Black Crookshanks (Fish)

Extraordinary voracity can boast of many predatory fish, most of which are deepwater inhabitants. And this is not caused by their greed and brutal appetite, and limited resources supply in the deep ocean. So, too, if they met in the way of any mining, it will be eaten by all means, even in spite of its size. One of these voracious fish is Crookshanks. hiazmodonov Rod has only five species, the most famous and popular of which is black Crookshanks. He inhabits tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans at depths of 700-2700 meters. Despite its predatory habits and threatening name, the length of the body of this fish seldom exceeds 15 inches, some species can reach 25 centimeters.

Penguin gets his feathers cleaned but New Zealand's worst-ever environmental disaster deepens

53 birds found dead and 17 getting emergency treatment to remove oil from their feathers Captain of the ship is arrested and faces maritime charges At least 390 tons of heavy fuel oil have spilled from the hull Weather concerns have meant that efforts to extract the oil have been abandoned.
 

I'm all white: One of the rescued oil-coated penguins recuperates at a wildlife centre in Tauranga but the situation is worsening as bad weather off the New Zealand coast batters the stricken tanker Rena

This penguin is lucky enough to be able to see his white feathers again after being caught in the slick of New Zealand's worst-ever environmental disaster but many more will not be so fortunate as the crisis deepens.

This bird was cleaned up at the wildlife centre in Tauranga where up to 350 more tonnes of oil has been spilled from the 'Rena' tanker, which lies stricken off the coast.

But clumps of heavy oil from the Liberia-flagged Rena have washed up on pristine beaches near Tauranga in the North Island, and environmental officials said 53 birds were found dead and 17 were getting emergency treatment to remove oil from their feathers.
Before and after: Left, the rescued penguin gets a thorough scrubbing after being plucked from the oily waters, and right, he shows off his two-tone feathers once again

'This event has come to a scale where it is New Zealand's most significant environmental maritime disaster,' Environment Minister Nick Smith told reporters in Tauranga, adding that the clean-up would take weeks.

However, the situation is worsening. Rough weather battered the cargo ship throughout Tuesday before about 70 containers fell overboard, forcing the ship onto a steeper lean.

And in another development, the captain of the ship Rena was arrested and will appear in court Wednesday morning, facing charges under New Zealand's Maritime Act.
Stricken: This Liberian-flagged shipping boat ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef near New Zealand's Tauranga Harbour last Wednesday
Worsening situation: Rough weather battered the cargo ship throughout yesterday, causing about 70 containers to fall overboard, forcing the ship onto a steeper lean
Rough conditions: Heavy seas and misty weather surround the cargo ship Rena that is stuck on the Astrolabe Reef, about 14miles from Tauranga

The ship has been sinking since it ran aground last Wednesday on the Astrolabe Reef, about 14 miles from Tauranga Harbour, and the New Zealand government has demanded to know why the ship crashed into the well-charted reef in calm weather.

The ship owner has given no reason for the grounding, but says it is cooperating with authorities.

Rough weather in recent days has kept salvage crews away.

On Monday night, the 775ft (236metre) ship shifted significantly, spilling hundreds of tons of oil from an unidentified rupture in the hull, said Nick Bohm, a spokesman for Maritime New Zealand which is managing the emergency response.
Pollution: A man walks past fuel oil that washed up on beaches at Papamoa, near Tauranga
Clean-up: Volunteers take an oiled little blue penguin out of the pool after the recovering session at the wildlife facility in Tauranga

Up to 390tons (350 metric tons) of heavy fuel oil spilled from the hull on Tuesday, a rate about five times worse than during the initial days of the spill, Smith said.

Bohm said a salvage crew had to be removed from the ship late on Tuesday morning because ocean swells of 7-to-10ft (2-to-3metres) made conditions too dangerous.

The swells were expected to increase as high as 16ft (5metres), he said.

Without the salvage crew aboard, oil cannot be pumped out of the ship.

'We're on standby at the moment and we'll see what's happening with the ship and they'll be redeployed as quickly as possible,' Bohm said of the salvage crew.
Environmental protectors: A crew disposes of oil washed ashore from the stricken ship
Difficult work: Conservation officials remove dead seabirds coated in thick oil
Volunteers help the clean-up operation. Plans to extract the oil from the vessel itself have been abandoned for the time being as the weather is expected to be terrible

'We're not saying it's going to break up yet; we're not convinced,' he added, referring to the ship.

Divers are scheduled to inspect damage to the hull on Wednesday, Bohm said.

Maritime New Zealand said in a statement that a beach clean-up began early Tuesday and that more teams would be deployed on Wednesday when oil is expected to reach the shore in greater quantities.

'A significant amount of oil is expected to come ashore in the next days,' the statement said.

Rescue teams were also searching the shore for more wildlife affected by the oil.

Marine crews began an operation on Sunday to extract up to 1,900 tons (1,700 metric tons) of heavy fuel oil from the stricken ship - the equivalent of about 10,700 barrels.

But they had to halt the pumping Monday after managing to remove just 11 tons (10 metric tons).

In a statement, the owners of the ship, Greece-based Costamare said they were 'cooperating fully with local authorities' and were making every effort to 'control and minimise the environmental consequences of this incident'.

The company did not offer any explanation for the grounding.
Globules of thick, black oil washed up on the beach showed yesterday that it's a race against time in order to save New Zealand's stunning coastline.

Fist-sized clumps of oil were found at Mount Maunganui beach, a favourite spot for surfers, according to Maritime New Zealand, the agency responsible for shipping in the region.

The beach is about 100miles south-east of Auckland.

Because Rena a cargo ship rather than an oil tanker, any spill would be small in comparison to disasters like the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, which dumped an estimated 262,000 barrels of oil in Alaska's Prince William Sound.

But because the ship is close to shore, the oil could still foul delicate estuaries in an area known for its pristine environment.

The operation is expected to last at least two more days once it resumes.
A shag covered in oil is helped by wildlife veterinarian Dr Brett Gartrell and Aimee Forster at the wildlife rehabilitation facility in Tauranga, New Zealand
Devastation to wildlife: Environmental officials said 53 birds were found dead and 17 were getting emergency treatment to remove oil from their feathers

About 200 people are working on the operation, and New Zealand's defence force has about 300 people standing by in case major beach clean-ups are needed.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key visited the area on Monday and demanded answers.

'This is a ship that's ploughed into a well documented reef in calm waters in the middle of the night at 17 knots, so somebody needs to tell us why that's happened,' he said.

The Rena was built in 1990 and was carrying 1,351 containers of goods when it ran aground, according to the owners.

In addition to the oil, authorities are also concerned about some potentially dangerous goods aboard, including four containers of ferro-silicon.

Authorities said they would make it a priority to remove those goods as part of their operation.


source:dailymail

Meet the man who has survived on a diet of ROADKILL for 30 years

Roadkill diet: Jonathan McGowan, 44, has dined on a diet of roadkill for the last 30 years as he shuns supermarket meats.


Rat stir fries and owl curries hardly sound like the stuff you would serve your friends for dinner.

But surprisingly, Jonathan McGowan's exotic roadkill dishes are a big hit with his guests.

The 44-year-old bachelor has lived on a diet of roadkill for the Past 30 years to avoid buying meat from the supermarket.

He has shunned pre-packaged meats and instead dined on mice, moles, hedgehogs, pigeons, crows and gulls.

The taxidermist from Bournemouth, Dorset, never kills the animals himself but eats only what he finds at the roadside or in woodland.

Mr McGowan first got a taste for roadkill at the age of 14 when he cooked a dead adder that he had found.

He said: 'The adder didn't actually taste very nice - a bit like bacon rind. But it had piqued my curiosity and I wondered what else I could eat and what it would taste like.'

After leaving sixth form college he lived alone and turned to roadkill to save some money on his weekly food bills.

He said: 'From a young age I was always interested in natural history and being brought up amongst the farming, hunting and shooting communities of the Dorset countryside meant I was right in the middle of everything.

'Everywhere I looked there were dead animals; fish that had been caught, pheasants that had been shot and animals that had been run over in the road so naturally I became drawn to nature and how it worked.

'I used to cut up dead animals to see their insides and when I did all I could see was fresh, organic meat, better than the kind I had seen in the supermarkets. So I never saw a problem with cooking and eating it.'

Mr McGowan insisted it was better to eat roadkill than meat from shops because of the way it is produced.

He said: 'I guess at the age of 14 I just wanted to be different. But even then I understood that what I was doing was better than eating meat in the shops because of how it was produced.

'There was a broiler production unit close to where I was living where there was always three layers of chickens - a dead, rotting layer at the bottom, a squashed layer in the middle and a layer at the top where they could barely move.
Appetising meal? From owl curries to squirrel pie, Jonathan, 44, has sampled every form of wildlife over the years including, pigeon, heron and duck

'I saw how dirty farm animals were and how unhealthy they were. I was also used to going to the cattle market where the treatment of the animals by the farmers was grotesque. I wasn't happy about what I saw at all.'

Mr McGowan, who gives presentations in schools and colleges, has long extolled the virtues of his diet to friends who have been surprisingly open to the idea of roadkill dinner parties.

His owl curries are often popular, as are his rat stir fries.

Another speciality is pan-fried craneflies, served with olive oil, celery and raisins.

Mr McGowan said: 'It's a bit like a Waldorf salad, only with daddy-long-legs. I don't eat the legs though, that would be weird.

'My friends all think it is great, especially if they get to try some. Fox is often a favourite too, as is rabbit.

'They can see it's good meat and that it's healthy eating, although I think a lot of them are put off the idea of picking up dead animals themselves and having to prepare them.

'It's not something everyone can do. I have grown up around nature and know just by looking how an animal has died and how long it has been there.

'I am careful, obviously, not to eat anything that I don't think is fresh and if I don't know how an animal has died I will perform an autopsy on it first.

'I found a raven recently that had been poisoned, probably with strychnine, and that is something that other people would probably not think to look out for.

'I do have to be careful, but I have never been sick from anything I have ever eaten.'


After cooking an adder at the age of 14, which he said tasted like bacon rind, Jonathan McGowan has dined on a huge variety of animals he's found.

The taxidermist lists fox, venison and deer among his favourite meats - but he has eaten everything the countryside has to offer over the years.

With thousands of animals being found dead at the roadside every year, Mr McGowan has varied if - on the face of it - slightly unedifying pickings.

He has eaten mice, moles, hedeghogs, squirrels, rats, foxes, badgers, hares, rabbits, deer, stoats, weasels, polecats, otters, wildcats, pheasants, finches, thrushes, ducks, geese, pigeons, owls, crows, gulls, blackbirds and cormorants.

He says many animals taste much better than people would expect.

Foxes - 'There's a common myth that you cannot eat them but they are most delicious. It is a lean meat and there is never any fat. Young foxes are always very nice and they taste slightly like chicken.'

Mice - 'They taste weird - there is no other food quite like them. They aren't particularly nice and have a very bitter flavour. They are of course so small that they are almost worthless.'

Rats - 'They are most delicious and it is a misconception that they are dirty. They are quite like pork but quite salty. They are delicious and the meat is great on its own. I would not eat city rats but in Dorset they are very good.'

Pigeons - 'I don't eat town pigeons but wood pigeons are very nice. They are very large and very irony. It's best marinated and I love to have it with red wine.'

Moles - 'They are horrible and have a rancid taste. They have an unpleasant taste in their skin to ward off predators. Wild animals don't eat them. I've only had one once and never again.'

Hedgehogs - 'When you get in it's all fatty meat. It's not nice but okay if you like eating fatty foods.'

Squirrels - 'They are most delicious. They provide a good firm white meat which is quite similar to rabbit but not as overpowering. Not many animals taste like what they eat but squirrels do have a nutty flavour. It's fantastic stuff.'

Wild cats - 'You do get a few wild cats in Dorset as you do in Scotland. They have a very nice flavour but they are very rare.'

source:dailymail

Police hunt cruel thug who spray-painted bull terrier PINK

Two-year-old dog has been nicknamed Neon by animal home staff
Jaws tied together before being daubed in paint
He will be rehomed after his wounds have healed and colour has faded


Paint attack: The two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier had his jaw tied shut before being sprayed with pink and purple paint. He was found in Coventry

Police are hunting a thug who spray-painted a Staffordshire Bull Terrier bright pink.
The young male dog - who has since been named Neon - is thought to have been stolen, attacked and them dumped.

The bull terrier's jaws were been tied together before he was daubed with pink and purple paint.

Police discovered the animal, aged around two or three, wandering the streets in Coventry. He was handed over to a dogs' home where he has been cleaned up.

Darren Calveley, manager of Birmingham Dogs' Home where he is being looked after, said: 'The poor animal has been through so much caused by pure cruelty and abuse but has remained good natured and will require rehoming once his wounds have healed and has been given the all clear by our vet.'

He added that the dog - who is still not completely clean - was in a good condition despite the mis-treatment.

'The dog has been assessed and is understandably nervous at first, but once reassured he is extremely friendly and loves a fuss,' he said.

'Our canine carers have named him Neon and have very much fallen in love with his playful antics.

Julie Gallagher, Coventry City Council's lead animal welfare and pest controller, described the attack as 'incredibly stupid'.
Hunt: Police believe Neon may have been stolen before being attacked and dumped. He is being cared for at Birmingham Dogs Home.

'The injuries to his nose are quite fresh. Someone has obviously tied his nose up and sprayed his face,' she said.

'This is an incredibly stupid thing to do. The vet examined him and he's going to be OK though.

'Once his nose has healed a bit more the dogs' home will be able to give him a more thorough wash and get more of the paint off.

'It would've been really unpleasant to have paint sprayed directly into his face and in his eyes.

'Saying that we have had dogs in here with nail varnish and one dog that had his name spray-painted on one side and the owner's mobile phone number spray-painted on the other side.'

He was found at around midnight last Friday.

Anyone who recognises the dog is asked to contact Birmingham Dogs Home.

source:dailymail

Matador Cheats Death at Festival After Bull Gores His Face

A Spanish matador was left fighting for his life after he was gored through his face during a bullfight.The bull's horn pierced Juan Jose Padilla's jaw and emerged through his left eye socket during the grizzly incident at the northeastern city of Zaragoza's Fiestas Del Pilar event yesterday with blood gushing from his head, he was helped out of the ring screaming 'I can't see, I can't see'.


Caught: The bull's horn pierced Juan Jose Padilla's jaw and emerged through his left eye socket during the grizzly incident at the northeastern city of Zaragoza's Fiestas Del Pilar

He then underwent a life-saving five-hour operation to repair severe damage to his eye, bone, muscle and skin.

The bull, called Marques and from the Ana Romero ranch, quickly took its revenge after Padilla slipped and fell in the sand after the placing of the banderillas (barbed sticks).

Doctors had initially thought the goring, of which footage exists on Youtube and was shown on Spanish TV channel Canal+ Toros, would be fatal.

But the bullring's doctor Antonio Val-Carreres told El Pais newspaper that Padilla was in serious condition and was staying at Zaragoza's Miguel Servet hospital.
Before: Padilla moves to place the banderillas into the bull
During: But he slips as he turns around from the ball and falls to the floor

It is not the first time Padilla, a popular matador who has won many fans for his courage and willingness to face the toughest bulls, has been gored.

In 2001 the Jerez native suffered serious injuries to his neck during a fight in Pamplona.

Yesterday's incident happened at one of the final bull festivals of a season that saw the spectacle come under increasing pressure from anti-bullfight activists.

Opponents of the bullfight say it is a barbaric ritual which has no place in a modern society. Supporters say it is a unique art form which epitomises Spanish culture.
During: The bull then takes its revenge on Padilla by goring him in his face
After: With blood gushing from his face, and his assistants distracting the bull, Padilla is helped from the ring

The Catalonia region has banned the bullfight from next year and 20,000 fans packed Barcelona's Monumental bullring on September 25 to see the last corrida to be held there.

Although matadors are regularly hurt, the last two fatalities of senior matadors were those of Francisco Rivera Paquirri in 1984 and Jose Cubero Sanchez 'El Yiyo' in 1985.

Those events triggered national mourning and led to a resurgence of interest in the bullfight. The six bulls fought at each corrida inevitably are killed.

Marques was later put to the sword by the senior matador on the bill, Miguel Abellan, who killed it with tears streaming down his face.
Before: Juan Jose Padilla pictured three months before the goring during July's San Fermin fiestas in Pamplona

source:dailymail

Gorillas in a tryst! Tired Rigo Mating with Four Females in a Day

It is a tough, and clearly tiring job, but somebody has got to do it.Sleepy Rigo has just mated with four females in one day and takes on a very human pose afterwards to grab a well-earned snooze.after 16 years on his own in a cage the 41-year-old silverback is being allowed to hang around with other primates at Melbourne Zoo in Australia.


Time for bed: Rigo sleeping at Melbourne Zoo after a roll in the hay with four females

Keepers hope he will continue to get to know the females there better and produce offspring as they are all part of the endangered Western Lowland species.

And he has a bevy of beauties to choose from, including Julia, Yakini and Yuska, who despite their serious expressions are all keen to become a mum.

These beautiful photos, taken by Australian photographer Arthur Xanthropoulos, show the very gentle side to the animals, which have been hunted to the edge of extinction.
Gentle: Julia sits with body-language just like a human as she stretches her legs in the midday sun

'He has been introduced to eight other gorillas, four of them females, so he can continue his species. The hope is the females may trigger his instinctive behaviour,' he said.

His mission is to show the human-like qualities of gorillas at Melbourne Zoo as part of his project, which he calls 97 Percent Human.

The zoo has housed gorillas since 1980 and most of them have been rescued from poachers and exotic animal smugglers.

Despite being legally protected the tiny gorilla population are often captured by criminal gangs and sold for huge sums to unscrupulous foreign zoos and private collectors.
Gentle: Silverback Yuska is one of four females at the zoo and originally comes from central Africa
Pondering: A thoughtful Yakini sits in the grass, and it is hoped she will help continue the endangered species by mating with Rigo

'My project, which I call 97 percent human was designed to capture the humanistic side of primates,' Arthur said.

'Many primate species share 97 percent their genetic make up with humans.

'But it wasn't simply about photographing these animals.

'More importantly it was about capturing a side to them that complimented that close genetic make up evident in their behaviour, expression and interactions.

'Ultimately my hope and intent has been to use these unique captures to create an environmental awareness of how endangered these animals are in the wild.

'The zoo environment allows me to do just that as the animals are readily accessible to the viewing public.'

source:dailymail

I'm Quackers About You! Gorilla Who Dotes on a Duckling

Nice to meet you: The huge gorilla happily sits next to the escaped duckling at Bronx Zoo, New York
This huge gorilla and tiny duckling became unlikely friends after the bird escaped into the ape's zoo enclosure.


Visitors to the Bronx Zoo in New York were stunned when the baby duck suddenly appeared inches from the massive primate.

Fearing the 90kg western lowland gorilla might react badly to the feathered visitor, onlookers held their breath to see what would happen.
Stick around, little buddy: Visitors to the zoo were stunned when the baby duck suddenly appeared inches from the primate

But rather than attacking or teasing the duckling, the four-and-a-half foot gorilla became fascinated with the bird and inspected its new friend with a nearby stick.

The 15-year-old female ape, called Fran, happily let it waddle about before the duckling was removed by zookeepers.

Although gorillas are frequently portrayed as aggressive, dangerous killers, they are shy, peaceful vegetarians.
Little and large: The curious beast plays with the duckling, using a small stick
The little bird confidently hops into the gorilla enclosure and makes new friends

Photographer Tom Warren, 51, captured the intimate scenes and said: 'I went to the zoo and quickly became aware of a commotion in the gorilla exhibit, as many of the school children were yelling "ducky, ducky!"

'We all watched with amazement as the little duckling wandered around the exhibit, while the gorillas either backed away from it or inspected it with curiosity.

'Then I spotted the duckling on the log next to a seemingly, amused gorilla.
New best friends: The 15-year-old female ape, called Fran, happily let the duckling waddle about before it was removed by zookeepers

'The duckling did not seem the least bit intimidated and for good reason, as Africa's gentle giants eat mostly fruits and plants.

'How fortunate I was to witness a wonderful moment between two unlikely friends.

'I held my breath and was able to fire off a few frames, knowing that the moment that I was witnessing was a very special one.'

Mr Warren, from New York, added: 'I was relieved when I got home and that the scene was in focus despite the fact that the photograph was taken through a thick piece of plexiglass.'

source:dailymail

The Moment Polar Bear Jumped Between Two Melting Ice Caps

Bouncing beast: A polar bear leaps from one piece of pack ice to the next off the coast of Svalbard, Norway With ice in the polar regions disappearing at record speed this hunting polar bear is literally taking a leap of faith jumping between two ice caps.
The amazing picture was taken by American wildlife photographer Rebcecca Jackrel during a 22-day sailing expedition to capture the bears in their natural environment. The photographer, from San Francisco, travelled to the islands of Spitsbergen and Nordaustlandet in the independent archipelago of Svalbard to stake out her subjects.

There she spent three weeks in a tiny boat watching more than twenty different bears go about their daily routine of hunting from the ocean What emerged is a fascinating insight into the behaviour of these often maligned animals in their natural habitat.
Coming in to land: The bear was bounding about as was out hunting seals

Rebecca explained: 'We never slept for more than 4 hours at a time and had someone posted on watch round the clock.

'We ate when there was no activity, sometimes dinner was at 6pm and sometimes 2am so it was a very different, very intense trip. 'I don't believe many polar bear were able to slip past us undetected.' Despite having to contend with the biting cold and the knowledge that the an attack from a wild animal was ever-present Rebecca revealed the real challenge of her mission was the clothes she was forced to wear.

'By the time you get all the layers of clothing on to keep you from freezing or developing frostbite it's almost impossible to move,' she explained.

'Anyone who ever wore a snowsuit as a child knows how hard it is to put your arms down once you are geared up. 'Finding a tiny shutter button through thick gloves? Impossible.'

However, behind the striking photography of a species perfectly adapted to its frozen environment, Rebecca wishes to raise awareness about the perilous future the bears face.
Just me and my reflection: A bear yawns in preparation for a nap on the sea ice
Slippery business: A bear slides off the snow bank, left, while another, right, surveys the sea for seals while standing on a perilous icy perch
Taking a dip: The bear enjoys a midnight swim in Smeerenburgfjorden in Svalbard

She said: 'The Arctic Ice cap expands and shrinks with the seasons but historically there has been a large portion of the cap that never melts called multi-year ice.

'In the winter when ice is plentiful in the circumpolar region bear are able to hunt the seals they need to survive with relative ease. 'But 2011 showed the second lowest level of Arctic ice in recorded history.

'In the summer the ice retreats from the circumpolar region and the bear need to swim further and further from land in order to find ice to hunt on.

'While polar bear are incredible swimmers - some have been tracked swimming continuously for over 100km - they tend to get into trouble when the sea gets choppy. 'Sea ice tends to settle the sea, blocking the wind from creating large waves and without that protection the wave grow and break over the bears as the swim.

'The more they have to fight to keep their head above water for air the more tired they become and without ice or land to haul out on, eventually they will drown.'

source:dailymail