Sperm whale stuck in Thames Estuary off Whitstable dies

1 February 2020

A sperm whale which became stuck in the Thames Estuary has died.

The mammal was spotted about 100m (328ft) off the coast of Whitstable, Kent, on Thursday.

Medics monitored its progress and behaviour over the past two days and said it appeared to be distressed and confused.

A spokesman for British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said the whale had since died and was currently at Elmley marshes.

At first the whale was thought to be a minke or possibly a humpback, but when photos emerged from a member of public the BDMLR team said it "became clear that it was more likely to be a sperm whale".

They are not usually found around the UK but it is not the first time a whale has swum into its waters.

Benny the beluga became a minor celebrity when it appeared in the River Thames at Gravesend in September 2018. It is believed the whale made its way back out of the estuary in January 2019.

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Sumatran rhino is extinct in Malaysia as lone survivor dies

NOVEMBER 24, 2019 

The Sumatran rhinoceros has become extinct in Malaysia, after the last of the species in the country succumbed to cancer. 

The Wildlife Department in eastern Sabah state on Borneo island said the rhino, named Iman, died of natural causes Saturday due to shock in her system. She had uterine tumors since her capture in March 2014. 

Department director Augustine Tuuga said in a statement that Iman, who reportedly was 25 years old, was suffering significant pain from growing pressure of the tumors to her bladder but that her death came sooner than expected. 

It came six months after the death of the country's only male rhino in Sabah. Another female rhino also died in captivity in 2017 in the state. Efforts to breed them have been futile but Sabah authorities have harvested their cells for possible reproduction. 

"Despite us knowing that this would happen sooner rather than later, we are so very saddened by this news," said Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Christina Liew, who is also environment minister. 

Liew said that Iman had escaped death several times over the past few years due to sudden massive blood loss, but that wildlife officials managed to nurse her back to health and obtained her egg cells for a possible collaboration with Indonesia to reproduce the critically endangered species through artificial insemination. 

The Sumatran rhino, the smallest of five rhinoceros species, once roamed across Asia as far as India, but its numbers have shrunk drastically due to deforestation and poaching. The WWF conservation group estimates that there are only about 80 left, mostly living in the wild in Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia. 

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Outrage in China as giant panda on loan to Thailand zoo dies

Chuang Chuang reportedly collapsed after eating bamboo in Chiang Mai Zoo

Erin Hale in Hong Kong

Wed 18 Sep 2019 13.44 BSTLast modified on Wed 18 Sep 2019 14.27 BST

The sudden death of a giant panda on loan to a zoo in Thailand has sparked outrage in China and calls for no more of the bears to be lent to the country.

Chuang Chuang, a 19-year-old male, reportedly collapsed on Monday afternoon after eating bamboo in Chiang Mai zoo in northern Thailand, according to Thai media.

While the death will be investigated by experts from the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, according to Chinese state media, the news has not placated social media.

Many in the online community say they still have questions about Chuang Chuang’s death and the quality of food and facilities at the Chiang Mai zoo, with his death a top trending topic on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo.

One user wrote: “Please don’t rent any more pandas to Thailand! No! Chuang Chuang is probably the most bitter panda in the world! What kind of bamboo he was given eat? If you can’t afford [a panda], don’t rent it.”

 “You must take good care of our national treasures loaned to you, Thailand,” another user wrote. “Now Chuang Chuang is gone. It’s no use saying anything. If you can’t take care of our national treasures, don’t borrow them. I’m so sad.”

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Thailand's 'sweetheart' dugong dies with plastic in stomach

Vets say plastic caused orphan mammal’s infection and should serve as warning about pollution

An orphaned dugong named Marium, who became an internet star after being rescued in Thailand in April, has died.

Veterinarians caring for the dugong off the island of Koh Libong, in south Thailand’s Trang province, said an infection caused by ingesting plastic contributed to her death. They added that the loss of the animal, named “the nation’s sweetheart” by Thailand’s department of marine and coastal resources (DMCR), should serve as a warning about the effects of plastic waste on wildlife.

Dugongs – marine mammals that grow up to three metres long – are vulnerable to extinction, with up to only 250 believed to be living in Thai waters. A team of around 10 vets plus 40 volunteers looked after Marium in shallow water off Koh Libong, after discovering her alone and malnourished in nearby Krabi province.

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Malaysia's last male Sumatran rhino dies: officials

MAY 27, 2019

Malaysia's last surviving male Sumatran rhino died Monday, wildlife officials said, leaving behind only one female in the country and pushing the critically-endangered species closer to extinction.

Once found as far away as eastern India and throughout Malaysia, the Sumatran rhino has been almost wiped out, with fewer than 80 left, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Only a handful of the creatures remain in the wilds of Indonesia.

Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said the Malaysian male, Tam, had lived in a nature reserve on Borneo island.

The cause of the animal's death was not immediately clear, but previous media reports have suggested it was suffering from kidney and liver problems.

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India's 'granny' elephant dies aged 88

February 7, 2019

An Asian elephant believed to be the oldest ever in captivity has died aged 88 in the southern Indian state of Kerala, officials said Thursday.

Awarded the title of "Gaja Muthassi" (elephant granny), Dakshayani took part in temple rituals and processions for decades, but breathed her last on Tuesday after becoming reluctant to eat, her veterinary surgeon said.

"At 3 pm, a sudden shiver passed through her large frame beginning from the head region. After a few minutes she bent her forelimbs and lay down. And that was it," T. Rajeev told AFP.

The Travancore Devaswom Board, which owned Dakshayani, gave her age as 88.

The oldest elephant in captivity recognised by Guinness World Records was aged 86—Lin Wang, another Asian elephant which died in 2003 in a Taiwan zoo. Captive elephants have a life expectancy of 40-plus years.

Pineapples and carrots had been introduced to Dakshayani's diet in recent years to improve her metabolism after she began to have difficulty moving around, probably due to reduced eyesight.

"For the past three years she did not take part in any temple programme or public function," Rajeev said.

"And a couple of months back, we had even moved her to a better tethering place at an elephant farm in Thiruvananthapuram."

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Moose that swam to Vermont drowns after crowd gathers for photos

Animal crossed Lake Champlain from New York state

Wildlife officer says moose was probably spooked by crowd

Associated Press in South Hero, Vermont

Mon 3 Sep 2018 16.21 BST

Vermont wildlife officials said a moose drowned in Lake Champlain on Saturday, after people crowded around the animal in order to take its picture.

The state fish and wildlife officer Robert Currier told the local TV station WCAX the moose swam across the lake from New York state to South Hero, Vermont.

The animal made it on to land near a cycle path, he said, but was forced back into the water, probably feeling threatened by onlookers. The moose then succumbed to exhaustion and drowned.

Currier said people should keep their distance from moose encountered in the wild.

“Best practice is to stay away from it,” he said. “Keep your distance, don’t crowd the moose.

“If a moose feels threatened it’s going to respond by either leaving the area, or it’s going to respond with aggression and obviously we don’t want anyone to be a victim of the latter.”

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Puan, oldest known Sumatran orangutan, dies in Australia

The world's oldest known Sumatran orangutan has died in an Australian zoo aged 62, leaving behind 54 descendants.

Puan, described as the "grand old lady" of Perth Zoo, was euthanised on Monday due to age-related complications.

She had been at the zoo since 1968, and was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest of her species in 2016.

A critically endangered species, Sumatran orangutans rarely reach age 50 in the wild, the zoo said.

Believed to have been born in a jungle in Sumatra, Indonesia, in 1956, Puan left an "incredible legacy" of 11 children and a total of 54 descendants across the US, Europe and elsewhere, the zoo said.

"Her genetics count for just under 10% of the global zoological population," primate supervisor Holly Thompson said.

"She did so much for the colony at Perth Zoo and the survival of her species."

Some of Puan's descendants have been released back into the wild in Sumatra, the zoo said.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are only about 14,600 Sumatran orangutans.

Puan's chief zookeeper wrote an obituary published in The West Australian newspaper on Tuesday.

"Over the years Puan's eyelashes had greyed, her movement had slowed down and her mind had started to wander," Martina Hart wrote.

"But she remained the matriarch, the quiet, dignified lady she had always been."

Source  

Sudan, the Last Male Northern White Rhino, Has Died

By Stephanie Pappas, Live Science Contributor | March 20, 2018 06:43am ET

Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, is protected by armed guards John Mugo and Daniel Maina at Ol Pejeta Conservancy on June 25, 2015 in Laikipia County, Kenya.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where the rhino spent his last years, announced the death of the 45-year-old rhinoceros, saying that his health worsened to a point that he was suffering and unable to walk. Officials there made the decision to euthanize the rhino.

"He had been suffering from age-related health issues and from a series of infection[s]," Conservancy staff said in a statement. "Once his condition worsened significantly and he was unable to stand up and evidently, suffered a great deal, the decision to euthanise him was made by his veterinary team."

Sudan was the last wild-caught northern white rhinoceros in captivity. The rhinoceros's death leaves only two of the northern white rhino subspecies (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) alive on the planet: Najin, Sudan's daughter born in 1989, and Fatu, Najin's daughter born in 2000. [See Photos of the Last Standing Northern White Rhinos]

"We on Ol Pejeta are all saddened by Sudan's death. He was a great ambassador for his species and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not only rhinos, but also the many thousands of other species facing extinction as a result of unsustainable human activity. One day, his demise will hopefully be seen as a seminal moment for conservationists world wide," Richard Vigne, Ol Pejeta's CEO, said in a statement on Facebook.

Last male standing

Sudan was born around 1973 or 1974 in South Sudan. At just a year or two of age, he was captured from the wild along with several other of his subspecies and taken to the Dvůr Králové Zoo in what was then Czechoslovakia and is today the Czech Republic.

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'Hobby zoos' face calls for crackdown after second lynx dies at animal park home of Lillith

News of the accidental strangling of Nilly at Borth Wild Animal Kingdom comes after the shooting of escaped enclosure-mate Lillith the Lynx  

Adam Lusher 

The Independent Online

A Welsh zoo is facing calls to close after it emerged a second lynx was accidentally strangled in  “a terrible handling error” days before Lillith the lynx was shot and killed following her escape from the same attraction.

Borth Wild Animal Kingdom near Aberyswyth was branded a “hobby zoo” after news of the death of the second lynx emerged, throwing a spotlight on fears that at some UK animal attractions well-meaning but underqualified owners are failing to look after creatures properly.

Launching a petition for Borth to close in the light of the two deaths, the Lynx UK Trust, a conservation group working to reintroduce the lynx to Britain, accused the zoo’s management of having “little to no understanding of wild animal behaviour or welfare needs”.

Dr Paul O'Donoghue, Chief scientific adviser to the trust, added: “What if it had been Borth's crocodile that escaped? Or their two lions?  

“How long are we going to let these hobby zoos run by amateurs keep operating? Will it take the death of a human for someone to take action?"

News of the second lynx fatality came amid controversy over how one and a half-year-old Lillith was shot dead by a marksman on Friday, having been on the run since late October.  

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Orca Calf Dies at SeaWorld: Why Killer Whales Get Sick in Captivity

By Tracy Staedter, Live Science Contributor | July 27, 2017 06:15pm ET

A 3-month-old orca calf named Kyara died this past weekend, possibly from pneumonia, at SeaWorld San Antonio. This isn't the first occasion of a killer whale dying in captivity.

Dozens of other captive killer whales, including the SeaWorld orca named Tilikum, who was made famous in the documentary "Blackfish," have also died from bacterial infections.

According to SeaWorld’s press statement, Kyara's death, which is still being investigated, was not the result of living in captivity. But some experts in marine mammal research say that the living conditions contribute to disease.

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The World’s Oldest Known Gorilla Has Died at 60: ‘She Was an Ambassador for Gorillas’

Megan McCluskey

Jan. 18, 2017

"She was an ambassador for gorillas"

The oldest known gorilla on record passed away overnight in her sleep less than a month after celebrating her 60th birthday, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium announced Tuesday.

Colo — a Western lowland gorilla born in 1956 — was reportedly the first gorilla ever born in a zoo and lived more than 20 years longer than the average captive gorilla. Her death comes shortly after she had a malignant tumor removed from under her arm Dec. 3. However, it is currently unknown if the cancer is ultimately what caused her death. She will be cremated and her ashes will be buried at an undisclosed on-site location, according to a statement from the zoo.

“Colo touched the hearts of generations of people who came to see her and those that cared for her over her long lifetime,” said Tom Stalf, the zoo’s president and CEO. “She was an ambassador for gorillas and inspired people to learn more about the critically endangered species and motivated them to protect gorillas in their native habitat.”

Source

Mexican zoo shocked after beloved gorilla dies

7th July 2016

Mexico City's zoo was in shock Thursday after its beloved male gorilla died as veterinarians prepared to transport him to another city to mate with two females.

Bantu, who was 24, died of cardiorespiratory arrest late Wednesday after he was sedated and efforts to reanimate him failed, the city's environment department said in a statement, citing a preliminary autopsy.

The gorilla, who would have turned 25 on September 20, was one of the main attractions of the capital's vast Chapultepec zoo.

"This incident has caused great consternation among zoo personnel who cared for him for nearly 25 years," the statement said, adding that international veterinary protocols had been followed.

Bantu was supposed to be taken to the zoo of the western city of Guadalajara, where he would have been presented to two females in the hope that they would reproduce.

Some 20 doctors and experts from the two zoos were involved in the effort to transport him. Tests are being conducted to confirm the cause of death.

The death of a gorilla is cause for concern because populations have plummeted in the face of relentless habitat destruction. Fewer than 175,000 remain in the wild.

A controversy erupted in the United States in May when a silverback was shot dead by zookeepers in Cincinnati, Ohio, to protect a toddler who had fallen into the gorilla's enclosure.

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Bristol Zoo's incredibly cute baby pygmy hippo has tragically died

The baby hippo fell ill and died this week at only five weeks old

By Helena Horton

3:49PM GMT 04 Dec 2015

We all ahh-ed at the pictures of Bristol Zoo's adorable new baby hippowhen it was photographed two weeks ago.

Which is why it is absolutely gutting to hear that the little creature has died.

The five-week-old calf fell ill on Wednesday night and despite treatment from vets died on Thursday, keepers said.

Only two weeks ago the calf, which had not been named, had been photographed swimming around the zoo's pygmy hippo exhibit, along with mother Sirana and father Nato.

A zoo spokeswoman said: "It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of our baby pygmy hippo.

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Cold weather most likely killed famous croc

April 2, 2015

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – @BednarChuck

A crocodile that gained notoriety after being discovered on the Greek island of Crete last year has died, apparently from a recent cold spell, various media outlets are reporting.

Credit: Thinkstock

According to Discovery News, regional water management representative Vangelis Mamangakis confirmed that the Nile croc had been found dead on Sunday, apparently as a result of exposure to the cold. It was to be taken to the natural history museum at Heraklion for further testing.

The six-foot (two-meter) long crocodile, which has been dubbed Sifis (Cretan for Joseph), first gained notoriety after it was first discovered at an artificial lake last summer. Crowds flocked to see the creature, whose fame only grew as it managed to avoid multiple attempts to capture it.

Sifis-less

Sifis, which experts believe had been abandoned by its former owner, died eight months after it was first spotted on the island. It was discovered belly-up on the banks of a lake, and experts told The Guardian that it had apparently been dead for over a week when it was discovered.

“He… must have been dead for at least 10 days,” Petros Liberakis, a local herpetologist who was in charge of attempts to capture the crocodile, told the UK-based newspaper. “This year’s heavy winter and the fact that we had so little sunshine were almost certainly the cause.”

Sifis was named by the legions of fans he earned over the past eight months, some of whom had actually set up a Facebook page to the creature. Tourists and TV crews reportedly travelled to the island to get a first-hand look at the crocodile, which had first been spotted bathing in the sun at the lake, and the beast had captured at least 10 different attempts to capture it.

“In the end it was the cold that got him,” Mamagakis told The Guardian. “It’s sad, very sad. We never wanted this to happen, we wanted to move him out of the reservoir to a more suitable place but he just kept eluding us… He was very happy in the lake, there was a lot for him to eat there.”

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South African giraffe dies after 'hitting bridge'

31 July 2014 Last updated at 17:31

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South Africa's animal rights body is probing the death of a giraffe that was reportedly injured as it was being transported on a motorway.

Eyewitnesses say the giraffe, one of two on a truck, hit its head on a bridge on Johannesburg's N1 motorway.

The vehicle then broke down and had to wait several hours to be repaired.

Both animals were then taken to a vet, but the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (NSPCA) said one died on arrival.

The incident has created a stir on the social networking site Twitter.

Thinus Botha tweeted that he had been driving behind the truck when the animal struck its head on Garsfontein Bridge.

Continued