Outdoors, action and adventure

Mysterious purple squirrel creates stir in Pennsylvania

It's not a horse of a different color that turned up in Pennsylvania recently, but rather a different mammal -- a squirrel. More precisely a purple squirrel.

The uniquely-colored rodent was trapped by Percy and Connie Emert, of Jersey Shore, Pa., who caught it in traps put out to keep squirrels from their bird feeders.

"We have bird feeders out in our yard, and the squirrels are constantly into them," Connie told AccuWeather.com. "My husband traps them and then sets them free elsewhere."

Connie had spotted a purple squirrel on her property but no one believed her.

"I kept telling my husband I saw a purple one out in the yard. 'Oh sure you did,' he kept telling me," she said.

But sure enough, when Percy checked the traps on a recent Sunday, there it was, in all its purple glory.

Nobody can explain the peculiar coloration, but theories abound.

AccuWeather.com meteorologist Henry Margusity ventures that "The squirrel could have been looking for somewhere warm and fallen into a port-a-potty or something similar."

Krish Pillai, a professor at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, thinks the cause may not be so benign.

"This is not good at all. That color looks very much like Tyrian purple. It is a natural organobromide compound seen in molluscs and rarely found in land animals. The squirrel [possibly] has too much bromide in its system."

No matter the reason, no harm came to the brightly colored squirrel. The Emerts released it back into the wild and currently nobody knows where the animal is. Hopefully, it will remain that way.

"We're not going to do a manhunt to look for the purple squirrel," Harold Cole, wildlife conservation officer for the Pennsylvania Game Commission said.

Gray wolf named OR7 back in California's Shasta County

California wolf enthusiasts may be interested in learning that OR7, believed to be the state's only wild wolf, has crossed from Lassen back into Shasta County.

The state Department of Fish and Game has created a web page devoted to OR7 and posts occasional maps that reveal where the young male gray wolf has been, thanks to a GPS unit fitted onto its collar. The maps are lagged, however, to avoid revealing the wolf's real-time location.

The accompanying map, released Wednesday, shows OR7's position through Feb. 9.

But the DFG also provides more timely updates, and earlier this week the agency reported that the wolf, who crossed from Oregon into California in late December, had entered Shasta County. He had also been in Shasta before entering Lassen County, and had previously been in Siskiyou County.

An update Wednesday morning states that OR7 is in the southeast portion of the county and traveling to the south. That would place him close to where he was before he entered Lassen County.

To be sure, if OR7 is searching for a mate his vast wanderings seem a sad and hopeless  journey through bountiful but wolf-less terrain. The last known wolf in California was a specimen killed by a trapper in Lassen County in 1924.

OR7 is 2 1/2 years old and hails from a pack in northeastern Oregon. He entered California on Dec. 28.

Shakira recovering from scary encounter with sea lion

Pop singing star Shakira, after a scary encounter with a sea lion off Cape Town, South Africa, undoubtedly has a greater appreciation of wild animals and how unpredictable they can be.

The entertainer from Colombia, while on a recent nature tour, was ferociously charged by the large pinniped after she had scampered down the rocks to get an up-close photo with her BlackBerry, which she guessed was mistaken as food.

Here's Shakira's description, via the singer's Facebook page:

"This afternoon I happened to see some sea lions and seals. I thought to myself how cute they were so I decided to get a bit closer than all of the other tourists and went down to a rock trying to pet them doing a baby talk while taking pictures...

"Suddenly, one of them jumped out of the water so fast and impetuously that it got about one foot away from me, looked me in the eye, roared in fury and tried to bite me. Everyone there screamed, including me.

"I was paralyzed by fear and couldn't move, I just kept eye contact with it while my brother 'Super Tony' jumped over me and literally saved my life, taking me away from the beast."

Sea lions can be territorial and their bites can spread painful and serious disease. Divers who swim in their company are sometimes charged but not often attacked by the swift and agile mammals. I've personally experienced these false charges while scuba diving and snorkeling in the Sea of Cortez off Baja California.

Shakira added: "We both got our hands and legs scratched by the rocks while trying to protect ourselves. I believe what happened is that it confused the shiny reflection of the BlackBerry I was taking these pics with, with some sort of fish."

She went on to visit penguins, which were much more accommodating, as you can see by the image at the top of this post. The imge was pulled from her Facebook page.

-- Pete Thomas

At Midway Atoll, the Laysan albatross soars into spotlight

Having been fortunate enough to have visited to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, I can attest that there are few avian critters as goofy-looking (on land), graceful (in flight) and lovable as the Laysan albatross.

The accompanying video clip, posted Monday by Midway Journey, reveals a glimpse of what's to come in a high-definition film titled "Midway," directed by Chris Jordan. It shows weary albatross parents waddling shoreward to embark on their first forays to find food after weeks on the nest.

But the large sea birds of Midway -- which hosts about 71% of the world's nesting population -- face peril because of plastic pollution that's picked up in the ocean by the adults, and passed to babies on the atoll.

Midway Journey states on its website that the atoll "serves as a lens into one of the most profound and symbolic environmental tragedies of our time: the deaths by starvation of thousands of albatrosses who mistake floating plastic trash for food."

Jordan says the upcoming film is "more than just a documentary or a film about wildlife at risk. 'Midway' brings us an opportunity for us to look at our world in close-up, to see how our lives are impacting the planet, and to find new approaches to moving forward."

To be sure, the plight of the albatross lends contemporary meaning to the phrase, "Battle of Midway." The film, which remains under production, ought to be both inspirational and enlightening.

Slow-motion video reveals geese flying upside down

Serious birders have keen eyes, but it's likely that not many have enjoyed a detailed glimpse of geese flying with their bodies turned upside down. The accompanying video captures this peculiar event, referred to as whiffling, in slow-motion.

(Watch the goose at the top, and in the middle of the screen at the 15-second mark.) Though the birds twist their bodies upside down, their heads remain upright.

 

According to New Science, geese perform this maneuver as a means of braking. Paul Stancliffe of the British Trust for Ornithology explains that the maneuver helps the large birds quickly lose height as they approach landing areas.

Stancliffe also said this event is very difficult to detect in real-time.

The video, believed to provide the first slow-motion footage of this phenomenon, was shot by Hans de Koning and Lodewijk van Eekhout, and earned them first prize in a competition organized by the Flight Artists group at Wageningen University and Research Center in the Netherlands. 

Are wild pigs a threat to me or my dogs?

In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Pete Thomas Outdoors, on Thursday or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly California Outdoors Q&A column:

Question: I learned recently that some Indians on a reservation in my area released some pigs for hunting purposes and now they are breeding and beginning to populate the area where I walk my dogs in Descanso, California. Are these pigs a threat to me or my dogs? (Sheri M., San Diego)

Answer: We do know that wild pigs inhabit some of the areas around Julian and Descanso. However, we are unable to positively identify the mechanism for their recent introduction.

According to Marc Kenyon, Statewide Coordinator for the Bear, Mountain Lion and Wild Pig Programs at the Department of Fish and Game, wild pigs are timid creatures that simply want to be left alone for the most part. However, they can be very aggressive if approached and they perceive the person as a threat (particularly if they have piglets nearby). If you see a wild pig while recreating in the outdoors, please try to avoid approaching it. You can stand still and maintain your dog close to you on the leash. Pigs are nearsighted and will tend to ignore objects that stand completely still.

Furthermore, pigs have a great sense of smell. They will smell you before they see you. If you walk with the wind at your back, your scent is more likely to be detected at great distances by wild pigs, and they will likely avoid you.

However, there have been some instances where wild pigs have come into contact with people. Usually only one pig will approach while the rest of the group of pigs (known as a sounder) evacuate the area. If this does happen to you, try to stay away from the head of the pig. They have sharp teeth that can cut through clothing. Back out of the area as quickly as possible.

Q: Is it legal to pick up sand dollars on the beaches of San Francisco, with or without a fishing license, even though some are still alive -- purple in color with hair (fuzz)? (Peter R.)

California DFG devotes website to wolf from Oregon (OR7)

The California Department of Fish and Game reports that a gray wolf from Oregon, named OR7, remains inside the state and that a website has been established to post updates on the predator's status.

"At this time, there is only one documented gray wolf living in the wild in California," states a passage on the website.

OR7, a young male wolf originally from a pack in northeast Oregon, made headlines during a zig-zagging adventure that spanned across the Cascades and ultimately into eastern Lassen County in Northern California.

The wolf, which was fitted with a GPS collar before he left the pack, is the first known wild wolf to have ranged in the Golden State in nearly 90 years. The last one was killed by a trapper in 1924.

The only known probable photograph of OR7 is a black-and-white trail-camera image captured in Butte County, in Southern Oregon, last Nov. 1 (top right).

The presence of OR7 and the possibility of other wolves entering California has farmers and ranchers worried, because wolves are notorious for livestock predation in some areas in western states where they've flourished since recently being reintroduced.

The California DFG is formulating a wolf policy in case other wolves return to California and what was once prime wolf habitat.

OR7 and other gray wolves that might enter California are protected under the Endangered Species Act and the DFG will post only general information regarding OR7's whereabouts.

In a news release, the DFG states that many reported sightings of gray wolves in California have been investigated in recent years, but most of those turned out to involve coyotes or dogs.

The DFG adds that wolves pose little threat to humans. "Concerns about human safety are largely based on folklore and are unsubstantiated," the news release states. "In recent years there was one human mortality in Canada caused either by wolves or bears and one confirmed human mortality in Alaska by wolves.

"[But] based on experience from states where substantial wolf populations now exist, wolves pose little risk to humans. However, DFG recommends that people never approach a wolf, or otherwise interact with or feed a wolf."

Farmers and ranchers can reduce the threat of livestock predation "by removing potential sources of food and other attractants from their land, such as discarded animal carcasses, bone piles, etc."

-- Trail-cam image shows what is likely OR7 during his trek through Southern Oregon toward California. DFG website graphic shows OR7's path in California through a period through Jan. 11

World-famous Decorah bald eagles back in the news

Remember the world-famous bald eagles of Decorah, Iowa? Millions watched via nest-cam last spring and summer as three eaglets hatched, grew and ultimately fledged, after receiving praiseworthy care from their white-crowned and regal parents.

Today the Raptor Resource Project posted an update on its facebook page. The parents are actively rebuilding the nest and probably will produce more eggs in February or early March.

(The broadcast began Saturday. The ustream feed is embedded below and the eagles are most often seen early in the morning.)

The whereabouts of two of the three offspring from last year are unknown because only one was fitted with a GPS satellite transmitter.  "We certainly hope that they are thriving very well and that they will remain safe as they begin their first winter season," the update states.

The young eagle wearing a transmitter is named D1 and, since leaving the nest last Aug. 14, has enjoyed a remarkable journey, north through Minnesota and south through Wisconsin before returning the the same general area when it was born.

  

"Many of you have asked what would happen if D1 tried to go back in her natal nest," it states in the update. "If D1 were to come within the territory claimed by her parents, either the branch or nest, the parents would most likely become very vocal and reject her.

"This is a normal reaction from parents after the juveniles have been on the wing for some time.  It is unlikely that they would harm her, but they would enforce the general rule that she would not be welcome."

It will be interesting to see if D1 appears on the Ustream feed and how its parents will react. But the real interest will build once the eggs are laid and especially after they hatch. Last year's real-life nature reality show was unsurpassed in terms of popularity.

—Image showing D1 late last September at Yellow Lake in Wisconsin is courtesy of the Raptor Resource Project

Florida manatee death rate last year second-highest on record

Florida manatees did not fare well last year, with 453 carcasses reported in state waters -- the second-highest number on record and the third consecutive year with high numbers of deaths for the species.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists documented a record 766 manatee deaths in 2010 and recorded the third-highest total of 429 in 2009.

And, as in the previous two years, a large portion of deaths were due to a cold-related die-off, with the "cold stress" category accounting for 112 in 2011, 282 in 2010, and 56 in 2009.

"We are concerned about the number of manatee deaths the past three years, including those resulting from exposure to cold weather," said Gil McRae, director of the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

In the five years previous, cold stress accounted for an average of 30 manatee deaths per year.

"Over the next few years, we will use data from monitoring programs to better understand any long-term implications for the population. We will continue to work with our partners to enhance the availability of natural warm-water sites, which are important habitats for the species’ survival," McRae said.

Florida manatees are federally protected by both the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.

Manatee image courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

 

Killer whales attack sharks in New Zealand surf zone (video)

New Zealand beachgoers witnessed a raw display of nature earlier this week in the form of killer whales launching a prolonged attack on sharks in the surf zone. On at least one occasion a large shark beached itself in an apparent attempt to escape, only to be greeted by a barking dog (see video).

The incident occurred at Blue Cliffs Beach. Only one orca, a large male, is shown in the video report. But Clinton Duffy of the New Zealand Conservation Marine Institute explained in the report that several orcas, or killer whales, probably were involved in attacks on at least six broadnose sevengil sharks.

Orcas have been known to attack sharks in New Zealand waters, and this certainly is not the first time the cetaceans have been documented attacking sharks.

Perhaps the most notable event was in 1997 off San Francisco, Calif., when an orca killed a 12-foot great white shark in what appeared to have been a one-sided battle. Video footage of that incident, released much later, went viral.

-- PTO Facebook page