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Orca Calf Swims Out of Canadian Lagoon Where it Had Been Trapped

A two-year-old female orca calf swims in Little Espinosa Inlet near Zeballos, British Columbia, Friday, April 19, 2024. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press via AP)
A two-year-old female orca calf swims in Little Espinosa Inlet near Zeballos, British Columbia, Friday, April 19, 2024. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press via AP)
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Orca Calf Swims Out of Canadian Lagoon Where it Had Been Trapped

A two-year-old female orca calf swims in Little Espinosa Inlet near Zeballos, British Columbia, Friday, April 19, 2024. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press via AP)
A two-year-old female orca calf swims in Little Espinosa Inlet near Zeballos, British Columbia, Friday, April 19, 2024. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press via AP)

A young killer whale that was trapped for more than a month in a lagoon on Vancouver Island swam past a bottleneck at high tide early Friday, reaching an inlet that could take it to the open sea, officials said.
The Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First Nations said in a statement that a team monitoring the 2-year-old calf saw it swim past the area where its mother had died, pass under a bridge and head down the inlet “all on her own.”
The young orca still must leave the Little Espinosa Inlet to reach open ocean, The Associated Press reported.
The calf had been stuck in the tidal lagoon near the British Columbia village of Zeballos about 450 kilometers (280 miles) northwest of Victoria since March 23, when its pregnant mother became trapped at low tide and died on a rocky beach.
“Today the community of Zeballos and people everywhere are waking up to some incredible news and what can only be described as pride for strength this little orca has shown,” Chief Simon John said in a release.
Officials said they hoped that once the whale reaches the open sea, it calls will be heard by its orca family.
John said officials and nation members were putting protective measures in place to ensure the whale has no contact with people or boats.
“Every opportunity needs to be afforded to have her back with her family with as little human interaction as possible,” he said.
An attempt in mid-April to free the whale involved using a net to corral her into a large fabric sling in shallow waters. The whale managed to dodge a 50-person rescue team that was using boats, divers and sophisticated underwater detection equipment.

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Comet Fragment Lights up Sky over Spain, Portugal 'Like a Movie'

FILE PHOTO: A section of the Tarantula Nebula, located within the Large Magellanic Cloud. REUTERS/NASA/ESA/Hubble | October 21, 2014
FILE PHOTO: A section of the Tarantula Nebula, located within the Large Magellanic Cloud. REUTERS/NASA/ESA/Hubble | October 21, 2014
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Comet Fragment Lights up Sky over Spain, Portugal 'Like a Movie'

FILE PHOTO: A section of the Tarantula Nebula, located within the Large Magellanic Cloud. REUTERS/NASA/ESA/Hubble | October 21, 2014
FILE PHOTO: A section of the Tarantula Nebula, located within the Large Magellanic Cloud. REUTERS/NASA/ESA/Hubble | October 21, 2014

A bright comet fragment lit up the skies over parts of Spain and Portugal late on Saturday, according to the European Space Agency (ESA), with one Lisbon resident saying the dazzling display "felt like a movie".

On Sunday morning, the ESA shared on X a video captured by its "fireball camera" of what it described as a "stunning meteor" over the skies of the western Spanish city of Caceres, near the Portuguese border.

But it later said it appeared to be a "small piece of a comet" and not a meteor, estimating it flew over Spain and Portugal at a speed of 45 km (28 miles) per second before burning up over the Atlantic, Reuters reported.

"The likelihood of any meteorites being found is very low," the ESA said.

In both countries, videos shot in several cities and towns went viral on social media, showing the object crossing the night sky at high speed and illuminating it in bright tones of blue and green.

The Spanish Calar Alto astronomical observatory also said a preliminary analysis by Andalusia's Institute of Astrophysics revealed the object had a "cometary origin".

During a concert in the Portuguese city of Barcelos, the object was filmed streaking across the sky as the singer performed. Another video showed the skies of Porto, Portugal's second biggest city, turning bright for a few seconds.

Many contacted emergency services to report what happened. A spokesperson for the Spanish Emergency service 112, in Madrid, told Europa Press news agency it had received several calls.

Lisbon resident Bernardo Taborda, 31, told Reuters he was walking around the city with friends when the sky suddenly turned bright green: "It almost looked like daylight ... we all looked back and saw it."

"It felt like a movie, we all looked at each other and we were stunned," Taborda said. "It was amazing."

 

 

 

 

 

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Saudi Arabia: NCW Launches Cave Exploration Program in Northern Border Area

According to Qurban, researchers from NCW have uncovered in the Kingdom's caves some of the world's rarest bat species alongside the remains of extinct animals. SPA
According to Qurban, researchers from NCW have uncovered in the Kingdom's caves some of the world's rarest bat species alongside the remains of extinct animals. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: NCW Launches Cave Exploration Program in Northern Border Area

According to Qurban, researchers from NCW have uncovered in the Kingdom's caves some of the world's rarest bat species alongside the remains of extinct animals. SPA
According to Qurban, researchers from NCW have uncovered in the Kingdom's caves some of the world's rarest bat species alongside the remains of extinct animals. SPA

The National Center for Wildlife (NCW) is embarking on a groundbreaking exploration program focused on caves in the Northern Borders, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Sunday.
Launched in 2022, the program is part of a larger endeavor dedicated to monitoring all ecosystems and biodiversity across the Kingdom's diverse terrestrial and marine landscapes, it said.
The program aims to achieve three key goals: international recognition by placing these caves on the global map for biodiversity and natural heritage, historical preservation by recognizing them as natural museums that offer insights into past environments, and wildlife conservation by protecting these unique ecosystems.
"The exploration of these caves holds immense historical and environmental value for the Kingdom," said NCW CEO Dr. Mohammed Qurban. "These caves act as a natural museum, showcasing the evolution of biodiversity throughout the region's history, and providing insights into past environmental and climate changes on the Arabian Peninsula."
These efforts build upon NCW's earlier discoveries of mummified cheetahs found in a cave in northern Saudi Arabia. Estimated to be over 4,000 years old, this find marked the first documented evidence of this species in the Kingdom.
"Based on this discovery, NCW is creating a program to reintroduce hunting cheetahs, allowing them to once again play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance," Qurban said.
According to Qurban, researchers from NCW have uncovered in the Kingdom's caves some of the world's rarest bat species alongside the remains of extinct animals. Classification and age determination of these remains are ongoing, paving the way for potential reintroduction efforts.
"The ultimate goal is to reintroduce these extinct species or their closest genetic relatives, allowing them to reclaim their ecological roles," Qurban said.
With 1,826 documented caves across Saudi Arabia, NCW's program sheds light on the Kingdom's natural heritage while promoting conservation and the potential return of lost species.

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Japanese Authorities Urge Caution after Wild Bears Attack Several People

A train makes its way down the tracks along the Kanda river in the Ochanomizu area of Tokyo at sunset on May 17, 2024. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP)
A train makes its way down the tracks along the Kanda river in the Ochanomizu area of Tokyo at sunset on May 17, 2024. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP)
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Japanese Authorities Urge Caution after Wild Bears Attack Several People

A train makes its way down the tracks along the Kanda river in the Ochanomizu area of Tokyo at sunset on May 17, 2024. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP)
A train makes its way down the tracks along the Kanda river in the Ochanomizu area of Tokyo at sunset on May 17, 2024. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP)

Japanese authorities have warned residents Saturday to be aware of wild bears in the country's northeast after several people were attacked, including police officers.
The bears, measuring about 50 centimeters in height, were seen in the area, including Akita and Fukushima Prefectures.
Two police officers were attacked Saturday in the city of Kazuno in Akita while recovering the body of a missing man, according to Japanese media reports. The man had gone hunting for bamboo shoots in the mountains a few days earlier where he was found dead in the area with gash wounds. It remains unclear if he died due to a bear attack.
The officers are in serious condition, though not life-threatening, reports said.
In response, some wooded areas have been closed off in Kazuno "for an indefinite time,” The Associated Press quoted officials as saying in a statement.
News footage showed police officers putting up signs warning people to stay out of mountainous areas where the bears were sighted.
Over the weekend, patrol cars were dispatched together with a helicopter search to locate the bears.
Akita Prefectural Police have urged people to keep bells and other noise-producing devices on hand to scare the bears away in case of an encounter, and not to go out at night.
Thousands of Asiatic black bears live in the wild throughout Japan. Attacks have risen as the borders blur between the bears’ habitats and people’s dwellings. The scarcity of acorns, berries and other food, possibly connected to climate change, is also blamed for the surge in bear encounters.

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British Woman, 82, Bikes Up Mont Ventoux to Raise Gaza Aid Funds

Anne Jones completed the cycle in six hours. Photo: PA Media
Anne Jones completed the cycle in six hours. Photo: PA Media
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British Woman, 82, Bikes Up Mont Ventoux to Raise Gaza Aid Funds

Anne Jones completed the cycle in six hours. Photo: PA Media
Anne Jones completed the cycle in six hours. Photo: PA Media

An 82-year-old British grandmother has taken on one of the Tour de France's most famous mountains to raise funds for aid to Gaza, the BBC reported.

Anne Jones, from Lewisham, south London, rode 20 km up Mont Ventoux in southern France to support Amos Trust's Gaza appeal, it said.

She battled hail, rain and fog as she cycled for six hours to the climb's summit at 1,910m above sea level.

According to the BBC, Jones raised £13,000 for the appeal.

The grandmother-of-six said she was "delighted" to have completed the feat and hoped it would change the "assumptions" people make when they see "an old face.”

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Eruption of Indonesia's Mt Ibu Forces 7 Villages to Evacuate

Lightning appears amid a storm as Mount Ibu spews volcanic material during an eruption, as seen from Gam Ici in West Halmahera, North Maluku province, Indonesia, May 18, 2024 in this handout image. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG)/Handout via REUTERS
Lightning appears amid a storm as Mount Ibu spews volcanic material during an eruption, as seen from Gam Ici in West Halmahera, North Maluku province, Indonesia, May 18, 2024 in this handout image. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG)/Handout via REUTERS
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Eruption of Indonesia's Mt Ibu Forces 7 Villages to Evacuate

Lightning appears amid a storm as Mount Ibu spews volcanic material during an eruption, as seen from Gam Ici in West Halmahera, North Maluku province, Indonesia, May 18, 2024 in this handout image. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG)/Handout via REUTERS
Lightning appears amid a storm as Mount Ibu spews volcanic material during an eruption, as seen from Gam Ici in West Halmahera, North Maluku province, Indonesia, May 18, 2024 in this handout image. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG)/Handout via REUTERS

A volcano on the remote Indonesian island of Halmahera has spectacularly erupted, spewing a grey ash cloud into the sky, and people from seven nearby villages have been evacuated, authorities said on Sunday.
Mt. Ibu erupted on Saturday evening, sending ash 4 km (2.5 miles) high, as streaks of purple lightning flashed around its crater, according to information and images shared by Indonesia's volcanology agency.
A joint team comprised of police, military and search and rescue officials was dispatched to the area to evacuate residents from surrounding villages, Abdul Muhari, from the disaster mitigation agency, said in a statement.
According to Reuters, photos shared by the disaster agency showed authorities assisting the elderly, while other residents were moved in pick-up trucks and accommodated in emergency tents for the night.
The agency did not provide any information about how many people had been moved, but authorities have recommended that a seven-km (4.35-mile) radius be cleared.
Indonesia's volcanology agency raised the alert level of the volcano to the highest level on Thursday, after Ibu erupted multiple times earlier this month.
Ibu's activities follow a series of eruptions of different volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and has 127 active volcanoes.
Flash floods and cold lava flow from Mount Marapi, one of the most active in West Sumatra province, covered several nearby districts following torrential rain on May 11, killing more than 60 people.
In recent weeks, North Sulawesi's Ruang volcano has also erupted, spewing incandescent lava. The eruption prompted authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people on a nearby island.

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Parts of Northern India Scorched by Extreme Heat with New Delhi on High Alert

A roadside vendor sells iced lemonade in New Delhi, India, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP)
A roadside vendor sells iced lemonade in New Delhi, India, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP)
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Parts of Northern India Scorched by Extreme Heat with New Delhi on High Alert

A roadside vendor sells iced lemonade in New Delhi, India, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP)
A roadside vendor sells iced lemonade in New Delhi, India, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP)

Parts of northwest India sweltered under scorching temperatures on Saturday, with the capital New Delhi under a severe weather alert as extreme temperatures strike parts of the country.

India's weather department expects heat wave conditions to persist across the north for the next few days, and has put several states on high alert.

On Friday, parts of New Delhi reported up to 47.1 degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit). The nearby states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan also saw temperatures soar and are likely to stay high over the next few days, said Soma Sen Roy, a scientist at the India Meteorological Department.

Roy cautioned people against going outdoors under the afternoon sun, drink lots of water and wear loose-fitting clothes while who are especially vulnerable like the elderly should stay indoors.

The extreme temperatures in northern India coincide with a 6-week-long general election, with experts worried that the heat wave could increase health risks as people wait in long lines to cast their vote or candidates campaign aggressively in the outdoors. One minister fainted due to heat last month while addressing an election rally in Maharashtra state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as his main challenger, Rahul Gandhi of the opposition Congress Party, are expected to hold rallies in New Delhi later on Saturday, as the city heads to the polls on May 25.

The main summer months — April, May and June — are always hot in most parts of India before monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But the heat has become more intense in the past decade and is usually accompanied by severe water shortages, with tens of millions of India's 1.4 billion people lacking running water.

A study by World Weather Attribution, an academic group that examines the source of extreme heat, found that a searing heat wave in April that struck parts of Asia was made at least 45 times more likely in some parts of the continent by climate change.

Climate experts say extreme heat in South Asia during the pre-monsoon season is becoming more frequent and the study found that extreme temperatures are now about 0.85 C (1.5 F) hotter in the region because of climate change.

At least 28 heat-related deaths were reported in Bangladesh, as well as five in India in April. Surges in heat deaths have also been reported in Thailand and the Philippines this year, according to the study.

Extreme heat is fast becoming a public health crisis in India, with more than 150 people dying last year during heat waves. The government estimates nearly 11,000 people have died during heat waves this century, yet experts say such figures are likely a vast undercount.

Varieties

'Danger Behind the Beauty': More Solar Storms Could Be Heading our Way

Auroras may be pretty, but the solar storms that cause them can cause serious havoc on Earth, scientists have warned. Sanka Vidanagama / AFP/File
Auroras may be pretty, but the solar storms that cause them can cause serious havoc on Earth, scientists have warned. Sanka Vidanagama / AFP/File
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'Danger Behind the Beauty': More Solar Storms Could Be Heading our Way

Auroras may be pretty, but the solar storms that cause them can cause serious havoc on Earth, scientists have warned. Sanka Vidanagama / AFP/File
Auroras may be pretty, but the solar storms that cause them can cause serious havoc on Earth, scientists have warned. Sanka Vidanagama / AFP/File

Tourists normally have to pay big money and brave cold climates for a chance to see an aurora, but last weekend many people around the world simply had to look up to see these colorful displays dance across the sky.
Usually banished to the poles of Earth, the auroras strayed as far as Mexico, southern Europe and South Africa on the evening of May 10, delighting skygazers and filling social media with images of exuberant pinks, greens and purples.
But for those charged with protecting Earth from powerful solar storms such as the one that caused the auroras, a threat lurks beneath the stunning colors.
"We need to understand that behind this beauty, there is danger," Quentin Verspieren, the European Space Agency's space safety program coordinator, told AFP.
Mike Bettwy of the US Space Weather Prediction Center said that "we're focused on the more sinister potential impacts" of solar storms, such as taking out power grids and satellites, or exposing astronauts to dangerous levels of radiation.
The latest auroras were caused by the most powerful geomagnetic storm since the "Halloween Storms" of October 2003, which sparked blackouts in Sweden and damaged power infrastructure in South Africa.

There appears to have been less damage from the latest solar storms, though it often takes weeks for satellite companies to reveal problems, Bettwy said.
There were reports that some self-driving farm tractors in the United States stopped in their tracks when their GPS guidance systems went out due to the storm, he told AFP.
'Definitely not over'
These strange effects are caused by massive explosions on the surface of the Sun that shoot out plasma, radiation and even magnetic fields at incredibly fast speeds born on the solar wind.
The recent activity has come from a sunspot cluster 17 times the size of Earth which has continued raging over the week. On Tuesday it blasted out the strongest solar flare seen in years.
The sunspot has been turning towards the edge of the Sun's disc, so activity is expected to die down in the short term as its outbursts aim away from our planet.
But in roughly two weeks the sunspot will swing back around, again turning its gaze towards Earth.
In the meantime, another sunspot is "coming into view right now" which could trigger "major activity in the coming days", ESA space weather service coordinator Alexi Glover told AFP.
So the solar activity is "definitely not over", she added.
It is difficult to predict how violent these sunspots could be -- or whether they could spark further auroras.
But solar activity is only just approaching the peak of its roughly 11-year cycle, so the odds of another major storm are highest "between now and the end of next year", Bettwy said.
What threat do solar storms pose?
Geomagnetic storms such as the recent one create a magnetic charge of voltage and current, "essentially overloading" things like satellites and power grids, according to Bettwy.
The most famous example came in 1859 during the worst solar storm in recorded history, called the Carrington Event.
As well as stunning auroras, the storm caused sparks to fly off of telegraph stations. The charge that originated from the Sun was so strong that some telegraphs worked without being plugged into a power source.
So what would happen if such a powerful geomagnetic storm struck Earth again?
Bettwy said most countries have improved their power grids, which should prevent prolonged outages like those that hit Sweden in 2003 or Canada in 1989.
Still, he suggested people have an emergency kit in case electricity is knocked out for a day or two. Fresh water might also help in case filtration plants go offline.
Astronauts are particularly at risk from radiation during extreme solar activity. Those on the International Space Station usually take the best shelter they can when a bad storm is expected.
Bettwy said a massive solar storm could expose astronauts to an "unhealthy dose" of radiation, but he did not think it would be lethal.
Emphasizing that he did not want to "instill fear", Bettwy added that radiation can also potentially "get through the fuselage" of planes flying near the north pole.
Airlines sometimes change routes during extreme solar storms to avoid this happening, he added.
Several upcoming missions are expected to improve forecasting of the Sun's intense and unpredictable weather, aiming to give Earth more time to prepare.

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A College Puts the ‘Cat’ into ‘Education’ by Giving Max an Honorary ‘Doctor of Litter-ature’ Degree

This photo provided by Vermont State University shows Max the Cat stands in front of Woodruff Hall at Vermont State University Castleton on Oct. 12, 2023 in Castleton, Vt. (Rob Franklin/Vermont State University via AP)
This photo provided by Vermont State University shows Max the Cat stands in front of Woodruff Hall at Vermont State University Castleton on Oct. 12, 2023 in Castleton, Vt. (Rob Franklin/Vermont State University via AP)
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A College Puts the ‘Cat’ into ‘Education’ by Giving Max an Honorary ‘Doctor of Litter-ature’ Degree

This photo provided by Vermont State University shows Max the Cat stands in front of Woodruff Hall at Vermont State University Castleton on Oct. 12, 2023 in Castleton, Vt. (Rob Franklin/Vermont State University via AP)
This photo provided by Vermont State University shows Max the Cat stands in front of Woodruff Hall at Vermont State University Castleton on Oct. 12, 2023 in Castleton, Vt. (Rob Franklin/Vermont State University via AP)

A Vermont university has bestowed the honorary degree of “doctor of litter-ature” on Max the cat, a beloved member of its community, ahead of students' graduation on Saturday.

Vermont State University’s Castleton campus is honoring the feline not for his mousing or napping, but for his friendliness.

“Max the Cat has been an affectionate member of the Castleton family for years,” the school said in a Facebook post.

The popular tabby lives in a house with his human family on the street that leads to the main entrance to campus.

“So he decided that he would go up on campus, and he just started hanging out with the college students, and they love him,” owner Ashley Dow said Thursday.

He's been socializing on campus for about four years, and students get excited when they see him. They pick him up and take selfies with him, and he even likes to go on tours with prospective students that meet at a building across from the family's house, she said.

“I don't even know how he knows to go, but he does,” Dow said. “And then he'll follow them on their tour.”

The students refer to Dow as Max's mom, and graduates who return to town sometimes ask her how Max is doing.

Max won't be participating in the graduation, though. His degree will be delivered to Dow later.

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US Teen Died After Doing Spicy Chip Challenge

The local chief medical examiner determined that Harris died of cardiac arrest after ingesting a food with a large amount of a chili pepper extract called capsaicin, said the autopsy report. (Illustrative - Getty Images)
The local chief medical examiner determined that Harris died of cardiac arrest after ingesting a food with a large amount of a chili pepper extract called capsaicin, said the autopsy report. (Illustrative - Getty Images)
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US Teen Died After Doing Spicy Chip Challenge

The local chief medical examiner determined that Harris died of cardiac arrest after ingesting a food with a large amount of a chili pepper extract called capsaicin, said the autopsy report. (Illustrative - Getty Images)
The local chief medical examiner determined that Harris died of cardiac arrest after ingesting a food with a large amount of a chili pepper extract called capsaicin, said the autopsy report. (Illustrative - Getty Images)

A US teenager died of cardiac arrest after taking part in a social media challenge daring people to eat a single extremely hot tortilla chip, an autopsy revealed Thursday.

Harris Wolobah, a 14-year-old from Massachusetts, died in September after taking part in the so-called "One Chip Challenge" -- which involved a single chip produced by Paqui, dusted with Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers.

The dare has manifested in several iterations over the years, with the peppers changing each time.

The local chief medical examiner determined that Harris died of cardiac arrest after ingesting a food with a large amount of a chili pepper extract called capsaicin, said the autopsy report, seen by AFP.

The autopsy also concluded that the teen had an enlarged heart, which could have contributed to his death.

Days after his death, Paqui removed the product -- packaged in a coffin-shaped box with a red skull and marked "extreme heat" -- from store shelves.

In California, three youths were hospitalized after taking part in the dare, and seven got sick in Minnesota for the same reason, according to media reports.

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British Woman Becomes ‘Star’ for Saving Starving Owl

A tawny owl. (Getty Images)
A tawny owl. (Getty Images)
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British Woman Becomes ‘Star’ for Saving Starving Owl

A tawny owl. (Getty Images)
A tawny owl. (Getty Images)

A woman has become an unlikely social media star in her Cornish village - all thanks to a family of tawny owls, reported the BBC on Friday.

Diane Knight had set up a CCTV system so she could watch the owls nesting in her barn near Carnon Downs, Cornwall.

But when the male owl stopped bringing the female food, Knight stepped in.

Her work to supply the owl and the baby owlet with dead mice has proved popular on the village's Facebook page.

Knight's owl obsession started through watching the pair of tawny owls on a nest-cam she had set up.

She said the male owl was injured in a fight with a rival owl and stopped bringing the female the food she needed while sitting on her single egg.

Knight, 69, took advice and started buying dead mice, stocked as snake food by local pet shops, soon racking up a bill of more than £100.

She was told to place the mice on a nearby beam to avoid disturbing the nest, which involved climbing up a 15ft (4.5m) ladder.

She also started to share stills and video on the Carnon Downs And Surrounding Area Notice Board on Facebook and was inundated with offers of help from followers.

"They've been brilliant," she said. "One gentlemen paid for 30 and another lady she paid for 20 so I've got 50 dead mice waiting for me.

"We've got enough now, we've got a freezerful," she added, according to the BBC.

Her regular owl updates on Facebook are attracting dozens of likes and comments.

"I am a little bit addicted to it myself, I haven't watched television for months," she said.

"I cannot believe how one little owlet has brought the community together.

"I went to the dentist and the first thing they said to me is 'Are you the Owl Lady of Carnon Downs?'"

Knight has named the owlet Dorothea - Dotty for short - and is hoping the young bird is soon learn to fly, leave the nest and hunt for its own mice dinners.