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Out Of Place Animals

A homeowner in Plymouth found a live eel squirming around on their doorstep.
Live eel found on dry land next to England home's back door

An animal rescuer in England responded to an unusual situation when a homeowner found an eel flopping around on their doorstep.

The RSPCA said inspector Sarah Morris was called to a Plymouth, England, home where a resident discovered an eel on dry land by the back door. ...

Morris said she initially thought the resident must have confused a slow worm for an eel, but after talking to them about their discovery she became convinced it was an actual eel.

"On arrival, I went to the back garden and found a pink child's paddling pool where the finder had kindly placed the eel until I arrived," she said. "In 24 years of being an inspector, I've never had a call about an eel out of water!'

Morris loaded the eel into a small fish tank and drove it to the nearest estuary for release.

She said the eel's journey to dry land is a mystery, but "the most likely reason would have been that it was dropped there by a heron or other such bird."
SOURCE: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/11/11/RSPCA-eel-dry-land-Plymouth-England/8081668188461/
 
A homeowner in Plymouth found a live eel squirming around on their doorstep.

SOURCE: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2022/11/11/RSPCA-eel-dry-land-Plymouth-England/8081668188461/

“[Eels] are born in the sea and migrate up into freshwater to grow. When they reach maturity, they then make the long journey back to the sea to spawn.

In dry weather puddles can form, which leaves the eels no choice but to move across land. How does an animal that lives in water manage to do this? Eels can survive out of water for many hours, and part of the reason is because they have a very thick skin, which seems to cut down their rate of water loss and stop them from drying out. Fish are also able to use oxygen very sparingly and don't need an enormous amount of oxygen to keep them going.

Eels have been found on land and they can navigate, although we don't know how. Their movement is quite like a snake. They like to go at night because it's cooler and they don't lose as much water.”

https://www.thenakedscientists.com/...w-do-eels-move-over-land-between-bodies-water

maximus otter
 
Eels have been found on land and they can navigate, although we don't know how.
Evidently 'very badly' would be the answer, as otherwise they wouldn't end up on land, and definitely not on somebody's doorstep.
I've never seen an eel trying to use a satnav, or a map and compass, either. And they take absolutely no notice of road signs.
 

Fox trashes kitchen, takes a nap on counter and refuses to leave

Bins toppled over, rubbish scattered all over the floor, and fresh laundry scattered – this is what the 39-year-old woke up to in her house in Canvey Island, Essex.
Walking into her kitchen, the mum-of-three discovered the animal napping on the counter.

Emma had left the door open in the early hours of the morning to let her dog into the garden.

‘The door was closed when I came down in the morning so it must have blown closed in the night and the fox had gotten stuck.’

Unfortunately for Emma, in a probable attempt to escape, the fox had trashed most of her kitchen.

Thankfully, Emma’s daughter’s boyfriend, Mason, bravely picked up the invader and carried it outside.

It took three hours to clean up the mess, including a pile of poo the animal had left as a parting present.
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video at link.
 
Fortunately, there's a happy ending:

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X-ray reveals stowaway cat in luggage at New York airport​

An x-ray captured a shocking find inside luggage at John F. Kennedy International Airport in the US.
The Transportation Security Administration posted photos of an x-ray of a bag with a live cat trapped inside.
If it hadn't been for the x-ray alerting officers to the stowaway, the cat would have been on a flight from New York to Florida.
https://www.9news.com.au/world/cat-...stration/52974c63-17a5-44d9-8f7f-a86fecafdfb9
 
Let it have a quiet rest.

Thor: Visiting walrus prompts warning at Calshot beach​

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Thor the walrus
IMAGE SOURCE, STEVE BLANCHARD/BDMLR. Image caption, The walrus, nicknamed Thor, was discovered at Calshot in the early hours

A walrus has been found resting on a Hampshire beach, with the public warned to stay away from it.

Nicknamed Thor, the creature was discovered at Calshot in the early hours.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), which is monitoring the large marine mammal, said it should have "no disturbance".

The charity said the walrus needed to regain its strength before making its next journey.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-63934474
 
Put a tiger in your tank.

Police in Mexico who stopped a couple on a motorway for a minor traffic offence were surprised to find a tiger cub in the car boot.
Officers said they grew suspicious when the couple reacted "aggressively" after being flagged down in the state of Querétaro.
It is not the first time a tiger has been seized in Mexico.
Drug traffickers often keep exotic animals as pets and the smuggling of big cats is a lucrative business.

Municipal police from the town of El Marqués described how the couple tried to escape when they were stopped by officers.
"Thanks to a quick manoeuvre, officers managed to block their way with a patrol car and arrest them immediately," they wrote in a press release.

During a search of the vehicle they came across the tiger cub wedged in between suitcases and bags in the boot.

Police handout photo of a tiger cub found in a car boot in Mexico
IMAGE SOURCE, EL MARQUÉS POLICE Image caption, The cub was found wedged in between luggage in the boot of the car

They also found four guns and almost 100 cartridges.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-64108019
 
Otter madness,

An otter is being cared for after it was rescued from underneath a set of stairs outside a warehouse in Cornwall.

The otter - which appeared to be dehydrated - was spotted by staff at Penzance Harbour on Wednesday, British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said. Dubbed the "Pirate of Penzance", rescuers managed to coax the animal out from the stairs and into a cage using a towel. It was taken to the Devon-based UK Wild Otter Trust for rehabilitation.

Dan Jarvis, from the BDMLR, said the rescue was an "odd one" because the organisation usually deals with seals.But he felt equipped to rescue the mammal after receiving guidance from experts at the trust.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-64116594
 
Let it have a quiet rest.

Thor: Visiting walrus prompts warning at Calshot beach​

    • Published
      56 minutes ago
Share
Thor the walrus
IMAGE SOURCE, STEVE BLANCHARD/BDMLR. Image caption, The walrus, nicknamed Thor, was discovered at Calshot in the early hours

A walrus has been found resting on a Hampshire beach, with the public warned to stay away from it.

Nicknamed Thor, the creature was discovered at Calshot in the early hours.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), which is monitoring the large marine mammal, said it should have "no disturbance".

The charity said the walrus needed to regain its strength before making its next journey.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-63934474

Thor moves to Scarborough, fair weather.

A New Year's Eve fireworks display had to be cancelled at the last minute to protect an Arctic walrus discovered in Scarborough.

The event was called off over fears it "could cause distress to the mammal".

Council leader Steve Siddons said he was disappointed but "the welfare of the walrus has to take precedence".

The walrus, which has drawn huge crowds since arriving on Saturday, is believed to be the same one spotted on the Hampshire coast three weeks ago.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-64139048
 
Thor moves to Scarborough, fair weather.

A New Year's Eve fireworks display had to be cancelled at the last minute to protect an Arctic walrus discovered in Scarborough.

The event was called off over fears it "could cause distress to the mammal".

Council leader Steve Siddons said he was disappointed but "the welfare of the walrus has to take precedence".

The walrus, which has drawn huge crowds since arriving on Saturday, is believed to be the same one spotted on the Hampshire coast three weeks ago.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-64139048
So the welfare of local wildlife doesn't matter?
 
So the welfare of local wildlife doesn't matter?

? The article clearly states "the welfare of the walrus has to take precedence." So, how is this inconsistent with wildlife welfare mattering?

I would have been disappointed with the fireworks cancelled, too. I love fireworks.
 
? The article clearly states "the welfare of the walrus has to take precedence." So, how is this inconsistent with wildlife welfare mattering?

I would have been disappointed with the fireworks cancelled, too. I love fireworks.
Of course the welfare of the arctic walrus matter but so does the welfare of local wildlife. So why does one get precedence over the other? Or is it virtue signaling by the council leader?

I would have also been gutted by the canceling of the fireworks had that been around here.
 
Of course the welfare of the arctic walrus matter but so does the welfare of local wildlife. So why does one get precedence over the other? Or is it virtue signaling by the council leader?

I would have also been gutted by the canceling of the fireworks had that been around here.
Walruses are "vulnerable to extinction" and, one presumes, the local wildlife are not. This difference in status may have been a factor in the decision making. I see no virtue-signaling here (at least by the council). You writing "So the welfare of local wildlife doesn't matter?" is to present a point which was never made by the Council, and then argue about it.

@kesavaross, I did not know you were interested in animal protection. What kinds of volunteer work with animals do you do which you find rewarding?
 
Walruses are "vulnerable to extinction" and, one presumes, the local wildlife are not. This difference in status may have been a factor in the decision making. I see no virtue-signaling here (at least by the council). You writing "So the welfare of local wildlife doesn't matter?" is to present a point which was never made by the Council, and then argue about it.

@kesavaross, I did not know you were interested in animal protection. What kinds of volunteer work with animals do you do which you find rewarding?
You make a point I hadn't considered.

I don't do any volunteer works with animals. I don't eat them though, does that count?
 
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You made a point I hadn't considered.

I don't do any volunteer works with animals. I don't eat them though, does that count?
Yes, it counts. My best friend is a vegetarian; I am not; and we have had some interesting discussions over the past 30 years. He, BTW, has killed many endangered sea turtle hatchlings as part of the ongoing genetic, health, and pollution studies for endangered sea turtles. I tease him about this regularly. :)
 
Yes, it counts. My best friend is a vegetarian; I am not; and we have had some interesting discussions over the past 30 years. He, BTW, has killed many endangered sea turtle hatchlings as part of the ongoing genetic, health, and pollution studies for endangered sea turtles. I tease him about this regularly. :)
What prompted my original comments was at midnight last night when all the Armageddon class fireworks went off, all the seagulls took to the skies squawking and screeching. It made me think about how so much that we do in society without realising it causes wild life to suffer or die. Hence my earlier comments about canceling the firework display so as not to cause distress to the arctic walrus versus local wild life, etc.

I didn't know that arctic walruses are extremely sensitive to sound and stress so maybe I did the council leader an injustice by saying that maybe he was virtue signaling (which they are often prone to doing).

Website about arctic walruses.

https://wwf.ca/species/atlantic-walrus/
 
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I tell my Vegan friends that at least what I eat is dead and cooked,
and that I can hear the still live lettice screaming as they eat it alive,
This comes from when I worked in horticulture and agriculture, tests
were done on plants using a lie detector, Geraniums were found
to give a stress response if disturbed.
More to all life than we know or likely want to know.
:omr:
 
Bye, Bye Thor. Vid at link.

Arctic walrus filmed returning to the sea in Scarborough

A walrus, which has drawn large crowds since arriving in Scarborough on Saturday, has been filmed returning to the sea.

A New Year's Eve fireworks display in the town was cancelled to protect the Arctic animal, who has been nicknamed Thor.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-64141105
 
Sunfish washes up on Gt Yarmouth beach

Katherine Hawkes, 39, was out on a New Year's day walk with her family at Great Yarmouth beach in Norfolk when she spotted a juvenile sunfish.

Sunfish can grow up to a massive three metres in height and their weight can reach a hefty two tonnes.

Even though the fish Katherine came across was just a baby, it still measured around 1.5 metres (5 feet) tall.
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Mountain lions east of the Mississippi may not be so out of place anymore.

Mountain lions returning to the East​

A NY Times guest essay by a wildlife researcher outlines areas east of the Mississippi that he thinks are conducive to hosting mountain lion populations. We know that occasional individuals roam into areas in the midwest and northeast where the native populations have previously been extirpated. It’s very possible that they could recolonize these areas. How will that go over with residents and wildlife agencies? Hard to say. The research is suggesting predators will help with the deer problem and make for more balanced ecosystems. He even suggests helping them re-establish. But they are also a potential threat to livestock, pets, and hikers which makes people nervous. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/opinion/cougars-migrating-east.html
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The seal was lucky the farmer didn't find him, would have ended up as Lancashire Hotpot.

A lost seal has been rescued after it turned up in a farmer's field - more than 15 miles (24 km) from the sea.

The puzzled pinniped was spotted in the Lancashire village of Walton-le-Dale, near Preston, after apparently swimming upstream along the River Darwen.

Veterinary nurse Rebecca Adair said she was walking her dog on Sunday when she saw her neighbour "frantically waving" after finding the mammal.

The pair called for help and the seal was later released back into the sea. ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-64376002
 
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