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Out Of Place Animals

I think this one's been mentioned before:
Bird is off on third winter break

The trips between Norfolk to Devon have amazed ornithologists
An adventurous bird which has amazed ornithologists by flying hundreds of miles between two gardens has arrived in Devon for its winter break.
The blackbird - identified as CL98725 - has travelled nearly 300 miles from Thetford, Norfolk, to Newton Abbot, south Devon, for the third time.

The British Trust for Ornithology said only 3% of East Anglian blackbirds go out of the area, then only a few miles.

The bird's journeys have been recorded because it was ringed in July 2003.

It was seen by John Kew in Thetford in September of that year, and was spotted in Newton Abbot by Robin Woods, 68, on Boxing Day.

The bird became a daily visitor for food to the garden of his home on the outskirts of the town.

On the third trip the bird this year it was again spotted by Mr Kew in his Thetford garden on 3 March and remained there until 22 October.

By 17 November - more than a month earlier than usual - it was back in Newton Abbot.

A BTO spokesman said: "Its trips between Norfolk and Newton Abbot are becoming the stuff of local legend and it really does go to show that we still have a lot to learn about even our commonest birds."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CL98725's travels
Ringed 5 July 2003 as a young bird
Colour-ringed on 20 September 2003
Last seen in Thetford on 30 September 2003
Turned up in Newton Abbot on 26 December 2003
Seen regularly in the garden until 14 February 2004
Back in Thetford 29 May 2004
Resighted in Newton Abbot 26 December 2004
Last seen in Newton Abbot on 15 February 2005
Turned up in Thetford on 3 March 2005
Turned up in Newton Abbot on 17 November 2005
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4478746.stm
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Grampians Leopard is not a cat
Eugene Duffy
Friday, 9 December 2005

AN unusual Grampians skull has thrown up another mystery for Wimmera naturalists and bone hunters.

Marnoo resident Kim Guest found the 30 centimetre long skull in the dry bank of Moora Moora Reservoir about 18 months ago.

Ms Guest, 17, said her rural background meant she knew it was not a sheep or cow's skull.

She said she kept a collection of skulls at home to sculpture and knew immediately she had found something interesting.

Her father John Guest has consulted with the Department of Sustainability and Environment and is awaiting results from the Melbourne Museum about the possible species of the skull.

"The experts believe it might be a large marine animal, possibly a leopard seal," Mr Guest said.

He said the teeth structure, including small front incisors, indicated an animal built to grip fish and not chew.


But Mr Guest said he had little idea how a large sea creature could find its way into the Grampians reservoir.

He said it was unlikely to have swum up the Glenelg River but might have received some help from fishermen who caught it at sea and brought it along on a yabbying trip.

The leopard seal is the largest and most ferocious of the Antarctic seal family that can weigh up to 600 kilograms and reach more than three metres in length.

The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service reported on average only five of the animals made it from Antarctica to the Tasmanian coastline a year.

Horsham Department of Sustainability and Environment natural resources management officer David Brennan said the skull was more likely to belong to an Australian fur seal but could not explain how it reached the Grampians.

He said the animal might have been dumped there some time ago and hoped information from Museum Victoria would shed light on the age of the animal as well as how long it had

been there.
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Source
 
Venomous spider found in grapes
A man who is terrified of spiders found a venomous black widow spider lurking in a bunch of red grapes he had bought from an Asda supermarket.
David Humphrey, 55, from Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, took the spider to a local pet store owner, Mark Amey, who confirmed it was a black widow spider.

Mr Amey said its venom would not kill a healthy person, but could be deadly for children and the elderly.

A spokesman for Asda said they were taking the complaint very seriously.

"We have someone on the case to find out what happened and Mr and Mrs Humphrey will receive a suitable gesture of goodwill from us."

The company transport their fruit over from America by boat.

'Terrified' of spiders

Their spokesperson said incidents of black widow spiders being found in fruit have occurred with all supermarket retailers, but it was extremely rare.

When Mr and Mrs Humphrey complained to the supermarket in Watford, all other bags of red grapes were immediately removed from the shelves.

Mr Humphrey said: "I am terrified of spiders, but my wife Joan is okay with them - she will usually scoop them up in her hands and put them out.

"But this one was different. It was very black and quite large."

The spider, which had red triangular markings, had spun a web among the grapes.

Mark Amey, of Amey Zoo pet shop in Bovingdon, said he would keep the spider in the store until it died.

He said black widow spiders only bite if provoked and they cannot be sold under the Wild Animals Act.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/e ... 512954.stm

Published: 2005/12/09 10:07:11 GMT

© BBC MMV
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Stray peacock puzzle for village
A big bird is causing a bit of a kerfuffle in a Conwy village.
"Percy" the peacock, as he has been dubbed, turned up in Kinmel Bay over a week ago and can be seen perching on cars and homes.

Villager Pam Whitehouse said they had tried to trace the owner without success, and were now looking for someone to adopt him.

"He doesn't seem too frightened of people, but I'd like him rehomed before he gets run over," she said.

"There are hotels around here who keep peacocks and I've checked but no-one seems to have lost a peacock."

"I've also tried bird rescue charities and one - in Sheffield - said they would take him as long as I catch him, box him and send him by courier to them.


"That would cost around £60, but more importantly, how on earth would I get him into a box, and where would I get a box that huge?" she added.

Since "Percy" turned up he has been feeding in people's gardens in Ffordd Nant, and using homes and cars as a perch.

The peacock appears to have expensive tastes - his preferred perch being a black soft-top BMW car belonging to Mrs Whitehouse's neighbour.

So far his antics have not made him any enemies but Mrs Whitehouse is worried for his safety.

"People drive along here at speed and I'm worried he will be run over. I'd be delighted if someone could help, " she added.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/w ... 629098.stm

Published: 2006/01/20 07:15:53 GMT

© BBC MMVI
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Concern grows for stranded whale


Rescuers are growing increasingly concerned for the safety of a seven-tonne whale, stranded in the River Thames in central London.
Riverside crowds gathered throughout the day to watch the 16-18ft (5m) northern bottle-nosed whale swim as far upstream as Albert Bridge by Chelsea.

Experts fear it may become beached when the tide changes, or could be put down overnight to prevent further suffering.

Specialist equipment was being used to try to redirect the animal downstream.

The whale, usually found in deep sea waters, has come within yards of the banks and has crashed into an empty boat causing slight bleeding.

Since darkness fell, the whale's location has become unclear with some reports suggesting it may have made some progress downstream.

Vets are remaining on standby and experts have said it does not appear to be ill, but are concerned it will get weaker and may become beached.

Tony Woodley, of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, which is handling the rescue, said the animal's welfare was the main priority.

He said if attempts to re-direct the whale downstream failed, it might be necessary to put it down to prevent it from suffering further.

'Breathing normally'

The RNLI say it is the first whale rescue on the Thames. A spokesman said three whales were spotted east of the Thames Barrier on Thursday but only one managed to get upstream.

But at 0830 GMT on Friday, a man on a train called in to say he might have been hallucinating, but he had just seen a whale in the Thames.

Alison Shaw of the Marine and Freshwater Conservation Programme at London Zoo, said the northern bottle-nosed whale was usually found in groups of three to 10.
She told the BBC News website: "This is extremely rare in British waters as they are normally found in deep waters in the North Atlantic.

"It is about 16-18ft long, so is relatively mature. It is a very long way from home and we don't know why it has ended up here."

Plans to rescue the whale
The whales usually weigh about seven tonnes, which will complicate any rescue attempt, experts said.

London Aquarium Curator Paul Hale told the BBC: "Getting that to do anything it doesn't want to do is going to be extremely difficult.

"This is a very active swimming animal and it's not going to go anywhere it doesn't want to go so we have to persuade it to swim back out."

Liz Sandeman, a medic of the Marine Connection, a whale and dolphin protection charity, accompanied the RNLI to examine the animal.

She feared it might be in danger from other boats, or be frightened by the noise.

"The last thing we want to do is stress the animal out," she said.

Over the years dolphins and seals have been spotted in the Thames.

Sperm whales have been seen in the Thames Estuary and porpoises have feasted on fish near Vauxhall Bridge, in central London.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4631396.stm
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Lost whale 'seen heading for sea'

A possible sighting of a whale in the River Thames near Greenwich has given fresh hope that it may soon reach the sea and ultimately safety.
Fears had been growing for the 16-18ft (5m) northern bottle-nosed whale which came as far upstream as Chelsea.

But now rescuers searching the east London stretch of river hope the sighting was accurate and it will continue to swim downstream.

Experts feared the distressed animal could become dangerously beached.

Tony Woodley, of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue Group, said it was spotted by a member of public at around 2045 GMT in Greenwich.

"Our rescue boat is now in the area looking for it with our spotlights on and if we see it, we will check its health."

Teams had been becoming increasingly worried as there had been no sighting of the whale since 1815 GMT at Chelsea Bridge.

This latest development will give hope to the hundreds of thousands of people who have been following the progress of the whale, which is usually found in deep sea water.

It was first spotted at 0830 GMT on Friday by a man on a train and has since attracted massive public and media attention.

Crowds gathered along the riverbanks to witness the extraordinary spectacle.

But it soon became clear there was cause for concern, as the animal came within yards of the banks, almost beaching, and crashed into an empty boat causing slight bleeding.


Alan Knight, of the British Divers Life Marine Rescue Group, said if the whale does go ashore, teams could then check its health.

He said if it appears thin, it may be coming in to die, and added: "In which case we will euthanize it and consider it a success because it has not caused more suffering."

If well however, a system of pontoons will be used to try to refloat it by lifting it into a boat and taking it out to sea, he said.

"It is a very unusual thing and we have never done it before with a whale this size. It might float, it might not."

He added that the whale was damaging itself by coming ashore.

The RNLI say it is the first whale rescue on the Thames. A spokesman said three whales were spotted east of the Thames Barrier on Thursday but only one managed to get upstream.

Alison Shaw, of the Marine and Freshwater Conservation Programme at London Zoo, said the northern bottle-nosed whale was usually found in groups of three to 10.

She told the BBC News website: "This is extremely rare in British waters as they are normally found in deep waters in the North Atlantic.

"It is about 16-18ft long, so is relatively mature. It is a very long way from home and we don't know why it has ended up here."

The whales usually weigh about seven tonnes, which will complicate any rescue attempt, experts said.

Over the years dolphins and seals have been spotted in the Thames.

Sperm whales have been seen in the Thames Estuary and porpoises have feasted on fish near Vauxhall Bridge, in central London.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4633376.stm
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Teams mount Thames whale rescue

Rescuers have placed a whale which became stranded in the River Thames in London on a special pontoon system.
The 16-18ft (5m) northern bottle-nosed whale is now in shallow waters near Battersea Bridge where vets are examining its health.

Teams, including four biologists, have manoeuvred it into a sling, to keep the whale's blowhole above water, and to keep it calm.

Depending on its condition it could be moved onto a barge or taken to shore.

The whale was first spotted in the river in central London on Friday.

A sighting of the whale, which also has signs of injury, on Saturday near Albert Bridge in Chelsea, disappointed rescuers buoyed by an earlier report that it had been seen in Greenwich, which is closer to the sea.

Tony Woodley, of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), said his colleagues are laying hands on the whale to reassure it.

Now it is in the sling the whale can then be controlled without its movements being determined by time and tide, he added.

He said to get the whale onto the pontoon, so it can be lifted clear of the river bottom, rescuers first would have rolled it one way on its side so a blanket could be passed partway beneath it.

The rescuers would then have rolled the animal the other way to pass the blanket completely under it, then clipped the blanket to inflatable batons to create a sling.

"That's the way we do it during training with a 16-foot water-filled model whale. Now they're doing it for real," he said.

"What happens next will be down to the specialist vets, who will assess the condition of the whale.

"If the vet's opinion is that it's not likely to survive [a rescue attempt] we might have to euthenase the whale. But we don't want to do that."


The whale was seen near Albert Bridge

A barge belonging to the Port of London Authority was on standby, a BDMLR spokesman said.

The whale, which could weigh about four tonnes, was first spotted at 0830 GMT on Friday by a man on a train and has since attracted massive public and media attention.

It soon became clear there was cause for concern, as the animal came within yards of the banks, almost beaching, and crashed into an empty boat, causing itself slight bleeding.

Crowds have again flocked to the riverbank to catch a glimpse, prompting appeals for sight-seeing boats to keep well clear. There was also concern that helicopters being used to film the rescue could be disturbing the whale.

Paul Jepson, a vet with the Zoological Society of London, was said to have seen the whale from a boat and expressed concern about injuries on its head and tail, and the disorientated manner in which it was swimming.

There were reports of a pod of whales in the Thames estuary earlier in the week, and it was possible that the whale had become separated from this group.

There was also an unconfirmed sighting of a whale in Southend in Essex on Friday.
It was the first sighting of the endangered species in the Thames since records began nearly a century ago.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4633878.stm
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Coyotes Take to City Streets

By Rachel Metz |
02:00 AM Feb, 02, 2006

Most city slickers are accustomed to seeing critters like raccoons, opossums or skunks sniffing around their homes and garbage cans, but how about coyotes? Not so much.

But an ongoing study in the Chicago area led by Ohio State University professor Stan Gehrt shows people are living in surprisingly close quarters with the animals, which are adapting to city life.

"In most cases, people are totally oblivious to it. There will be coyotes hiding in bushes or in the parks or something and people will be walking by with their dog and they'll have no idea there's a coyote there," Gehrt said.

They may not be hanging around at legendary blues joints or enjoying an Oprah show taping, but coyotes are thriving in city suburbs like Itasca and Palatine Village, and have even been spotted in the heart of Chicago's metropolitan area.

They've also been sighted in other major urban areas, including St. Louis, Minneapolis, Detroit, Cleveland and Boston, Gehrt said -- a result, in part, of increased urban sprawl and coyotes' adaptability.

Coyotes, which are members of the dog family, can be found in many parts of North America.

Over the past decade or so, there has been an increasing number of reported coyote-human conflicts, Gehrt said, especially in the Chicago area. In the 1970s and 1980s, fewer than 20 coyotes were seized annually by local animal control officers, but in the 1990s, there were between 350 and 400 coyote removals over the 10-year period. Usually, the animals are euthanized for attacking pets or hanging around backyards, Gehrt said, noting no human attacks have been reported in the area.

However, Camilla Fox, a coyote expert and director of wildlife programs for the Animal Protection Institute, noted that scientists are recognizing the important ecological role coyotes play in both agricultural and urbanized areas.

Gehrt's work "reflects the fact that humans can coexist with coyotes. We're already doing it," she said.

Since 1996, Gehrt and his colleagues have tracked the animals with radio collars and by analyzing their scats, trying to determine why and how they've become urbanized. They've collared more than 150 coyotes, and Gehrt estimates several thousand live in the Chicago area.

Radio and satellite tracking found some local coyotes roam large parks; others hang out in neighborhoods. They're occasionally spotted near strip malls, Gehrt said.

He found they have a 60 percent annual survival rate -- twice that of their rural counterparts. Coyote populations have also grown, in part, because fewer are hunted and trapped due to declines in their pelt values and societal shifts, Gehrt said.

They're also flexible when it comes to eating. City coyotes have adjusted schedules to hunting and foraging at night, Gehrt said. Coyotes can adapt their diet to their surroundings, and eat meat and plants. Despite their new environment, though, they don't really go for human leftovers, and they steer clear of people.

"They're not going around foraging in garbage cans and things like that," Gehrt said.

If, however, people consistently feed their pets or other wildlife outside, coyotes may start associating that location with dinner.

"Then they'll start taking pets and lose their fear of people," Gehrt said.

Their presence can be helpful, though. Gehrt found they've reduced a growing population of Canada geese, and said other studies cited coyotes as useful deer and rodent population controllers.

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/1,70136-0.html
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Arent there places where there are urban wolves?

We have a lot of urban red deer (and munjacks) round here...Im getting used to seeing them pacefully grazing while the traffic rushes by.
 
Toilet Octipied?

WHAT'S THIS SLIMY CREATURE IN MY DRAIN?
15:00 - 08 February 2006

Victoria Springitt lifted up the slimy mess blocking her garden drain and screamed after realising it was not just mud and leaves clogging it up. The 37-year-old Staffordshire University student watched in horror as her nine-year-old son Isaac then pulled out what they believe was a dead, black octopus, using fire tongs.

"I saw water flowing from the garden drain, and thought it might be a banana skin covered in leaves," explained the mother-of-two, of Oxford Road, Basford.

"I prodded it with a stick and then I got my nine-year-old son to sort it out."

Neither friends nor neighbours can explain how the muddy salt-water marine mollusc ended up in the garden, although some speculate a passing seagull may have dropped it.

Vicky added: "Isaac wasn't fazed by it at all and has gone back to St Wulstan's Primary School telling everyone he wants to bring it in."

Her sister Becky Springitt, aged 34, who was brave enough to handle the specimen, said: "It definitely looks like an octopus and feels soft and porous - not like a rubber toy.

"If this is someone's exotic pet that they've flushed down the toilet, then I think it is a real shame."

Mature student Vicky, who moved back to North Staffordshire 16 months ago, said: "I just want to know where it came from. I've travelled to many places around the world, but I've never seen anything like this."

Pictures of the creature have puzzled experts at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. Information officer Douglas Herdson said: "We've had people looking at the photos and there are certain things that look right about the body and certain things that don't.

"It is very difficult to say for certain whether this is an octopus."

He said it was feasible that an octopus owner had flushed a dead specimen down the drain - they cannot last more than 20 minutes in freshwater.

He added: "Some people don't realise it is illegal to release exotic creatures into the wild in Britain."
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Source
 
Peckham welcomes American cousin
By Ian Evans

Don’t tell Del-Boy. A new bird has flown into his manor and it’s got some of the neighbours twitching

IT’S more associated with Trotters than twitchers, but Peckham has become an unlikely mecca for birdwatchers after a rare American breed was spotted in a garden.
Nearly fifty ornithologists have descended on Denman Road, close to Peckham High Road, to see an American robin that has been blown off course from Canada by high winds.

At one stage police arrived at the property to ensure order among the excited twitchers, who were armed with binoculars, cameras and anoraks to spot their prey.

Turdus migratorius is a blackbird-size thrush with a reddish-brown underside, grey upper parts and a streaked throat.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said that it was one of only twenty-three recorded in the UK, making its appearance in the area made famous by Del and Rodney in Only Fools and Horses all the more unusual. Tim Webb, a spokesman, said that a curious householder alerted the bird enthusiasts after contacting the charity to find out what it was.

He said that the bird, the most widespread thrush in North America, has been living in the street for the past few weeks.

Mr Webb said that it was not known how the bird got to Peckham, but he suspected it may have been blown off course from Canada by strong winds. “I’m amazed it’s had the strength to get from North America to here. It must have got lost and should not be here.

“It’s fantastic for birdwatchers. They can save themselves a couple of hundred quid getting across to America.

“But, from the bird’s point of view, it’s a bit sad as he is alone and won’t be able to get back home.

“Then again, it’s a nice place to end up. It’s a nice and leafy garden. It could be worse, it’s alive and well.”

Ian Skelton, 46, a resident, said that groups of birdwatchers had been gathering in the street and at one point a police patrol arrived to investigate.

He said: “It’s exciting for birdwatchers because they do this thing called twitching where they have to see the bird to tick it off their lists. It’s like train-spotting. It’s quite a nice little bird, just like the sort of thing you see picking up worms in the lawn, except it’s got a red chest.”

The American robin is a familiar sight in North America. Its success is put down to its tolerance for habitats that have been changed by human beings. It is common in residential areas where it often forages on lawns and often sings early in morning However, the Peckham bird has not been wholeheartedly welcomed by the local blackbird population, some of which have been seen trying to chase away their more colourful American cousin.

Its main danger is from cats on the prowl, but as American robins in built-up areas of the US and Canada face similar problems and those in the great outdoors are liable to be hunted by wild bobcats, it should be alert to that hazard.
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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 21,00.html

The Mail has this story too, and gets in a reference to Del's Robin Reliant.. :D
 
Cavy's in South Carolina?

Mystery Animals Shake Up Town

Biologists: Animals May Be Cavys

POSTED: 10:51 am PDT May 2, 2006
UPDATED: 10:56 am PDT May 2, 2006

EDGEFIELD, S.C. -- Some unusual creatures have people talking in one South Carolina town.

Many people in Edgefield are asking, "What are they?"

Local biologists said the animals look like the Patagonian cavy, a hare-like animal normally found in South America or Brazil.

The animals can be found in some exotic pet stores, but it's not known how they made their way to Edgefield, or if they have an owner.

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc.
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www.theksbwchannel.com/news/9147306/detail.html

What is it about SC these days and mystery beasts?
 
There seem to be a lot of llama farms in Cornwall nowadays.

I wonder if some will escape and form breeding colomies on the remoter moors in years to come...
 
cavies on the moor

A few years ago there was a report of guinea pigs living wild on Bodmin Moor, it appeared as a letter in the The Times, from a man whoise dog killed and ate them.

Chris. Moiser
 
Porpoise swimming in ship canal

A porpoise has been sighted in the Manchester Ship Canal, more than 32km (20 miles) inland.
The 1.5m (5ft) long Harbour Porpoise was first seen on Thursday morning in the water and is currently being monitored by marine experts.

A spokesman for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue team said it was unusual for a porpoise to travel so far upstream, but it appeared healthy.

It was spotted close to Latchford Lock in Warrington, Cheshire.

The spokesman said: "When last sighted, the cetacean was around 21 miles inland, close to Latchford Lock in Warrington.

Fish supply

"We are keeping an eye on the situation because there is always a danger it could get trapped in the lock gates or stranded, but so far it seems to be doing fine."

The canal is about 60m (197ft) wide and some 9.1m (29.8ft) deep and there is a good supply of fish.

The spokesman added there were currently no plans to remove the animal but that would change if it began to get into difficulties.

The porpoise, similar to a dolphin, normally lives in seawater but can survive in freshwater for several weeks without suffering ill-effects.

The Manchester Ship Canal is 56km (34.8 miles) long and runs from Eastham on Merseyside to Salford in Greater Manchester.

Wildlife spotted

In 2003, the ship canal was cited as one of the fastest-improving waterways in the UK.

The Mersey Basin Campaign, a group set up 20 years ago to clean up the Mersey basin and its tributaries, said the porpoise was proof the North West's waterways had turned the corner.

Chief executive Walter Menzies said it was the latest in a string of wildlife to be spotted in the area.

"There have been otters, salmon - even an octopus - in the Mersey Estuary," said Mr Menzies.

"Hard work and ingenuity have started to pay off and a cleaner, healthier system of rivers and canals is emerging for the people and wildlife of the region."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manc ... 764791.stm
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Pike escape over dam feared

A heavier-than-normal snow melt could help the voracious non-native northern pike escape from the Plumas County, Calif., reservoir.

Spilled water at Lake Davis would almost certainly send pike into the Feather River and downstream to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, said George Heise, a senior hydraulic engineer with the California Department of Fish and Game.

State fisheries biologists fear the Midwestern species, once released, would decimate the state native fishery, the Sacramento Bee reported.

The lake reached its highest point May 5, when it rose to within 27 inches of spilling over the dam, said Doug Rischbieter, an environmental scientist with the Department of Water Resources, which manages the water in the reservoir.

In 1999, Fish and Game Department officials asked the Department of Water Resources to manage Lake Davis more aggressively to avoid any spilling. They had again found northern pike that summer, two years after completing a controversial chemical treatment designed to eradicate the invasive species.

For the Fish and Game Department, a significant spill of pike represents the environmental equivalent of a break in the dam, said Heise.


http://www.physorg.com/news66717165.html
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Anaconda found in Essex shopping centre...

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1846065.html

Anaconda found in shopping centre

A dangerous snake was found slithering around one of Britain’s biggest shopping centres.

The 4ft anaconda was spotted slipping into an ornamental pond at Lakeside in Essex, reports the Sun.

Security staff managed to snare it and put it in a box before it terrorised shoppers.

Experts identified it as a yellow anaconda which can grow to more than 10ft.

The snake was being cared for at the South Essex Wildlife Hospital, near the giant mall in Thurrock.

Spokeswoman Sue Schwar said: “Security managed to catch it because it was probably quite cold and placid.

“Once it warmed up it had quite an attitude and became aggressive. It’s quite nasty and has taken a few lunges at us.

“We are used to dealing with dumped cats, dog and rabbits but never an anaconda. They can be very unpleasant."
 
Does anyone recall the story about a dead porpoise found propped up in a cubicle in the gents lavatory of Glasgow Central Railway Station? If so, do you remember the date of this unlikely occasion? Seventies or eighties, I think. I don't think the mystery was ever cleared up, was it?
 
TheQuixote said:
Releasing Nemo Could Harm Local Fish Species
Wed 30 June, 2004 19:07

LONDON (Reuters) - Releasing pet fish into the open seas could have a disastrous effect on marine ecosystems and harm native species, scientists said Wednesday.

They have been spotting exotic species in waters far from their natural habitats and suspect they have been freed from aquariums.

"It's a 'Finding Nemo' story," marine biologist Brice Semmens, of the University of Washington, Seattle, told New Scientist magazine.

In the blockbuster animated film Nemo, a clownfish, strays from his home and ends up in a fish tank in a dentist's office in Sydney, Australia while his over-protective, timid father searches the oceans for him.

"Individuals are releasing their pet fish with the best of intentions, but in the wrong ocean. It is a really bad idea," Semmens added.

Exotic fish from the Pacific and Indian oceans and the Red Sea, including the predatory lionfish, varieties of angel fish and tang have been sighted off the coast of Florida.

If the fish breed and establish populations they could endanger local species.

The lionfish, which has now been spotted in waters from Florida to New York, is particularly worrying because it preys on a variety of fish, shrimps and crabs, according to the magazine.

"In the coming weeks the US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and representatives from the aquarium industry will join forces to educate the public about the dangers of dumping pet fish into the ocean," the magazine said.
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http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=5556371&section=news
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I do think that ...sometimes... climactic change will explain "out of place" animals, especially fish and terrestrial species that can just walk somewhere else. The polar-grizzly bear interbreeding for example is a proven case where simple physical migration is responsible. They don't all have to rain down out of the sky, whether carried by seagulls or not... :)

I mean imagine the size of the seagull that could carry a polar bear.
 
gncxx said:
Does anyone recall the story about a dead porpoise found propped up in a cubicle in the gents lavatory of Glasgow Central Railway Station? If so, do you remember the date of this unlikely occasion? Seventies or eighties, I think. I don't think the mystery was ever cleared up, was it?
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Turned out the porpoise was killed by Rangers supporters.
 
Neighbors discover 4-foot shark while on daily desert walk

Photo by Peter Day A closeup view of the shark shows its teeth and large spots.

By PETER DAY/Star Editor

Neighbors Richard Doornbos and Al Embry have stumbled upon numerous mysteries of the Mojave Desert, but never anything like this.

Last week, while walking in a large vacant field across from Sultana High School near G Avenue, the two found a 4-foot-long and ominously unmistakeable shark. The fish, which appeared to have been dumped just hours before, bore large spotted markings.

A cursory Internet search suggests the shark is a Leopard Shark, a member of the triakidae family of houndsharks that might be displayed in an aquarium. But the size of this specimen suggests it would be much too large for just any living room fish bowl.

Doornbos, a Hesperia Star columnist, and Embry believe the shark may have been caught on a deep sea fishing trip. Perhaps the fisherman brought it home to Hesperia and sent it swimming in the family pool, only to die a freshwater, chlorinated death.

Undoubtedly Doornbos and Embry will encounter future desert mysteries, but they don’t expect another big fish story like this.
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Source
 
HOLIDAYMAKERS SPOT KANGAROO IN WOODLAND
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11:00 - 29 July 2006
Stunned holidaymakers have spotted a kangaroo hopping around the Cornish countryside. Several witnesses have reported the 5ft creature boldly wandering around woodland in Hessenford and Seaton, South East Cornwall - 13,000 miles from its native Australian Outback.

Tourists Adam Wright, girlfriend Sarah Robinson and her mother were on their way to the beach when the antipodean animal hopped into the road in front of them.

Mr Wright said: "We spotted it emerging from the woods, it was about five yards in front of us zig-zagging along the road.

"We both saw it, its head was poking up over the bonnet of our Jeep looking at us before it disappeared right back into the woods to the right of the road.

"It could have been a wallaby but I think it was a roo - it had a big white stripe down its nose."

Caradon District Council has had several sightings of the mysterious beast in the same five-mile radius.

Animal welfare officer Checkie Taylor said: "We walked Seaton Valley Park from end to end without glimpsing one, but it is quite possible that there is one living out there without me having seen it before.

"I am convinced it must be the case - there have been so many independent reports."

The council has checked with local zoos and wildlife parks, but none has lost a kangaroo.

Joy Palmer from Porfell Animal Land at Trecanage, near Lanreath, said: "It isn't one of ours and we certainly haven't heard of one missing from anywhere else."

It is illegal to keep kangaroos as pets in Britain but wallabies are kept by private owners as they are not covered by dangerous wild animal legislation.
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http://tinyurl.com/z3xae
 
GETTING TEETH INTO THE RIDDLE OF GREAT WHITE SHARK VISITS

11:00 - 29 July 2006
The question of whether Great White Sharks are visitors to Westcountry waters will be at the centre of a BBC documentary tomorrow. Last month, programme maker Anuschka de Rohan argued in the WMN that favourable temperatures and the region's proximity to the Mediterranean made it possible that the creatures were present off our coast.

The marine animals - villains of the Jaws thriller films - can roam the earth's waters for hundreds of miles. But experts disagree on whether they are present in the Channel.

Miss de Rohan's documentary Sharks - Great Whites in Britain? will put forward the arguments, and will draw on Westcountry evidence.

On BBC1 at 7pm it will tell the story of Phil Britts, who often goes looking for sharks off Padstow. He and his crew spotted a Great White near the boat as they snagged a smaller tope shark on a fishing line. They then felt something strong pulling the fish away from the boat.

Similar stories are featured from leisure fisherman Paul Vincent and, particularly compellingly, a Scottish marine biologist.

Miss de Rohan said: "In the early days of filming, I was very sceptical that Great Whites could ever come up here, but as we interviewed more people it emerged that, although there's no hard proof, it's a definite maybe."

She said the animals' presence had nothing to do with global warming. "They actually prefer cooler waters. The conditions right now are about perfect.

"They probably have been here, but in such small numbers that the chances of someone encountering them are slim."

A group of people will go on a pilot cage-dive next Saturday looking for, among others, the predatory blue, mako and hammerhead sharks. The event is claimed to be the first of its kind in open water in the UK.

The ultimate find for organiser and shark conservationist Richard Peirce, whose research has been used in the documentary, would be the notorious Great White. He said: "I am almost certain (they) appear off the coast.

"My view is that there is strong circumstantial evidence that we get occasional vagrant visitors."

But marine biologist Douglas Herdson, from the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, rejected the claims. "Temperature and conditions here are all fine, and I'm sure they have been here in the last 3,000 to 4,000 years, but they are now so rare it is very unlikely," he said.
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http://tinyurl.com/l4hu5

Sharks: Great Whites in Great Britain?
BBC1, Sun 30 Jul, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm 60mins

Steve Leonard investigates whether Great White sharks can really be found in British waters. He gathers together the facts and the stories, meets the experts and even has some exciting shark encounters of his own.


Subtitles Stereo Widescreen
 
Cornwall is turning into a right menagerie, it seems:
Camel trekkers getting the hump

A Cornish organic farm is ensuring people who want to explore the area are getting the hump with the introduction of camel rides.
Stuart Oates, 21, is using two-humped Bactrian camels to take visitors across Goonhilly Downs on the Lizard.

Mr Oates transported eight camels from Bulgaria to his farm last year.

Now the animals, which come from breeding stock from Kurdistan and are usually found in the Gobi desert, are being used for an hour-long jaunt.

Mr Oates, who operates the tours from his family's Rosuick Organic Farm, said: "People just gasp because the rides are so exciting.

"Everyone who rides the camels thinks it is fantastic. People are usually shocked that we have them here.

"Even people who usually ride horses want to experience going on a camel."

Mr Oates, who went on a camel course in California, said adult camels Frank and Jemima were being ridden now.

Three more camels were expected to join trail walkers later.

The camels, which come from breeding stock from Kurdistan, face temperatures ranging from 40C (104F) to -50C (-58F) in the Gobi desert.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/5226818.stm
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Rattlesnake search 'scaled down'

A poisonous rattlesnake may have been on the loose in a south Staffordshire town, police said.
It was spotted on Friday, near to the Wincanton distribution site, Tamworth, which was sealed off on Saturday.

It was described as light brown and about 2m (6ft) long, and it was said to be making a rattling sound.

Staffordshire Police said on Saturday afternoon that a initial search had failed to find the snake and it was being scaled down.

A spokesman said: "The area in question has now been extensively searched by the RSPCA and there is no trace of the snake.

"The RSPCA intend to take no further action."

Licence needed

Police had earlier said they were taking reports seriously and were not letting officers into the area.

The RSPCA said the animal was unlikely to be a rattlesnake, as all dangerous reptiles must be registered with the local authority.

Rattlesnakes rarely grow to be 2m long and are carefully controlled in the UK, said a spokeswoman.

She added: "Such a snake would have to be registered under the Dangerous Wildlife Act.

"As it is such a dangerous snake, anyone who owned it would need a licence."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staf ... 226510.stm
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Even if it isn't a rattler, I don't think any native British snakes grow that big, so it's definitely an OOP crittur.
 
Pretty much any snake will grow that long if it lives long enough. Too bad the witness didn't get any impression of scale pattern.

Rattlesnakes have evolved specic organs for rattling, but other snakes can create a rattling sound by vibrating their tails against other objects. The only snake I know of that does this on purpose is the harmless bull snake, which also mimics the scale pattern of the rattler as a means of being mistaken for the venomous snake and deterring predators.

This doesn't always work with humans, as the unfortunate six-foot-long bull snake that tried the tactic with an old boss of mine discovered. What humans fear, they attack.

Rattlesnake UL, or RL more accurately:
An FOAF rancher hears his dog going crazy on the porch, goes out, sees him in a standoff with an enormous rattler. (Specific size always given when told as true, of course.) He kills the snake with a hoe, takes the dog inside and calms it down, tells the family the news. One of the kids says he should chop off the rattle. (Since rattles grow as the snake grows, keeping the rattle is good evidence of the size of your snake.) If he leaves it till morning, the yard dogs or coyotes might have mutilated it. By this time it's dark and there's no porch light, so the rancher goes back out with a flashlight, shines it around till he finds the tail, chops off the rattle, goes on to bed. In the morning he goes out to dispose of the body properly and finds it intact on the porch. Fully intact. With it's rattle.

So, not only did this guy chop the rattle off a live humongous rattlesnake, but now there's a giant rattler on his property that can't warn other creatures off!
 
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