Reward for Squirrel Kicker Identity

    In a video that went viral online, an unnamed Frenchman was shown kicking a squirrel into the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Now the UK branch of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is offering a $17,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the squirrel-kicker.

    PETA urged anyone with details to relay information to the Grand Canyon’s chief ranger, and calls the man seen in the video a “heartless thug.”

    In the clip, (the original has been deleted from YouTube), a shirtless man is seen setting down crumbs to lure a squirrel to the edge of the cliff, before kicking it into the canyon, while his friend in biker shorts watches.

    Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski said that rangers have been investigating the video, and have concluded that it appears to have been shot at the Grand Canyon, but when and exactly where is still vague.

    Here is a copy of the clip of the incident:

    If the kicker is caught, he could face a charge of wildlife harassment, which carries a penalty of up to six months imprisonment and a $5,000 fine, Shedlowski said.

    The Frenchmen from the video did not make any new fans on Twitter:

    PETA, founded in 1980, is the largest animal rights group in the world, with over 3 million members and supporters. Its slogan reads, “animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment or abuse in any way.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Chinese Fisherman Nets Whale Shark

    Chinese Fisherman Nets Whale Shark

    A Chinese fisherman netted a 14-foot-long 4,000 pound whale shark over the weekend, and was able to strap the carcass to the roof of a truck and haul it to a fish market in Xiaozhi.

    Fishing for the endangered whale shark is illegal in China, but Fujian province Captain Cai Chengzhu claims that the massive fish was accidently caught in his nets, and died while his crew tried to release it.

    “It’s believed that the giant creature broke the net and got inside to eat the fish we caught. It was really unfortunate and we did our best to free it, but having caught it and because it was already dead, it seemed a shame to waste it,” Chengzhu commented.

    The fisherman was hoping to get between 10,000 and 20,000 yuan (between $1618.52 and $3237.03 USD) for his hard-to-conceal whale shark, before being nabbed by Fujian fishery officials.

    The shark ended up being processed, and the meat was auctioned off at charity prices.

    The whale shark, or Rhincodon typus, is a gentle, slow-moving filter feeding shark and the largest of extant fish species. The shark is known to feed off fish trapped in nets, which corroborates Captain Chengzhu’s explanation for his catch.

    The whale shark lives in tropical and warm oceans and is an open ocean-dwelling species. Its average lifespan is roughly 70 years, though some individuals live for a century. The whale shark is the largest existing nonmammalian vertebrate, with the largest confirmed specimen weighing in at 47,000 pounds at 41.5 feet long.

    Image via YouTube

  • Earth Facing Sixth Mass Extinction

    Earth Facing Sixth Mass Extinction

    The Earth may be on the brink of a sixth mass extinction, due to human activity, according to the academic journal Science.

    The Earth’s most recent mass extinction event occurred roughly 65 million years ago, when an asteroid wiped out 75% of all existing species, including the dinosaurs.

    Commenting on the progression of Earth’s present defaunation, or loss of species, Science author Sacha Vignieri said, “human impacts on animal biodiversity are an under-recognized form of global environmental change. Among terrestrial vertebrates, 322 species have become extinct since 1500, and populations of the remaining species show 25% average decline in abundance.”

    The team of biologists and ecologists who contributed to the study revealed that a third of all vertebrates on the planet are presently threatened or endangered. Vignieri cites “overexploitation, habitat destruction and impacts from invasive species” as ongoing threats, but warns that climate change due to human activity will emerge as the leading cause of defaunation. Likewise, diseases that come from pathogens introduced by humans have become a factor.

    Paleoecologists estimate that modern man has driven approximately 1,000 species into extinction during our 200,000 years on the planet. Since the sixteenth century, man has killed off hundreds of animals, including the passenger pigeon and the Tasmanian tiger. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, there are another 20,000 species threatened today.

    Though, research has suggested that the widening extinction trend can be reversed.

    Humans presently use half of the planet’s unfrozen land for cities, logging or agriculture. Reforestation and restoration of lost habitats, coupled with relocation and recolonization efforts can assist in the “refaunation” of species driven from their native locales.

    Based on data published in Nature in 2011, it will take a century or two to assure another mass extinction event at the present rate of global depredation.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Rare Blue-Colored Red King Crab Caught in Alaska

    An exceedingly rare blue-colored red king crab was caught in Norton Sound, Alaska on the fourth of July, and ended up making its rounds as a sort of tourist attraction.

    Commercial crabber Frank McFarland discovered the unique crab in one of the pots set down from his boat, The Nome Nugget. McFarland stored the crab at the Norton Sound Seafood Center in Nome, Alaska for two weeks, where it was visited daily by crab enthusiasts who wanted to snap a photo with it.

    An employee of the seafood center confirmed that McFarland had returned to collect the crab, and plans to have it mounted.

    Scott Kent, of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Nome, called blue-hued red king crabs extremely rare, and commented that they are caught “once in a blue moon.” Biologists suspect crabs develop odd colors as a result of genetic mutations.

    The red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus, is native to the Bering Sea, a region made famous by Discovery’s popular reality show Deadliest Catch. The king crab, which is a coveted, valuable, yet difficult to catch food source, is native to the Bering Sea, the north Pacific Ocean and surrounding Alaskan waters.

    Earlier this year, another blue red king crab was caught in the Bering Sea and shipped to a wholesaler in Japan. Kenetsu Mikami, president of Marusan Ocean Foods, said, “I’ve been dealing with crabs for 25 years, but this is the first time to see that color. It could be a good omen.” Or it could be indicative of greater Godzilla-esque mutations brewing after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, as some have speculated.

    Realistically, the blue coloration is likely due to a random genetic anomaly, as other crustaceans including lobsters have been found blue. The blue-colored red crab of Japan was kept alive and placed on display at Marusan Ocean Foods for observation.

    Image via Youtube

  • Anaconda Loose in New Jersey Lake

    A green anaconda is loose in Lake Hopatcong in Jefferson Township, situated in northern New Jersey, and reptile expert Gerald Andrejcak revealed that state wildlife authorities told him to “keep his mouth shut” regarding the actual species of the snake.

    The snake was initially described as a boa, which a green anaconda technically is, but state officials wanted to avoid causing a panic in the area. “I was sworn to keep my mouth shut by local officials to avoid causing a panic,” Andrejcak commented, adding, “Now that there’s a panic, I’m going on the record.”

    Andrejack positively identified the snake on Thursday as a 16-foot-long green anaconda, after spotting it by the lake. The snake had vanished by the time animal care workers arrived to attempt to wrangle it.

    The green anaconda, or Eunectes murinus, is native to South America, and has been confirmed to grow to more than 22 feet long, and can weigh over 215 pounds. Though, a $50,000 reward stands for anyone who can capture a green anaconda measuring 30 feet long, and historical records indicate that the snake, which lives in remote areas of rain forests, can grow to 40 feet long, and weigh over 550 pounds.

    The green anaconda’s only known predator is man, and can take down large prey including deer and cattle.

    As a side note, behold Jon Voight’s continuous mean-mugging from the 1997 J.Lo thriller Anaconda:

    Andrejack, an employee of Common Sense for Animals, remarked that he is frustrated by the lack of response from wildlife officials, and hopes to find the snake before someone kills it.

    Tony Colantonio, who lives by the lake, commented, “If someone can kill it and get out of here, that’s fine. I want proof that it’s gone.”

    Here is a video Colantonio captured of the snake:

    Colantonio added, “There’s kids swimming in the lake, there’s going to be people in the water this weekend, and my kids can’t go in their backyard. It’s a green anaconda, a predator, hunting all day every day. It’s not a python that lives 80 percent of its life on land and only needs to eat once a month. It’s one of the most aggressive snakes out there. It’s been two weeks and (the township and state) have done nothing. Everybody I call just blows me off.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • ‘Lost’ Snake Rediscovered on Mexico Island

    A species of snake not seen for almost 80 years was found on a remote island off of the Pacific coast of Mexico.

    Hypsiglena unaocularis, commonly known as the Clarión nightsnake, was first described by American naturalist William Beebe during his voyage to Clarión Island in 1936. Beebe encountered a single specimen, and the snake was not seen again in decades. Now researchers have confirmed the existence of the species, after collecting DNA samples from snakes on Clarión, which is part of the Revillagigedo Islands group.

    Daniel Mulcahy, a researcher for the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, was convinced that the snake might still exist, and he and Juan Martinez Gomez of Mexico’s Ecology Institute planned an expedition to the Revillagigedo Islands to find it. Martinez Gomez, an expert on the Revillagigedos, helped to form a plan for locating the nightsnake, using Beebe’s original field notes as a guide.

    Martinez Gomez commented, “Basically, following those directions, we essentially put ourselves in his place.” One of Martinez Gomez’ graduate students spotted the snake, the first seen alive since 1936. The team performed a DNA analysis to declare the animal as its own species, which revealed that it closely resembles snakes from Mexico’s Sonora-Sinaloa coast more than 500 miles away. Martinez Gomez thinks that the snakes may have floated on a tree trunk from the Mexican mainland to the island.

    Clarión Island is currently occupied by a small outfit of Mexican marines, and civilian visits to the area require a military escort, which has made it difficult to document the wildlife native to the region. This, along with a lack of sightings since Beebe’s 1936 find, caused scientists to presume that Beebe had provided an incorrect locality for the specimen

    Here is an old-school documentary on the wildlife of Clarión Island, with native species include the Clarión Burrowing Owl, the Clarión Wren, the Clarión Mourning Dove and the Clarion Island Whipsnake:

    The National Museum of Natural History commented that Mulcahy “uncovered the controversy surrounding the inclusion of this snake in the scientific record, and found that it appears to be the only species ever to be discarded due to a presumed locality error.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Whale Carcass Feared Ready to Explode

    Whale Carcass Feared Ready to Explode

    Residents of Trout River in Newfoundland, Canada fear that a blue whale carcass that washed ashore last week may be ready to explode. The stinky, 82-foot-long cetacean has been expanding due to a buildup of various gasses, and might go by the way of a putrefied sperm whale that exploded in the Faroe Islands last November.

    Emily Butler, Trout River town manager, commented, “The whale is blowing up. It looks as if it’s a big balloon, from a distance. There is a possibility as well, with all these gases inside the whale, that it may possibly explode…That’s a major concern for us.”

    Trout River, pop. 600, had asked for a hand in removing the carcass from provincial and federal government agencies, but were told that they have to deal with the whale themselves. Butler added, “I wouldn’t want to direct anybody to actually remove this animal you know, under the town’s responsibility because we don’t have the expertise to do such a thing. I’m also hearing that DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) would seem to take this as being an interference with navigation if it’s taken back out to the ocean.”

    The blue whale is the largest known animal to have ever existed, sometimes reaching 100 feet in length. and weighing almost 200 tons. Trout River residents are already complaining of the stench of the whale, which would be compounded if it blew up. Though, it would appear that some sort of gaseous release will occur regardless of how the situation is handled.

    During the putrefaction process of a dead animal, various gasses begin to build up within the abdominal cavity of the carcass, specifically methane, sometimes resulting in animal explosions. These foul forces of nature are rare, though not unprecedented. Here is a clip of the Faroe Islands explosion:

    It is not yet clear how Trout River plans to dispose of their whale, and Butler said, “We’re really concerned about the smell from this. We are also concerned with the health aspect of this animal being on the beach line.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Squirrel Causes $300K in Damages in Indy

    A defiant squirrel managed to cause roughly $300K in damages to a new Fort Wayne, Indiana community center that is scheduled to open in June.

    The small rodent infiltrated the electrical system of the newly renovated athletics complex at McMillen Park on April 1st, causing a power surge that destroyed three new HVAC systems, and damaged parts of the boiler system. The squirrel did not survive.

    Squirrels belong to the family Sciuridae of small or medium-size rodents. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots (including woodchucks), flying squirrels and prairie dogs.

    Here Jeff Lebowski has an encounter with an unruly marmot:

    The squirrels native to Indiana include the fox squirrel, the American gray squirrel, the red squirrel, the Franklin’s ground squirrel, the southern fly squirrel and the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. No word on which type of squirrel caused the power surge. Squirrels instinctively seek warm, dry places to stay, and the McMillen Park electrical array likely appeared to be a good spot to post up for the rodent at the time.

    According to Parks Director Al Moll, the damage will be covered by insurance, minus the department’s $50,000 deductible. Parks Department spokesman Steve McDaniel stated that the company that built the HVAC systems is rushing to replace it so the center can open on June 7 .

    The structure under renovation was originally McMillen Ice Arena, which closed in 2009. The $1.9 million project is converting the arena into a community center hosting basketball, an indoor track and other activities. Large rooms that once held ice rinks will now house basketball courts and indoor soccer fields. The entire project is estimated to cost roughly $4.5 million.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Grand Canyon Hybrid Bison On a Tear

    Grand Canyon Hybrid Bison On a Tear

    Over 350 hybrid bison have been on a rampage in the northern region of Grand Canyon National Park, and the herd has been tearing up vegetation, impinging on the native habitat of the endangered Mexican spotted owl, knocking down Native American cliff dwellings and befouling the water supply by using it as a toilet.

    The animals were originally introduced to northern Arizona in the early 1900’s, and have made their way past the boundaries of the Grand Canyon. The state of Arizona legally owns the herd as it exists outside of the park, but the bison are now almost exclusively living within the borders of the national reserve. The wily bison were brought to the region to be crossbred with cows for ranching operations, to produce hybrids known as beefalo or cattalo.

    Beefalo are a fertile hybrid combination of domestic cattle and the American bison, created to combine the characteristics of both species for beef production. Beefalo are primarily cattle genetically, and typically maintain only 37.5% bison DNA. Animals that have gained more bison genes over generations are known as “bison hybrids.” These bison no longer resemble cattle, but still maintain roughly ten percent cattle DNA.

    Here are some more genetically-aligned beefalo/cattalo grazing:

    Creating beefalo has proven to be a serious setback to wild American bison conservation. Most current buffalo herds are genetically polluted or partly crossbred with cattle, and only four purebred American bison herds remain in the United States.

    Federal and state wildlife officials are weighing methods to control the herd residing in the park, where they are protected by law, allowing for a free-range population that can be taken by huntsman on nearby forested areas. On Wednesday it was announced that three meetings on the matter will be held in southern Utah and Arizona, along with a 60-day scoping period.

    Grand Canyon Superintendent Dave Uberuaga commented, “It’s the first step in a long process today. We’re just trying to get it out there and get it on everybody’s radar screens.”

    Bison can weigh more than a ton, and can run as fast as 40 mph. Uberuaga noted that present management methods which include baiting, hazing, fencing and relocating the bison and shooting them has proven ineffective in controlling the Grand Canyon population.

    Officials from the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service expect to have a plan concerning the wayward herd to be issued by fall, 2016.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Bald Eagle Egg Hatches in Pittsburgh

    Bald Eagle Egg Hatches in Pittsburgh

    The Pennsylvania Game Commission confirmed that the first of three bald eagle eggs had hatched Friday in a nest sitting in a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania neighborhood. Roughly an hour later, the adult male and female eagles were seen tending to the eaglet via a webcam put in place by the commission using PixController.

    The nest was built in the Hays section of Pittsburgh, near the Monongahela river. The Game Commission commented that the second egg might hatch in about three days, and the last egg might hatch within a week. According to Commission Officer Gary Fujak, the 5.5-year-old female eagle will stay on top of the hatchling while she continues to incubate the other two eggs for the next several days. Fujak commented, “Generally, the first eaglet that hatches will have the best chance. The mortality rate can be as high as 50 percent within the first year,” though added that three eaglets in Crescent Township, Allegheny County survived last year.

    Here’s the clip of the first eaglet hatching in the Pittsburgh Hays nest:

    In the 1800’s, the Carnegie Steel Homestead site sat along the Monongahela River, severely polluting the water, as industrialization was yet to be regulated during that era. Fish populations were essentially destroyed, and during a survey in 1967, a researcher could only find one bluegill. As bald eagles rely on fish to survive, experts have noted that it’d likely been 250 years since the birds of prey were nesting along Pittsburgh’s three rivers, before being reintroduced three decades ago alongside efforts to clean up the waterways.

    At present, there are now 76 species of fish in the Monongahela. With assistance from the Canadian government and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are now more than 200 eagle’s nests existing in the region. Fujak commented, “This is great. It is showing how adaptive wildlife is and how resilient they are.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Bald Eagle Released After Territorial Brawl

    The American Bald Eagle symbolizes strength, long life, and most of all, freedom.

    So, it’s no surprise that wildlife rescue centers across the country take their job very seriously when it comes to saving endangered bald eagles.

    One of these majestic birds was saved last week in West Cape May, New Jersey following a territorial fight against a rival.

    Authorities were informed about the brawl between the two eagles.

    When the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) state biologist Kathy Clark arrived on scene, the pair was still attacking each other along side a residential street. She captured the most injured one while the other one escaped.

    The bald eagle suffered from bruising and puncture wounds under its wings.

    After extensive rehabilitation at Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research Inc. in Newark, Del., DEP decided to release it Tuesday at a remote wildlife management area in Winslow.

    As onlookers waited for the bird’s release, authorities carried it in a covered cage, shielded from its audience. Once his cage door was opened, he immediately flew off into the distance.

    “It was a quick turn-around for him,” said Sarah Tegtmeier of Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research. “The shorter we keep them in captivity, the better, but we won’t release them until they are ready.”

    DEP believes that the fight was between two male bald eagles over a nesting area.

    Clark says that territorial brawls between bald eagles are more common now that the population has grown since 2012.

    The department decided to release the bird outside the location of its home because they wanted to avoid another similar incident.

    “We hope he finds new territory, but chances are, he will go back to Cape May once he gets his bearings because he knows he does not live here. That will be his choice,” Clark said.

    Watch the the video down below by NJ.com:

    In another unrelated event, a bald eagle was found shot and wounded in a residential area near Oak Lawn, Illinois.

    According to the Federal Migratory Bird Act, it is illegal to hunt bald eagles. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating more into the case as they assume someone deliberately shot the bird.

    The bird went through surgery February and is currently recovering at Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn.

    Here is a story about the population of Tri-State Bald Eagles:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Yosemite Bears Turn Healthy With New Diet

    Bears housed in the Yosemite National Park in California have changed their diet to healthier food. Over the last 15 years, the campground implemented a safety measure that prevented the bears from scavenging food in the wild.

    The park, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the U.S., serves as the home for around 400 black bears that are able to roam around. In 1998, the park’s records show the highest interaction between visitors and the bears, as the animals were able to raid the campgrounds in search for food.

    Since 1999, the park has mandated a policy that provided bear-resistant food lockers at campgrounds to prevent the black bears from consuming human food, such as bread and potato chips.

    Researchers studied bear hair samples from the campgrounds and compared them to the bear bones from museums and determined that the ratio of human food consumed by bears rose significantly after the park started providing food for the bears in 1923 in order to keep them away from the developed areas of the park.

    After providing the bear-resistant food lockers, the number of human food the bears consumed dropped down to 13% – a value that is close to the numbers from 1915 up to 1919.

    Preventing bears from eating human food is beneficial to them, as it prevents them from having rotten teeth, which is mainly caused by the high sugar level that pilfered chow contains. In addition, allowing bears to feed on human food keeps them coming back for more and in turn endangering both bears and humans.

    With the new implementation of keeping human food away from the black bears, rangers at the Yosemite National Park are now only forced to kill about two bears per year as opposed to about seven or eight when the policy was not yet in place.

    Why You Should Not Feed The Bears At Yosemite

    Image via YouTube

  • Jackie Chan Makes a Royal Blunder and Tackles Illegal Wildlife Trade

    Many people know Jackie Chan for his comedic role in Rush Hour. Even more people know him for his martial arts skills, but few are aware of Chan’s active role in preserving wildlife.

    Chan, as a spokesman for the wildlife charity Wildaid, is passionate about animal rights. So passionate that he refuses to eat food that uses endangered animals in its ingredients. Chan recalled that ten years ago, while in China, the government brought him soup containing shark fin. He told them to “put it away.”

    Last week Chan attended a conference on behalf of Wildaid. At a reception following the Illegal Wildlife Trade conference in London, he made a slight blunder by mixing up Prince Harry and Prince William. Chan congratulated Prince William on his recent trek to the South Pole. Chan told The Times newspaper that William responded by saying, “No, that was my brother.” Chan quickly countered by saying, “I’m sorry.’ But they look almost same, huh?” The two men shared a laugh, shook hands, and then continued on their way.

    William and Harry attended the event to support their father, Prince Charles, who gave a speech at the event. In his speech he urged actions be taken to stop illegal trade of animal products, because of its threat to wildlife, and to the people that protect it.

    While in London, Chan also spoke to a reporter at CNN about why he’s so passionate about animal rights. He disclosed a memory of using animal products for healing remedies when he got hurt. However, he later discovered there were no real healing powers to these products. It was all a myth.

    Chan now speaks against people who sell these products illegally. He tells people to stop buying them because Chan feels it destroys the earth. He even appears in a documentary called Tools of the Trade, which highlights the illegal trade of wildlife products.

    Chan told the CNN reporter that by destroying animals, we’re destroying ourselves.

    Image via Youtube

  • 18-Foot Python: Burmese Behemoth Found In Florida Almost Ties Record

    An 18-foot python found in the Florida Everglades almost tied in size with the state’s record setting snake.

    The Miami Herald reported that the massive Burmese beast was captured on Tuesday by python control on the L-28 levee, roughly 5 miles north of Tamiami Trail. Engineers came across the creature while inspecting levees in the Everglades. South Florida Water Management District spokesman, Randy Smith, said, “It looks to be about 18 feet,” adding, “It could very well be a state record.”

    That was almost the case. Burmese pythons typically reach about 20 feet in their natural habitat of Southeast Asia. The current state record for a snake found in Florida reportedly was measured to be 18 feet, 8 inches and weighed in at 128 pounds when snake collector Jason Leon killed it. The python captured by Hill this past Tuesday met the same fate before its corpse was sent to the University of Florida to also be measured and weighed.

    At 18 feet 2 inches, the female serpent fell short of the existing record by merely half a foot, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

    The cold-blooded creatures spend their days atop the leaves, doing what Floridians do: sunning themselves for hours on end. However, this species is currently being battled due to a rising concern that they could alter the ecosystem in a detrimental way. The southern state’s reptile residents have reportedly grown to a population comprising upwards of 150,000 in the Everglades and have been consistently consuming the indigenous species as their main source of food.

    But who is truly to blame for the python proliferation? This colossal species of snake – the largest in the world – is reported to have found a home in the Everglades following the use of the wetlands as a convenient dumping ground by pet owners.


    Image via Youtube

  • Redditor ‘Socializes’ Duckling Using Beard

    Redditor ‘Socializes’ Duckling Using Beard

    In a series of revealing photos, a Reddit user known as ‘Spongi’ has documented his rearing of an abandoned duckling named “Peeps,” using his beard in place of its mother’s wing.

    While unsuccessfully attempting to hatch chicken eggs, Spongi inadvertently came across the duckling – “So my first attempt to hatch out chicken eggs failed, except it turns out one of the eggs in there was a duck egg and apparently duck eggs are more hardy or tolerant of shitty incubation techniques.”

    Spongi, also known online as “The Real Duck Commander,” raised Peeps in a bed next to his, though plans to set the bird free, once the weather changes. “Once it’s spring Peeps will be a free range duck,” Spongi wrote, adding, “I’ll provide grains, water and a shelter, but that’s it other than socialization of course. My chickens are practically no work.”

    Realizing that Peeps had no one to socialize with, Spongi took matters into his own beard – “So now I had a duckling. A single solitary duckling. Ducks are very social, raising a single duck is basically a death sentence, they will die of loneliness.”

    (image)

    Spongi explains why he’s added a towel to his beard incubator – “A towel was necessary, peeps poop a lot. “A lot” is an understatement.” Spongi adds a PRO-TIP, “Best time for social interaction is after the food dish has been empty a few hours. Do not feed then socialize, unless you do it outside. You will get pooped on, repeatedly.”

    (image)

    Spongi also notes that while raising a duck next to your face, “You will get pecked, but it doesn’t hurt. Unless it’s your eyeball. That hurts.”

    As of writing, Peeps has grown too large to fit into Spongi’s beard, so the two mostly just hang out and watch TV together. Spongi says that he has a few more duck eggs laying around, and that Peeps will likely have some new duck friends.

    Image via Imgur.

  • Rhino Hunt Permit A Controversial Poaching Solution

    Rhino Hunt Permit A Controversial Poaching Solution

    The effort to save endangered species from poachers seems to have taken a bizarre turn where the black rhino is concerned. The Dallas Safari Club is reportedly planning to auction a permit for hunting a black rhino in Namibia. The hunt would allow for the killing of a lone post-breeding bull.

    Club executive director Ben Carter says that the move to auction such a permit is in fact meant to help the endangered rhino species.

    “These bulls no longer contribute to the growth of the population and are in a lot of ways detrimental to the growth of the population because black rhinos are very aggressive and territorial. In many cases, they will kill younger, non-breeding bulls and have been known to kill calves and cows.”

    He also says that allowing the hunt permit to be sold will raise money that could help ensure the survival of the black rhino species. The hunting club hopes the auctioned ticket will fetch as much as $1,000,000 to be put towards the preservation of the animal.

    Despite the intentions of the Dallas Safari Club, certain animal rights groups take issue with the method in which the preservation money is earned. For instance, Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, says his organization opposes any form of hunting of animals regardless of the reasons.

    “Killing an animal as a head-hunting exercise is archaic and inhumane. We can’t just cherry-pick the perfect set of facts to justify this gambit.”

    There are also reports of death threats from animal rights activists over the hunt, causing the Dallas Safari Club to contact the FBI to investigate.

    Namibia has been successful at preserving the country’s tiny population of black rhino through controlled hunting and conservation efforts.

    There hadn’t been much trouble for the black rhino until about 2010, when a Vietnamese official’s relative was said to have been cured of cancer by a medicine that featured the horn of the animal. Despite a lack of medical evidence to substantiate the claim, poaching of the animal skyrocketed.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Rare Chinese Turtles Hatch at NYC Zoo

    Rare Chinese Turtles Hatch at NYC Zoo

    Five rare Chinese big-headed turtles, scientifically known as Platysternon megacephalum, were born at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo in November.

    The 7-inch-long turtle gets its name because its skull is so large that its head is unable to retract into its shell. The five at Prospect Park represent the first successful breeding of the species within a zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

    The turtles are a part of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s global endeavor to save critically endangered turtles from extinction. Jim Breheny, WCS Executive Vice President of Zoos and Aquarium and Bronx Zoo Director, commented, “The success we are seeing at this point in our turtle propagation work is encouraging. Our work on breeding endangered turtles utilizes the expertise found throughout the entire WCS organization as well as various partner organizations with whom we work.”

    Check out a clip of the young turtles:

    The five new turtles join ten others at the Bronx and Prospect Park Zoos, the largest bale of the big-headed species in any AZA-accredited zoo. The hatchlings and most adults are housed in private areas of the zoos, though a single adult female is on exhibit at the “Animals in Our Lives” building at the Prospect Park Zoo.

    WCS is breeding Chinese big-headed turtles and other endangered turtle species to build upon a genetically viable population in-house, until conservationists are able to stabilize wild populations. Special husbandry techniques include the re-creation of environmental conditions the turtles would experience in their native habitats – mainly lighting, temperature and isolation alterations to promote hibernation. Traditionally, guy turtles usually look for lady turtles after coming out of hibernation.

    The Chinese big-headed turtle is native to China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The species is classified as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The species is readily eaten in Asia and is a common market item. Hunters typically capture them on lines using baited straight pins.

    Denise McClean, Director of the WCS Prospect Park Zoo, said, “With so many of the world’s freshwater turtles and tortoises facing extinction, these hatchlings represent significant progress for the conservation of the species. The science could help expand breeding programs to other facilities and can be useful to conservation work in the field.”

    Image via YouTube.

  • Man Cited for Trying to Trade Alligator for Beer

    A Florida man was recently cited for attempting to trade a live alligator for a 12-pack of beer at a convenience store in Allapattah, a suburb of Miami.

    Fernando Aguilera strolled into the Santa Ana Market toting a live, four-foot-long alligator, hoping the clerk would trade the reptile for some beer. The clerk called the police, who in turn called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

    Aguilera, who had the alligator wrapped in tape, says he’d captured it at a local park. Wildlife officers released the unharmed animal, and handed Aquilera three separate citations for the illegal capture and sales attempt of the alligator. All charges filed are second-degree misdemeanors, which carry maximum penalties of 6 months in jail, along with a $500 fine.

    The American alligator, or Alligator mississippiensis, is one of two living species in the genus Alligator within the family Alligatoridae, and is common in the southeastern U.S. The species can grow to be fairly large, with a 727-pound specimen recently being taken in Mississippi.

    Check out a clip of a ‘gator being captured in a Floridian back yard:

    Alligators are typically wary enough of humans to avoid them as prey, but occasionally attacks and fatalities do occur. Alligator sightings are common in Florida, as human development has long encroached upon the reptile’s native habitat. An alligator recently made its way into a Apopka, Florida Wal-Mart.

    Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer Jorge Pino commented, “In 25 years of law enforcement, I have never come across an individual who purposely caught an alligator and tied it up, brought it to a convenience store and tried to barter it for a 12-pack.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Gillian Anderson Poses Nude For Animal Awareness

    X Files star, Gillian Anderson, is in full support of the Fishlove campaign. To show her support and raise awareness, she posed nude with only an eel wrapped around her neck to cover her breasts. The campaign is dedicated to helping raise awareness of the collapsing fish stocks in the deep British waters.

    “Amazing animals that live in the deep ocean are being systematically destroyed by massive fishing nets that catch or crush everything in their path,” the petition reads. “But in days, the European Parliament could vote to protect one of the world’s most precious deep-sea habitats – and we need to give them the public mandate to do it.”

    “We urge you to phase out the most destructive fishing practices in the Northeast Atlantic, especially deep-sea bottom trawling, and hope that members of your party will vote for the urgently needed protection of vulnerable deep-sea species and habitats,” the petition continues. “This is your legacy. Please ensure that these measures are adopted and protect one of the most fragile and biologically diverse areas of the planet before it’s too late.”

    Anderson is not the only celebrity to take part in the campaign. Actress, Olivia Williams, and rapper, Goldie, also posed nude with sea creatures to help raise awareness.

    The petition currently has 13,887 signatures. “On December 10th Members of the European Parliament can vote to ban the most destructive forms of deep-sea fishing in the Northeast Atlantic,” the petition says. The campaign is hoping to have 20,000 signatures before Parliament votes.

    [Image via Twitter]

  • Elk Euthanized After Interaction with Photographer

    After a video taken of a photographer interacting with an elk in North Carolina went viral, the elk was euthanized, leaving people outraged. The video was posted to YouTube earlier this month and the elk was put down just days later because of his behavior.

    The video, which has been viewed 2.6 million times on YouTube and has received hundreds of comments, was taken at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Asheville, NC. Photographer James York taking photos of the elk when it approached him. After the elk approached York, it grazed the photographer’s head with his antlers and then butted his head against York’s for a few minutes.

    While York was okay, park officials said that the video served as further proof that the elk was a risk. The elk had a history of getting too close to humans and since the animal couldn’t be re-trained, the decision was made to euthanize him.

    “The decision (to euthanize) was not made lightly,” said Dana Soehn, a spokeswoman at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “(It’s) not a chance we can take with children in the area.”

    Both York and photographer Vince M. Camiolo, the person who took the video and uploaded it to YouTube, were very disheartened by the news that the elk was euthanized. “It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it was devastating,” Camiolo said after learning the elk was euthanized. “I felt very responsible. I still do.”

    York, who many YouTube users think is responsible for the elk’s death because he didn’t leave, feels bad that the elk was euthanized even though he says it isn’t his fault. “I’m getting tired of being blamed,” York said. “It was a no-win situation for the park. If they hadn’t put him down the park would be liable. I think (the elk) was a problem waiting to happen.”

    Even though York says it wasn’t his fault and that the elk was euthanized, he still feels bad that it was killed. “All the joy is gone. No one got hurt so it was a fun ride. I know the attention contributed to the animal being put down and I wish it had never happened,” York said.

    Watch the full encounter below.

    Here is a photo York took of the elk during his encounter:

    (image)

    Do you think euthanizing the elk was the right move? Judging from Twitter comments on the situation, many people think it was wrong to kill the elk.

    [Image via WBIR]