Pete Thomas Outdoors

Cheetah killed by hit-and-run motorist in South African wilderness park (graphic image)

By Pete Thomas

Authorities in South Africa’s Kruger National Park are investigating a hit-and-run incident in which a cheetah was struck and left to die on a park road.

A photo of the dead animal was posted Wednesday by Ralf Kalwa to the Road Ecology Facebook page, in which Kalwa described the cheetah as “one of 3 siblings.”

Times Live reports that the carcass of the sub-adult female cheetah was discovered a day earlier by a park ranger, and that the animal had been dead for hours.

“There were no witnesses at the scene and the ranger alerted all the gates in that vicinity to be on the lookout for a damaged vehicle,” SANParks spokesman Isaac Phaala said.

Rumors implied that a government minister might have struck the cheetah.

William Mabasa, another SANParks spokesman, said there were no ministers in the park at the time. On Thursday Mabasa's statement regarding the incident was posted on the park's Facebook page:

"These kind of things pains us as officials when people come to the park but do not want to behave responsibly by following the rules of the park, because that is where the answer to all these things that are reported every other day. 


"Our law enforcement officers can only do much because they cannot be everywhere to police every vehicle that is in the park from the time they come in until they go out. 
We call upon anyone who knows as to who the culprit is to contact me and give me information that can help us to apprehend them.

"The story of the minister is not true because there was no minister in Skukuza yesterday or anytime this week, and there is no one in the OPS room who has that information.

"This to us is a very serious matter, speculations do not help us at all to get to the culprit. I included my number here for anyone with information to call directly, 0828073919."

Despite strict rules regarding speed and proximity to animals, animals in South Africa’s largest wilderness reserve are sometimes hit by vehicles.

Times Live reports that in 2012 the driver of a delivery truck was fined heavily after striking a herd of impala – killing seven of the animals – while passing another vehicle at high speed.

The driver, a contract employee, was banned from entering the park for five years.

Gray whale carcass at Trestles probably will be towed to sea

Gray whale on the beach at Trestles. Credit: Mark Girardeau‎

By Pete Thomas

The carcass of a 40-foot gray whale that washed ashore Sunday at a popular Southern California surf spot most likely will be towed to sea when it becomes practical and as weather conditions permit.

The carcass discovered at Lower Trestles near San Clemente drew large crowds, and an image of the whale was posted to Instagram by 11-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater.

 

Anyone for a surf at Trestles? Im sure that #BeachedWhale oil should keep the crowds to a minimum coming into summer! Sketchy. Great white sightings sure seemed to coincide with the burying of a whale 15+ years back by Trails. Not saying they weren't around before then but they've been sniffing around the area consistently since then. I wonder if they can/will tow this thing back out to sea before it completely decays in the rocks or do a necropsy on it. Anybody know? Can't help but think this (washing up right in the middle of #Lowers) is Karma for humans possibly having some part in this whale's death and the whale sending us a message we can't help but have a look at. A mile or two south and we probably wouldn't take nearly as much notice. Good summer to surf the wave pool. 😳🐋

A photo posted by Kelly Slater (@kellyslater) on Apr 24, 2016 at 7:03pm PDT

Slater’s post began with the line, “Anyone for a surf at Trestles?” It then alluded to the possibility of great white sharks being lured to the lineup by "whale oil."  The Instagram post garnered more than 41,000 likes.

Todd Mansur, a captain for Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching in nearby Dana Point, told the Orange County Register that the whale did not appear to have external injuries associated with a boat strike or fishing gear entanglement.

It remains unclear how the whale died – "It didn’t even look like it was a day dead,” Mansur said – but NOAA biologists planned to collect biological samples from the carcass on Monday.

A NOAA spokeswoman said the agency was discussing possible “tow options” for whenever the whale can be safely hauled to sea.

About 22,000 gray whales are currently migrating from Baja Calfornia nursing areas to summer feeding grounds off Alaska.

Enormous leatherback turtle, tangled in kelp, rescued off Dana Point

Images showing the turtle before its rescue are courtesy of Jason Kunewa/Dana Wharf Sportfishing

By Pete Thomas

A massive leatherback turtle that had become entangled in kelp off Orange County is free, thanks to the heroic efforts of  Dana Wharf Sportfishing crewman Jason Kunewa.

Kunewa and Capt. Bo Daniels were 15 miles offshore aboard the San Mateo on Sunday, searching for tuna and whales, when they spotted what they thought was a large kelp paddy.

“Then I saw a head come out,” Kunewa said. “It was the biggest turtle I’d ever seen. It was longer than me and about three times as wide.”

 

The 6-foot-long turtle, weighing perhaps 1,000 pounds, was dragging a heavy clump of kelp and tightly wrapped on its left front flipper and around its neck.

Kunewa said the animal had trouble swimming, so he grabbed a fillet knife and jumped overboard. He reached for the trailing end of kelp first, and cut about half of the mass away, then returned to cut the constricting strands from the flipper area.

He managed to cut some of the kelp that was wrapped around the flipper, without grabbing the flipper, and the rest loosened and floated away.
Only a few loose strands remained in the neck sea when the turtle, sensing its newfound freedom, bolted “like a bat out of hell.”

Leatherbacks are the largest turtles on the planet, reaching lengths of nearly 10 feet and weights of about 2,000 pounds.

They’re found in tropical and temperate waters around the world, mostly in pelagic zones where they prey on sea jellies, and are classified as endangered in U.S. waters.

Sightings off Southern California are rare.

Half-ton great white shark caught in China, destroys net 'as final act of revenge'

Graphic photos have emerged showing a great white shark weighing more than 1,000 pounds on display at a market in Zhoushan, China.

The 14-foot shark was said to have been caught “mistakenly” last week in a net hauled up on a blustery night by Wang Xianjin, according to the Chinese-language Netease News.

“I’ve been fishing for 27 years and never have I seen such a big shark,” Wang said.

The Shanghaiist reports that, "as a final act of revenge,” the struggling shark destroyed Wang’s $10,000 net.

The initial offer for the shark opened at about $1,500, but Wang said he planned to donate the carcass to a nearby museum, and had only stopped at the market to find a friend to help him deliver the carcass.

–Images are via Netease News