A male <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beluga-whale-alleged-be-russian-spy-appears-have-ashe-schow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beluga suspected of being trained to be a Russian spy</a> reappeared off the coast of a yet another country, according to a group that tracks the whale.
Hvaldimir, as the whale is known, swam around <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/norway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Norway</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isrg8IGi4qs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed up</a> in the waters of neighboring <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sweden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sweden</a> where local authorities are helping to look after the creature, the OneWhale organization <a href="https://www.kron4.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/636386619/sweden-takes-swift-action-upon-arrival-of-world-famous-spy-whale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced in a statement</a> Monday.
“After four years of swimming south down the coast of Norway, Hvaldimir – known worldwide as the ‘Russian spy’ beluga whale – is now in Swedish waters,” the group said.
The whale first made headlines in 2019 when it was spotted in Norwegian waters wearing a harness with GoPro camera mounts and clips that said, &#8220;Equipment off St Petersburg,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/30/europe/russian-spy-whale-sweden-scli-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN</a>.
Norwegian intelligence officials conducted an investigation and told <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65753749" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the BBC</a> the whale was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/norwegians-found-beluga-whale-harness-now-they-ashe-schow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">likely trained by the Russian military</a>. Russia&#8217;s Defense Ministry has denied the existence of programs to train sea mammals for surveillance purposes, even though <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/30/beluga-spy-whale-hvaldimir-sweden-norway/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post notes</a> that it published an advertisement several years back seeking to recruit dolphins.
In the years since Hvaldimir showed up in Norwegian waters, the beluga has become a local celebrity. As reported by the BBC, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65753749" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hvaldimir&#8217;s name</a> combines the Norwegian word for whale, &#8220;hval,&#8221; and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
OneWhale <a href="https://www.onewhale.org/home/?_gl=1*us179h*_gcl_au*MTg3MDY0OTEzOC4xNjg1NTU0NjM1#meethvaldimir" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says on its website</a> that Hvaldimir likes to hang around industrial salmon farms, but a &#8220;dramatic&#8221; increase in unregulated tourism aimed at the whale has led to the creature being injured by boat propellers and fishing hooks.
Hvaldimir &#8220;is a friendly, tamed, displaced, formerly captive whale who relies on humans for social interaction. Belugas are highly social whales and he has been living all alone the past four years,&#8221; the group said in its Monday statement.
Sebastian Strand, a marine biologist with OneWhale, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/29/suspected-russia-trained-spy-whale-reappears-off-swedens-coast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Guardian</a> that Hvaldimir, who is believed to be between 13 and 14 years old, is at an age where hormones are &#8220;very high&#8221; and therefore the whale may be searching for other belugas.
Now, according to the OneWhale, there are plans to move the whale north to arctic waters and the group is working with the Norwegian port city of Hammerfest to create a reserve to hold Hvaldimir until he can be released back into a wild beluga population.
“Hvaldimir’s situation remains an extremely vulnerable one as Sweden is a highly populated country, but we are very grateful Swedish authorities have quickly taken action to care for the whale,&#8221; said OneWhale President Rich German.

Beluga whale tale

Suspected Russian Spy Whale Spotted Near Coast Of Sweden

Animals

General

Russia

Spying

Sweden

World

An apex predator is an animal that has no natural predators and sits at the top of their food chain. Animals that qualify are lions, bears, crocodiles, giant constrictor snakes, wolves, sharks, and, of course, humans (unless they get attacked by any one of those other apex predators).
Another animal at the top of its food chain is the orca, also known as the killer whale. They can grow to 26 feet and weigh up to 22,000 pounds, have a maximum speed of 35 mph, live 90 years or more and have a bite force of 19,000 psi (nearly five times that of a great white shark) with 56 three-inch-long teeth.
And they&#8217;re smart: &#8220;Orcas are some of the most sophisticated pack hunters in the world,&#8221; one website <a href="https://a-z-animals.com/blog/orca-vs-great-white-who-is-the-superior-predator/">wrote</a>. &#8220;With their advanced communicative abilities, orcas put other well-known predators that hunt in groups to shame. A pod of orcas can coordinate complicated strategies to isolate, ambush, and disorient prey to ensure an easy kill.&#8221;
Now, apparently, they&#8217;re coming after us. Reports have emerged that orcas are attacking boats, like this one in the Strait of Gibraltar.
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Orcas normally never attack boats It is assumed that an Orca was sliced by a ship a few years ago and in excruciating agony attacked the boat Other Orcas were watching and learned to view these boats as a threat and to attack Do not blame the Orcas <a href="https://t.co/SF9wLbmX5M">https://t.co/SF9wLbmX5M</a>
&mdash; GO GREEN (@ECOWARRIORSS) <a href="https://twitter.com/ECOWARRIORSS/status/1662822263215751168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Several reports say a killer whale called Gladis is teaching other orcas to attack yachts and has already struck three boats, sinking two of them. &#8220;Researchers believe that a female orca called White Gladis is seeking revenge after being traumatised by a collision with a boat, or being trapped in illegal fishing nets,&#8221; one report said.
Gladis&#8217; attacks are being copied by younger whales. “A clearly larger matriarch was definitely around and was almost supervising,” Stephen Bidwell, whose boat was attacked by a pod of orcas, <a href="https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fworld-news%2F2023%2F05%2F23%2Fkiller-whale-gladis-gang-orcas-sinking-yachts-gibraltar%2F">told</a> the Telegraph.
“It’s an experience I will never forget,” Bidwell said. &#8220;I kept reminding myself we had a 22-ton boat made of steel, but seeing three of them coming at once, quickly and at pace with their fins out of the water was daunting.”
The attack lasted for more than an hour.
Another hour-long attack left boater April Boyes, 31, in shock — and she captured it all on video.
Boyes said her four-person crew on the 66-foot-long sailboat saw a pod of orcas and turned off the boat&#8217;s engine, but the whales began ramming the rudder and smashing into the hull, Yahoo <a href="https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/video/sailing-crew-rescued-orcas-attack-160600870.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKJaJ7dH89kx5rCBIt59bt9ponbgWUPfSUJsAJ5LlEhtHG95TIBl-2gs30RKb-SI-IFPBQV4AjnyVZMJ4Vvaii0JzWOiViSRlG6i5i_jQ9n9fHalYcZor-KruZco76laLSk0Vv1ac8N_5XWz_W-RsiQb_Zp7dDmP9JFhgtvkGzIW">reported</a>. The crew, again traveling through the Strait of Gibraltar, had to call Spanish authorities, who towed the badly damaged boat back to port.
&#8220;What started off as a seemingly unique encounter ended with orcas breaking off our rudder from the boat, then proceeding to tear bits off the boat for an hour,&#8221; Boyes said.
&#8220;A huge hole in the hull meant we had water ingress to other parts of the boat and the engine room and I can honestly say it was a scary experience. We are all safe, I&#8217;m feeling grateful for the coast guard,&#8221; she said.
A pod of three orcas also attacked and sank another sailboat, breaking its its rudder and piercing its hull. Captain Werner Schaufelberger said he saw the two smaller whales imitating the ramming tactic of the largest orca, the Telegraph reported.
&#8220;The little ones shook the rudder at the back while the big one repeatedly backed up and rammed the ship with full force from the side,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The two little orcas observed the bigger one&#8217;s technique and – with a slight run-up – they, too, slammed into the boat.&#8221;
In all, hundreds of incidents between orcas and boats off the coast of Spain have occurred since May 2020, but most have been minor. Now, orcas have learned how to badly damage boats, even sink them.
Marine biologist Alfredo Lopez Fernandez <a href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/orcas/orcas-have-sunk-3-boats-in-europe-and-appear-to-be-teaching-others-to-do-the-same-but-why">told</a> Live Science that Gladis suffered a &#8220;critical moment of agony.&#8221; &#8220;That traumatized orca is the one that started this behavior of physical contact with the boat,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;We do not interpret that the orcas are teaching the young, although the behavior has spread to the young vertically, simply by imitation, and later horizontally among them, because they consider it something important in their lives,&#8221; Fernandez added.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Viewing Orcas in Strait of Juan de Fuca

Tales Of Ahab: Killer Whales Are Now Ramming, Sinking Boats

Nature

wildlife

A 23-year-old man lost his arm at the start of the week in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a> after being attacked by an alligator in Port Charlotte, according to local officials.
The nearly 11-foot alligator, which was later killed, attacked Jordan Rivera around 1 a.m. on Sunday near a pond just outside of the Banditos Bar.
CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-loses-arm-alligator-attack-outside-florida-bar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Rivera was flown by helicopter to Gulf Coast Medical Center where his arm was amputated due to the severity of the injury he suffered.
The Daily Sun reported that a man inside the bar heard the attack happening outside when he sprang into action and helped get Rivera out of the water.
&#8220;He was yelling and swimming toward the shoreline,&#8221; Hidalgo <a href="https://www.yoursun.com/man-loses-arm-to-alligator-in-late-night-attack/article_12ba48f2-f83d-11ed-ad84-abad2cd59783.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;I ran and dragged him up onto the sand. I was scared to get close to the water because it was dark out.&#8221;
&#8220;I was scared for sure,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He was a pretty big guy. I&#8217;m not sure how I did it. I guess my adrenaline kicked in … I don&#8217;t know if it was a mama gator trying to save her young, or a daddy gator trying to feed his family &#8230; but the guy was very lucky.&#8221;
“I didn’t lose my life, I lost an arm, it’s not the end of the world,” Rivera told a news outlet.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that while alligators are still on the federal endangered species list, they can still easily be found all over the state.
“Alligators occur in all 67 counties in Florida and can be found in practically all fresh and brackish water bodies and occasionally in salt water,” the state agency said. “Although exact population figures are not known, Florida has a healthy and stable population of about 1.3 million alligators of every size. This population estimate is based on an estimated 6.7 million acres of suitable habitat.”
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It is illegal to feed alligators because feeding them teaches them to associate food with humans and thus causes them to lose their fear of people. Despite their numbers in the state, attacks on people remain relatively rare as they prefer to only attack prey that they can easily overpower.
Fully-grown American <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/facts/american-alligator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alligators</a> can be up to 15 feet long and weigh up to 1,000 pounds.
There have been fewer than 450 <a href="https://myfwc.com/media/1776/human-alligatorincidentfactsheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recorded</a> alligator attacks in Florida since 1948, with a couple dozen resulting in death.

Memphis Zoo Animals

Florida Man Loses Arm To An Alligator Attack: ‘It’s Not The End Of The World’

Florida Man Loses Arm To An Alligator Attack: 'It's Not The End Of The World'

Florida

U.S.

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> man got out of his car to help a family of ducks safely cross the road, but was struck and killed when a teen driver came through the reportedly dangerous intersection.
Casey Rivara, 41, had noticed that the ducklings were struggling to get across the street, and had gotten out of his car to guide them to safety. Neighbors were watching and cheering him on, clapping as he helped the ducklings out of danger.
One 12-year-old witness spoke to <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/rocklin-crash-pedestrian-dies-stanford-ranch/43936547" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local outlet KCRA</a>, saying, &#8220;He got out of the car and was shooing the ducks and everyone was clapping because he was being really nice. He helped them get up over the curb because all the little baby duckies were having trouble.&#8221;
&#8220;My mom rolled down the window and said, &#8216;Good job, good job,&#8217; and I said, &#8216;Good job&#8217; to him too and then right after that, the second after that,&#8221; the witness continued, indicating that was when the car had struck Rivara. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t see the car actually hit him. All I remember is the sound and then him flying across the intersection. His shoes and one of his socks were right in front of our car.&#8221;
The driver, a 17-year-old girl whose name has not been released, stayed at the scene and immediately cooperated with first responders and police. No arrest was made at the scene and police <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-man-stopped-help-family-ducks-cross-road-killed-car-rcna85664" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told NBC News</a> that they did not expect to file charges related to the accident.
&#8220;We still have a lot of areas and evidence to sort through, but at first look it does not look like there&#8217;s going to be any criminal negligence,&#8221; police said.
Roya Rouhizadeh, who owns the nearby Rocklin Flower Shop, told ABC News that she has seen more accidents in that spot in recent years and said that the intersection is getting more dangerous.
&#8220;Lots of people moved as a family to enjoy the area. It’s getting really crowded, and unfortunately, some people don’t pay attention when the animals pass [or where] kids are going. We need to watch more for people,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We need one of those signs that says ‘No turn’ because turning when the other light is green has been so dangerous. Myself or my husband, we’ve all been in that situation. We’re turning, and suddenly somebody comes to cut you off.&#8221;
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Rivara&#8217;s widow, Angel Chow, responded to the tragedy and the outpouring of support she had received in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/angel.chow.566/posts/10158981007922102" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook post</a>: &#8220;We have been deeply touched by the overwhelming love and support we&#8217;ve received for Casey Rivara and our family in these past few days,&#8221; Chow said Sunday evening. &#8220;We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you for the kind messages and gestures of kindness. It’s truly humbling to hear how Casey has positively impacted your lives, and we’re extremely grateful for that.&#8221;
WATCH news coverage here:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Father&#039;s Final Act of Kindness: Man killed after helping family of ducks cross street in Rocklin" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hwfRW1u8Ljk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, mother leading ducklings across road Arundel Sussex

Dad Killed By Teen Driver When He Stopped To Help Family Of Ducks Cross Street

California

Car Crash

Sacramento

Police in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-carolina" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina</a> got a helping hoof this week when a herd of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/animals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cattle</a> aided in the roundup of a suspect on the run.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Police</a> in the town of Boone, in the western part of the state, pulled the suspect over during a routine traffic stop. The suspect fled the scene, and police were unable to track him down. Fortunately, the cattle were not pleased to have the suspect in their pasture and led police directly to him.
Police recounted the incident in a news release on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/boonepolice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook page</a>. On May 9, police pulled the suspect over as part of a routine traffic stop. The suspect fled and led Boone police and Watauga County Sheriff&#8217;s deputies on a street chase. The suspect was driving erratically, so police could not get close to him. The suspect pulled off the highway near an intersection in nearby Deep Gap and fled into undeveloped land.
It was then that the cows came in. &#8220;Apparently cows do not want suspected criminals loitering in their pasture and quickly assisted our officers by leading them directly to where the suspect was hiding,&#8221; the release said. &#8220;The cows communicated with the officers as best they could and finally just had the officers follow them to the suspect’s location.&#8221;
The suspect was charged with 1 count of Felony Fleeing/Eluding Arrest with a Motor Vehicle, Driving with a Revoked License, and Disorderly Conduct. A $20,000 bond was set ahead of his court date. The press release thanked the officers, and the cows, for their assistance.
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&#8220;This opens up all kinds of questions as to the bovines’ role in crime fighting,&#8221; police joked. &#8220;Honestly, it is something that we have not considered before now. As we examine the obvious next steps of incorporating a Bovine Tracking Unit into our department’s law enforcement capabilities there are many factors that we will have to consider:
• How adaptable are cows to a variety of police work or can they just find hiding suspects?
• Are cows more cost-effective than K-9 dogs?
• How will we transport cows to the scenes, and is this compatible with the Town’s sustainability goals in terms of types of vehicles needed and, obviously, are there methane issues?
• Cost of training, vet care, ballistic vests, etc.?&#8221;
&#8220;We at the Boone Police Department are always looking for better ways to serve our community,&#8221; the release concluded. &#8220;We may be a small town; but we are a progressive, forward-thinking law enforcement agency. For rural law enforcement, we want to be the tip of the spear.&#8221;
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Also this week, police in rural <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-police-run-toward-to-cries-for-help-coming-from-a-very-upset-goat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oklahoma</a> responded to what sounded like cries for help, only to find that the cries were coming from a very upset goat. Body cam footage included with a Facebook post showed two officers responding to what they believed were human cries. “I think that’s a person,” one of the officers says. “That’s a person,” the officer repeats. In the distance, a sound that appears to be someone shouting can be heard; the officers run toward the sound. “It’s a goat,” the officer in front says. The two officers run through some trees and come upon the farm, where the goat can be heard bleating discontentedly, in a way that sounds like “help.” “Aww, it is,” the officer laughs.
The officers walk up to the farmer and explain the situation. “We didn’t know if it was an animal or a person,” the officer says through laughter. “But sure enough, we were walking over here and I’m like, ‘that’s a person.’ From long distance it sounds like ‘help.’”
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Daily Life in Denmark

Justice Is…Bovine? Herd Of Cows Helps Round Up Criminal In North Carolina

Justice Is...Bovine? Herd Of Cows Helps Round Up Criminal In North Carolina

North Carolina

Police

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Police</a> in rural <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oklahoma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oklahoma</a> responded to what seemed to be cries for help this week. But nobody was bleeding, only bleating.
Police in the city of Enid responded to a report of someone calling for help. Two officers arrived on the scene, where they heard what sounded like a distinct cry for help. They rushed to the source of the sound, only to find that the damsel in distress was more of a nanny; a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/animals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">goat</a> who was upset he was taken out of his barn.
&#8220;Sometimes a call can really get your goat,&#8221; the Enid Police Department captioned a <a href="https://fb.watch/ktfEeCQcoS/">video</a> on its Facebook page. &#8220;Yesterday, Officer David Sneed and Officer Neal Storey responded to a report of someone heard yelling for help. Upon arriving, the officers began walking toward the faint sound of someone yelling. As they got closer, Officer Sneed could hear a distinct yell for &#8216;help.&#8217; Running toward the sound, the two soon discovered their damsel in distress was a very upset goat, who the farmer explained, had been separated from one of his friends.&#8221;
The video begins with bodycam footage of one of the officers walking along a trail, listening to the sound. &#8220;I think that&#8217;s a person,&#8221; one of the officers says. &#8220;That&#8217;s a person,&#8221; the officer repeats. In the distance, a sound which appears to be someone shouting can be heard; the officers run toward the sound. &#8220;It&#8217;s a goat,&#8221; the officer in front says. The two officers run through some trees and come upon the farm, where the goat can be heard bleating discontentedly, in a way that sounds like &#8220;help.&#8221; &#8220;Aww, it is,&#8221; the officer laughs.
The officers walk up to the farmer and explain the situation. &#8220;We didn&#8217;t know if it was an animal or a person,&#8221; the officer says through laughter. &#8220;But sure enough, we were walking over here and I&#8217;m like, &#8216;that&#8217;s a person.&#8217; From long distance it sounds like &#8216;help.'&#8221;
The Facebook post thanked the two officers for acting swiftly, even if unnecessary in the end. &#8220;All in all, you really can’t say it was that baaad of a call,&#8221; it said.
A goat in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ca-mom-sues-county-fair-after-cops-raid-farm-to-seize-daughters-goat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> was the subject of a lawsuit last month after law enforcement had to track it down. California mom Jessica Long is suing officials from the Shasta County District Fair after law enforcement officials seized a goat that belonged to her daughter. The goat was auctioned off and set to be slaughtered, but Long kidnapped the goat during the fair, forcing officials to obtain a search warrant to get it back.
After a long exchange between Long and County Fair officials in which she refused to return the goat, the Shasta County Sheriff&#8217;s Office filed a search warrant affidavit for permission to seize the goat.
The search warrant said that property had been “stolen or embezzled” and was being held at a farm; it permitted police to “utilize breaching equipment to force open doorway(s), entry doors, exit doors, and locked containers&#8221;; and it listed areas to search, including “[t]he residence, including all rooms, attics, basements, and other parts therein, the surrounding grounds and any garages, sheds, storage rooms, and outbuildings of any kind large enough to accommodate a small goat.”
Long is suing the Sheriff’s office, the county, the fair, and others involved in the slaughter in federal court. It alleges that officials improperly used their authority and connections and wasted police resources by pressing criminal charges instead of handling the matter civilly.

North Carolina Goat Farm

Oklahoma Police Run Toward To Cries For ‘Help’, Coming From A Very Upset Goat

Oklahoma Police Run Toward To Cries For Help, Coming From A Very Upset Goat

Facebook

Oklahoma

A commercial <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/air-travel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flight</a> from Houston to Atlanta was the recipient of significant buzz on Wednesday.
A swarm of bees apparently tried to hitch a ride on the Delta Airlines flight out of Houston&#8217;s George Bush Intercontinental on Wednesday. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/airplane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plane</a> was delayed for about four hours while staff tried to figure out what to do about the hundreds of bees congregating on the tip of an airplane wing. A passenger on the flight live-tweeted the whole ordeal as it happened.
&#8220;My flight leaving Houston is delayed because bees have congregated on the tip of one of the wings,&#8221; author and scholar Anjali Enjeti tweeted at around 12:20 p.m. local time Wednesday. &#8220;They won’t let us board until they remove the bees. But how on earth will this happen? Won’t they leave the wing when we take off?&#8221;
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My flight leaving Houston is delayed because bees have congregated on the tip of one of the wings. They won’t let us board until they remove the bees. But how on earth will this happen? Won’t they leave the wing when we take off? <a href="https://t.co/DhodBz0m5n">pic.twitter.com/DhodBz0m5n</a>
— Anjali Enjeti (she/her) (@AnjaliEnjeti) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653813099932135449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
According to Enjeti, the bees swarmed onto the plane as soon as it pulled up to the gate. Officials at the airport were originally going to call pest control; they then said they were going to call a beekeeper to attempt to hive the bees. Airport personnel were perplexed and took pictures of the swarm.
The <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653826284537913357?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">captain</a> later updated the passengers on the flight. The bee keeper could not come because he was not allowed to touch the airplanes; neither could pest controllers, who are not allowed to spray the planes; neither could the fire department, for undetermined reasons; the airport workers did not have a hose to spray the plane, either. Someone did approach the plane later with a hose, but backed off, to the dismay of passengers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Close up of the bees on the wing <a href="https://t.co/XodD4Z2kgi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/XodD4Z2kgi</a>
— Anjali Enjeti (she/her) (@AnjaliEnjeti) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653829182692925460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
In a last ditch effort, the pilot said he would <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653826602923335696?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taxi</a> the plane in an effort to shake the swarm off. As soon as the plane&#8217;s engines turned on, the bees left.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Omg y’all. Entire the flight crew deplaned. Delta decided to give our gate to another flight. As soon as our plane’s engine turned on, THE BEES LEFT!!! All Delta had to do was TURN ON THE PLANE <a href="https://t.co/gILlJ8EMZg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/gILlJ8EMZg</a>
— Anjali Enjeti (she/her) (@AnjaliEnjeti) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653847715791400960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
Passengers were initially dismayed to learn that the gate was being given to another flight, and <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653855565372616711?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questions</a> swirled as to whether they would be given another flight or if it would be canceled. Fortunately, the plane was <a href="https://twitter.com/AnjaliEnjeti/status/1653866162352971777?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transferred</a> to another gate; the passengers finally boarded the flight around 4:30.
A professional apiarist who has experience removing swarms from airplanes told local news outlet <a href="https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/delta-airplane-bees-houston/285-eebd12f2-7d52-4f1a-983d-95cd5138ff1b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KHOU</a> that the swarm is very common this time of year, and that the bees were simply resting. &#8220;They usually start in the south and they move towards the north,&#8221; Mike Sexton, a.k.a. &#8220;The Bee Man,&#8221; said. “Whenever bee swarms start, they’re going to gorge themselves with a bunch of honey and the old queen is going to take off with a bunch of workers so they&#8217;re not going to eat again until they actually get to a new home, so in the meantime they rest and conserve their energy, so they land on anything.&#8221;
The Houston flight delay came just one day after another un-bee-lievable incident in Florida. More than <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-a-million-bees-swarm-florida-highway-after-overnight-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a million bees</a> swarmed a Florida highway Tuesday when a tractor trailer collided with another truck hauling more than five million of the insects on their way to produce honey. The beekeeper is still counting his losses, both financially and numerically, as many of them flew away from the scene of the crash. Fortunately, despite a million potential hazards in the air, no injuries were reported.

Bees

Buzz Off!: Flight Delayed For Four Hours When Swarm Of Bees Latches Onto Wing

Air Travel

Airplane

Delta Airlines

Houston

Twitter

A Florida apiarist was bee-reft of over a million bees after a truck slammed into him while hauling his hives.
More than a million bees swarmed a Florida highway Tuesday when a tractor trailer collided with another truck hauling more than five million of the insects on their way to produce honey. The beekeeper is still counting his losses, both financially and numerically, as many of them flew away from the scene of the crash. Fortunately, despite a million potential hazards in the air, no injuries were reported.
“There are thousands of bees in the area after the collision,” a Florida Highway Patrol trooper wrote in an accident report, via <a href="https://www.clickorlando.com/traffic/2023/05/02/bee-ware-florida-interstate-swarmed-after-big-rig-hits-truck-carrying-1-million-bees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ClickOrlando</a>. “The public is advised to use caution in the area as the bees continue to disseminate.&#8221;
The accident happened at around 3:15 a.m. on U.S. Highway 301 near the I-10 ramp in Baldwin. A tractor-trailer crashed into the truck, which was carrying the pickup truck hauling dozens of beehives.
“We both had a green light, but the semi-truck made a U-turn there without a turn signal, and I didn’t see it coming so I just hit right at the front end of the truck,” said Trent Padgett, the owner of Jesup Bee Company in Jesup, Georgia, told <a href="https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2023/05/02/crash-causes-sticky-situation-on-us-301-in-duval-county/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">News 4 Jacksonville</a>. Padgett was transporting his bees to a honey maker in the town of Lawtey.
The tractor-trailer was hauled away around 7 a.m. Tuesday morning. The beehive company later loaded the undamaged hives onto another truck. The remaining hives were still on the damaged trailer, swarming with bees, Tuesday morning. According to <a href="https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/truck-carrying-5-million-bees-involved-crash/f41307a9-376a-45a4-9f80-4686eddd14ea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Action News Jacksonville</a>, Padgett also left a hive on the side of the road in an effort to attract the bees that flew away. Padgett said that between 25 and 30 hives were completely destroyed.
“A lot of bees got lost. A lot of them flew away,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There’s a lot of dead bees on the highway that came from those boxes.”
Padgett estimated that he lost about $40,000 worth of bees in total, and the full cost of the damages is expected to reach up to $80,000. While the bees are not insured, he hoped that the tractor-trailer driver’s insurance would help cover some of the losses. “He was at fault,” Padgett claimed. “Hopefully, they’ll cover the damages. We’ll just have to negotiate.”
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The unfornate fate that befell the Florida beekeeper comes months after another accident in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tractor-trailer-spills-20-tons-of-corn-onto-wisconsin-highway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin</a> gave drivers an ear-full. The Milwaukee County Sheriff&#8217;s Office blocked southbound traffic on I-41 near Milwaukee after a tractor trailer overturned, spilling 20 tons of corn onto the highway. Crews had to block the highway even further in an effort to salvage the truck.
Before that, another truck carrying <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tractor-trailer-spills-40000-pounds-of-meatballs-onto-virginia-highway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20 tons of meatballs</a> overturned onto a highway in rural southern Virginia. Traffic was shut down for about four hours after the big rig jackknifed, spilling more than 40,000 pounds of frozen meatballs onto I-95 South. Police charged the driver of the rig with a traffic violation.
In August of last year, two tractor-trailers overturned on opposite ends of the country, spilling other staples of Italian cuisine onto highways in California and Texas. First, a tractor-trailer carrying more than <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chain-of-car-crashes-caused-by-300000-tomatoes-rolling-onto-california-highway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">300,000 tomatoes</a> collided with another vehicle and plowed into a center divider, spilling the fruit onto the opposing lanes of traffic, which caused a chain reaction of crashes.
Then, another big rig overturned on a highway in Tennessee outside Memphis, spilling gallons of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alfredo-sauce-spill-in-tennessee-follows-california-tomato-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alfredo sauce</a> and creating a huge mess for drivers and work crews.

Bees at a beehive

More Than A Million Bees Swarm Florida Highway After Overnight Crash

A British broadcaster struggled to keep a straight face while reading a report about a new job opportunity that had recently become available at a nearby zoo.
According to the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/30/europe/seagull-deterrent-blackpool-zoo-costume-trnd-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, a video of which was shared by CNN, the zoo had been having a difficult time keeping seagulls away from patrons — especially when there was food nearby — and they wanted to hire a number of people to dress up as eagles and frighten the pesky gulls away.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
UK zoo hiring people to dress up as birds and chase seagulls away <a href="https://t.co/jaN3LtSciK">https://t.co/jaN3LtSciK</a> <a href="https://t.co/fDBG8zmqfC">pic.twitter.com/fDBG8zmqfC</a>
&mdash; CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1653082128505028608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;If you&#8217;re an animal lover and comfortable in a costume, the Blackpool zoo might have a job for you,&#8221; the newscaster began. &#8220;The animal sanctuary in Lancashire in England needs a seagull deterrent to keep the birds away from food, visitors, and other animals.&#8221;
After a brief pause, he asked, &#8220;Am I really reading this? And you can see there how you&#8217;re asking you to do it — dress up as a giant bird to chase the pesky seagulls away.&#8221; On the screen was a photo of a person wearing an inflatable eagle costume.
The broadcaster began to laugh as he continued, &#8220;They want to — they want to hire up to five people for this job – are you serious?&#8221;
&#8220;They even sent a tweet out to James Corden — he hosted his final episode of &#8216;The Late Late Show&#8217; on Thursday, so the zoo says this new job really will &#8216;suit&#8217; him,&#8221; he concluded with a laugh.
&#8220;Hey @JKCorden, we hear you&#8217;re headed back to Blighty and are interested in our seagull deterrent position? We think you’d be ace at it if you want to come and give it a go … from what we saw on @latelateshow last night, the costume would really suit you too!&#8221; the zoo tweeted at Corden.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/JKCorden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JKCorden</a>, we hear you&#39;re headed back to Blighty and are interested in our seagull deterrent position? We think you’d be ace at it if you want to come and give it a go… from what we saw on <a href="https://twitter.com/latelateshow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@latelateshow</a> last night, the costume would really suit you too! 🦅 <a href="https://t.co/6Nu77EX943">pic.twitter.com/6Nu77EX943</a>
&mdash; Blackpool Zoo (@BlackpoolZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlackpoolZoo/status/1651924850460573698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/300865811/uk-zoo-seeks-outgoing-worker-to-wear-big-bird-costume-and-scare-seagulls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">job advertisement</a> seeks candidates who are &#8220;visitor focused,&#8221; &#8220;friendly,&#8221; and &#8220;outgoing — as you need to be comfortable wearing a bird costume!&#8221; Other in-demand skills included being &#8220;lively, energetic, fun and, most importantly, an excellent flapper.&#8221; The zoo has also warned potential applicants that zoo patrons are likely to approach them and ask to take photos.

Red-billed Gulls Leave Kunming As Weather Warms

‘Are You Serious?’: Newscaster Loses It Over Report On Local Zoo’s Bizarre Job Opening

'Are You Serious?': Newscaster Loses It Over Report On Local Zoo's Bizarre Job Opening

Jobs

U.K.

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/law-enforcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Law enforcement</a> officials in Texas are baffled by a string of strange <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/animals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cattle</a> mutilations in recent weeks.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that at least six cows had been found dead on the side of the road along Highway OSR (Old San Antonio Road) in central Texas. The cows were all found with their tongues cut out; two others had their genitals removed as well. Even more puzzling, the cuts were made with surgical precision and left no blood.
“Ranchers advised a 6-year-old longhorn-cross cow had been found lying on her side, deceased, and mutilated on their ranch,” the Madison County Sheriff’s Office wrote on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0RaSVWjAnP1S8rtciTkDHTXM4fbdurdcE8fJkNgpfsaTxVPsBmS6Ydfoz34o3CXRhl&amp;id=100066895216643" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> page Wednesday. “A straight, clean cut, with apparent precision, had been made to remove the hide around the cow’s mouth on one side, leaving the meat under the removed hide untouched. The tongue was also completely removed from the body with no blood spill. It was noted there were no signs of struggle and the grass around the cow was undisturbed. No footprints or tire tracks were noted in the area. Ranchers also reported no predators or birds would scavenge the remains of the cow, leaving it to decay untouched for several weeks.”
“While looking into the longhorn-cross’ death, five other similar occurrences involving four adult cows and one yearling were reported along the area of OSR running into Brazos County as well as Robertson County,” the post continued. “Each incident occurred in different locations, pastures, and herds. The other cows were found in the same condition, lying on one side with the exposed side of their face cut along the jaw line and the tongue, once again, completely removed. On two of the five cows, a circular cut was made removing the anus and the external genitalia. This circular cut was made with the same precision as the cuts noted around the jaw lines of each cow. Just like the first, there were no signs of struggle or disturbance in the grass, no blood spill, and no noticeable tracks. No predators or birds would scavenge the remains for several weeks after death. The cause of death of all six cows remains unknown.”
The Sheriff’s Office said that multiple other incidents had been reported nationwide, and it is working with other law enforcement agencies to find answers. Residents are urged to contact the office with any information and report similar occurrences.
A similar mystery plagued cattle ranchers in Colorado just a few months earlier. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/officials-baffled-by-mystery-predator-behind-colorado-cattle-carnage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in December that some 40 cows in total, at multiple sites, were found with missing tails and bite marks, but no tracks or other evidence of wolves or other animals were discovered. Around 18 cows were found dead on White River National Forest land on October 5, and the carcasses also turned up in Rio Bianco County in the far western portion of the state.
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At the time, wolves were in the process of being reintroduced to the local ecosystem. There was speculation that wolves had attacked the cows, but experts rejected the theory because of a lack of evidence. Officials also speculated an infection of Clostridium bacteria, but experts dismissed that theory too.

Cattle

Texas Law Enforcement Baffled By String Of Cows Found Dead With Tongues Cut Out

Crime

Law Enforcement

Texas

A very thirsty <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/canada" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canadian</a> black bear broke into a woman&#8217;s car, damaging the vehicle and absolutely destroying several cases of soda that she had been storing inside the car.
Sharon Rosel, the car&#8217;s owner, said that the incident occurred on the night of April 13th — and she was alerted to the bear&#8217;s presence when her dogs began barking at 3 a.m., waking her. When she looked out the window, she saw that the bear had shattered her car window and was happily drinking the sodas, one can at a time.
Rosel <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/soda-car-bear-1.6812541" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) that, over the course of the next 90 minutes, the bear used its teeth to work its way through 69 cans of Orange Crush, root beer, and cola — and only slowed down when it got to the diet soda.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="#TheMoment a bandit bear quenches its thirst" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7sb3yyIY0-o?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Rosel went on to say that she had attempted to drive the bear off — first by throwing cold water on it from the balcony above, and then by alternately threatening it and attempting to reason with it.
&#8220;You could hear him, slurping it the whole time,&#8221; Rosel said, adding, &#8220;I explained to him how important the car was and that I had to go to work the next morning. That didn’t seem to affect him whatsoever.&#8221;
&#8220;Then I tried psyching him out by telling him I was a bear hunter. That didn&#8217;t do anything either, so I had to stand by and just watch him devour my car,&#8221; she continued.
In addition to drinking 69 of the 72 cans of soda Rosel was keeping in the car, the bear managed to break one of the window rollers and tear up the vehicle&#8217;s white leather interior. &#8220;Of course, white leather interior goes really good with orange Crush,&#8221; Rosel joked.
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Noting that she had been raised around bears, she said that she had never known them to be able to smell soft drinks through the aluminum packaging.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been around bears since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and I have never seen them go after pop,&#8221; she said.

Daily Life In Southern Alberta During The Covid-19 Pandemic

Real Life ‘Coke’ Bear Breaks Into Car, Chugs 69 Sodas

Real Life 'Coke' Bear Breaks Into Car, Chugs 69 Sodas

Canada

Food

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Jersey</a> Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is charging itself with violating environmental laws.
The NJ DEP&#8217;s Bureau of Coastal and Land Use Compliance and Enforcement cited the Division of Fish and Wildlife for illegally clearing 15 acres of protected wetlands. The Division of Fish and Wildlife intended to use the land to build a habitat for a species of bird, but in doing so, destroyed protected lands intended to protect two other species. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/environmentalists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Environmental</a> groups complained, and the DEP agreed and charged itself.
According to the DEP <a href="https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/news-20230201-american-woodcock-habitat-creation-glassboro-wildlife-management-area/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, the Division of Fish and Wildlife was in the process of clearing 21 acres of land to build a &#8220;meadow habitat&#8221; for the American woodcock, a bird in the sandpiper family that is in decline on the eastern seaboard because its meadow and scrub habitats have grown into full forests.
According to the <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/new-jersey-department-of-environmental-protection-glassboro-wildlife-management-area-violation-20230414.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philadelphia Inquirer</a>, the situation began on March 6, when environmental groups in the state sent a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/155OQzUMEM7rw3X6r8ahguRU-ni-6FbAP/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to the DEP protesting the land clearing in the Glassboro Wildlife Management Area in Gloucester County in South Jersey. “‘Creation and management&#8217; is a gross mischaracterization of the unlawful environmental damage that has occurred at this site: the wetland soil and flora that were previously undisturbed have been destroyed, and the mature forest that was already habitat for numerous rare species of plants and birds was clear-cut logged,&#8221; the groups wrote.
&#8220;At the present time, NJDEP has cleared the entire area,&#8221; they added. &#8220;All trees have been cut, and all stumps bulldozed. The wetlands and uplands have been made nearly indistinguishable, and the landscape is in the process of being leveled using land graders and earth movers. All natural resources &#8211; plants, animals, soils and surface geology &#8211; have been altered, removed or exterminated.&#8221;
The DEP responded to the letter by suspending the project on March 10. The Bureau of Coastal and Land Use later determined that the project had destroyed mature oak and pine forests in and near protected wetlands, and filled in some others. Some three acres of the cleared land had damaged habitat for two other bird species: the barred owl, which is threatened, and the red-shouldered hawk, which is endangered. Another 12 acres of freshwater wetland transition areas, which are also protected lands, were cleared of vegetation and soil.
A DEP spokesman told the Inquirer that it issued a letter of violation on April 6 “for unauthorized regulated activity.” By the end of the month, it would issue a penalty assessment. The notice includes a threat of penalties, but it is unclear exactly how the DEP fining itself would work. Under the conditions of the violation, the Division of Fish and Wildlife must submit a plan to restore the affected areas within 30 days, and open the process to the public. It must also propose additional environmentally beneficial measures.
The environmental miscue comes as New Jersey is dealing with a potential environmental disaster. In recent weeks, at least 13 whales have washed up on the shores of New Jersey, along with at least 25 dolphins. Additionally, a few porpoises have washed up on the Jersey Shore beaches, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/with-more-whales-and-dolphins-washing-ashore-officials-have-to-ask-are-wind-farms-to-blame" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
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The deaths of the aquatic mammals coincide with prep work for several offshore wind farms in the Atlantic Ocean, including three in New Jersey. Critics argue that the work, including sonar and seabed rock sampling, are responsible for the deaths. But Democratic Governor Phil Murphy has called their claims &#8220;disinformation&#8221; and said he would proceed with the projects. Federal authorities have also dismissed them.

Flag of New Jersey

NJ Environmental Agency Destroyed Protected Animal Habitat To Create Another One. Now It Has To Fine Itself.

New Jersey DEP Fines Itself After Bird Habitat Project Destroys Habitat For Two Other Birds 

Environment

Environmentalism

Environmentalists

New Jersey

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