Brazilian Shark Attack-"Graphic Content"

Shark Attacks Teenager in Brazil

SAO PAULO, Brazil (June 2) - A shark ripped off the right hand of a teenager swimming along the coast of northeastern Brazil, fire department officials said Monday.

Pernambuco state fire department spokesman Marcio Maia said 14-year-old Wellington dos Santos was attacked on Sunday after he swam beyond a coral reef that keeps sharks away from the beach of Piedade near the state capital, Recife.

Lifeguards rescued dos Santos and rushed him to a hospital, where he was reported to be in critical but stable condition, Maia said.

Besides severing dos Santos' hand, the shark "bit off a large chunk of his buttocks," Maia said.

"People insist on ignoring the sign posts warning of the danger of shark attacks, especially beyond the coral reefs about 150 meters (490 feet) from the beach," Maia said.

The attack was the 51st since authorities started keeping count of shark attacks in the area in 1992. Maia said that sharks have killed 19 people in Pernambuco state over the past 15 years.

Apparently, in and around 1990, the government changed the harbor here around which screwed with the marine life eco system. It basically, "pissed off the local sharks" and caused them change some of their hunting and eating habits. From what I can gather, the "bad fish" are bull sharks.

As the authorities stated above, "if YOU are going to ignore the warning signs of shark attacks, whatever happens is then on YOU". Not to mention that no matter what age YOU are, "YOU are an idiot!"

Literally, "Sharks Rule",

Bobby Sharpe Bobby Sharpe's " Opyn Mindz": Bo Diddley Crosses Over Amazon.com: Dragon: Book of Shang: Books: Bobby Sharpe

Arabic Jurassic Park, NEW Dinosaur Footprints

Dinosaur Footprints Found in Yemen

For the first time, dinosaur footprints have been found on the Arabian Peninsula.

In ancient coastal mudflats in Yemen, fossils reveal that a herd of 11 gigantic dinosaurs — sauropods, the largest animals that ever walked on land — tramped deep tracks into the earth that have lasted roughly 150 million years.

Nearby, there are tracks of a lone ornithopod — a large, common vegetarian with bird-like, three-toed feet that walked on its hind legs, sometimes referred to as the "cow of the Mesozoic," or Age of Dinosaurs, said researcher Anne Schulp of the Maastricht Museum of Natural History in the Netherlands.

Blank Spot

Altogether, these new tracks help shed the most light to date on the mysterious history of dinosaurs in the Arabian Peninsula. Only a few dinosaur fossils have been reported so far from the Arabian Peninsula — isolated bones from the Sultanate of Oman and possible fragments of a sauropod from the Republic of Yemen.

"No dinosaur trackways had been found in this area previously. It's really a blank spot on the map," Schulp said.

And "big dinosaurs don't live alone," Schulp told LiveScience. "I'm sure there were some carnivorous dinosaurs around as well, as well as much smaller animals, not only dinosaurs."

Just as expert trackers can learn much about their quarry today from tracks, so too can scientists discover critical details about dinosaurs. For instance, the fact that sauropods did not leave furrows from their massive tails with their footprints means these giants did not drag their lengthy tails behind them. Instead, they must have held them high off the ground, to help balance their bodies, given their equally long necks.

"We really want to learn when did which dinosaurs live where, and why was that?" Schulp said. "How did the distribution change over time, why did one replace another and move from one place to another?"

Media Finds It

The newly announced fossil tracks were discovered by a local journalist in 2003, about 30 miles north of the capital of Sana'a near the village of Madar. They probably went unnoticed for so long because they were too big to be spotted by the untrained eye and were partially covered by rubble and debris.

"It isn't a surprise that they were overlooked," Schulp said.

The site preserved footprints from 11 small and large sauropods. Judging by the lengths of their strides and details of their footprints, they were each ambling together at the same speed of roughly 1.8 mph. These serve as an excellent example of dinosaur herding behavior, the researchers said.

"It's rare to see such a big example of a dinosaur herd. This is interesting social behavior for reptiles," Schulp said. "I'm really excited by finding out that the whole herd is walking at the same speed, with the younger ones having to walk a bit quicker — making short steps at a higher frequency — and the big ones walking at the same speed with long steps at a lower frequency. It just works out wonderfully well.

"The ornithopod left 15 footprints, each averaging 22 inches long and wide, or a size 44 U.S. men's shoe. Judging by its footprints, it was traveling at "a leisurely walking speed of 3 to 4 kph (1.8 to 2.5 mph)," Schulp explained.

Unusual Find

Although ornithopods and sauropods overlapped in time, it is a bit unusual to find evidence of such a big ornithopod in the late Jurassic, the epoch from which these fossils date, the researchers noted. Back then, the African and Arabian Peninsular landmasses had not yet been separated by the Red Sea.

"These trackways help us to assemble a more detailed picture of what was happening on the southern landmasses. It's exciting to see new paleontological data coming out of Yemen, and I think there is a lot more to discover," said researcher Nancy Stevens, an Ohio University paleontologist. "This international collaboration provides an exciting new window into evolutionary history from a critically undersampled region."

"This area could readily yield more trackways, the researchers added."I'm absolutely sure we've only scratched the surface yet," Schulp said. "There is much more to be discovered in the area, much more to be learned. I hope we can build on this fieldwork and go out searching for more tracks in the not-too-distant future."

New Frontier

These trackways do "represent a new frontier," said Martin Lockley, curator and director of the University of Colorado at Denver's fossil footprint collection, who did not participate in this study. "People haven't really looked for dinosaur tracks very much in the Middle East. My guess is these finds are just the tip of the iceberg — maybe not the best metaphor for the Arabian Peninsula, but still, I expect there's a lot to be found there.

"The Yemen Geological Survey is now preserving this area and plans to improve its accessibility to tourists. "It's a wonderful piece of geological heritage, and something well worth visiting," Schulp said.

Schulp, Stevens and their colleague Mohammed Al-Wosabi will detail their findings online May 21 in the journal PLoS ONE.

Partial funding for the research was provided by the Yemen Geological Survey and Ohio University.

And just when YOU thought there would be no more "new" dinosaur news, now, we have dino tracks for the "frist" time on the Arabian Peninsula. It's incredible, but, "the Earth just keeps giving up answers on a regular basis lately. Fantastic if YOU stay in touch with whats going on. "Opyn Mindz" will keep YOU up to date along with "Animalz".

Animals And Knowledge Rule,

Bobby Sharpe Bobby Sharpe's " Opyn Mindz": Arctic Ice Cap Melting? Dragon, Book of Shang

Sydney, Australia Shark Attack

Swimmer Pokes Attacking Shark in Eye

SYDNEY, Australia (May 12) - An Australian swimmer says he survived a mauling by a 16-foot shark by wrestling with the beast, finally getting free by poking it in the eye.

The shark, believed to be a great white, seized Jason Cull by the left leg as he was swimming at Middleton Beach in southwestern Australia on Saturday.

The shark was one of three that swimmers reported seeing at the beach Saturday. Officials closed the beach after the attack.

From his hospital bed where he was treated for deep lacerations, Cull, 37, told reporters Sunday he saw a shadow moving in the water just before the attack and mistook it for a dolphin.

"It was much bigger than a dolphin when it came up," Cull said. "It banged straight into me -- I realized what it was, it was a shark.

"I sort of punched it, and it grabbed me by the leg and dragged me under the water," he said. "I just remember being dragged backwards underwater. I felt along it, I found its eye and I poked it in the eye, and that's when it let go."

Tom Marron, a spokesman for the lifeguards at the beach, said volunteer lifesaver Joanne Lucas leapt into the water to help Cull after swimmers at the beach started panicking when they saw Cull struggling.

"She heard the cries and splashing and knew they needed assistance and just went straight in," Marron said.

"She got hold of the injured swimmer and brought him back to shore," he said. "There was a fairly comprehensive mauling of his left leg, lost a lot of his calf, severe lacerations."

Last month, a shark killed a 16-year-old surfer off Australia's eastern coast.

Uh, "YOU people do know that YOU are Australia right?" If there were THREE sharks in the area at the time, "why were any of YOU in the water?" It's not even summertime yet and there have already been 4 major shark attacks reported so far that have left 3 fatalities. Should be an interesting beach season. Be careful!

"Sharks Just Are................

Bobby Sharpe Dragon, Book of Shang Amazon.com: Dragon: Book of Shang: Books: Bobby Sharpe www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

Albino Japanese Rat Snake

Why? Yeah, I know. However, I figured there were some of YOU animal lovers out there that would like to see an "albino/white Japanese Rat Snake. After all, "I am here to satisfy your curiosity and intellect. Enjoy!

Albino Animals Rule,

Bobby Sharpe Amazon.com: Dragon: Book of Shang: Books: Bobby Sharpe Dragon, Book Of Shang by Bobby Sharpe - eBay (item 270236222462 end time May-1

Japan's Oldest Giant Panda

Japan's Oldest Giant Panda Dies

Japan's oldest giant panda, Ling Ling, a longtime star at Tokyo's largest zoo and a symbol of friendship with China, died Wednesday of heart failure, zookeepers said.

Ling Ling was 22 years and seven months old, equivalent to about 70 human years, the Ueno Zoo said. It said he was the fifth-oldest known male panda in the world.

Ling Ling began losing his appetite and strength last August because of his old age, and recently suffered from heart and kidney problems, zoo official Motoyasu Ida said.

Keepers and visitors mourned the panda, which was the zoo's most popular attraction for more than 15 years. Public broadcaster NHK showed many visitors writing condolence messages, with some brushing away tears.

Ling Ling's portrait was displayed inside his cage, along with bouquets and offerings of his favorite bamboo shoots.

An autopsy found he died of heart failure, Ida said.

Fukuji Sugimoto, chief panda keeper at the zoo, said he felt something was wrong as soon as he entered Ling Ling's cage early Wednesday.

"He always turned around when I called 'Ling Ling.' This morning he didn't. I rushed to him and touched his head, and he was already cold. That broke my heart," Sugimoto said. "He was such a darling."

Ling Ling died just one day after the zoo withdrew him from public view because of his worsening health.

Born at China's Beijing Zoo in 1985, Ling Ling came to Tokyo in 1992. He had traveled to Mexico three times in recent years for unsuccessful mating.

Ling Ling was the only giant panda owned by Japan, with eight other pandas elsewhere in the country all loaned by China, according to media reports.

With Ling Ling's loss, Ueno Zoo is without a panda for the first time since 1972, when the first panda couple arrived from China to mark the signing of bilateral peace treaty.

Ida said the zoo is currently consulting with the Foreign Ministry about obtaining another panda from China.

The regional newspaper Tokyo Shimbun reported Tuesday that Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda may ask Chinese President Hu Jintao to consider loaning a pair of pandas to Japan.

Giant pandas are one of the world's rarest animals, with about 1,600 living in the wild in China, mostly in Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces.

Though I never got to see him in person, being the animal lover I am, it breaks my heart to see one of our magnificent animal souls cross over. However, the memories and good times they brought us remain.

Peace To YOU Ling Ling,

Bobby Sharpe www.myspace.com/akuasharpe Amazon.com: Dragon: Book of Shang: Books: Bobby Sharpe

Sharks 2 People 0, Jaws Is Back!

Another Shark Attack Kills Surfer

ACAPULCO, Mexico (April 29) - A U.S. surfer was killed in a shark attack off Mexico's southern Pacific coast, officials said Tuesday.

The San Francisco man bled to death on Monday after a gray shark bit his right thigh, leaving a 15-inch wound, the Guerrero state Public Safety Department said in a statement.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico could not immediately confirm the man's name, but local authorities identified him as a 24-year-old who was surfing with a fellow American. The other man was not injured.

The attack occurred at the Troncones beach, near the beach resort of Ixtapa.

The statement said the victim suffered wounds "that reached from the hip to the knee, exposing the femur."

The man died a few minutes after reaching the hospital from loss of blood, according to the government statement.

Shark attacks are relatively rare in Mexico. In 2006, the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History reported only one attack in Mexico, which was not fatal.

This could have been a "gray shark", however, I would put money on a great white. Fifteen inches for a bite radius is pretty big. Anyway, if YOU are on the west coast of the US these days, YOU might want to stay out of the ocean for a spell.

"Sharks just are........"

Bobby Sharpe Amazon.com: Dragon: Book of Shang: Books: Bobby Sharpe BobbySharpe.blogspot.com

Arctic Changes Effect Narwhals & Other Mammals

Arctic Warming Threatens More Mammals

WASHINGTON (April 25) - The polar bear has become an icon of global warming vulnerability, but a new study found an Arctic mammal that may be even more at risk to climate change: the narwhal.

The narwhal, a whale with a long spiral tusk that may have inspired the myth of the unicorn, edged out the polar bear for the ranking of most potentially vulnerable in a climate change risk analysis of Arctic marine mammals.

The study was published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Ecological Applications. Polar bears are considered marine mammals because they are dependent on the water and are included as a species in the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Scientists from three countries quantified the vulnerabilities that 11 year-round Arctic sea mammals have as the world warms. After the narwhal -- which is also known as the "corpse whale" -- and polar bear, the most at risk were the hooded seal, bowhead whale and walrus. The ringed seal and bearded seal were least at risk.

"What we wanted to do was look at the whole picture because there's been a lot of attention on polar bears," said study co-author Ian Stirling, a polar bear and seal specialist for the Canadian government. "We're talking about a whole ecosystem. We're talking about several different species that use ice extensively and are very vulnerable.

"The study looked at nine different variables that help determine ability to withstand future climate changes. Those factors included population size, habitat uniqueness, diet diversity and ability to cope with sea ice changes.

This doesn't mean the narwhal -- with a current population of 50,000 to 80,000 -- will die off first; polar bear counts are closer to 20,000 and they are directly harmed by melting ice, scientists said.

But it does mean the potential for harm is slightly greater for the less-studied narwhal, said study lead author Kristin Laidre, a research scientist at the University of Washington.

Stanford University biologist Terry Root, who wasn't part of the study, said the analysis reinforces her concern that the narwhal "is going to be one of the first to go extinct" from global warming despite their population size.

"There could a bazillion of them, but if the habitat or the things that they need are not going to be around, they're not going to make it," Root said.

Polar bears can adapt a bit to the changing Arctic climate, narwhals can't, she said.

While polar bears are "good-looking fluffy white creatures," Laidre said narwhals, which are medium-sized whales, are "not that cute."

The narwhal, which dives about 6,000 feet to feed on Greenland halibut, is the ultimate specialist, evolved specifically to live in small cracks in parts of the Arctic where it's 99 percent heavy ice, Laidre said. As the ice melts, not only is the narwhal habitat changed, predators such as killer whales will likely intrude more often.

"Since it's so restricted to the migration routes it takes, it's restricted to what it eats, it makes it more vulnerable to the loss of those things," Laidre said in a telephone interview from Greenland, where she is studying narwhals by airplane.

The paper is the talk of Arctic scientists said Bob Corell, the head of an international team of scientists who wrote a massive assessment of risk in the Arctic in 2004 but wasn't part of this study. He called it "surprising because the polar bear gets a lot of attention."

Inuit natives of Greenland were telling scientists last year that it seemed that the narwhal population was in trouble, Corell said.

It is hard to believe alot of the stuff YOU hear today about "global warming" and all the things that come with it. So much of this stuff has been dispelled as of late, YOU don't know what or what not to believe. From my perspective, based on things I have read and knowledge learned in various places at various times, the planet is going through a cyclical change that does and will effect weather patterns and conditions. If YOU want to call it global warming, have at it. Some, however, prefer to call it global cooling. It has been nearly 12,000 years or so since the last "ice age". We are due!

If this is all a natural planetary cycle and event, there is nothing mankind can do to offset what will naturally take place. Including the extinction of some species if, that is what is specified.

The best way to deal with any of this, is to know what is going on in the grand scheme of the universe and our planet. Opyn your Mindz and get the whole picture as it is meant to be. Not just some "money grab propaganda play".

"Truth and lies are perceptual,

Reality just is........................."

Bobby Sharpe "Dragon, Book Of Shang": Dragon, Book Of Shang "Update" Bobby Sharpe's "Indigo Spiritz": December 21, 2012 Rebirth

Huge Great White Kills Californian

Shark Kills Swimmer at California Beach

SOLANA BEACH, Calif. (April 25) - A shark believed to be a great white killed a 66-year-old swimmer with a single, giant bite across both legs Friday as the man trained with a group of triathletes, authorities and witnesses said.

Dave Martin, a retired veterinarian from Solana Beach, was attacked at San Diego County's Tide Beach around 7 a.m., authorities and family friend Rob Hill said.

Martin was taken to a lifeguard station for emergency treatment but was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a statement on the Solana Beach city Web site. His injuries crossed both thighs, San Diego County sheriff's Sgt. Randy Webb said in a news release.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography shark expert Richard Rosenblatt says the shark was probably a great white between 12 and 17 feet long.

"It looks like the shark came up, bit him, and swam away," said Dismas Abelman, the Solana Beach deputy fire chief.

There was a single bite across both of Martin's legs, Abelman said.

The attack took place about 150 yards offshore. Several swimmers wearing wetsuits were in a group when the shark attacked, lifeguard Craig Miller said. Two swimmers were about 20 yards ahead of the man when they heard him scream for help. They turned around and dragged him back to shore.

Swimmers were ordered out of the water for a 17-mile stretch around the attack site and county authorities sent up helicopters to scan the waters for the shark. Eight miles of beach were closed.

"The shark is still in the area. We're sure of that," Mayor Joe Kellejian said.

Hill, a member of the Triathlon Club of San Diego, said he was running on the beach while about nine other members were in the water when the attack took place.

They saw him come up out of the water, scream 'shark,' flail his arms and go back under," Hill said.

"The flesh was just hanging," and Martin may have bled to death before he left the water, Hill said.A witness, Ira Opper, described the victim as "burly and athletic." He said the man was wearing a black wetsuit that was shredded on both legs.

Martin's relatives visited the lifeguard station in small groups, emerging in tears, before his body was transported to the county medical examiner's office. A man who identified himself as Martin's son answered the telephone at Martin's home a few blocks from the beach but declined to comment on the attack.

Club members had been meeting at the beach for at least six years and never had seen a shark, Hill said.

However, Hill said he saw a seal or sea lion on the beach earlier this week. Miller said a seal pup was found on the beach Friday morning before the attack and was taken to a marine animal rescue center.

The shark may have confused the wet-suited swimmers with his prey, Hill said.

Rosenblatt, the shark expert, said white sharks travel through the area, and the way the man was attacked and the "massive" but clean wounds "sounds like what a white shark would do."

White sharks hunt along the bottom, look for seal silhouettes above and then rise to attack, he said.

"A human swimmer is not too unlike a seal," he said.

Shark attacks are extremely rare. There were 71 confirmed unprovoked cases worldwide last year, up from 63 in 2006, according to the University of Florida. Only one 2007 attack, in the South Pacific, was fatal.

The last fatal shark attack in California, according to data from the state Department of Fish and Game, took place in 2004, when a man skin diving for abalone was attacked by a great white shark off the coast of Mendocino County. On Aug. 19, 2003, a great white killed a woman who was swimming at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County on the central California coast.

Solana Beach is 14 miles northwest of San Diego.

As we approach the summer of the 33rd anniversary of "Jaws", this story just goes to show that "Jaws", was not just a movie per se. Great White sharks do exist and, "they do kill humans". Remember, when YOU are in the ocean, regardless of where, YOU are in their domain. Be vigilant and hope YOU do not encounter a "white". If YOU do, YOU have virtually no chance if it has targeted YOU.

Have a safe summer. Whatever YOU are planning outdoors, remember to always pay attention, be observant, and, remember, as much as I am an animal lover, "these are wild animals with their own rules and order, they are NOT YOUR FRIENDS"!

Animals Still Rule,

Bobby Sharpe Amazon.com: Dragon: Book of Shang: Books: Bobby Sharpe Dragon, Book Of Shang by Bobby Sharpe - eBay (item 270230829298 end time Apr-2

Dogs Rescue Baby Girl In India

Nepal is celebrating the festival of Tihar, its equivalent of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. In Nepal, on the second day of the feast, special honour is bestowed on dogs.

Dogs "rescue" girl abandoned by mother

PATNA, India - Hundreds of villagers have flocked to a remote Indian village to see a baby girl who was saved by stray dogs after she was abandoned in a mound of mud by her mother, officials said on Tuesday.

Villagers in the eastern state of Bihar saved the newborn on the weekend after they saw three dogs barking near a baby covered with mud.

"The dogs removed the soil around and began to bark and the baby started crying which drew attention of the local villagers," Ram Narayan Sahani, a senior government official, said on Tuesday from Bihar's Samastipur district.

"The girl is crying but is safe in the lap of a childless couple who have adopted her."

Police said they were looking for the girl's mother, who they think had left the girl to die.

Female foeticide, though illegal in India, is widespread as boys are traditionally preferred to girls as breadwinners, and families have to pay huge dowries to marry off their daughters.

The United Nations says an estimated 2,000 unborn girls are illegally aborted every day in India.

Another great story and feather in the cap of "mans best friend", dogs. They have so much compassion, love and sense that it's scary some time. The great thing is, "they ask for nothing, yet, will still love YOU and be there for YOU".

"Dogs Rule",

Bobby Sharpe Dragon, Book Of Shang by Bobby Sharpe - eBay (item 270230829298 end time Apr-2 Amazon.com: Dragon: Book of Shang: Books: Bobby Sharpe

Siberian Husky/Dog Lovers, This Is For YOU

Family Siberian, Akua

Nevada dog finds its way home after a week, 77 miles

ELY, Nev. (AP) - A dog that ran off during a road-trip rest stop in north-central Nevada apparently made its way nearly 80 miles across Nevada's high desert and two mountain ranges to return home to Ely a week later.

Moon, a Siberian husky, was reunited on April 14 with owner Doug Dashiell, who had last seen her April 6 near Railroad Valley, a distance he later clocked at 77 miles.

Moon, who is nearly two years old, was no worse for the wear, with the exception of stinking like a skunk that apparently sprayed her somewhere along the journey.

"I've had trouble with her running away before. She's always come home," Dashiell said. But he admitted that this time he didn't really expect her to show up after a week had passed.

"After seven days - no way," he told the Ely Times.

Dashiell said he had taken his three dogs with him on a weekend trip to Tonopah. When he let them out of his truck near Railroad Valley, Moon took off when a catch on her chain let go and she bolted into the sage brush.

Dashiell said he searched for her for several hours before giving up and heading home. The last he saw she was headed northwest toward the Duckwater Shoshone Reservation so he called the tribal police there, but they turned up no trace of Moon.

On April 14, the White Pine Veterinary Clinic telephoned Dashiell to let him know that Moon was back in town. She had wandered up to an Ely residence where Alvin Molea took her home, fed her and gave her a warm place to sleep.

Molea said he called the clinic because the dog was wearing a clinic tag.

Dashiell speculated she might have fed on rabbits during her journey, which would have taken her across the White River and Ward Mountain ranges.

This is the coolest story. I know people that could have gotten lost like this and could not have found their way home. I tell people everyday that "our husky Akua is smarter than most of the people I meet in any given day". Way to go Moon! Live a long happy life and school some humans along the way.

Siberians Rule,

Bobby Sharpe "Dragon, Book Of Shang": Dragon, Book Of Shang "Update" Amazon.com: Dragon: Book of Shang: Books: Bobby Sharpe