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Big Cat Handler Linked To 'Tiger King' Star Joe Exotic Mauled To Death Big Cat Handler Linked To 'Tiger King' Star Joe Exotic Mauled To Death
Big Cat Handler Linked To 'Tiger King' Star Joe Exotic Mauled To Death A big cat trainer and former associate of "Tiger King" star Joe Exotic was killed by a tiger during a performance. Ryan Easley died at Growler Pines Tiger Preserve on Saturday, Sept. 20, the southeastern Oklahoma facility said in a Facebook post. He ran ShowMe Tigers and had worked with animals from Joe Exotic and Bhagavan "Doc" Antle. Easley was performing "an act with the tiger when something went wrong, resulting in him being attacked," Choctaw County Sheriff Terry Park told KXII 12 News. Deputies said Easley wasn't breathing when they arrived. Growler Pines said Easley's dea…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Cornell Students Skin 120-Pound Black Bear In Dorm Kitchen After Killing It Off Campus Cornell Students Skin 120-Pound Black Bear In Dorm Kitchen After Killing It Off Campus
Cornell Students Skin 120-Pound Black Bear In Dorm Kitchen After Killing It Off Campus Two students skinned and butchered a legally hunted black bear in a campus dorm kitchen at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, prompting outcry but no charges. On Thursday, Sept. 11, university and state officials confirmed the hunt and the on-campus processing but said no laws were broken. NBC News reported the pair killed the 120-pound black bear over the weekend and brought the carcass into a residence hall to process it on Saturday, Sept. 6.  The students held valid New York State hunting licenses, a Cornell spokesperson said, adding that a police report was filed after a comp…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
VIDEO: Shark Shows Up At NJ Beach Club During Hurricane Erin — And Won't Leave: Report VIDEO: Shark Shows Up At NJ Beach Club During Hurricane Erin — And Won't Leave: Report
Video: Shark Shows Up At NJ Beach Club During Hurricane Erin — And Won't Leave: Report A small sand shark swam up to the outdoor host stand at Bird & Betty’s in Beach Haven late Thursday night, Aug. 21, after flooding from the storm pushed it out of the bay, NJ Advance Media reported. “Fish are friends… but not usually our customers,” the club joked in an Instagram post, adding that Beach Haven police “had to save the local wildlife tonight instead of verifying ID.”  Video shows an officer scooping up the shark and carrying it back to the water. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bird and Betty’s (@birdandbet…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Rare Manatee Sighting Off Cape Cod Coast Is First Time In A Decade Rare Manatee Sighting Off Cape Cod Coast Is First Time In A Decade
Rare Manatee Sighting Off Cape Cod Coast Is First Time In A Decade A rare sighting of a manatee off Cape Cod has locals buzzing, marking the first time the gentle sea creature has been spotted off the Massachusetts coast since 2016. The manatee was first seen in Popponesset Bay off Mashpee on July 26, then again on July 29 in Mattapoisett. In Mattapoisett, the manatee briefly got stranded on tidal flats, but quick-thinking locals helped it back into the water, ensuring its safety, according to the Cape Cod Times.  Manatees, known for their large size and gentle nature, usually live in warmer waters like those off Florida and the Gulf Coast, according …

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Hit-Run Driver Who Mowed Down 7 Geese Sought By Cops In NJ, Sparking Outrage Online Hit-Run Driver Who Mowed Down 7 Geese Sought By Cops In NJ, Sparking Outrage Online
Hit-Run Driver Who Mowed Down 7 Geese Sought By Cops In NJ, Sparking Outrage Online Police in New Jersey are searching for the driver who struck and killed seven geese crossing a road on Monday, July 14, sparking outrage from residents and animal advocates across social media. Officers responded to the Devoe Lake area of Spotswood (Middlesex County) around 6:45 p.m. and found the geese dead in the roadway, Spotswood police said. The vehicle had already fled the scene, police said. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage to determine whether the act was intentional or accidental, according to authorities. Geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, an…

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by Sam Barron
News
Seal Pup Dies Weeks After New England Street Rescue: 'Chappy Was Surrounded By Love' Seal Pup Dies Weeks After New England Street Rescue: 'Chappy Was Surrounded By Love'
Seal Pup Dies Weeks After New England Street Rescue: 'Chappy Was Surrounded By Love' A seal pup found wandering on a New Haven street has died, unable to recover from illness and malnutrition. The gray seal nicknamed "Chappy" has died, Mystic Aquarium said in an Instagram post on Monday, Mar. 3. The male pup was brought to the aquarium's Animal Rescue Clinic on Sunday, Feb. 16 after New Haven police found him stranded near the intersection of Chapel and East streets. At first, Chappy responded well to treatments for dehydration, malnutrition, and mild pneumonia, but he struggled with digestion after transitioning to eating whole fish. "The Mystic Aquarium st…

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by Chris Spiker
News
First US Human Death From Bird Flu Reported First US Human Death From Bird Flu Reported
First US Human Death From Bird Flu Reported Authorities have confirmed the first human death in the United States caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or H5N1.  The announcement was made by the Louisiana Department of Health on Monday, Jan. 6.  Earlier Report: First Severe Bird Flu Case Confirmed In US The patient, a man over 65 with underlying health conditions, was hospitalized before succumbing to the illness after exposure to a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds. The Louisiana Department of Health said it has conducted a public health investigation and found no additional cases or …

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
Melissa Joan Hart Shares Touching Connection To Late 'Cassius The Crocodile' Melissa Joan Hart Shares Touching Connection To Late 'Cassius The Crocodile'
Melissa Joan Hart Shares Touching Connection To Late 'Cassius The Crocodile' New York native Melissa Joan Hart revealed a special connection to the late Cassius the Crocodile. The saltwater croc, who measured 18 feet long and weighed nearly 2,870 pounds, died Saturday, Nov. 2, at an estimated age of 120, Marineland Melanesia in Australia announced on Facebook. Cassius received the Guinness World Record as the largest living captive crocodile in 2011. Marineland Melanesia said he was “very old and believed to be living beyond the years of a wild croc.” “It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our beloved mate Cassius,” the organization said. “He was mor…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Euthanasia Of 'Peanut The Squirrel' Sparks Viral Outrage; Lawmaker Demands Investigation Euthanasia Of 'Peanut The Squirrel' Sparks Viral Outrage; Lawmaker Demands Investigation
Euthanasia Of 'Peanut The Squirrel' Sparks Viral Outrage; Lawmaker Demands Investigation Outrage is swirling after New York wildlife officials seized and later euthanized beloved social media sensation “Peanut” the squirrel. Chemung County resident Mark Longo, of Elmira, took to Instagram Wednesday, Oct 30, telling his 581,000 followers that Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officers had seized the animal, which he rescued in 2017 after its mother was struck by a car. “Well internet, you WON. You took one of the most amazing animals away from me because of your selfishness,” he wrote. “To the people who called (DEC), there’s a special place in hell for you.” In a…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
New Lobster Tales: 2 More Rare Orange Crustaceans Found At NY Businesses New Lobster Tales: 2 More Rare Orange Crustaceans Found At NY Businesses
New Lobster Tales: 2 More Rare Orange Crustaceans Found At NY Businesses As families gathered over Labor Day weekend, these lucky crustaceans enjoyed a reunion of their own. Days after an ultra rare orange lobster was saved from a New York Stop & Shop, two of her siblings were rescued from businesses on Long Island. “Meet Tangerine and Navel, Clementine's sisters who were rescued and released this Labor Day following an influx of calls about orange lobsters turning up at the East Setauket Stop & Shop and Northport Fish & Lobster!” Humane Long Island announced on Facebook Tuesday, Sept. 3. Earlier Report: Ultra Rare Orange Lobster Rescued From…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
400-Pound Turtle 'Phinney' Rescued On Cape Cod After Getting Tangled In Fishing Gear 400-Pound Turtle 'Phinney' Rescued On Cape Cod After Getting Tangled In Fishing Gear
400-Pound Turtle 'Phinney' Rescued On Cape Cod After Getting Tangled In Fishing Gear A nearly 400-pound, six-foot-long leatherback turtle nicknamed Phinney is back at sea following a harrowing ordeal with some fishing ropes on Cape Cod last week.  New England Aquarium Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life scientists and members of the Aquarium's Animal Health team and Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation team rescued the turtle on Thursday, July 18.  “The turtle had a rope entanglement around the shoulder region of its right front flipper, but fortunately it was detected quickly and the gear was still loose with minimal damage to the flipper,” said Dr. Melissa Jobl…

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by Josh Lanier
News
Researchers Spot 161 Whales, Including 7 Different Species, Off Mass Coast Researchers Spot 161 Whales, Including 7 Different Species, Off Mass Coast
Researchers Spot 161 Whales, Including 7 Different Species, Off Mass Coast It’s a whale of a tale and researchers have the pictures to prove it. A recent aerial survey conducted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center came across a jaw-dropping 161 whales in the waters south of Martha’s Vineyard and southeast of Nantucket. The stunning display was comprised of seven different whale species, including 93 sei, 36 humpback, 21 fin, as well as minke, sperm, and North Atlantic right whales. Researchers also spotted two Orcas, also known as killer whales, one of whom was seen chowing down on a tuna. NOAA Fisheries’ New England/Mid-Atlantic region called it a “dazzli…

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by Michael Mashburn