Mystery disease kills 300 sheep within an hour - Emirates 24/7

A Saudi farmer who went into his barn to take his 300 sheep on their daily pasturing was shocked when he found them all dead, a newspaper in the Gulf Kingdom said on Saturday.

The farm said he checked the sheep an hour earlier and they were all alive in their barn at his far in the western town of Qunfudha.

Mystery disease kills 300 sheep within an hour - Emirates 24/7

From Colin Andrews: These Carpenter Bees were not normal: Strange Story of a sphere

Fascinating and very weird account of scanner-bees:
These Carpenter Bees were not normal: Strange Story of a sphere

On The 'C' Influence: When a Creature's Not a Creature

Excellent piece by Erich Kuersten on science, cryptids, the way we perceive and why we think we see what we see -- or don't see, and so much more.

"I'm not advocating cryptozoologists would be happier taking LSD than hunting for skunk apes, but it might be a start."

The 'C' Influence: When a Creature's Not a Creature

Newest From Nick Redfern: Crypto and the MIB

Looking foward to this one! Read more on Nick's blog There's Something in the Woods. More to come when my copy arrives!
Nick Redfern's "There's Something in the Woods...": Crypto and the MIB

Bigfoot From (Outer) Space! Newsletter

My first newsletter: Bigfoot From Space.
BF newsletterApr2011

FBI Files: 8,000 Cow Mutes in '70s

The FBI has declassified documents concerning UFOs (and why, one asks) and among them, the following on cattle mutilations:
(hat tip to Lesley at The Debris Field for link)
UFOs & Extraterrestrials FBI Files Say 8,000 Cows Mutilated During the '70s

Navy Seal Dogs and their Titanium Teeth

More sickness and what we do to animals, using propaganda to justify these actions. One tactic is the making of heroes out of the animals to assuage our own guilt. The reason for the removal is mainly to instill fear in the enemy, and the implantation of the teeth doesn't seem to be successful:

The teeth of the K-9 combater have been extracted and replaced with titanium choppers. Using titanium, the dog is able to attack without fear of breaking teeth. The one drawback is that many of the dental sets have fallen out when the dog is chomping on the enemy.
The main reason for the metallic smile is the fear factor of the fangs. When a hundred pound pooch with metal teeth is aimed for attack, the sight can be quite frightening. The bite from the jugular with titanium also tears the flesh with more force.

There isn't much more to the story at the link here:Navy Seal Dogs and their Titanium Teeth which is just a puff piece.

Leopard attacks child at Sedgwick County Zoo | Wichita Eagle

Another sad story about a child being mauled by an animal in captivity. My first thought reading this was: "Where were the adults??!!" Scarier that this happened on a school outing. Somehow the child, a 1st grader, climbed over a railing estimated to be "...four to five..." feet, then "...crossed an eight-foot gap..." and stood beside the leopard's enclosed area, trying to touch the animal. Apparently the child wanted "... a closer look" at the cat. How did they know that; did some adult tell the child it was okay? Wasn't he being watched? Wasn't there any pre-teaching involved before leaving for the zoo? Fortunately, as terrifying as it was for the child, the article implies he'll be okay, and, also fortunately, the zoo will not euthanize the leopard.
Leopard attacks child at Sedgwick County Zoo | Wichita Eagle

Sacrifice and Legend: The Dog That Killed Osama bin Laden

The (alleged) assassination/murder/killing of Osama bin Laden became mythic the moment the news stream broke the story. Amidst the lore (burial at sea, grisly photos, the compound, what the neighbors thought, ...) is the story of the dog that was brought along during the raid in Abbottabad. The story goes, according to various news sources such as the one cited here (Yahoo! News) a "military dog" took part in the raid:

a military dog (not pictured) was strapped onto one of the assault team members as he was lowered out of a Black Hawk helicopter and began the operation that killed the notorious terrorist on Monday.

Why a dog would be on the mission isn't revealed. Instead, the dog is presented to us as a hero, for the dog died during the course of the attack. If the dog was, indeed, there in the first place. The Pentagon won't confirm or deny if there was a dog used in the operation or not. Theories as to why a dog would be used: bomb detection, cameras (attached to the dogs), people finder.

The news seems to think that this dog -- so far unconfirmed to its reality-- was killed during the raid, which means the dog is a war hero. Other dogs, used during war and sacrificing their lives in the name of freedom and all that's right and holy have been given post-humus awards:

...there is some precedent for war dogs receiving military honors. The Navy awarded a Silver Star in 2009 to a dog named Remco who gave his life charging "an insurgent's hide-out in Afghanistan," Harris writes. According to Foreign Policy, another dog named Eli fiercely guarded his Marine, Private First Class Carlton Rusk, after he was shot by Taliban sniper fire in Afghanistan. Rusk's bomb-sniffing dog would not even let fellow Marines approach the wounded Rusk, who did not survive the attack. Eli now lives with Rusk's family.

It doesn't matter if this story is true or not. The meme's been released (sort of like The Kraken); once it's out, it's done it's job. Most everyone loves dogs. Our heartstrings are tugged. Apple pie and dogs, who can fight those? The Evil One is dead, justice has been served, vengeance performed, deaths avenged. And if anyone dares to question the anomalous aspects of 9/11, our complicity in affairs of the world, and certainly the operation itself, bring in the dogs. This dog story symbolizes bravery and patriotism. It's a both a symbolic distraction and a legend in the making (the "tale of the dog that killed Osama bin Laden") that seals the deal. This dog story also underscores the dichotomy between loving animals and caring for them, and using them as we see fit. This folk hero story of a brave dog mitigates any guilt over the fact we use animals in war for our own means.

It's a feel good story, full of the hackneyed effects Americans love: bravery, sacrifice, war, death during heroic acts.

Intense interest surrounds dog who may have participated in bin Laden raid - Yahoo! News

MOTHMAN FLUTTERINGS

A few recent links on my blog Mothman Flutterings:

MOTHMAN FLUTTERINGS

55 Feet Long Unknown Fish Species Found in China [PHOTO] - International Business Times

It is hard to tell from the photo, but as The Anomalist points out, "isn't it just a whale?"
55 Feet Long Unknown Fish Species Found in China [PHOTO] - International Business Times

Official World Tapir Day Website

A little late, but congratulations to the tapirs of earth:Official World Tapir Day Website

Game of Thrones 2nd Episode: Dire Wolf

Episode 2 of Game of Thrones was just as great as the first episode, and this time, we had more Dire Wolf goodness. I love the dire wolves; beautiful animals. Of course, they're not really dire wolves, but dogs. I've read on-line that they were huskies, yet, while they look husky like, they don't seem to be true huskies. Then I thought they might be husky-wolf hybrids, or something like that, but according to this Yahoo's Answers at Yahoo.com  about the show's dire wolves, the animals are actually a breed called Northern Inuit, from the UK. An Associated Content article has more information. The breed has only been around since the 1980s. And here's more on the Game of Thrones Winter Is Coming.net.

SPOILER!

The wolves were more present in last night's episode. A definite supernatural vibe to these creatures: special magical/spiritual bond between human "owner" and wolf, telepathic bond or communication, protection, loyalty, connections between the "tribe" as a whole, human and wolf alike.

In a very moving and upsetting segment, one of the wolves is ordered killed,in a moment of spite to presumably avenge the mistreatment of the spoiled Prince. Very hard to watch, very sad. A supernatural moment at her death however; the other wolves, separated by distance, responded to the murder of their sister. And the child who had lain still in bed for a month due to a botched attempt on his life (by the very same evil Queen who had the wolf killed) awoke at that moment. Is the dire wolf spirit now within him? The wolf, sacrificed to appease the need for power, control, and blood lust, may return in human form.

Readers of the book series by know what happened, but as I said in my first post about the wolves, I hadn't even heard of the books before the HBO series. So I'm a newbie. I don't know how the television adaptation compares to the books, but, I am loving Game of Thrones!

Albino Raccoon

Clip of albino raccoon, on a leash, which disturbed me but the blurb under the clip on YouTube informs us that "it's not a pet, it's at an animal rescue center." I'm glad they explained that, it's always sad when wild animals are kept captive as someone's "pet." And a bit of surreal business at the end with a tall ... well, you'll see.

Octopus Confessional: Two Recent Die-offs off California Coast

Brief post and links to two recent fish die-offs off the California coast on my blog Octopus Confessional:

Octopus Confessional: Two Recent Die-offs off California Coast

Think twice before giving a pet as an Easter gift | KVAL CBS 13 - News, Weather and Sports - Eugene, OR - Eugene, Oregon | Consumer

Obvious, but some people need reminding:

Think twice before giving a pet as an Easter gift | KVAL CBS 13 - News, Weather and Sports - Eugene, OR - Eugene, Oregon | Consumer

'We couldn’t believe wolverine wouldn’t be here' | KVAL CBS 13 - News, Weather and Sports - Eugene, OR - Eugene, Oregon | Local & Regional News

I've heard stories of wolverines in Oregon for many years from people who insisted they saw the tracks, the effects, etc. Not news to a lot of people except the authorities; as one woman told me some time ago it was impossible to be taken seriously by anyone from Fish and Game, etc.

'We couldn’t believe wolverine wouldn’t be here' | KVAL CBS 13 - News, Weather and Sports - Eugene, OR - Eugene, Oregon | Local & Regional News

Hundreds of dead fish found in Ventura Harbor | abc7.com

Hundreds of dead fish found in Ventura Harbor | abc7.com

The News About the Gulf and BP, Then There's The News About the Gulf and BP . . .

There's this:
A year on from BP oil disaster scientists say Gulf of Mexico is almost back to pre-spill health levels...so why are a huge number of dolphins and turtles still washing up dead? | Mail Online

At the same time, we're getting this:

BP Oil Spill: How Bad Is Damage to Gulf One Year Later?

Yet nearly a year after the spill began, it seems clear that the worst-case scenario never came true. It's not that the oil spill had no lasting effects - far from it - but the ecological doomsday many predicted clearly hasn't taken place. There is recovery where once there was only fear. "A lot of questions remain, but where we are now is ahead of where people thought we'd be," Safina says. "Most people expected it would be much worse."

Take the oil itself: scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated last August that much of the oil had remained in the Gulf, where it had dispersed or dissolved. Many environmentalists attacked the report for underplaying the threat of large underwater oil plumes still active in the Gulf, yet later independent scientific studies indeed found that oil had largely disappeared from the water. Turns out we can thank bacteria. Scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; University of California, Santa Barbara; and Texas A&M University traveled to the site of the blown well and found that microbes had digested much of the oil and methane that remained in the water. By autumn, the levels were back to normal. "It's very surprising it happened so fast," John Kessler, an oceanographer with Texas A&M, told me earlier this year. "It looks like natural systems can handle an event like this somewhat on their own."

So much more, these are only two examples of the mainstream media's back page treatment of BP, our government's complicity with environmental issues and drilling, and the reality of the situation. And have we mentioned the stories of so many sick, very very sick, residents in the area?

Already so many have fallen asleep; believing that all is now well in the Gulf.

Iran: Dog Ownership to Be Outlawed Under Lawmakers' Plan - Yahoo! News

Lawmakers in Tehran have recently proposed a bill in parliament that would criminalize dog ownership, formally enshrining its punishment within the country's Islamic penal code. The bill warns that that in addition to posing public health hazards, the popularity of dog ownership "also poses a cultural problem, a blind imitation of the vulgar culture of the West." The proposed legislation for the first time outlines specific punishments for "the walking and keeping" of "impure and dangerous animals," a definition that could feasibly include cats but for the time being seems targeted at dogs. The law would see the offending animal confiscated, the leveling of a $100-to-$500 fine on the owner, but leaves the fate of confiscated dogs uncertain. "Considering the several thousand dogs [that are kept] in Tehran alone, the problem arises as to what is going to happen to these animals," Hooman Malekpour, a veterinarian in Tehran, said to the BBC's Persian service. If passed, the law would ultimately energize police and volunteer militias to enforce the ban systematically.

Iran: Dog Ownership to Be Outlawed Under Lawmakers' Plan - Yahoo! News