Peru: dengue fever cases double in Cajamarca

Health officials in the northern highlands region of Cajamarca report a doubling of dengue fever cases so far this year compared to the same period in 2011.

According the news source, Peru21, the Diresa (Health Department) reported Tuesday nearly 1,200 cases of dengue. During the same time frame last year, the number of cases reported was 587.

In addition, there have been two fatalities this year, a 26-year-old woman and a six-year-old child.

Alberto Sanchez, general doctor of Jaen’s hospital, the province most affected, said the dengue virus in the area was of the more aggressive American/Asian genotype. He also notes that since February the disease intensified.

In addition to Jaen province, Tembladera, Cutervo, and San Ignacio regions are also strongly hit by the dengue outbreak. Source

Calf missing, cow dead after wolf attack in eastern Oregon‎

JOSEPH -- A calf is missing and a cow was euthanized after a wolf attack in eastern Oregon, the Department of Fish and Wildlife reported today.

Two other cows also were injured in the attack.

The adult cow that was euthanized by a veterinarian was found March 8 in the Threebuck Canyon area east of Joseph with "hundreds of bite wounds ... consistent with wolf bites" on its left flank and elsewhere, said ODFW spokeswoman Michelle Dennehy. The other cows had multiple bite wounds.

"One of the live cows had recently calved and the calf is missing," Dennehy said in a statement.

The attacks appear to have happened two to five days before the cattle were found by a rancher, Dennehy said.

Russ Morgan, ODFW wolf coordinator, said the number of wolves involved in the attack isn't known. The injured cattle were brought to a holding pen and treated and released, he said.

Threebuck Creek is a tributary of Little Sheep Creek, and is regularly used by the Imnaha pack of wolves, Dennehy said. Source

Jellyfish invading Gold Coast canals, numbering in their thousands

THOUSANDS of jellyfish have invaded a Gold Coast canal.

In a sight that has locals and tourists amazed, the stingers have floated into the waterway, behind Macintosh Island at Surfers Paradise, from the ocean.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Steve Williams, who manages the Capricorn One highrise overlooking the canal.

"There are thousands upon thousands of them that seem to come in every day on the incoming tide and the water has been thick with them . Many of our guests are from overseas and they're loving it.

"It's a bit of a phenomenon and quite spectacular."

Sea World marine sciences director Trevor Long said it was unusual to see so many jellyfish in the Nerang River.

"It's likely the water is very warm and rich in nutrients which could be luring them into what is quite a nice environment for them," he said.

"There's no need for panic - they won't harm anyone and will get in and out of the river themselves on the incoming and outgoing tides." Source

Animal attacks on the rise in Rajasthan, India

JAIPUR: In a sign of intensifying man-animal conflict in parts of Rajasthan, four persons were killed in animal attacks in less than one month, jerking the government into action.

Morpali Meena (55) and Ashfaq (20) were mauled by tigers in Ranthambore National Park area in Sawaimadhopur on February 16 and March 8 respectively.

In Dholpur, a bear killed middle aged men Rambabu Gujjar and Tej Singh Kushwaha and injured a few others in March. The animal was later killed by villagers.

Expressing concern over the incident, state Forest Minister Bina Kak said, "I am worried with this rising trend (of man-animal conflict) and have directed officials to make more efforts for controlling such incidents.

"I have asked officials to increase the height of the forest wall around Ranthambhore park from existing six feet to stop illegal entry of people who go there to collect firewood," she said.

"Tracking of wild animals, particularly those of big cats, will also be strengthened and senior officials will have to monitor the activity closely," she said. Read More

Sharks go on Feeding Frenzy off the Coast of Australia

Nikki Perez bitten by poisonous spider (and the deadly arachnid is spreading across America)

Ms Perez was waiting at Amarillo airport with her boyfriend Eric and his mother on September 20 and suddenly, while inside, Perez felt something stinging the back of her neck.

‘I felt a nasty pinch when I touched my neck,’ she said.

‘Next, I felt something crawling over my face and over my eye. I yelled for Eric to help me, and when he saw the spider crawling over my face, he swatted it to the floor, and stamped on it.’

But when Eric’s mother, a nurse, inspected Ms Perez’s neck, she knew something was seriously wrong.
‘I felt funny, instantly,’ says Ms Perez.

It was then that the nurse recognised the violin-shaped mark on the dead spider’s back.

’A bite from a brown recluse can be deadly,’ says Janet Kempf, an arachnologist with the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles. Read More

Fossilised remains show ancient fish died in the act of eating flying reptile

Scientist have discovered the fossil remains of an ancient armoured fish in the act of snaring its prey.

The remarkable find, dug in Bavaria, south Germany are some 120 millions years old, and show that despite having wings to get away, the long-tailed pterosaur wasn't out of bounds for carnivorous fish, aspidorhynchus.

The flying reptile's wings were found in or around the mouths of their 25-inch fish predators, suggesting that they may have been reeled in wing-first.

These couldn't have been missed; their wingspan was some 27-inches.

Incredibly, one of the remains of the pterosaur has another, smaller fish, leptolepides, seemingly lodged in it's throat. Read More

Godzilla the wild turkey stalks Commerce Township woman

A neighbor has stalked Edna Geisler for two months. He lurks in her front yard, screeching at her constantly, even jumping out occasionally and attacking her when she dares wander outside alone.

"I'm afraid to go out of my house," said Geisler, 69. "I have to go to the post office at 6 o'clock in the morning to avoid him." Read More