ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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I guess its a Cornish delicacy.
Day Of The Animals: Tales Of Man Vs Beast (And Man Suffers)
- Thread starter ninja_cat
- Start date
-
- Tags
- animal attacks animals
CarlosTheDJ
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A prickly pastie.
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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Hogging the limelight.
ramonmercado
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sherbetbizarre
Special Branch
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Who let the dogs out? The Police!
Mother and pup reunion as Ruby meets her "A" litter pups at their passing out as police dogs
First published 14:00 Saturday 6 December 2014
More dogs from Devon and Cornwall Police’s 'A' litter of 7 police dog puppies have had their passing out parade.
Argo, Ash, Annie and Ava were reunited with their mother Ruby at Police HQ, Middlemoor in Exeter before receiving certificates and putting on a demonstration of their skills.
Argo, Ash and Annie were objectively assessed and licensed to work as police dogs by Gwent Police. As with other dogs from the Devon and Cornwall Police training programme, Ava was sold to Dorset Police and returned to Devon with her handler for passing out having been licensed by Surrey Police.
Also present were Paul Glennon, canine development officer, and many of the puppy walkers and their families who looked after the puppies before they went into full training.
The puppies went to family homes for a period of twelve to eighteen months before being assessed for training as police dogs. The dogs then embarked on an intensive 13 week training course, which taught them to assist tracking missing people, locate stolen property, chase and detain suspects, and keep order in crowd control situations.
Axel and ‘Arry, two other dogs from the “A” litter, completed this process early, graduating in July of this year.
http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/11 ... gs/?ref=mr
Mother and pup reunion as Ruby meets her "A" litter pups at their passing out as police dogs
First published 14:00 Saturday 6 December 2014
More dogs from Devon and Cornwall Police’s 'A' litter of 7 police dog puppies have had their passing out parade.
Argo, Ash, Annie and Ava were reunited with their mother Ruby at Police HQ, Middlemoor in Exeter before receiving certificates and putting on a demonstration of their skills.
Argo, Ash and Annie were objectively assessed and licensed to work as police dogs by Gwent Police. As with other dogs from the Devon and Cornwall Police training programme, Ava was sold to Dorset Police and returned to Devon with her handler for passing out having been licensed by Surrey Police.
Also present were Paul Glennon, canine development officer, and many of the puppy walkers and their families who looked after the puppies before they went into full training.
The puppies went to family homes for a period of twelve to eighteen months before being assessed for training as police dogs. The dogs then embarked on an intensive 13 week training course, which taught them to assist tracking missing people, locate stolen property, chase and detain suspects, and keep order in crowd control situations.
Axel and ‘Arry, two other dogs from the “A” litter, completed this process early, graduating in July of this year.
http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/11 ... gs/?ref=mr
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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Rare jet-black seal pup found abandoned
A highly unusual jet-black seal pup found abandoned after experts think he was attacked and bullied by fellow seals because of his colour is recuperating at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek.
Christened Badger, the two-week-old grey seal pup had an ulcerated eye and a variety of scars and wounds which his rescuers believe may have been inflicted by other seals wary of his very different appearance.
“When he arrived he had an infection and was struggling to feed himself, but after a course of antibiotics and some TLC he soon started to recover,” said the sanctuary's animal care team supervisor Tamara Cooper.
“When he moulted his infant coat the coat beneath was inky black,” she added.
“Black pups are very rare, and more usually found among the Scottish population. We haven't had a Black Pup since 2007.”
Staff named the new arrival, who was found on Porthellick in the Scillies, after the First Comics superhero Badger, as he has very similar colouring to a Badger and follows the rescue pups naming theme that the Sanctuary have chosen.
“We chose the theme of superheroes for the names of all our rescued pups this winter, and Badger just seemed the perfect choice for our all-black newcomer,” said Tamara.
Badger has been moved into the Nursery Pools and is now feeding himself, and if all goes well should be ready to resume life in the wild by early March next year.
http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/11 ... abandoned/
A highly unusual jet-black seal pup found abandoned after experts think he was attacked and bullied by fellow seals because of his colour is recuperating at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek.
Christened Badger, the two-week-old grey seal pup had an ulcerated eye and a variety of scars and wounds which his rescuers believe may have been inflicted by other seals wary of his very different appearance.
“When he arrived he had an infection and was struggling to feed himself, but after a course of antibiotics and some TLC he soon started to recover,” said the sanctuary's animal care team supervisor Tamara Cooper.
“When he moulted his infant coat the coat beneath was inky black,” she added.
“Black pups are very rare, and more usually found among the Scottish population. We haven't had a Black Pup since 2007.”
Staff named the new arrival, who was found on Porthellick in the Scillies, after the First Comics superhero Badger, as he has very similar colouring to a Badger and follows the rescue pups naming theme that the Sanctuary have chosen.
“We chose the theme of superheroes for the names of all our rescued pups this winter, and Badger just seemed the perfect choice for our all-black newcomer,” said Tamara.
Badger has been moved into the Nursery Pools and is now feeding himself, and if all goes well should be ready to resume life in the wild by early March next year.
http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/11 ... abandoned/
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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Monstrosa said:
Well mine is from a different source and really: how long do you think my attention span... wha'?
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- Aug 7, 2001
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Mass seal strandings in Cornwall: Experts 'baffled'
Marine wildlife experts say they are "baffled" by the high number of seals becoming stranded in Cornwall.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust said there have been twice as many strandings in October and November compared to previous years.
The charity said 35 dead seals had been washed up on Cornish beaches and 37 live seals rescued in two months.
Conservationists said the number of animals being stranded was of national concern.
Caz Waddell, marine conservation officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: "Whilst bad weather will undoubtedly have been the cause of some of these strandings, the sheer number of cases has left us slightly baffled.
"We don't yet have any answers as to why this is happening, but it shows just how important it is for people to tell us about any stranded marine animal they see."
Cornwall Wildlife Trust said Britain has over a third of the world's population of grey seals.
The charity's Marine Strandings Network coordinates the investigation and recording of all dead stranded animals in Cornwall.
Niki Clear from the network said: "At the moment it remains a mystery what, if anything, is the cause of this recent spike in seal strandings.
"It's only by gathering information about each case that we can build up a true picture of what is happening."
Sue Sayer from the Cornwall Seal Group said two of the seals found dead in Cornwall were from Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire.
"This highlights how important it is to remember the bigger picture. The large numbers of strandings occurring in Cornwall is of concern not just to us locally, but nationally as well," she said.
The 37 live seals were rescued by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue organisation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-30402678
Marine wildlife experts say they are "baffled" by the high number of seals becoming stranded in Cornwall.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust said there have been twice as many strandings in October and November compared to previous years.
The charity said 35 dead seals had been washed up on Cornish beaches and 37 live seals rescued in two months.
Conservationists said the number of animals being stranded was of national concern.
Caz Waddell, marine conservation officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: "Whilst bad weather will undoubtedly have been the cause of some of these strandings, the sheer number of cases has left us slightly baffled.
"We don't yet have any answers as to why this is happening, but it shows just how important it is for people to tell us about any stranded marine animal they see."
Cornwall Wildlife Trust said Britain has over a third of the world's population of grey seals.
The charity's Marine Strandings Network coordinates the investigation and recording of all dead stranded animals in Cornwall.
Niki Clear from the network said: "At the moment it remains a mystery what, if anything, is the cause of this recent spike in seal strandings.
"It's only by gathering information about each case that we can build up a true picture of what is happening."
Sue Sayer from the Cornwall Seal Group said two of the seals found dead in Cornwall were from Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire.
"This highlights how important it is to remember the bigger picture. The large numbers of strandings occurring in Cornwall is of concern not just to us locally, but nationally as well," she said.
The 37 live seals were rescued by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue organisation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-30402678
Only tangentially involves animals but this is from the West Yorkshire Police - Calderdale Valleys Facebook page from 11th December.
"Following a number of posts on social media sites about people suspected of being bogus fish sellers, attended addressed with the intention of stealing cats or dogs. Calderdale Police have had no reports of cats or dogs going missing under such circumstances.
Please note that there are delivery men who travel around the areas legitimately selling fish door to door.
If you do not want to buy the fish, simply say NO, you are well within your rights.
If you have unhappy with the behaviour of the sales person or the product they sell, please contact Trading Standards"
I'm new to these forums so if there's a specific place for social media panics regarding pet-stealing bogus fish sellers then please let me know!
"Following a number of posts on social media sites about people suspected of being bogus fish sellers, attended addressed with the intention of stealing cats or dogs. Calderdale Police have had no reports of cats or dogs going missing under such circumstances.
Please note that there are delivery men who travel around the areas legitimately selling fish door to door.
If you do not want to buy the fish, simply say NO, you are well within your rights.
If you have unhappy with the behaviour of the sales person or the product they sell, please contact Trading Standards"
I'm new to these forums so if there's a specific place for social media panics regarding pet-stealing bogus fish sellers then please let me know!
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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- Eblana
I reckon the parrot set the fire to kill the cockatiels.
A pet parrot is being hailed as a hero after he saved the life of a Meath man whose home was gutted by fire this week. Nigel O’Connor’s beloved BoBo woke him up by squawking as flames took hold of his cottage in Meath Hill early on Monday. Nigel managed to get himself and BoBo to safety but he was unable to save his three cockatiels, who perished in the fire. The 47-year-old, who remains shaken from the incident, said: “I was fast asleep when I heard BoBo squawking loudly at about 4am. ...
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/parrot-hailed-as-hero-as-fire-guts-owners-home-302403.html
A pet parrot is being hailed as a hero after he saved the life of a Meath man whose home was gutted by fire this week. Nigel O’Connor’s beloved BoBo woke him up by squawking as flames took hold of his cottage in Meath Hill early on Monday. Nigel managed to get himself and BoBo to safety but he was unable to save his three cockatiels, who perished in the fire. The 47-year-old, who remains shaken from the incident, said: “I was fast asleep when I heard BoBo squawking loudly at about 4am. ...
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/parrot-hailed-as-hero-as-fire-guts-owners-home-302403.html
PeteByrdie
Privateer in the service of Princess Frideswide
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- 3,249
Awwwww! I bet the one who was being turned back over was saying, 'In your own time, Speedy!'When tortoise helps tortoise
Mythopoeika
I am a meat popsicle
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2001
- Messages
- 51,697
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- Inside a starship, watching puny humans from afar
Fascinating! In spite of a tortoise's limited brain, that shows real empathy and awareness of another fellow creature's fate. 
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2001
- Messages
- 54,631
Birds 'heard tornadoes coming' and fled the day before
By Jonathan Webb Science reporter, BBC News
Multiple tornadoes devastated parts of the southern and central US in April
US scientists say tracking data showing five golden-winged warblers left their nesting site a day a tornado outbreak suggests the birds "heard it coming".
Geolocators showed the birds, which had just finished a 5,000km migration, left the Appalachians and flew 700km (400 miles) south to the Gulf of Mexico.
The next day the deadly April 2014 tornadoes swept across the central US.
The discovery, reported in Current Biology, suggests many birds may sense and escape extreme events in this way.
Dr Henry Streby, from the University of California, Berkeley, said he initially set out to see if tracking the warblers was even possible.
"This was just a pilot season for a larger study that we're about to start," Dr Streby told the BBC.
"These are very tiny songbirds - they weigh about nine grams.
"The fact that they came back with the geolocators was supposed to be the great success of this season. Then this happened!"
Working with colleagues from the Universities of Tennessee and Minnesota, Dr Streby tagged 20 golden-winged warblers in May 2013, in the Cumberland Mountains of north-eastern Tennessee.
The birds are often seen around the Great Lakes and the Appalachian Mountains, where they nest and breed every summer.
The golden-winged warblers were being tracked as part of a pilot study of their normal, seasonal migration
After disappearing to Colombia for the winter, 10 of the tagged warblers returned in April 2014. The team was in the field observing them when they received advance warning of the tornadoes.
"We evacuated ourselves to the waffle house in Caryville, Tennessee, for the one day that the storm was really bad," Dr Streby said.
Elsewhere in the US the storm had more drastic consequences. At least 84 tornadoes caused 35 fatalities and more than $1bn (£0.6bn) in property damage.
After the storm had blown over, the team recaptured five of the warblers and removed the geolocators.
These are tiny devices weighing about half a gram, which measure light levels. Based on the timing and length of the days they record, these gadgets allow scientists to calculate and track the approximate location of migratory birds.
In this case, all five indicated that the birds had taken unprecedented evasive action, beginning one to two days ahead of the storm's arrival.
"The warblers in our study flew at least 1,500km (932 miles) in total," Dr Streby said.
They escaped just south of the tornadoes' path - and then went straight home again. By 2 May, all five were back in their nesting area.
Remarkably, the warblers' evacuation commenced while the closest tornado was still hundreds of miles away. Weather conditions in the nesting area were still nothing out of the ordinary
etc...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30531060
By Jonathan Webb Science reporter, BBC News
Multiple tornadoes devastated parts of the southern and central US in April
US scientists say tracking data showing five golden-winged warblers left their nesting site a day a tornado outbreak suggests the birds "heard it coming".
Geolocators showed the birds, which had just finished a 5,000km migration, left the Appalachians and flew 700km (400 miles) south to the Gulf of Mexico.
The next day the deadly April 2014 tornadoes swept across the central US.
The discovery, reported in Current Biology, suggests many birds may sense and escape extreme events in this way.
Dr Henry Streby, from the University of California, Berkeley, said he initially set out to see if tracking the warblers was even possible.
"This was just a pilot season for a larger study that we're about to start," Dr Streby told the BBC.
"These are very tiny songbirds - they weigh about nine grams.
"The fact that they came back with the geolocators was supposed to be the great success of this season. Then this happened!"
Working with colleagues from the Universities of Tennessee and Minnesota, Dr Streby tagged 20 golden-winged warblers in May 2013, in the Cumberland Mountains of north-eastern Tennessee.
The birds are often seen around the Great Lakes and the Appalachian Mountains, where they nest and breed every summer.
The golden-winged warblers were being tracked as part of a pilot study of their normal, seasonal migration
After disappearing to Colombia for the winter, 10 of the tagged warblers returned in April 2014. The team was in the field observing them when they received advance warning of the tornadoes.
"We evacuated ourselves to the waffle house in Caryville, Tennessee, for the one day that the storm was really bad," Dr Streby said.
Elsewhere in the US the storm had more drastic consequences. At least 84 tornadoes caused 35 fatalities and more than $1bn (£0.6bn) in property damage.
After the storm had blown over, the team recaptured five of the warblers and removed the geolocators.
These are tiny devices weighing about half a gram, which measure light levels. Based on the timing and length of the days they record, these gadgets allow scientists to calculate and track the approximate location of migratory birds.
In this case, all five indicated that the birds had taken unprecedented evasive action, beginning one to two days ahead of the storm's arrival.
"The warblers in our study flew at least 1,500km (932 miles) in total," Dr Streby said.
They escaped just south of the tornadoes' path - and then went straight home again. By 2 May, all five were back in their nesting area.
Remarkably, the warblers' evacuation commenced while the closest tornado was still hundreds of miles away. Weather conditions in the nesting area were still nothing out of the ordinary
etc...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30531060
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2001
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- 54,631
Cornish farmer has 'proof that cows can talk'
By cg_graham | Posted: December 21, 2014
Martin Howlett with some of his cattle
A Cornish farmer says his cows can talk - and academics have proved it.
Researchers say the animals have 'conversations' with each other, something local farmer Martin Howlett says he knew all along.
Boffins have been using detailed acoustic analysis for the first time to study how calves and their mothers talk to each other.
Their findings indicate there are distinctive maternal calls, which vary according to whether or not a mother can see her young, and responses from calves.
A team from The University of Nottingham and Queen Mary University of London, spent 10 months studying to the ways cows communicate with their young, carefully examining acoustic indicators of identity and age.
They identified two distinct maternal ‘calls’. When cows were close to their calves, they communicated with them using low frequency calls. When they were separated, and out of visual contact, their calls were louder and at a much higher frequency.
Calves called out to their mothers when they wanted to start suckling - and all three types of calls were individualised, so it was possible to identify each cow and calf using its calls.
Martin Howlett, who has 300 cattle at Deer Park Farm, near Callington, in South East Cornwall, said the difference was clear between how calves spoke to their mums and how they communicate with him.
“They do respond to us differently," he said.
"If they have one person that goes out to feed them and then it’s someone different, they will respond differently. There is an inter-relationship there.
“You hear noises where the mother and her calf will identify each other, particularly in a big group.”
Mr Howlett added that with a herd of 70 adult cows as well as sucklers, farm workers got to know the different characteristics of individual cows – particularly if they had been bottle fed.
He said: "You have a long association with them and you get to know individual cows.
"It’s an important part of animal husbandry. At the end of the day, we want them to have a happy and healthy life.”
The researchers studied two herds of free-range cattle on a farm in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire.
They used highly sensitive equipment to record the farm animals, gathering so much data it took another year to analyse.
Dr Mónica Padilla de la Torre, who lead the research, said: “The research shows for the first time that mother-offspring cattle ‘calls’ are individualised.
"Each calf and cow have a characteristic and exclusive call of their own.
"Acoustic analysis also reveals that certain information is conveyed within the calf calls; age, but not gender.”
http://www.cornishman.co.uk/Cornish-farmer-proof-cows-talk/story-25747360-detail/story.html#ixzz3MZ7i2YQ4
By cg_graham | Posted: December 21, 2014
Martin Howlett with some of his cattle
A Cornish farmer says his cows can talk - and academics have proved it.
Researchers say the animals have 'conversations' with each other, something local farmer Martin Howlett says he knew all along.
Boffins have been using detailed acoustic analysis for the first time to study how calves and their mothers talk to each other.
Their findings indicate there are distinctive maternal calls, which vary according to whether or not a mother can see her young, and responses from calves.
A team from The University of Nottingham and Queen Mary University of London, spent 10 months studying to the ways cows communicate with their young, carefully examining acoustic indicators of identity and age.
They identified two distinct maternal ‘calls’. When cows were close to their calves, they communicated with them using low frequency calls. When they were separated, and out of visual contact, their calls were louder and at a much higher frequency.
Calves called out to their mothers when they wanted to start suckling - and all three types of calls were individualised, so it was possible to identify each cow and calf using its calls.
Martin Howlett, who has 300 cattle at Deer Park Farm, near Callington, in South East Cornwall, said the difference was clear between how calves spoke to their mums and how they communicate with him.
“They do respond to us differently," he said.
"If they have one person that goes out to feed them and then it’s someone different, they will respond differently. There is an inter-relationship there.
“You hear noises where the mother and her calf will identify each other, particularly in a big group.”
Mr Howlett added that with a herd of 70 adult cows as well as sucklers, farm workers got to know the different characteristics of individual cows – particularly if they had been bottle fed.
He said: "You have a long association with them and you get to know individual cows.
"It’s an important part of animal husbandry. At the end of the day, we want them to have a happy and healthy life.”
The researchers studied two herds of free-range cattle on a farm in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire.
They used highly sensitive equipment to record the farm animals, gathering so much data it took another year to analyse.
Dr Mónica Padilla de la Torre, who lead the research, said: “The research shows for the first time that mother-offspring cattle ‘calls’ are individualised.
"Each calf and cow have a characteristic and exclusive call of their own.
"Acoustic analysis also reveals that certain information is conveyed within the calf calls; age, but not gender.”
http://www.cornishman.co.uk/Cornish-farmer-proof-cows-talk/story-25747360-detail/story.html#ixzz3MZ7i2YQ4
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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- Eblana
Depends on their mood.
CarlosTheDJ
Antediluvian
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2007
- Messages
- 7,001
- Location
- Pebble Mill
Udderly incredible.
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2003
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- 58,270
- Location
- Eblana
His chickens use fowl language.
Mythopoeika
I am a meat popsicle
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2001
- Messages
- 51,697
- Location
- Inside a starship, watching puny humans from afar
Cow language? Pull the udder one!
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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- Aug 19, 2003
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- Eblana
Fire rescue
Authorities are crediting a chocolate Labrador with saving the life of a Sacramento man after it alerted him to a fire inside a home that appeared not to have a smoke detector.
Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Roberto Padilla said the man told firefighters he was sleeping when his dog Buddy nudged him and woke him up. The man saw a fire burning in a bedroom in the rear of the house.
The Sacramento Bee reported the man suffered from smoke inhalation and had soot on his face. Mr Padilla said the man did not recall hearing a smoke alarm, and firefighters had found no evidence of a working smoke detector in the house.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/...ar-exit-the-all-time-cliff-hanger-303747.html
Authorities are crediting a chocolate Labrador with saving the life of a Sacramento man after it alerted him to a fire inside a home that appeared not to have a smoke detector.
Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Roberto Padilla said the man told firefighters he was sleeping when his dog Buddy nudged him and woke him up. The man saw a fire burning in a bedroom in the rear of the house.
The Sacramento Bee reported the man suffered from smoke inhalation and had soot on his face. Mr Padilla said the man did not recall hearing a smoke alarm, and firefighters had found no evidence of a working smoke detector in the house.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/...ar-exit-the-all-time-cliff-hanger-303747.html
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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- Eblana
Its a load of bull.
ramonmercado
CyberPunk
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- Aug 19, 2003
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- 58,270
- Location
- Eblana
A court in Argentina has ruled that a shy orangutan who spent the last 20 years in a zoo can be granted some legal rights enjoyed by humans. Lawyers had appealed to free Sandra from the Buenos Aires zoo by arguing that although not human, she should be given legal rights. They had argued that she was being illegally detained.
If there is no appeal, the ape will be transferred to a sanctuary in Brazil where she will enjoy greater freedom.
The singular case hung on whether the animal was a "thing" or a "person" ...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30571577
If there is no appeal, the ape will be transferred to a sanctuary in Brazil where she will enjoy greater freedom.
The singular case hung on whether the animal was a "thing" or a "person" ...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30571577
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- Aug 7, 2001
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- 54,631
Zambian guide shows how to take on a charging elephant
By Alastair Lawson BBC News
[Video: Wildlife guide Manny Mvula fends off the elephant in Zambia]
A Zambian wildlife guide who stood in front of an aggressive elephant and commanded it to "get back" has been widely praised by the British school pupils he protected.
Footage of Manny Mvula taking on the elephant who was threatening to charge the group he was leading has recently been uploaded on to YouTube.
"My instinct was to run away but Manny's calming and authoritative presence reassured me - we figured he knew what he was doing," a pupil from a secondary school in England told the BBC.
"But for Manny's heroism we could have had a memorable encounter with this gigantic beast in more ways than one."
However, Mr Mvula says that his defence of the students was all in the line of duty.
"I realised I had to do something to stop it because they were in imminent danger," he told the BBC.
The unusual standoff happened at the Kasanka National Park in August when Mr Mvula and a group of 23 schoolboys aged between 16 and 17 spotted a group of female elephants with their young in the bush.
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Mr Mvula is a trained African wildlife guide with more than 20 years of experience
After viewing the elephants for some time, Mr Mvula, 46, and his party set up camp at a designated spot once the elephants had moved on.
But they did not know that a bull elephant was trailing in the wake of the female elephants until it appeared a few minutes later.
It weighed an estimated five tonnes (787 stone) and was in the prime of its life at about 40 years old.
At first it seemed that it too was moving on, but suddenly it turned and stared at Mr Mvula and his party.
The trained guide knew immediately that it posed a danger because he could see fluids coming out of its temporal glands which were running down its cheeks - a sure sign that the bull elephant was in a state of heightened sexual activity called musth.
"When they are in this condition, they are liable to charge anything that gets in their way," Mr Mvula said, "especially if it's something or somebody that they are not certain about."
"I know that standing in front of it and telling it to go away is not an officially recognised procedure for dealing with this kind of a situation," he said.
"But I knew instinctively that it was worth a try even if there was no guarantee that it would work.
"I have seen such a technique successfully used by two other guides and have done in myself twice previously in such emergency situations."
The guide's remonstrating tone led to the elephant stopping in its tracks. After a moment's pause, it opted to make a strategic retreat.
"Obviously it was a huge relief," he said, "such an incident is highly unusual in this part of Zambia."
The elephant had been trailing a group of female elephants
Mr Mvula - who with his wife runs a responsible tourism company from their home in the English county of Kent - has for many years led safaris in his home country of Zambia.
He said that he had learnt as a professional safari guide always to have a second plan if the first does not work.
"But in this case I didn't have many other options - the only thing I could have done if it didn't back off would have been to order the boys slowly to walk back to the truck - parked about 10m (32 ft) away - while I would run towards it while swerving in between the trees and swinging my arms wildly to distract its attention solely towards me."
The guide said that in the worst case scenario the elephant could have charged the teenagers, even though he remained confident that he could handle the situation successfully.
"That is the importance of always using fully trained safari guides, who understand animal behaviour," he said.
"Looking back on what I did, I guess you can say it was a bit of a stupid thing to do," Mr Mvula said.
"It took me three weeks to pluck up the courage and tell my wife what happened."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30508335
By Alastair Lawson BBC News
[Video: Wildlife guide Manny Mvula fends off the elephant in Zambia]
A Zambian wildlife guide who stood in front of an aggressive elephant and commanded it to "get back" has been widely praised by the British school pupils he protected.
Footage of Manny Mvula taking on the elephant who was threatening to charge the group he was leading has recently been uploaded on to YouTube.
"My instinct was to run away but Manny's calming and authoritative presence reassured me - we figured he knew what he was doing," a pupil from a secondary school in England told the BBC.
"But for Manny's heroism we could have had a memorable encounter with this gigantic beast in more ways than one."
However, Mr Mvula says that his defence of the students was all in the line of duty.
"I realised I had to do something to stop it because they were in imminent danger," he told the BBC.
The unusual standoff happened at the Kasanka National Park in August when Mr Mvula and a group of 23 schoolboys aged between 16 and 17 spotted a group of female elephants with their young in the bush.
Mr Mvula is a trained African wildlife guide with more than 20 years of experience
After viewing the elephants for some time, Mr Mvula, 46, and his party set up camp at a designated spot once the elephants had moved on.
But they did not know that a bull elephant was trailing in the wake of the female elephants until it appeared a few minutes later.
It weighed an estimated five tonnes (787 stone) and was in the prime of its life at about 40 years old.
At first it seemed that it too was moving on, but suddenly it turned and stared at Mr Mvula and his party.
The trained guide knew immediately that it posed a danger because he could see fluids coming out of its temporal glands which were running down its cheeks - a sure sign that the bull elephant was in a state of heightened sexual activity called musth.
"When they are in this condition, they are liable to charge anything that gets in their way," Mr Mvula said, "especially if it's something or somebody that they are not certain about."
"I know that standing in front of it and telling it to go away is not an officially recognised procedure for dealing with this kind of a situation," he said.
"But I knew instinctively that it was worth a try even if there was no guarantee that it would work.
"I have seen such a technique successfully used by two other guides and have done in myself twice previously in such emergency situations."
The guide's remonstrating tone led to the elephant stopping in its tracks. After a moment's pause, it opted to make a strategic retreat.
"Obviously it was a huge relief," he said, "such an incident is highly unusual in this part of Zambia."
The elephant had been trailing a group of female elephants
Mr Mvula - who with his wife runs a responsible tourism company from their home in the English county of Kent - has for many years led safaris in his home country of Zambia.
He said that he had learnt as a professional safari guide always to have a second plan if the first does not work.
"But in this case I didn't have many other options - the only thing I could have done if it didn't back off would have been to order the boys slowly to walk back to the truck - parked about 10m (32 ft) away - while I would run towards it while swerving in between the trees and swinging my arms wildly to distract its attention solely towards me."
The guide said that in the worst case scenario the elephant could have charged the teenagers, even though he remained confident that he could handle the situation successfully.
"That is the importance of always using fully trained safari guides, who understand animal behaviour," he said.
"Looking back on what I did, I guess you can say it was a bit of a stupid thing to do," Mr Mvula said.
"It took me three weeks to pluck up the courage and tell my wife what happened."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30508335