Depending on where you are in the Rockies this year, the annual summer bear season could mean black-bear sightings in your front yard or a near-death experience while looking through the jaws of a hungry bear.

Already, the list of bear attacks across the Rockies this summer is beginning to mount.

On Saturday morning, a bear attacked a homeless man sleeping in Durango near the Animas River. The man survived, but the bear didn’t after Colorado Division of Wildlife officials turned their guns on it after the attack. A necropsy of the bear’s carcass was completed at CSU.

Last Thursday, a bear broke into a home in Bailey, southwest of Denver, biting a man.

Other bears have been sighted plundering porches and backyards in Livermore and Rist Canyon.

In the past month, bears have turned outright hostile in New Mexico, where they’ve developed an affinity for tents and a taste for the people sleeping in them.

“They’re coming down and acting kind of aggressive right now,” said Dan Williams, spokesman for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

New Mexico wildlife officials killed a bear at the end of June after it jumped on a tent and took a swipe at the man sleeping in it at Philmont Boy Scout Ranch, a 137,000-acre camping and backpacking ranch just south of the Colorado state line west of Raton.

There were two more incidents there: The same day, another bear was found with a goat in its mouth, and a Philmont staffer killed it. On Wednesday, a bear bit a 14-year-old Boy Scout through his tent, leaving a deep gash in his head.

“It kind of peeled back the scalp there,” Williams said.

Both campers who were attacked were carefully following strict bear-safety protocols in place at Philmont, he said.

Those incidents followed another in June when a bear swatted a man tent-camping in the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque.

But all the ursine nastiness in some parts of the West doesn’t mean there’s anything unusual going on this year, particularly in Colorado and Wyoming.

Bear activity is quite normal throughout Colorado, DOW spokesman Tyler Baskfield said.

The bears’ habitat is normal and healthy, he said, and there is no sign of increased bear sightings or attacks in any localized area, he said.

“We haven’t noticed anything that is different than we’ve seen in years when there’s decent, natural food,” said Ken Wilson, a professor of wildlife and conservation biology at Colorado State University.

“A bear has been into some trash cans in Rist Canyon,” he said. “One bear can decide it’s going to get into something, (but) it’s not all of them.”

Few bears have been seen at all in southern Wyoming, where wildlife officials consider black-bear habitat and natural food supply excellent, said Al Langston, spokesman for the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish.

In New Mexico, dry weather hurt the bears’ food supply and dried out the forbs and grass that usually get black bears through the spring.

The lack of food there is so dire that this year’s number of bear attacks hasn’t been seen in New Mexico for almost a decade, Williams said.

There are plenty of things homeowners and backcountry adventurers can do to keep bears away.

For people camping in the mountains, store food in bear-resistant containers away from your sleeping area, Wilson said.

The best way to keep plundering bears away from homes is to keep birdseed, trash and other potential food sources inside where bears can’t have easy access to them, Baskfield said.

“There’s no reason to feed birds this time of year” because natural bird food is plentiful, he said.

And, he warned city dwellers, just because you might live in Fort Collins doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep your home bear resistant.

“We get bears who wander into Fort Collins on a regular basis,” he said.

via List of bear attacks this summer grows | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan.

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Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) — The death toll from heavy floods and mudslides in Mexico increased Tuesday to 41, a government agency announced.

Most of the deaths — 30 — have occurred in eastern Michoacan state, on the central Pacific coast. The state attorney general’s office released a list of the deceased Tuesday.

Another 12 people are missing after mudslides from two large hills, Michoacan Gov. Leonel Godoy said Tuesday.

The remaining 11 deaths resulted from a mudslide Saturday near the small town of Temascaltepec in neighboring Mexico state.

Interior Secretary Fernando Francisco Gomez Mont has declared a state of natural disaster for the Michoacan cities of Angangueo, Ocampo, Tiquicheo de Nicolas Romero, Tuxpan and Tuzantla. The declaration makes those cities eligible for money from the federal natural disaster fund.

The death toll in Michoacan had been 27 until three additional bodies were discovered Tuesday.

Godoy said officials are focusing on three tasks: searching for anyone who is alive, recovering bodies and removing boulders and downed trees. Officials are under pressure to act quickly, he said, because another cold front with more possible rain is expected within the next few days.

More than 3,500 Michoacan residents are homeless, the state government said on its Web site.

In addition to Michoacan and Mexico states, unusually heavy rain in the past week also flooded parts of Mexico City, the nation‘s capital.

Up to 37,000 people nationwide have been affected, government officials said.

On Sunday, Mexican President Felipe Calderon toured Valle de Chalco, another city in Mexico state on the eastern outskirts of the Mexico City metro area.

National Water Commission Director Jose Luis Luege said Tuesday that contaminated water from a sewage network there that overflowed Friday will continue to flood the town for at least another 48 hours. The break in the sewage pipe had been fixed, but it burst again.

Officials also built two dikes to contain the sewage but were unable to use them out of concern that they would burst under the intense pressure from the floodwaters, Luege said.

“It’s a very complicated operation,” he said.

More than 3,000 homes in Valle de Chalco were flooded.

Mexico state is bordered on the west by Michoacan and adjoinsMexico City on three sides — north, east and west.

Link

MEXICO CITY – An amateur football player was killed by lightning in Loma Bonita on the outskirts of the eastern Mexican city of Veracruz, police said. Efrain Pea was on the field with his team playing a local league match in bad weather Monday.

In the 55th minute, three consecutive lightning strikes occurred, one of which knocked down the 18 players on the field, killed the 24-year-old Pea and injured Octavio Corsino, 22, Felipe de Jesus Contreras, 31, and Ezequiel Alfonsin, 35.

Before the match, the umpire warned the players about the danger of the storm, but “they wanted to play and didn’t care about the bad weather”, police said.

The lightning bolt electrocuted Pea as it entered his mouth, according to the initial investigation, and exited through his right leg.

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NORTH AMERICA’S TOP SHARK-ATTACK BEACHES

Stephen RegenoldMay 13, 2009
 

 LAUNCH SLIDESHOW

Where to swim at your own risk in North America

 

The year was 1916, and a hot July had delivered thousands of beachgoers to the Jersey Shore. Waves shrugged on the sand, and swimmers bobbed in their bloomers and caps, escaping the heat in the surf and swells of tepid Atlantic waters.

See our slideshow of North America’s Shark-Attack Beaches.

 What happened next—beginning with a death on Long Beach Island—would forever alter America’s collective consciousness toward swimming in the sea: In an unprecedented 11 days, five major shark attacks took place along the Jersey Shore, four of which were fatal.

Reports cited blood turning the water red and sharks following victims toward the beach. Dorsal fins spiked from placid water. Appropriately, a media frenzy ensued. Patrol boats were deployed to kill sharks offshore. Some beaches installed wire mesh to sequester swimmers from anything big and toothy out beyond the break.

 America has never recovered. Indeed, the Jersey Shore attacks of 1916—though an anomaly never seen before or since—branded an image of sharks as monsters that has trickled now through several generations.

“The common public perception today of a shark is that of a man-eater,” said George Burgess, an ichthyologist at the University of Florida who maintains a database called the International Shark Attack File. “We have an innate fear for big predators and natural forces we can’t control.” But as Burgess and others point out, death by shark bite is extremely rare. Shark experts cite statistics to show you can swim and surf with nary a worry at almost any beach on the planet. You are not a seal. Sharks do not want to eat you.

Or do they?

The International Shark Attack File (ISAF), which relies on decades of data, cites more than 2,000 fatal encounters. At beaches like New Smyrna, the cold statistics can become frighteningly real. To date, 210 attacks have been reported there, and in 2007, three swimmers were bitten by sharks and hospitalized.

See our slideshow of North America’s Shark-Attack Beaches.

 Despite the paranoia, millions of people each year surf and swim—literally—with the sharks.

 A top example is New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County, Fla., where Burgess said tiger and black-tip sharks thrive. “Most people who have swum in and around New Smyrna have been within 10 feet of a shark in their lifetime,” he said.

 In Northern California—where deep waters and seal populations draw great white sharks—surfers suit up at places like Stinson Beach to catch waves in a potentially deadly habitat. Patric Douglas, owner of Shark Diver, an ocean guiding outfit in San Francisco, calls Stinson “the granddaddy of all shark beaches.” He said, “It’s common to see 18-footers buzz by surfers bobbing in the waves.”

North America is home to dozens of beaches like New Smyrna where swimmers and sharks intermix, even though the humans may never know it. When the rare attack happens, Burgess said, it’s usually a predatory mistake. “In the surf zone, where many attacks happen, sharks need to make quick decisions,” he said. “Humans on surfboards—hands splashing, feet kicking—can trigger a shark to think there’s trouble or a wounded animal, and it looks like an easy meal.”

 With its thousands of miles of coastlines and millions of beachgoers, the United States sees more shark-human interaction than any other country. Search the ISAF database and you’ll find incidents at beaches from South Carolina to Oregon. There are so many reports, in fact, that California, Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina and Texas each have dedicated sections in the ISAF.

See our slideshow of North America’s Shark-Attack Beaches.

On the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, tiger and hammerhead sharks mix with dolphins and humpback whales. There are dozens of popular surf beaches there, including Velzyland Beach and the Leftovers Break to name two. Though untold thousands surf and swim there each year without incident, attacks do occur.

But according to Laleh Mohajerani, executive director of the shark conservation organization Iemanya Oceanica, sharks are not looking to interfere with humans in the water. Our shark-attack fears are irrational, she said. “You are more likely to be hit by lightning.”

 Indeed, there’s no arguing the numbers. Of the millions of people who enter the ocean each year, almost none are touched.

 But for most people, fiery emotions override even the coldest numbers. A single scary story—be it on the news or in an effects-heavy Hollywood production—will destroy the efforts of hundreds of scientists trying to communicate on research and logic.

From Hawaii to the Caribbean, there are 10 beaches among the most infamous for sharks on the planet. Take a dip if you dare.

See our slideshow of North America’s Shark-Attack Beaches.

Link

Zihuatanejo surfers hope last May’s deadly shark-attack spree was a fluke

8:30 AM, May 1, 2009

Last May was a deadly and precarious month for surfers visiting the sun-drenched beaches north of Zihuatanejo in the Mexican state of Guerrero.

Bull sharks, for some reason, gathered in large numbers. They were believed responsible for killing two surfers. A third surfer, Bruce Grimes, was more fortunate. The estimated nine-foot shark that raked his arm and hand (pictured, at right) after bumping his surfboard in an apparent attempt to knock him from it, did not pursue Grimes as he paddled toward shore.

The attacks, which occurred within a three-week period, generated “Jaws”-like mania and led to the erection of lifeguard towers and establishment of a shark patrol along a stretch of coastline that seasonally lures hundreds of surfers from Southern California and elsewhere.

Now it’s May once more and some might be wondering whether the phenomenon will be repeated.

In the aftermath of last season’s attacks I toured the beaches with Ed Kunze, a longtime resident and fishing guide. We also visited Majahua, a village of commercial fishermen, who keep close tabs on shark activity. They refused to dive last May but are currently combing the bottom for oysters, octopus and conch.

Ramon Caranza told Kunze this week that there “may not be” as many sharks in the area this season. More important, he said, there’s an abundant supply of natural food, making sharks less dangerous to humans. Last May, Caranza said, natural food was scarce and whatever he caught in his nets was preyed upon by sharks. Caranza spoke as he repaired gaping holes in his home-fashioned monofilament nets.

George Burgess, a shark expert at the University of Florida, labeled Caranza’s theory “an interesting mix of observation and speculation.” Burgess said last year’s congregation of sharks was probably the result of unusual oceanographic conditions. He also visited the region last year and noted that two of the surfers were attacked near river mouths, which are known to attract sharks during high runoff periods.

That runoff season is just getting underway. Surfers are riding waves and more surfers are expected over the coming weeks. There are bound to be shark sightings or alleged sightings. Already a small shark was reportedly seen in a wave face at Troncones, site of a fatal attack last May.

More than likely, last year’s spate of attacks was a fluke and won’t be repeated. But if you ask me, anyone surfing down there alone, near one of the river mouths, is asking for trouble. 

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State Rep. warns of brine well sinkhole possibility

By Stella Davis
Current-Argus Staff Writer

Posted: 04/28/2009 09:03:11 PM MDT

CARLSBAD — Two brine wells located inside the city limits are time bombs waiting to happen, Rep. John Heaton, D-Carlsbad, said.They could collapse anytime into sinkholes and swallow everything in their path, he told state Oil and Conservation Division officials.

“It (the collapse of the wells) could happen tomorrow, six months from now or a year,” Heaton said. “This is a concern for all of us. We need to know what you plan to do.”

The OCD, along with the Eddy County Office of Emergency Management and the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management hosted a public meeting Tuesday to update the community on actions that have been taken thus far.

Earlier this month, the OCD put Carlsbad brine well operator I&W Trucking Inc. on notice for unsafe conditions that pose a serious risk to human life and property.

OCD Chairman Mark Fesmire said the location of I&W’s brine operation at 3005 S. Canal St. poses special dangers in the event of a collapse. The facility where the brine operations are located is between U.S. Highways 285 and 62-180 where they converge at a “Y” location commonly known as the South “Y.” The site is also close to the Carlsbad Irrigation District’s canal that delivers water to farmers south of the city.

Fesmire said that I&W has moved its trucking operations to other sites, and his department is working to determine the size of the caverns below. He said that while the move has placed hardships on the company, company officials have been cooperative and have worked well with his agency.

Jim Griswold, of the OCD Environmental Bureau, said the first step was to secure the site and to eliminate I&W traffic. The second steps will be to install early warning instruments to provide the county’s emergency management personnel notice if a sink hole is eminent.

“We are also working to develop the information necessary to create a long term plan for dealing with the site,” Griswold said.

When asked what measures are being taken to prevent a collapse, Griswold said filling the caverns beneath with salt is one option. However, he said determining the actual size of the cavernous area is high on the list of things that must be done.

Heaton said that the public should be given a timetable for when the characterization of the site is to be done.

Griswold said that it could be in a matter of weeks, but that he could not give a precise date. He said the normal characterization method will not work at this particular site and another method will have to be used.

“In addition to characterization to determine how big the cavern is, our other main concern right now is the stabilization of the site and installing an early warning system,” Griswold explained.

Fesmire said that his agency is looking at different options to fill the cavernous area. But it’s still unclear how big the area is at this time. He said that while using salt is one option, it would cost millions.

He said his agency has about $1.8 million in oil and reclamation funds, but that it will not be near enough to do what is needed at the site. He said federal stimulus money and participation by experts from Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories are options that will be explored.

“You do what is needed to be done, and we will figure out how to pay for it,” Heaton said, referring to fellow legislators Sen. Vernon Asbill, R-Eddy, and Rep. Bill Gray, R-Eddy, who attended the meeting.

Gray said that he has concerns over the fact that the OCD forced I&W Trucking to move its operations elsewhere.

“It’s private property and it seems to me the state is taking it. How do you plan to reimburse I&W?” Gray asked.

“This is an emergency situation. We are not taking the property,” Fesmire replied. “I’m sure I&W has some legal repercussions. But given the age of the facilities (wells), the potential for a catastrophic failure is very high. I believe the OCD is doing the right thing. All the professionals who have evaluated the data agree there is a high risk that there could be a collapse.”

Residents living in the area also questioned the amount of time they would have to get out of their homes or a nearby church once the warning system warns of an imminent collapse.

Griswold said he could not give a time line. It depends on the mode of failure. It could be anything from slow ground subsidence to a large sinkhole, as occurred at the large sinkhole near Artesia last summer. That sinkhole was the site of brine well.

Joel Arnwine, county emergency management director, said his office is working closely with OCD, New Mexico Homeland Security and Emergency Management and New Mexico Department of Transportation, in developing an emergency plan in the event the sinkholes were to occur.

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So sad and tragic. When they called off the search, I feared this would be the ending.

Missing high school student’s body found

By jim welsh

HANCOCK COUNTY – The body of a 17-year-old Hancock County High School student who apparently drowned was found in a beach area of Northwest Florida on Monday, authorities said.Sgt. Scott Haines, of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Department, said the body of John D. Stephens of Bayside Park was located four miles west of Navarre Beach in the National Seashore area.

“His body was located and identified this afternoon,” Haines said Monday.

Stephens had disappeared in the surf Saturday, touching off an extensive search involving the Coast Guard and other agencies. He was a junior at Hancock High School.

The news fell heavily on Hancock County on Monday evening.

“This is such a tragedy,” said Alan Dedeaux, superintendent of the county schools. He had known Stephens most of the young man’s life.

Dedeaux said school officials would offer counseling to students if required.

“If the kids need somebody to talk to, our staff will set that up,” he said.

Stephens was swept into heavy surf Saturday evening, a victim of rough waters that caused officials to rescue about 30 people off Florida Panhandle beaches over the weekend.

The day before his body was located, the Coast Guard had dropped a search for Stephens that included a rescue helicopter, two small craft, and an 87-foot cutter. Petty Officer Tom Atkeson, of the Coast Guard’s 8th District headquarters in New Orleans, said Monday that his agency suspended its search for Stephens at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Santa Rosa County had discontinued its search as well by Monday, according to Haines. Because Stephens’ body was found in a National Seashore area, details will be handled by National Park Service Police, he said.

A family friend said Stephens’ mother, Jennifer Leitz, and other family members remained in the Pensacola area Monday to keep up with developments in the case.

Stephens was reported missing Saturday in the area of the Navarre Beach Pier after going to the beach with a relative. Navarre Beach is in Santa Rosa County, located just east of Escambia County and Pensacola Beach. The Coast Guard launched its search after receiving an alert around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Atkeson said.

The search included air and surface units and the Coast Guard Cutter Cobia, an 87-foot cutter that was diverted from other duties to the scene.

Stephens’ disappearance was the latest tragedy to befall members of his family, said Tammy Hoyt, the boy’s godmother and a close friend of his family. She said Stephens’ father, John M. Stephens, died in December and there were other recent illnesses and deaths in the family.

“It’s been one thing after another this family has gone through,” Hoyt said.

Hoyt described Stephens as “a typical teenager” who liked video games and music and played guitar. When younger, he was a Boy Scout in a Waveland troop, she said. Stephens had three sisters.

Rhett Ladner, principal at Hancock High, told the Sun Herald on Sunday that he and a school counselor had been working with Stephens to help him cope with the death of his father.

Officials reported that rip tides and rough surf caused a tragic weekend at Northwest Florida beaches. On Saturday, at least 25 people were rescued from the turbulent Gulf of Mexico by lifeguards. At least another five were rescued Sunday. There was one other confirmed water-related death. An Alabama man was caught in a riptide and drowned at Perdido Key.

On Monday, Hoyt said she was seeking ways to get financial help for Stephens’ family upon their return to Hancock County.

“The family will be in need of assistance when they return, as far as having to take off work to do all that they are doing,” she said. “The only thing I can do now is help them when they get back.”

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These are the scariest stories. They weren’t even swimming, but the waves swept them into a rip current!

Planning commissioner from Kingman dies in Mexico

 

Associated Press – April 25, 2009 2:24 PM ET

KINGMAN, Ariz. (AP) – A planning and zoning commission member in Mohave County has drowned after a wave knocked him into the sea while he was fishing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Commission Chairman Earl Hamlyn says Kingman resident Joe Bibich was surf fishing on Wednesday when a wave swept him and an Ohio man off their feet and a rip current swept them out to sea.

The men were fishing near the beachfront Sheraton hotel. Local Civil Protection Director Francisco Cota said a woman managed to pull 1 of the men to shore but could not save his life. The Mexican navy recovered the other man’s body.

Bibich was 61. His wife, Pam, is a constable for the Mohave County Justice Court.

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Wildfire chars 19,000 acres in southern NM

DUNKEN, N.M. (AP) – A lightning-sparked fire in southern Chaves County charred an estimated 19,000 acres and threatened several structures and a power distribution line Friday. Fire officials said the flames threatened one residence and seven outbuildings, but no evacuations were in effect. State Forestry spokesman Dan Ware said the 4 Mile Fire made a significant run to the northeast thanks to strong winds, but crews were trying to keep the flames south of U.S. 82. About 90 firefighters, 10 engines and two air tankers were assigned to the fire. The air tankers dropped retardant on the fire through the afternoon. The blaze was 20 percent contained by the evening. The fire, which was first spotted Thursday, burned through pinon, juniper and grassland.

Link (It’s a PDF)

A very informative document from the New Mexico Game and Fish Department.

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Considering just how rare Mountain Lion attacks are, it seems like lately officials are euthanizing way too quickly.

Cougar killed after
entering courtyards

Updated: Thursday, 23 Apr 2009, 4:23 PM MDT
Published : Thursday, 23 Apr 2009, 3:35 PM MDT

• Web Producer: Todd Dukart

ELDORADO AT SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Game wardens have killed a cougar who entered the courtyards of two Santa Fe-area homes.

The 100-pound female cougar was captured and euthanized after she was found Monday at the homes in the Eldorado subdivision.

Game warden Desi Ortiz said the cougar showed no fear when he arrived at the first home. The animal stared back at him as he positioned himself with a tranquilizer gun.

Ortiz said he hit the mountain lion in the hind leg with a tranquilizer dart. She jumped over the wall to the courtyard and went missing.

A short time later, Ortiz was called to another home where a cougar was seen staggering into the courtyard.

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish officials said the original plan was to move the animal to the Jemez Mountains, but she was euthanized after officials determined she was too dangerous to people.

Dan Williams with Game and Fish said in a news release the cougar appeared to have lost its fear of humans.

Tips to avoid encounters with mountain lions and other large predators, according to Game and Fish:

• Do not feed wildlife. Use native plants, not non-natives, so as to not attract deer, which are the primary prey of lions. Remember, predators follow prey.
• Do not let your pets roam around outside. Bring them in at night. If you keep pets outside, provide a kennel with a secure top. Do not feed pets outside where the food can attract lions or other smaller animals which lions prey upon. Store and dispose of all garbage securely.
• Closely supervise children. Make sure they are home before dusk and not outside before dawn. Make lots of noise if you come or go during times when mountain lions are most active — dusk to dawn. Teach your children about lions and what they should do if they encounter one.
• Landscape or remove vegetation to eliminate hiding cover for lions, especially around areas where children play. Make it difficult for a lion to approach unseen.
• Install outdoor lighting, especially in areas where you walk, so you can see a lion if one were present.
• Close off open spaces below porches or decks.
• Place all livestock in enclosed sheds or barns at night. Close the doors to all outbuildings so that an inquisitive lion is prevented from going inside to look around.
• Also, if you encounter a mountain lion:

Stop or back away slowly if you can do so safely.

• Stay calm when you come upon a lion talk calmly yet firmly to it and move slowly.
• Immediately pick up all children off the ground and tell them to stay calm.
• Do not run from a lion as fleeing behavior may trigger the instinct of the lion to attack.
• Face the lion — do not turn your back — remain in an upright position and look as large as possible (raise your arms, open up your coat, if your wearing one).
• Carry a walking stick and use it to defend yourself by keeping it between you and the lion. If the lion approaches closer or behaves aggressively, arm yourself with the stick, throw rocks or sticks at the lion, and speak louder and more firmly to the lion. Convince the lion you are dominant and a danger to it.
• Fight back if a lion attacks you. Use any possible object within reach as a weapon, such as rocks, sticks, jackets, a backpack or your bare hands. Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back. Stay standing and if you fall down try to get back up on your feet.
• Call police if you feel you are in danger.

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Are cougars returning to Midwest? w/ Missouri mountain lion sighting info

— By Andy Ostmeyer
aostmeyer@joplinglobe.com
Earlier this year, a young Barton County boy reported being attacked by a mountain lion.
“He was knocked off his feet, he claimed, and actually dragged by his sleeve by a mountain lion,” said James Dixon, a wildlife damage biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.
It’s Dixon’s job to check on such reports, and this time, the boy also claimed he had managed to stab the animal with a pocket knife.
Both the coat and the knife were sent to a laboratory to test for DNA evidence, but none was confirmed.
Although attacks are rare, Dixon said reports of cougars are increasingly common in Missouri, and they’re also growing throughout the Midwest.
“We get thousands — I’m talking literally thousands — of reports each year,” Dixon said.
Many come after heavy snows when people report finding large tracks, but those almost always turn out to be cases of misidentification: bobcats, dogs and even house cats. 
Still, there have been some positive identifications in Missouri.
“Across the entire state, we have had 10 confirmed mountain lions since 1994,” said Dixon. 
Some mountain lions, which also are called cougars and pumas, may be making their way into the Midwest by migrating from the Black Hills of South Dakota, which has a stable population, or perhaps from west Texas.
A cougar was shot and killed by police in Bossier City, La., in December. In April 2008, Chicago police shot and killed a 122-pound cougar in the city’s North Side. And in 2007, the first documented cougar in Kansas in more than 100 years was killed near Medicine Lodge.
In Missouri, cougars have been hit by cars in Kansas City and Fulton, captured on game cameras, and treed by hunting dogs in one instance. 
The closest to Joplin was a confirmed sighting in Christian County in the winter of 1997, but Dixon said that animal, which was caught on video, was believed to have been a captured animal that either escaped or was released, based on its behavior.
Aside from a small population in south Florida, Texas and the Black Hills have been the eastern boundary of the cougar’s breeding range.
Like Missouri, Wisconsin game managers get scores of reported sightings each year and have to determine which are false.
Only two cougars have been confirmed in the state. The cougar killed in Chicago was seen months earlier in the Milton area of Wisconsin’s Rock County, 100 miles away, in January 2008. 
Ken Jonas, a wildlife biologist supervisor with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said the only ways to confirm sightings are with photos, good tracks or other physical evidence. In the case of the confirmed sightings, blood, hair, urine and droppings were recovered.
Researchers learned a lot from the cat that roamed the Milton area for three months before being shot, said Eric Anderson, a professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
“Here’s a cat wandering across the landscape of southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, a fairly heavily populated area, and nobody saw it,” he said.
Male cougars like that have been moving out from the Black Hills. Anderson said an estimated 20 to 25 young males are believed to leave there each year, looking for females as well as food. Some wander hundreds of miles.
He expects Wisconsin will eventually have resident cougars.
Dixon said the animals are shy and secretive, and rarely seen, let alone confirmed. 
Still, the department takes the reports seriously and will investigate when there is some evidence left behind, such as tracks or a kill. And the prey base has grown in Missouri and other states, which have large deer populations.
“We do know that occasionally a mountain lion does wander into Missouri, but we do not believe we have a reproducing population,” Dixon said. Only one female was identified among the 10 confirmed sightings in the state, and no cubs have ever been found.
Dixon and others say that if their states had breeding populations, they would expect more cougars to be killed on roads and found feeding on livestock, and more evidence would be found in areas where the animals spent time, Jonas said. South Dakota, said Dixon, which has a much lower road density, has a much higher percentage of road kills.
The Missouri Department of Conservation also has established a Mountain Lion Response Team, which goes to sites and collects evidence when a credible report that might offer hard evidence is filed.
Jeff Beringer, large mammal biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation and a member of the response team, confirmed that sightings are extremely rare, even for biologists and experienced outdoorsmen. He said he has been on tracking teams in New Mexico and has received additional training in the Black Hills, yet, he added: “I have never seen one in the wild.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Last natives
Prior to 1994, the last mountain lion documented in Missouri was in 1927. They were gone from Iowa by 1867 and from Nebraska by 1890. Until recently, they were last seen in Wisconsin in 1908 and in Kansas in 1904.

Link

Rattler’s reputation takes a toxic turn for the worse

Experts suspect species is becoming deadlier

By Scott LaFee (Contact) Union-Tribune Staff Writer

2:00 a.m. April 20, 2009

With warming weather comes the return of rattlesnakes and renewed reports that one species of the slithering reptile may be biting more people and becoming more dangerous.

In recent years, some doctors and toxicologists in Southern California and across the Southwest have reported anecdotal evidence of an increase in snakebite cases, with more patients suffering extreme – sometimes fatal – consequences.

Last summer, San Diego Poison Control officials said the recorded number of “unusually powerful” snakebites had increased for the second consecutive year. Media attention has fanned the furor, most recently an article in the current issue of Scientific American that suggests the venom of the southern Pacific rattlesnake, a common species in San Diego County, is becoming “extratoxic.”

That’s bad news for potential bite victims and arguably worse news for rattlesnakes, but some herpetologists and snake experts question whether the phenomenon is real.

Each year, the San Diego division of the California Poison Control System records 40 to 60 rattlesnake bites in San Diego County, said Dr. Richard Clark, a toxicologist at the University of California San Diego and medical director of the local poison control center. In 2004, the poison control system recorded 42 rattlesnake bites to humans in the county. In 2005, there were 45; in 2006, 54; in 2007, 47; and last year, 41.

The real number is higher, Clark said, because snakebites are not among cases that doctors are required to report. Clark said he believes that locally, one or two snakebites in 2008 were fatal.

In the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are roughly 7,000 reported venomous snakebites each year, 15 of which on average prove fatal.

Clark said the number of snakebites varies with shifting environmental conditions. Wildfires, for example, can substantially affect rattlesnake habitat, reproduction rates and prey availability. He predicted that the annual number of rattlesnake bites will trend upward “as we continue to build and expand into East County and snake habitat.”

San Diego County is home to four species of rattlesnake: the speckled, the red diamond, the sidewinder and the southern Pacific, which is a subspecies of the western rattlesnake and the most abundant rattler in the region.

It’s the southern Pacific rattlesnake that’s generating headlines and concern, with speculation that the species is evolving and expanding into a more dangerous animal. To some degree, scientists say, there are reasons to worry.

First, southern Pacifics are more widely distributed than other indigenous rattlesnakes. They live in diverse habitat from the beaches to the mountains, and they are tolerant of disturbed, developed areas.

“Southern Pacific rattlesnakes thrive where people prefer to live, so people encounter them relatively frequently,” said Dr. Sean Bush, a professor of emergency medicine at Loma Linda University and a snake researcher.

Second, the snakes appear to be more easily annoyed than other species and are more likely to defend themselves aggressively. Clark described them as having “nasty dispositions” and more inclined than other rattlers to bite before retreat.

Bush called them “people-biting snakes.”

It’s the bite, of course, that concerns doctors, scientists and potential victims. Rattlesnake venom is a lethal cocktail of toxins that quickly causes significant tissue damage and hemorrhaging. The bitten prey weakens and dies, and then the snake consumes it.

In humans, an ordinary rattlesnake bite produces initial swelling and bruising around the wound, but quick treatment and new antivenins mean rattlesnake bites are rarely fatal.

There is research to indicate that the venom of at least some southern Pacific rattlesnakes contains an additional deadly ingredient: a fast-acting neurotoxin that affects breathing and muscle control. (A telling symptom of a southern Pacific bite is rapid, uncontrollable muscle twitching.)

A neurotoxin is also present in the Mohave rattlesnake, a deadlier, desert-dwelling species found primarily in Arizona and Mexico, though part of its range reaches into eastern San Diego County.

Some researchers have speculated that interbreeding with Mohave rattlesnakes has produced a deadlier version of the southern Pacific. Richard Dart, director of the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center in Denver, said it’s possible. “If they’re rattlesnakes, they’ll interbreed. I’ve seen it in the lab, though it’s probably not something that happens in nature every mating season.”

William Hayes, a biologist and snake researcher at Loma Linda University, is more skeptical. He dismisses the idea that southern Pacific rattlesnakes are naturally evolving a more toxic venom. The majority of western rattlesnakes lack neurotoxins in their venom, he said. If some southern Pacific rattlesnakes do in fact have them, it’s likely to be an unidentified toxin.

Bush suggests the phenomenon may be an example of convergent evolution.

“That is, an animal develops a similar trait because it utilizes it for a similar task,” Bush said. “Sort of like giraffes and brontosauruses both having long necks, probably to feed on leaves high in trees.”

On one thing all of the researchers agree: Size matters in snakebites. Adult victims tend to fare better than children because of greater body mass. And the bigger the snake, the worse its bite.

“I don’t know where the myth about baby rattlers being more dangerous came from,” said Dr. Roy Johnson, an Escondido-based physician and herpetologist. “The key is how much venom is injected, and a big snake injects a lot more venom than a small snake.”

Anecdotal reports of nastier snakebites may be due to a proportionate increase in big snakes. Hayes said chronic drought conditions in Southern California may have reduced reproductive rates among rodents and other small mammals, which are the southern Pacific’s preferred prey.

As a result, the rattlesnake’s reproductive rate has also declined, reducing the number of juvenile snakes. “We may well be seeing a shift toward more bites being inflicted by larger rattlesnakes simply because smaller snakes may now be disproportionately few,” Hayes said. Southern Pacific rattlesnakes can grow up to 4 feet in length.

Snakebite data suggest big snakes usually bite big people. Children tend to be bitten by small rattlesnakes they stumble upon inadvertently. Adults are more often bitten by rattlesnakes they try to pick up.

“If anything, we can expect the escalating emphasis on snakes in nature television programming to inspire more people to make dumb decisions about handling venomous snakes,” Hayes said. “We might be seeing a shift in the demography of snakebite victims, with more adult men, many under the influence of alcohol, getting bitten by snakes they should not have been messing with.”

Johnson, the Escondido physician who has treated hundreds of snakebite victims over 30 years, agreed: “Mostly people get bitten because they tried picking up a snake, because they weren’t smart enough to know better.”

HOW TO TREAT A BITE

Rattlesnake bites are rarely fatal when the victim receives fast treatment. Administering antivenin is critical. Traditional first aid, such as applying ice, using a tourniquet or putting suction to the wound, may cause more harm than good.

If the bite occurs while in a remote setting, the wounded area should be immobilized (especially if it is an arm or leg) and the victim quickly but safely transported to the nearest phone. Dial 911 and wait for assistance. If no phone is available, drive to a hospital or clinic.

---

 

LOCAL RATTLESNAKES

 

WESTERN/SOUTHERN PACIFIC 
Crotalus viridis helleri

Description: Up to 4 feet in length. Light gray or brown, with pale margins around dorsal blotches. At higher elevations, specimens may be black. Juveniles have yellow-green tails.

Habitat: Seacoast to pine-wooded mountain ranges.

Behavior: Aggressively defensive.

RED DIAMOND 
Crotalus ruber

Description: Usually in the 3-foot range, though some adults may exceed 5 feet. Distinctively reddish or tan, with subtle diamond pattern on back and a black-and-white tail.

Habitat: Areas of rock and brush, such as coastal sage scrub.

Behavior: Generally docile, though individual temperaments vary.

SOUTHWESTERN SPECKLED 
Crotalus mitchelli pyrrhus

Description: Up to 3 feet in length. Color matches earth tones of environs, with black speckles forming indistinct bars or blotches on back. Dark rings on tail.

Habitat: Most abundant in inland rocky areas and in the desert.

Behavior: Alert, nervous and quick to rattle when disturbed.

SIDEWINDER 
Crotalus cerastes

Description: Rarely exceeds 2 feet. Generally pale tan and pink, matching desert sands. Dark square blotches on backside. Hornlike protrusions above eyes.

Habitat: Sandy desert

Behavior: Quick and elusive, leaving distinctive J-shaped tracks.

Link

Tornadoes hit Holiday, Land O’Lakes; watch remains for Tampa Bay

Tornadoes were spotted in the Trinity Oaks subdivision 4 miles east of Holiday and just north of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 in Land O’Lakes, according to the National Weather Service. The tornadoes are part of a fierce front sweeping through Tampa Bay, bringing hail and wind gusts of 60 mph.

No injuries were reported in Trinity, but damage was widespread. Trees were uprooted, and roof tiles littered Middlesex and Davenport streets in the Wyntree subdivision. A bit further north, power lines fell along Ridge Road in New Port Richey, and some traffic signals were out. Across Pasco County, emergency crews were responding to similar reports of damage and power loss in the Land O’Lakes area. The traffic signals at the busy intersection of I-75 and SR 56 were out at 10 a.m.

The NWS reported a strong rotation on Doppler radar near Dunedin but has received no reports of damage. All tornado warnings for the Tampa Bay area have been dropped.

Tampa Fire Rescue has reported four car accidents and a number of blown transformers due to heavy rain and wind. Crews are on the way to restore power to four stoplights on Florida Avenue and Busch Boulevard. Drivers are crossing the intersection at random, increasing the potential for an accident, responders said.

 

Trees and power lines are reportedly down in north Tarpon Springs, and pea-sized hail was reported in the Citrus Park area.

The morning tornando warning was issued because a storm system moving across the upper Mississippi River Valley and Great Lakes with a cold front extending south from it is about to meet warm, moist air in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.

When the fronts meet, the cold front provides the “lifting mechanism” and changing wind directions that can breed tornadoes. The front should push through by mid afternoon.

Otherwise, there is a 60 percent chance of precipitation today, with thunderstorms most likely after 2 p.m. Highs will reach near 79 degrees with southwest winds between 13 and 23 mph. According to the NWS, rainfall amounts between 0.5 and 0.75 of an inch are possible.

Lows should drop to the high 60s tonight with rain chances diminishing.

Link

3 drown off Panhandle beaches over weekend

DESTIN, Fla. – Authorities say two swimmers and a kayaker drowned off Panhandle beaches over the Easter weekend.

The Destin Fire Control District says 39-year-old Joseph Jones from Riverdale, Ga., died Friday after going into the water off Destin to help others caught in a rip current. The others survived.

An unidentified airman stationed at Eglin Air Force Base drowned later Friday after being caught in a rip current also off Destin while tossing a football back and forth in waist-deep water with his brother-in-law.

Authorities say red flags warning beach goers to stay out of the water because of the rip currents flew throughout the weekend.

Fourteen-year-old Trevor Mills of Panama City Beach died Sunday night following a kayaking accident in the Gulf of Mexico.

Link

Experts are calling for an average hurricane season in the U.S., with 12 named storms developing. Last year they called for a similar amount, and we got 16.

Forecasters Make 2009 Hurricane Predictions

BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―

The numbers are in and forecasters are predicting a less active hurricane season than last year.

Meteorologist Tim Williams reports two major research centers have posted their numbers for the 2009 season ahead.

In a little more than a month-and-a-half, the United States will brace itself for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season.

Two major U.S. research centers are Colorado State University’s hurricane team and the team from North Carolina State.  This year, forecasters are expecting a busy, but average hurricane season.

Colorado State is calling for 12 named storms this year, with six of those becoming hurricanes.  Two could become major, which means Category 3 or higher.

N.C. State’s team says between 11 and 14 tropical storms could be named.  Six to eight of those could strengthen to hurricane force.  Both teams agree two could become major.

This forecast is closely watched by energy, commodities and insurance markets since a series of storms rolled through the Gulf of Mexico during the 2005 season.  That year produced Hurricane Katrina, and was the costliest for oil and gas fields in U.S. history.

N.C. State predicts a 40 percent chance of a major hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast .  Colorado State thinks the odds are lower at 31 percent, with a 32 percent chance that a hurricane could hit the East Coast.

Last year, hurricane forecasters called for a slightly more active season than average. Twelve named storms is average, but we got 16.

The hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

Link

Area sinkhole remains active

By Stella Davis
Current-Argus Staff Writer

Posted: 04/10/2009 09:02:37 PM MDT

CARLSBAD — A sinkhole northeast of Carlsbad is not growing quickly, but it is still active, an expert said.George Veni, executive director of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute in Carlsbad, said aerial photographs taken this past week show very little change since the last photos were taken in October.

The sinkhole is located on state trust land about 24 miles northeast of Carlsbad approximately 17 miles southeast of Artesia on Hagerman Road (County Road 217), between County Road 206 and State Highway 360, about 100 yards north of the roadway.

Until the collapse last July, the site was the location of a brine well operated by Jim’s Water Service.

Veni, speaking Thursday at New Mexico State University’s Carlsbad campus on sink holes and what causes them, said there is a possibility that within the next 10 years, County Road 217 will have to be rerouted.

“If this sinkhole continues to grow, it will make the road unstable and subsidence could occur,” he said.

On the morning on July 18 at about 8:15 a.m. a driver for Jim’s Water Service went to the Loco Hills site to check the well. When he heard a rumbling noise in the ground, he realized something was wrong and reacted quickly to get safely away from the area.

Veni said for scientists like him, the uniqueness of this sinkhole is that it is the first one that’s formation was actually captured by seismograph equipment networking in the area.

Explaining how the sinkhole occurred, Veni said there are three types of sinkhole. The sinkhole, named “Jim’s Sinkhole,” is considered a solution sinkhole.

Solution sinkholes form where soluble bedrock such as limestone, dolomite, marble and rock salt is exposed at the land surface. This allows it to be subjected to weathering by dissolution. Surface water collects in natural depressions and slowly dissolves a sinkhole.

In brine wells, water is injected and brine water is brought back to the surface. The constant up and down action can eventually cause a collapse of the earth and the opening can grow to an enormous diameter.

Veni noted that another sinkhole in November occurred in the Lakewood area in North Eddy County, and it too, is slowly growing. It is also considered a solution sinkhole.

Veni said since the occurrence of the two solution-type sinkholes last year, the state Oil Conservation Division has tightened up and strengthened its brine well production regulations to prevent more collapses

However, the sinkhole that occurred in December south of Carlsbad near the New Mexico-Texas state line was of a different nature, he said.

He said that particular sinkhole named “Cat Sinkhole” because it swallowed a large Caterpillar tractor with its operator inside could not have been prevented.

The operator, who was unaware that he was perched on a potential sinkhole, was brought to the surface after waiting for help to arrive for more than an hour. He was 40 feet below the surface.

Veni explained that the Cat Sinkhole is considered a collapse sinkhole. It forms when surface materials suddenly sink into a subsurface cavity or cave. The cavities form slowly over time, as groundwater moves along fractures in soluble bedrock and enlarges them though dissolution.

The collapse can occur two ways: The first is when a cavity gets sufficiently large and the roof becomes too thin to support the weight of any overlying rock or sediment, so it collapses into the cavity.

The second is when caves are sometimes able to support the weight of overlying sediments because they are filled with groundwater. However, if groundwater levels are lowered, then the overlying sediment will first erode and then collapse into the de-watered cavity.

In the area of Cat Sinkhole, there are known cave formations. However, this one was unknown. Fortunately, the heavy machine landed on a ledge that stopped a further drop down into the opening.

Veni said a study of sinkhole locations in the region has been conducted and areas have been mapped where potential sinkholes could occur. Most in this area appear to be in remote locations.

 

How do sinkholes develop and enlarge?

Sinkholes are depressions or holes in the land surface. They can be shallow or deep, small or large, but all result from the dissolving of the underlying limestone. Hydrologic conditions, including lack of rainfall, lowered water levels, or conversely, excessive rainfall in a short period of time (especially after a drought), can all contribute to sinkhole development. New construction, new roads and any diversion of water flow are also common culprits.

Source: http://www.sinkholes.net/new_page_5.htm

Link

Of course, Florida is all about the Gators, but it’s nice to see the Crocodile population is “surging” there as well, enough to be downgraded from endangered to threatened.

Make way, gators: Croc numbers surge in South Fla.

By BRIAN SKOLOFF – 4 hours ago

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Three dead dogs, and Chris Marin has had it.

He’s lived with his family along a canal just south of Miami for several years, and never had a fear of the water — until now.

“When we first moved in, I even put a swing on a tree here for my kids to plunge into the canal,” Marin said.

Then the poodles began to vanish from his backyard — first Spotty, then Luna and Angel.

The culprit? In much of Florida, the suspect would be an alligator. In this case, it’s an 11-foot American crocodile.

Marin, 49, said living on the water just isn’t worth it anymore. He’s packing up and moving.

“You barely get to enjoy the backyard,” he said. “My kids won’t even step out here.”

Listed as a federally endangered species in 1975, after hunting and habitat loss nearly wiped it from the wild, the American crocodile has surged to numbers not seen in a century. Today, the population is about 2,000 at the southern tip of Florida, the species’ only U.S. habitat, where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has downgraded its status to threatened.

As it returns to its historical range — now populated by millions of humans — the American crocodile, which can grow to 15 feet, will be living more in people’s backyards, especially those closest to the coast.

“We’re seeing crocs in places they haven’t been seen in decades,” said Lindsey Hord, a biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

It’s alarming to some residents, even in a state that already has more than a million alligators. Florida wildlife officials get thousands of complaints every year from residents fearful of gators, which can eat dogs, cats, and, very infrequently, people. About 140,000 problem alligators were killed in Florida between 1977 and 2007.

American crocodiles have never made a documented attack on a human in the U.S. Here, it’s domestic pets that more often become crocodile food.

“Crocodiles don’t see much distinction between some small mammal that they have naturally eaten, like a rabbit, and somebody’s dog,” Hord said.

Alligators can be found in any freshwater body throughout the state, likely part of the reason for so many attacks on humans — at least 312 unprovoked ones in Florida since 1948, 22 of them fatal — but crocodiles are confined to South Florida.

They need warmer temperatures, and live where salt and fresh water mix. Florida is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist.

Crocodiles are distinguished from gators by their lighter color, narrower snout and an exposed fourth tooth on their lower jaw. While they haven’t attacked people in this country, American crocs have gone after people in parts of Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Hord noted that human complaints are rising along with the American crocs’ numbers, which he said will likely continue to increase.

Several developments have aided the crocodile’s recovery, including habitat protection and some places not specifically set aside for the species. The animal has found an unlikely home on the grounds of Florida Power & Light’s Turkey Point nuclear plant about 30 miles south of Miami, a sort of replacement habitat for land lost to development in Miami Beach and Key Biscayne.

The remoteness of the site, which is closed to the public, has given the crocodile room to breed. They’ve reproduced so successfully that now they’re venturing out to populated areas.

Some are ending up in neighborhoods close to the coast, which crocs consider prime habitat, while alligators prefer more fresh water found inland. Christine Esco, who lives down the street from Marin, has a crocodile in her backyard canal that’s become so well known he’s even got a name: Pancho. It’s the same croc authorities suspect ate Marin’s dogs.

The 11-footer has been relocated twice to more remote areas, and twice he’s returned, typical behavior for the species.

Unlike the crocodile, whose protected status means it can only be relocated or put into captivity, problem alligators typically end up as meat and hide when they have to be removed because of safety concerns.

As for Pancho, the next time he is caught, he’ll go to a zoo. Crocodiles only get two chances. The third time they return, they are put in captivity.

“It’s very unnerving and scary,” Esco said. “I have two small children … Pancho, in my opinion, is a time bomb.”

Wildlife officials say residents simply need to take precautions: No swimming in crocodile waters between dusk and dawn, when they feed; supervise children near canals; and keep your pets well away from the water’s edge.

American crocodiles are generally less aggressive and more shy than alligators, and “the truth is you’re more likely to drown than be attacked by an alligator or a crocodile,” said University of Florida professor Frank Mazzotti, who has studied crocodiles for more than 30 years. “That said, don’t be stupid.”

Mazzotti said the American crocodile’s recovery in Florida “is a real endangered species success story.”

“The Endangered Species Act comes under a lot of attacks,” Mazzotti said. “Here is just an absolutely stunning example of the fact that it works.”

The crocodile’s future here depends at least in part on people’s willingness to adjust their behavior to live with the creature, Mazzotti said.

“Wildlife management,” he said, “is really people management.”

On the Net:

• A Guide to Living With Crocodiles:http://myfwc.com/docs/WildlifeHabitats/LivingwithCrocodiles.pdf

Link

This seems like a pretty tame attack, as shark attacks go. Maybe just a nip. But wow, thigh deep water really isn’t very deep at all, huh?

Teen bitten by shark in shallow water

By JEFF LYSIAK, jlysiak@breezenewspapers.com

A teenager swimming in thigh-deep water was apparently bitten by a shark off the western shoreline of Sanibel Friday afternoon.

According to a report released by the city, the Sanibel Police Department responded to a call at 4:11 p.m. on the beach adjacent to the Dosinia Condominium, at 3339 West Gulf Drive. Upon arriving, police discovered a 15-year-old male who appeared to be suffering from a shark bite.

Although no specific details of the incident or the identity of the victim have been released, police did say the teen was taken to a local hospital.

City Manager Judie Zimomra said that she cannot recall any shark attacks on Sanibel since before Hurricane Charley.

“It’s been at least five years since we’ve seen any shark interaction with humans here,” said Zimomra, who noted that smaller sharks or groups of sharks have been seen periodically off the coast of the island, without any incident.

In August 2008, a 47-year-old Cape Coral man, Jack Miller, reported what he believed to be a shark bite. He sustained the injury to his right arm while swimming in front of the Sanibel Moorings, located at 845 East Gulf Drive.

Miller also reported that he bandaged the injury himself and did not require additional medical attention.

Following Friday’s shark attack, members of the Sanibel Police Department have been going door-to-door to residences, hotels and condominiums handing out information to visitors and residents. The City of Sanibel released a list of precautions that swimmers can take to protect themselves while out in the water:

Swim, dive or surf with other people – never alone. Sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual.

Avoid swimming between sandbars, near steep drop-offs, near channels or at river mouths where sharks are found.

Avoid wearing shiny jewelry that might simulate the scales of a prey fish, and also avoid uneven tanning and contrasting, bright-colored clothing.

Don’t swim at dusk or at night.

Refrain from excessive splashing.

Keep pets and domestic animals, with their erratic movements, out of the water.

Don’t swim near people who are fishing or spear-fishing, chumming or using live bait.

Avoid spreading blood or human wastes in the water. Do not enter the water if bleeding from an open wound or if menstruating – a shark’s olfactory ability is acute.

If schooling fish start to behave erratically or congregate in large numbers, leave the area. Diving seabirds are good indicators of schooling bait fish or feeding activity.

Sightings of porpoises do not indicate the absence of sharks. Both often eat the same food items.

If a shark is sighted in the area, leave the water as calmly and quickly as possible.

Do not harass a shark if one is spotted.

Additional information can be obtained from www.mote.org/sharks or at www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks .

Sharks are often found along the beaches in the Gulf of Mexico, and while attacks on humans have been reported in the past, they are still considered to be very rare.

Link

It’s kind of like Jurassic Park, just not quite as exciting. A huge storm comes, and floodwaters set 30 Alligators free from their captivity. And now they are unaccounted for. And, no doubt, pretty hungry. 

People are being told to “keep an eye on their pets.”

Flood lets out alligators in Jackson Co

Keep an eye out for your pets

Updated: Wednesday, 01 Apr 2009, 6:53 PM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 01 Apr 2009, 2:56 PM CDT

• Cherish Lombard
• Taren Reed
• Photojournalist: Hal Scheurich

JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. – Recent rain caused a big problem in Jackson County: thirty alligators that were fenced in at the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch are now free.

“The water got high enough where it covered the fence so they went over the top of it”, said ranch owner Allan Adams. 

Adams said the rain sent about five feet of water into the Ranch, and the alligators floated over the chain-link fence. The alligators could be anywhere from the ranch, to the Gulf of Mexico.

“They got a couple of bayou’s around here called Bayou Heron and Bayou Cumbest, and typically that’s the direction they’re going to go when the waters recede”, said Adams. 

If you’re in that area, you may want to keep an eye on your pets. Alligators can eat pretty much anything. “Alligators are what we call opportunists. In other words they don’t let an opportunity go by to get a meal”, said Adams. 

He said generally the alligators won’t attack you unless they feel cornered and vulnerable. If you see them, don’t get too close, and don’t try to feed them.

Adams said just leave them alone and he’ll get them as soon as the water’s recede, and put them back in the fenced in areas.

Allan knows his alligators because they all are marked with a “u-shaped” notch in their tails when they are babies. Adams has high hopes that he’ll find all of his alligators, and he’ll continue touring the swamp until he does.

If you find an alligator in the Jackson County area, you can call him at 1-866-954-2867

Shark attacks being at their lowest levels in half a decade doesn’t seem all that noteworthy, really. I mean, that’s only 5 years, so it almost seems like statistical noise. And when you look at the actual numbers: 71 attacks in 2007, and 59 in 2008, they seems like your normal range of incidences. Normal enough to not really demand an explanation.

But regardless, we get one. Apparently, less money = less people traveling to beaches = less opportunities for shark attacks. Of course, this theory could hold (non shark infested) water, and it does make some sense, but the decline doesn’t really seem notable enough to need it. And anecdotally, at least, here in LA, it seems like MORE people are in the waters, because a beach trip is actually often a cheaper alternative where people can drive instead of fly for their leisure time.

Economy puts bite on shark attacks, researcher says

• Story Highlights
• Sharks attacked 59 people worldwide in 2008, Florida researcher reports
• Four people killed by sharks last year
• Economic downturn means fewer people hitting beaches, researcher says
• Surfers account for 57 percent of shark attacks

(CNN) – Shark attacks on humans were at the lowest levels in half a decade last year, and a Florida researcher says hard economic times may be to blame.

Sharks attacked 59 people in 2008, the lowest number of attacks since 57 in 2003, according to George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File, part of the Florida Museum of Natural History on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville.

There were 71 attacks in 2007.

“One can’t help but think that the downturn in the economy played a part in it,” Burgess said.

Fewer people, especially outside of the United States, have the resources to go to the beach, he said.

“To have a shark attack, you have to have humans and sharks in the water at the same time,” Burgess said. “If you have a reduction in the number of people in the water, you’re going to have a reduction in the opportunities for people and sharks to get together.”

“We noticed similar declines during the recession that followed the events of 2001, despite the fact that human populations continued to rise,” the ichthyologist said.

Sharks killed four people in 2008, Burgess said: one in California, one in Australia and two in Mexico.

Forty-one of the 59 attacks worldwide came in the United States, and 32 of those occurred in Florida.

Surfers accounted for 57 percent of shark attacks, swimmers and waders were the targets in 36 percent of the attacks, and divers the rest, he said.

Burgess said the U.S. tends to see more attacks because of a large number of surfers, who are a favorite target of sharks.

And neither the economy nor the attacks tend to keep American surfers from practicing their sport.

“All they have to do is drive to the beach with the board and get into the water, and the rest is free,” he said.

And while an attack may make them a bit more wary, he said, “I’ve yet to find a surfer who says he or she won’t go back into the water after a bite or a nip.”

When the economy improves, shark attack numbers are likely to go up again, according to Burgess, predicting the number of attacks in the next decade will surpass those of the past 10 years.

“We’re putting so many people in the water that humans are dictating the shark attack situation,” he said.