Parrots overwhelm Argentinian town, leading to local power outages
The town of Hilario Ascasubi, located near Argentina’s east, is facing an overwhelming influx of parrots. Over the past few years, so many birds have arrived that they now outnumber the community’s 5,000 residents by a ratio of 10-to-1.
Experts believe that deforestation in nearby mountain areas, where the parrots would typically stop during their migratory journey to their breeding grounds, has driven them to seek refuge in Hilario Ascasubi instead. In search of food, water and shelter, the birds have settled in the town, making it a temporary home during their seasonal migration.
Unfortunately, the arrival of these parrots has caused significant disruptions for local residents. The birds produce large amounts of waste and their constant loud screeching has made peaceful nights a rare occurrence. Incidents of parrots chewing through power lines have also been reported, leading to electrical outages that are exacerbating the community’s frustrations.
In response, some residents have tried several methods to drive the birds away, including using loud noises and laser lights to scare them off. So far, these efforts have proven unsuccessful, leaving the town grappling with a persistent problem.
Biologists believe that the long-term solution lies in restoring the natural environment around Hilario Ascasubi. By rehabilitating the deforested areas, the parrots would have suitable habitats outside the town, reducing the need for them to seek refuge in urban spaces. Until such efforts are made, experts say locals and parrots will need to find ways to coexist.
Animal rights groups warn of abandoned pets as Cubans flee in record numbers
Cubans are fleeing their homes in record numbers, fueled by fears of shifting U.S. immigration policy and poverty caused by mass inflation, as reported on Saturday, Oct. 12. More than 1 million Cubans have reportedly left the nation since 2020, which is around a tenth of the island’s population.
Additionally, many Cubans are resorting to a dangerous journey, sailing the open sea on makeshift rafts toward the U.S. and other destinations. Hundreds of people have reportedly drowned or gone missing in search of a new home.
Cuba’s government claims the problem will only get worse, blaming the United States sanctions for tanking its economy and forcing the high migration numbers.
The mass exodus of Cubans also means more pets are being abandoned in the nation. Animal rights groups say they have rescued hundreds of dogs and cats and warn that the situation is getting worse.
Most Cubans reportedly cannot afford to bring their pets with them to another country. Trips to the U.S. and elsewhere cost thousands of dollars, and many Cubans only make about $21 a month. It has forced many migrants to abandon pets and seek the cheapest yet most dangerous option of getting on a raft or poorly constructed boat at sea.
A coastal resident of Cuba who survived a shipwreck told Reuters that he believes another wave of immigration is inevitable, and he’d been offered a seat on a boat, which he declined. He said, “It’s going to kick off again at any moment.”
WWF report warns of rapid biodiversity loss, some experts question the findings
A new report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warns of an alarming decline in global biodiversity. However, some researchers are pushing back on the severity of its conclusions.
According to the WWF’s 2024 Living Planet Report, wildlife populations across the globe have experienced an average decline of 73% over the past 50 years, with the most dramatic losses occurring in Latin America and the Caribbean, where populations have reportedly dropped by 95%. The report, which tracks nearly 35,000 vertebrate species, suggests that many ecosystems are nearing critical tipping points.
“The Living Planet Report updates fifty-year trend lines of how much we’ve lost and tipping points that lie ahead,” WWF-US President and CEO Carter Roberts said in a statement. “It highlights the most powerful tools to stem the loss and match the scale of this slow-motion catastrophe. A wake-up call that we need to get going, and fast.”
These findings have faced scrutiny from others in the field, who argue that the WWF’s data may be overstated. A team at the Center for Theoretical Study in the Czech Republic raised concerns about the methodology used, suggesting that flawed calculations may exaggerate the rate of species loss.
“A widely used index characterizing the average change in population sizes suffers from several mathematical and statistical issues, leading to a bias towards an apparent decrease even for balanced populations,” the Czech-based researchers said in their report. “The claim that vertebrate populations declined by 70% since 1970 is thus unsubstantiated.”
While these experts do not dispute that wildlife populations are in decline and extinction rates are increasing, they caution that the rate may not be as extreme as the WWF claims. One researcher expressed concern to Vox that such exaggerations could undermine public trust in environmental reports, potentially making it harder to address what remains a significant issue.
$20k reward offered after sea lion shot and killed on California beach
A young sea lion was found dead at a California beach in early August 2024 after being shot. Now, officials are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to those responsible.
The two-year-old male sea lion was discovered struggling between two lifeguard stations on Aug. 7 at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County, California. Rescuers from the Pacific Marine Mammal Center were called to the scene after beachgoers noticed the animal in distress.
Although the sea lion briefly returned to the water, it soon came back to the shore, allowing rescuers to retrieve it. The animal died the following day.
A necropsy confirmed that a gunshot wound to the sea lion’s back caused its death. The bullet punctured the animal’s lung and caused additional internal injuries.
NOAA Fisheries launched an investigation and urged the public to come forward with any information about the shooting. Under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, it is illegal to harm sea lions. Violators face penalties up to $34,000. The bullet retrieved from the sea lion is still being analyzed as part of the ongoing investigation.
Officials reminded the public that harassing or killing marine mammals is a serious crime.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police in Los Angeles.
Almost 100 raccoons descend upon Washington woman’s home
This might not quite qualify as an emergency, but sheriff’s deputies responding to a call in Washington state confronted dozens of trespassers who have been making out like bandits at one woman’s home. A woman in Kitsap County called 911 for help after she had to flee her own property, but the culprits were not normal perps. Up to a hundred raccoons were waiting on her lawn and begging for food.
The woman had been feeding the wild raccoons around her home for nearly 40 years, but she told deputies that within the last few weeks, the population had exploded and became more demanding and aggressive.
Deputies said the woman told them the raccoons would hound her day and night, scratching at her home’s door. If she was in her car, they’d surround her when she pulled up and follow her until she got inside.
It’s not clear what caused the population to grow so suddenly, but the woman says until about six weeks ago, it was just one small family of raccoons she had been feeding. Since this happened, the woman has stopped feeding the animals and Washington state wildlife officials said they started to go away.
Officials said this is a prime example of why people are not supposed to feed wildlife – no matter how cute they are.
DeSantis vows to punish those who neglected pets as hurricane approached
As Hurricane Milton was nearing landfall, Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., took aim at bad dog owners. DeSantis vowed to punish those pet owners who left their canines tied up as the storm made its way to the coastline.
DeSantis responded to a video posted on social media on Wednesday, Oct. 9, by the Florida State Patrol showing troopers rescuing a dog tied up next to the highway in the Tampa Bay area.
The governor thanked the troopers, and wrote on the social media platform X, “It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle an oncoming storm. FL. will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable.”
In Florida, abandoning a pet is a misdemeanor but repeat animal cruelty offenders can receive jail time.
Nearly 6 million people are reportedly under mandatory evacuation orders in Florida. President Joe Biden urged residents to heed the warnings from local officials and said it could be the worst storm to hit the Sunshine State in more than 100 years.
Researchers unlock new secrets to improving cat health using crochet hats
Researchers from the University of Montreal have developed little crochet beanies for cats, but they’re more than just a fashion statement. The hats are lined with electrodes to measure brain activity, allowing scientists to study feline behavior in a new way.
The findings were published in the Journal of Neuroscience Methods. This research marks the first time EEG brain scans have been done on cats while they’re awake.
With regular cat behavior, the team had to get creative to keep the electrodes in place. Thanks to YouTube, they had the idea to crochet hats for cats.
These tiny wool hats allowed scientists to measure brain activity in felines without having to sedate them. This breakthrough could pave the way for even more advanced research into what cats experience, including chronic pain.
Over 25% of adult cats live with osteo-arthritis worldwide, and the research aimed to see how cats dealt with that daily pain.
Previous studies had to rely on heavily sedated cats for these tests, but now with these innovative hats, researchers can monitor their brain activity while they’re awake. These electrode-filled beanies are already in use to help researchers figure out how cats respond to pleasant smell and sounds.
This is part of a broader effort to ease discomfort these animals feel in their experience of chronic pain. While the study is still in its early stages, new doors are already being opened in ways we can study other animals, potentially through the use of these hats.
Vance, Walz defend their running mates’ records in vice presidential debate
We have a recap of the first, and likely only, vice presidential debate of 2024. And Iran has launched its largest attack ever on Israel. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024.
Vance, Walz defend their running mates’ records in vice presidential debate
For the first time, the two vice presidential candidates took the stage next to one another Tuesday night, Oct. 1. Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz introduced themselves to American voters while defending their running mates’ opposing views.
Vance and Walz kept the vice presidential debate cordial, at various times saying they agreed with the other, but they sparred on the policies and the statements made by their parties’ presidential nominees, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Look if you’re going to be president, you don’t have all the answers. Donald Trump believes he does. My pro tip of the day is this, if you need heart surgery, listen to the people at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, not Donald Trump,” Walz said.
“I honestly, Tim, I think you got a tough job here because you’ve got to play whack-a-mole; you’ve got to pretend that Donald Trump didn’t deliver rising take-home pay, which of course he did; you’ve got to pretend that Donald Trump didn’t deliver lower inflation, which of course he did; and then you simultaneously got to defend Kamala Harris’ atrocious economic record,” Vance said.
The debate covered many topics including abortion, climate change, the economy and health care. The two opened the 90-minute CBS News debate discussing the conflict in the Middle East and the need for stability in the White House.
“I’m 40 years old, when was the last time that an American president didn’t have a major conflict break out? The only answer is during the four years that Donald Trump was president,” Vance said.
“So Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon than they were before because of Donald Trump’s fickle leadership. And when Iran shot down an American aircraft in international airspace, Donald Trump tweeted because that’s the standard diplomacy of Donald Trump,” Walz said.
On illegal immigration, Vance and Walz disagreed on whether former President Trump’s involvement helps or hurts solving the border crisis.
“But as soon as I was getting ready to pass [legislation] and actually tackle this, Donald Trump said no, told them to vote against it because it gives him a campaign issue,” Walz said.
“We have a historic immigration crisis because Kamala Harris started and said that she wanted to undo all of Donald Trump’s border policies — 94 executive orders, suspending deportations, decriminalizing illegal aliens, massively increasing the asylum fraud that exists in our system. That has opened the floodgates,” Vance said.
When the debate turned to gun violence, the two VP contenders shared a moment, highlighting the human aspect and often the aftermath.
“I think all the parents watching tonight, this is just your biggest nightmare. Look, I got a 17-year-old and he witnessed a shooting at a community center playing volleyball, those things don’t leave you,” Walz said.
When it was his turn to speak, Vance responded, “Tim, first of all, I didn’t know that your 17-year-old witnessed a shooting and I’m sorry about that and I hope he’s doing OK. Christ have mercy, it is it is awful.”
Things, however, turned contentious over the 2020 election and Jan. 6.
“[January 6, 2021] was a threat to our democracy in a way that we had not seen, and it manifested itself because of Donald Trump’s inability to say — he is still saying, he didn’t lose the election,” Walz said.
Vance replied, “Tim, I’m focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?”
“That is a damning non-answer,” Walz said.
Both candidates thanked each other for the debate and the viewers at home, who will make their decision at the polls on Election Day, Nov. 5, in just 34 days.
Trump backs out of ’60 Minutes’ election special; Harris interview to still air
CBS News says former President Trump has backed out an upcoming interview with “60 Minutes.”
For decades, “60 Minutes” has broadcast election specials with the candidates. CBS reported both Trump and Vice President Harris had agreed to take part in this year’s special in separate one-on-one interviews, but Trump has since reportedly changed his mind.
In a press conference last night, Trump said his decision was based on his last interview with CBS anchor Lesley Stahl in 2020 — which he walked out of early.
“They came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first, I want to get an apology because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the laptop from hell was from Russia. And I said, ‘It wasn’t from Russia, it was from Hunter [Biden].’ And I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes’, I do everything.”
In a statement of its own, “60 Minutes” said the special will still move forward.
“Our election special will broadcast the Harris interview on Monday as planned,” the statement read. “Our original invitation to former President Donald Trump to be interviewed on ’60 Minutes’ stands.”
The special is set to air Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. ET.
Iran launches largest-ever attack on Israel; Israel vows retaliation
Israel has vowed to retaliate after Iran launched its largest ever attack on Israel. Late Tuesday, Iran fired more than 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, most of which seem to have been intercepted by the Israeli military with help from the United States and other allies.
So far, one person has been reported to have died in the attack, and the extent of the damage is not yet known.
Iran’s military chief also warned of broader strikes if Israel responds. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already vowed to do so, saying, “Iran made a big mistake and it will pay for it.”
Also Tuesday, just before Iran’s barrage began, at least six people were killed and a dozen more hurt when Israeli police say two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a train station in Tel Aviv. Police say the shooting was an act of terrorism and one of the gunmen was killed at the scene while the other was severely injured.
No specific group has claimed responsibility for that deadly attack.
Search and rescue efforts continue in North Carolina after Helene
Combs is already being held without bond at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers have said he is innocent of all charges.
Louisiana governor supports bringing back live tiger mascot to LSU games
College sports are known for fierce competition. Now the governor of Louisiana is looking at making things even more ferocious by bringing back an old Louisiana State University football mainstay.
Officials from PETA are now speaking out against the idea, saying it would be cruel and dangerous for the animal.
These days, the current tiger mascot is on campus in an enclosure near the stadium, but the governor says returning the tiger to the field would be “an unbelievable opportunity.” LSU officials have not yet commented on whether there is a possibility of seeing a live tiger at football games once again.
Uber Safari launching this week as company promotes conservation
Uber announced on Monday, Sept. 30, that it is getting into the safari business. The rideshare company said that it’s allowing customers in Cape Town, South Africa, to hail its services starting on Wednesday, Oct. 2, for a wildlife adventure.
Here how it works, Uber customers will be able to open the rideshare app and select “Uber Safari” on the home screen. Customers will then have to choose their date, pick-up and drop-off locations, and then wait to see if their trip is confirmed. Once confirmed, they’ll be swept away and have the chance to see lions, elephants, cheetahs, rhinos and more.
Uber said that every booking will “help protect endangered species and ensure the preservation of South Africa’s rich biodiversity.”
Reservations will open on Wednesday, Oct. 2, and be bookable for 90 days. Customers will need to give 24 hours advance notice before booking their safari and the experience is a flat fee of $200 for up to four guests. The service is only available on Fridays and Saturdays.
This isn’t the first attempt by Uber to branch out its services. Earlier this year, Uber offered luxurious “champagne-fueled trips” in France and last year it launched hot air balloon rides in Turkey.
Montana man to be sentenced for creating then cloning giant hybrid sheep
A Montana man is set to be sentenced Monday, Sept. 30, for illegally creating hybrid sheep for captive trophy hunting. Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, 81, pleaded guilty in March to felony charges of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to traffic wildlife.
Authorities said he used tissue and testicles from large, endangered sheep, the Marco Polo sheep, hunted in parts of Asia, to create the hybrids, which he dubbed the “Montana Mountain King,” then successfully cloned it.
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, however, court records show prosecutors are not seeking prison time. Furthermore, the sentencing memorandum congratulates Schubarth on doing “something else no one else could, or has ever done.”
“On a ranch, in a barn in Montana, he created Montana Mountain King,” the memo said. “MMK is an extraordinary animal, born of science, and from a man who, if he could re-write history, would have left the challenge of cloning a Marco Polo only to the imagination of Michael Crichton.”
Michael Crichton wrote “Jurassic Park.”
Schubarth owns a ranch that buys, sells and breeds “alternative livestock” such as mountain sheep and mountain goats – mostly for private hunting preserves where people shoot captive trophy game animals for a fee. Charging documents showed Schubarth had reached an agreement to sell one of his Montana Mountain Kings to two people in Texas for $10,000.
His lawyer is asking for a one-year probationary sentence, saying breeding the cloned sheep already ruined Schubarth’s “life, reputation and family.”