Tiger Attacks Handler in Australia's Park

A trained tiger handler has been hospitalised with injuries to her arm after being attacked by one of the animals at an Australian theme park.

 

Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) said the woman, who is in her 40s, is in a stable condition after sustaining cuts and scratches while working at Dreamworld in Queensland's Gold Coast.

 

The park which is visited by almost two million people every year, is home to nine Sumatran and Bengal tigers.

 

A Dreamworld spokesperson said that the company’s focus now is to provide the employee involved in attack with immediate support.

BBC

 

 

Russian Spy Whale Found Dead

A beluga whale that was suspected of spying for Russia after being discovered in Norwegian waters five years ago has been found dead.

This was according to the non-profit organisation, Marine Mind that had been monitoring the whale.

Marine Mind on social media said "Hvaldimir” was not just a beluga whale, but a beacon of hope, a symbol of connection, and a reminder of the deep

A marine biologist, Sebastian Strand, who works with Marine Mind, told newsmen that "Hvaldimir” was apparently in good condition as of Friday and no major external injuries were visible on the animal while investigations are on to ascertain the cause of its death.

According to a report, the body of the whale nicknamed “Hvaldimir”, a combination of the Norwegian word for whale and the first name of Russian President, Vladimir Putin was spotted floating in the sea by a father and son fishing in southern Norway over the weekend.

Hvaldimir was wearing a harness with what appeared to be a mount for a small camera when he was first found in 2019 near the island of Ingoya in Norway's north, around 300km from the Russian maritime border.

The harness was stamped with "Equipment St Petersburg" in English.

Report also noted that the whale was very interested in people and responded to hand signals, leading Norway's domestic intelligence agency to presume he had been held in captivity in Russia as part of a research programme before crossing into Norwegian waters.

Meanwhile, Moscow has never responded to the allegations.

CNA

India to Reduce Death Caused by Elephants through Mobile App.

The state of Assam in India has launched a mobile phone app. aimed at reducing deaths caused by wild elephants.

The Haati app. will warn people of approaching herds of elephants to allow them to get out of the way.

The app launched in Assam has been developed by Aaranyak, a biodiversity organisation in north-east India.

 It also contains a form enabling victims and their relatives to seek compensation from the local government in cases of injury or death as a result of an attack by the animals.

 Assam has one of the biggest elephant populations in India and a high number of elephant and human deaths caused by their interactions.

Conservationists said elephants are becoming more aggressive in Assam because their habitats are shrinking, and even their traditional natural corridors are being encroached upon.

Aaranyak has also unveiled a handbook on solar-powered fences which can deter elephants.

According to official data cited by newsmen in March, as many as 1,701 people were killed by elephants in India from 2020 to 2024.

Also, Wildlife Charity, WWF, said there are fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants left in the wild.

The group estimated that half-a-million families in India are affected by crop-raiding elephants each year.

 Obtained/ BBC