Oh, I wish I had a camera with me today! The field next to the playground -- full of geese. Hundreds of geese. They hang out there all the time. I see them flying over our house and know they're on their way to that field, -- a few fields really -- since it's only about four blocks away. Anyway, there the geese are, calmly standing around Kids playing on the playground alongside the field. Suddenly, the entire flock just rises up into the air, making these odd sounds, sort of like distress calls but not exactly, not really that. Never heard that sound before. I couldn't see anything that set them off -- any other bird, etc. The geese flew right above our heads on the playground --- and the kids! The children just ran and laughed and screamed and ran, while the geese circled low above us. Then the geese did this spiral kind of thing -- like a crop circle in the air. They just kept circling above us, then flew right back to where they were, and settled down like nothing had happened. Those geese have been there all winter, and are used to the children playing out there -- a fence divides the playground from the fields -- maybe the geese were just saying hello.

One thing that struck me as amazing was the reaction of the children. They were just so … there. Really in tune with the geese, enjoying every moment of this geese weirdness. More like wonderfulness. 

Will Oregon Zoo's prized baby elephant end up in a traveling show?

Tragic, and a disgusting example of humanity's gratuitous need to use abuse animals as "entertainment." Bad enough elephants are in zoos, but the potential fate of the Portland Zoos recently born elephant is dismal: Will Oregon Zoo's prized baby elephant end up in a traveling show? "Trunks Will Travel" cute, huh? Owners may or may not take ownership.

Please do what you can to make sure this doesn't happen. Animals, especially creatures such as elephants, do not belong in circuses or to be rented for entertainment. The bond between mother and child in the elephant world is life long and strong. The good news is the zoo insists the elephant will "stay put." But there is a contract dispute:

Kari Johnson, who co-owns Have Trunk Will Travel with her husband, Gary, told the Times that they were looking forward to visiting the newborn elephant and added that details regarding her future had not yet been worked out.

Perris, California, where the Johnsons have their elephant for hire business.  That sounded familiar. So I went back into my files. Ah, here it is; I posted about lion meat hamburgers available at a Tuscon, Arizona restaurant. Source of the lion meat? Perris, California. Tuscon Restaurant Serves Lion Meat Tacos. I have no idea if there is a connection between the lion meat and the Johnsons; I'm not saying there is one, only that the town of Perris, California seems to be the area for gratuitous indulgences with animals. There's more. Seems Have Trunk Will Travel was sued for animal abuse and fraud, according to this article in Animal Defenders International:

Los Angeles, Monday June 27, 2011 -- Today, in the US District Court, Central District of California, Los Angeles, Animal Defenders International (ADI), together with members of the public, Gail Profant and Leslie Hemstreet, filed suit against Have Trunk Will Travel, as well as the owners Gary and Kari Johnson, over their claims about the training of the elephant Tai, who played Rosie in the film ‘Water for Elephants’. The suit is based on erroneous assurances that the defendants gave the public that the elephant Tai was trained with kindness for her role in Water for Elephants. Video footage released by Animal Defenders International (ADI) showed Tai and other elephants being electric shocked with a stun gun and jabbed and hit will bull hooks during her training for the same types of tricks seen in the movie, at the Perris, CA ranch of Have Trunk Will Travel.

Octopus as Art: Stop Issuing One-Day Hunting Licenses!

I saw this story a few days ago but didn't want to deal with it. Sometimes the greed and arrogance, as well as cruelty of humans just does me in. In this case, Dylan Mayer of Washington state and an over-blown sense of personal entitlement, tortured an octopus.

Mayer got himself a one day license to "hunt" an octopus. He did this in a protected marine area. He tricked the octopus by making noise in order to lure it from its home, then, according to witnesses, punched the still living octopus repeatedly after he hauled it onto his truck. Mayer said he wanted the octopus not just for its meat, but "to draw it for this art project."

Even if the octopus was hunted for food, as in hunting because one needs to survive, the gratuitous nature of the act is unjustified. If you need to hunt, then kill quickly and cleanly, and with gratitude.

A very sad story. So click on the link below and sign the petition. And call out this ass clown Mayer.
Stop Issuing One-Day Hunting Licenses! - The Petition Site

Bigfoot News | Bigfoot Lunch Club: Jane Goodall Still Finds Bigfoot Fascinating

Bigfoot Lunch Club blogs about Jane Goodall (a true hero) and her views on the existence of Bigfoot:Bigfoot News | Bigfoot Lunch Club: Jane Goodall Still Finds Bigfoot Fascinating

CRYPTOZOOLOGY ONLINE: Still on the Track: SO FOXES ARE THE NEW SCAPEGOAT

CRYPTOZOOLOGY ONLINE: Still on the Track: SO FOXES ARE THE NEW SCAPEGOAT Jon Downes writes:

In the past few years the tabloid papers have blamed paedophiles, immigrants, and benefit claimants for society's ills. Now they have a new scapegoat. It is the turn of Vulpes vulpes...

Indeed. Like those poor mange ridden (most likely) canines mistaken for "Chupacabras" and are shot on sight just for being there, foxes are the "new scapegoat" as Downes comments.

(Speaking of foxes, listen to these fox vocalizations captured by Stan Courtney.)

A Dead Whale In Tokyo Bay

A Dead Whale In Tokyo Bay

As for the dead blue whale in Tokyo Bay (see below), it probably was while still healthy...feeding somewhere between the Bering Strait and the Sea of Okhotsk, unknowingly ingesting radioactive and chemically-contaminated krill at depths of 100 meters or more. These krill are spawned over the Japan Trench were the warm Kuroshio meets the cold Liman currents.

Upon feeling strange symptoms in its gut and having difficulty in holding in air, the huge cetacean rose to the surface for easier breathing and slowly swam southward in the Liman/Oyashio Current in search of warmer waters. Once past Choshi Point, it headed toward the brackish water flowing out of Tokyo Bay in hopes of reaching the estuary of the Edo River, where it could rest in the shallow bed of running fresh water. It senses filth in the water, however, and decides to push further south in search of a cleaner river.

Wolves in Oregon and the Journey of 'Oregon-7'

The wolf (which happens to be my totem and clan, and an animal I have a great affinity for, having come to me in dreams many times. Usually Wolf comes to me as very large, and snow white...) has made a "come back" into Oregon, and this is either beautiful news for some, and very bad news for others. Ranchers in particular see the return of the wolf as bad news.

One wolf has become a symbol; a symbolic animal hero, almost mystical in its journey. The wolf, so far unnamed save for the clinical label of "Oregon-7" wears a GPS collar. His journey is tracked. Oregon-7 is, hopefully and probably, looking for a mate:
if this wolf can locate a mate, it could help wolf recovery. All on his own, Oregon-7 is a biological dead end.

"We’re out here trying to find out which way it’s going to go," Stephenson says.
In September, the 2½ year old male left the Wallowa mountains in search of a new territory and company, a process called dispersal. The GPS collar recorded the wolf’s location every three hours. Oregon-7 traveled more than 700 miles.

This article: Field Notes: In Oregon’s Cascades, A Lone Wolf details Oregon-7's latest movements, as well as giving background and context to why "Oregon-7's" journey is important.

There was a time in Oregon when bounties were paid for wolf kills. Now, in Oregon, it is illegal to kill wolves, which are listed as an endangered species. This law is being contested however; ranchers, cattlemen, etc. are working very hard to change that law. This story from October, 2010 gives an account of an illegal wolf kill (a wolf that had a GPS collar and was being tracked by wildlife authorities) in Northeastern Oregon. About the wolf that was killed in 2010:

“It’s infuriating when any animal is senselessly and illegally killed, but the facts in this case are especially egregious,” says Wally Sykes of Northeast Oregon Ecosystems of Joseph, Oregon. “The biologists had just fitted this endangered wolf with a hard-to-miss collar and sent out photos printed in newspapers and websites across the state. Whoever shot this wolf knew what they were doing and just didn’t care that it was illegal.”

The irony is that the Wenaha wolf pack hasn’t been a problem for Northeast Oregon ranchers. The pack keeps to itself in the high country and has never attacked livestock. The Imnaha pack, on the other hand, killed at least six or seven calves this year in Wallowa County.

Ravenous Mice Eating Livestock in South Australia | Buzzesque

Mice are swarming cattle and pigs in Australia, eating them alive. Gruesome to be sure:Ravenous Mice Eating Livestock in South Australia | Buzzesque

The article doesn't give much in the way of the theories as to why. Though one can infer that there are too many mice and not enough food for them to consume, therefore, they're seeking other food sources.

Inside the mind of the octopus | Orion Magazine

This is a beautiful, sometimes sad, piece on not just the intelligence of the octopus, but the awareness of such a mysterious and enchanted creature, in particular, one named Athena in an aquarium that moved the writer deeply: Inside the mind of the octopus | Orion Magazine

Oregon Bigfoot Blog: Stand for Sasquatch

Join Autumn and others. Stand for Sasquatch. I do, do you?
Please Stand For Sasquatch - Oregon Bigfoot Blog | Oregon Bigfoot Blog

"Empathy" on What’s All This, Then?

On What’s All This, Then?, a nice post about rats. Yes, rats. I actullay like rats; as pets, they are very friendly and intelligent. I'm not saying I want rats running around my place, but I wouldn't mind the "domesticated" variety as a pet. My cats might have other ideas though. And the whole notion of "domesticated" animals as pets raises other questions and issues. Anyway... a very good post. Not surprising to me, as Iggy says, we often don't give animals enough credit or respect:

I thought this was rather fascinating. Animals are so much more substantial than your average person gives them credit for.

As you will see below, even the much-derided rat seems to have a high level of development.

Bigfoot Research: Demonizing Long Term Witnessess | MonsterTracker.com since the year 2000 has been investgating cryptozoology, cryptids, and other mysterious creatures.

I have a new article at Monster Tracker:Bigfoot Research: Demonizing Long Term Witnessess

Invasion of the Hairy Crazy Ants

Report on the "hairy crazy ants" invading the southeast and south west regions in the states. From Florida to Texas, these small "hairy" ants that move very fast have caused a lot of problems. 'Hairy crazy ants' invade from Florida to Texas :

And they're on the move in Florida, Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. In Texas, they've invaded homes and industrial complexes, urban areas and rural areas. They travel in cargo containers, hay bales, potted plants, motorcycles and moving vans. They overwhelm beehives — one Texas beekeeper was losing 100 a year in 2009. They short out industrial equipment.

If one gets electrocuted, its death releases a chemical cue to attack a threat to the colony, said Roger Gold, an entomology professor at Texas A&M.

Thousands more ants rush in to defend their fallen kin. The ants have caused a lot of damage to computers, beehives, industrial equipment, etc. They live in areas where there is moist debris (rotted tree trunks, leaf and wood piles, etc.) and "...eat just about anything -- plant or animal." They're very difficult to eradicate and seem immune to conventional pesticides.

Flesh Eating Equines?

Came across this book listed on Amazon.com: Deadly Equines: The Shocking True Story of Meat-Eating and Murderous Horses .

Haven't read the book, don't anything about the premise. Here's some from the blurb:

There is widespread belief in a warm and comforting story which states the horse is a gentle herbivore. What if a Rosetta Stone had been found to unlock the dark secrets of the horse's past? An international multi-million dollar industry serviced by horse whisperers, glossy magazines and popular culture preaches that horses are meek prey animals who fear predators. What if evidence demonstrated horses have slain lions, tigers, pumas, wolves, hyenas and humans? Contemporary writers have successfully airbrushed murderous and meat-eating horses out of literature. What if Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes and Steve McQueen provided artistic evidence to refute that claim? Thanks to global equestrian amnesia, the crucial role played by horses in recent history has been lost to mankind. What if testimony revealed meat-eating horses had been used to explore the Poles and photographs had been discovered of Tibet's blood-eating horses? Deadly Equines is a revolutionary departure from equestrian romance. It is a fact-filled analysis which reveals how humanity has known about meat-eating horses for at least four thousand years, during which time horses have consumed nearly two dozen different types of protein, including human flesh, and that these episodes have occurred on every continent, including Antarctica.

I don't know much about horses -- I'm not a horse person and while I think they're beautiful animals and I wish them no harm in any way, I admit I'm afraid of them. The book seems almost like a put-on. Yet a brief bit of searching does reveal some interesting things about meat eating horses. Like here. But mostly, searching revealed more links to places that insist horses do not eat meat, or sites discussing the ethical and health pros and cons of humans eating horse meat.

Research on chimpanzees must end - TheHill.com

"The real question at issue here is not whether imprisoning and experimenting on chimpanzees is scientifically useful to humans or not; it is whether doing so is right to begin with.~ Justin Goodman; "Research on Chimpanzees Must End"

Chimpanzees are social creatures. They have culture, they have emotions, feelings, care for their families... the following is very difficult to handle (I cried when reading this) but neccessary to know in order to help change the U.S. practice of experimenting on chimpanzees. The U.S., as the article points out, is only one of two countries who do so.

As a result of having to endure the terror and pain of having their bodies routinely violated for experiments and the loneliness of their tiny, barren steel-and-concrete prison cells, many chimpanzees exhibit abnormal behaviors indicative of depression and post-traumatic stress. They suffer from symptoms including social withdrawal, anxiety and loss of appetite. They pull out their own hair, bite themselves and pace incessantly. I recently met a sanctuary-living chimpanzee who spent years being tormented at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Prevention and other government laboratories. His medical records show that on several occasions, he almost died during experiments, only to be revived and tormented further. Years later, he still has violent screaming fits several times daily, during which he scratches and tears into the flesh on his head and chest. This is the real legacy of chimpanzee experimentation in the United States.

Research on Chimpanzees Must End

Giant red crabs invade the Antarctic abyss

Three years ago, scientists predicted that giant red crabs (King Crabs) would invade the Antarctic within a hundred years. Their prediction was too conservative; the crabs are already in there:

Giant red crabs invade the Antarctic abyss - environment - 07 September 2011 - New Scientist: They are laying waste to the landscape. Video footage taken by the submersible shows how the crabs prod, probe, gash and puncture delicate sediments with the tips of their long legs. "This is likely to alter sediment processes, such as the rate at which organic matter is buried, which will affect the diversity of animal communities living in the sediments," says Craig Smith of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, whose team discovered the scarlet invaders.

(Warning; dead rat pic) Giant rat killed by pitchfork in Marcy Houses is believed to be Gambian pouched rat

I don't want rats, especially giant ones, running around my place, who does? But there's an air of old fashioned exploitation and titillation in this report on a giant rat killed -- by pitchfork, no less! -- in New York: Giant rat killed by pitchfork in Marcy Houses is believed to be Gambian pouched rat.The article gladly shows the color photo of killed, giant rate hanging from the prongs of the pitchfork. The article describes the rat's tail: "... [which is] hideously dangling." The rat is, specifically, a Gambian pouched rat, illegal in the U.S. since 2003, because the rats carried monkeypox which affected humans.

The rats are, as anyone who's had rats as pets knows, very intelligent, and sweet. These rats can be "... trained to sniff out landmines or even tuberculosis." That's as pets. In the urban wild they're not . Another sad contrast and fact of animals and humans living in the same space.

Stoned Wallabies Make Crop Circles

Years ago a British scientist offered the theory that crop circles were made by "mating hedgehogs." Now we have another animal related theory to explain crop circles: wallabies. Stoned wallabies, who've had their way with the poppies in the poppy field, then, loaded out of their little mammal minds, flop about, creating crop circles. ;Stoned wallabies make crop circles

Australian wallabies are eating opium poppies and creating crop circles as they hop around "as high as a kite", a government official has said.

Finding Bigfoot: A Lovely Comment

I posted on my blog Frame 352: The Stranger Side of Sasquatch the other day a link to Nick Redfern's article Lair of the Beasts: Proof of Bigfoot. Nick muses on the question: if we find Bigfoot, then what? What would that mean, how would it impact all of us, including Bigfoot of course.  I wrote that, in the end, I hope we never do find proof of Bigfoot -- proof exists, for the witnesses that have been fortunate to see one, as to the rest, I fear for the aftermath and the welfare of said Bigfoot. Anyway, I thought the comment left by visitor "eunoterpsiac" to the blog was lovely, in part:

For me, I'm content to believe that we have a supernatural entity that is happy to exist on the fringes of human understanding, perhaps just to observe or monitor our progress (if we dare call it that) and maybe even step in to our reality once in a while to keep us on our toes. . . . if we accept that our hairy compatriots are not simple, corporeal critters, but a race of beings who must live here with us (even if it's in part an interdimensional relationship) then I think it's best to just share the woods with them respectfully and be thankful for any encounter we may be graced with.

You can read the full post and comment at Frame 352.

Black macaque takes self-portrait: Monkey borrows photographer's camera | Mail Online

Great story, with pics:
Black macaque takes self-portrait: Monkey borrows photographer's camera | Mail Online