Tag: wildlife

The Assassination of ‘Peanut the Squirrel’

Did state officials execute a squirrel? That appears to be the case for this New York couple whose story set social media ablaze. It’s a classic tale of government overreach. It’s overkill—literally. The squirrel was a social media sensation, having been rescued by Mark Longo of Pine City, New York, several years ago. For some reason, the Department of Environmental Conservation thought ‘Peanut’ and another of Longo’s critters, Fred, the raccoon, were illegally owned. The length at which the state secured search warrants for the Longo home. 

Mr. Longo alleges that he was treated like a terrorist as Peanut and Fred were seized by the state and then euthanized. Let’s call it what it is: the squirrel and the raccoon were brutally murdered because these woodland creatures just had to be taken because they posed a severe risk or something. What a crock. The incident even attracted the attention of the Trump campaign on TikTok. There was a statement that Mediaite thought Trump issued about the death of Peanut but that was fake news…

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P’nut the Squirrel, beloved pet and internet sensation, euthanized after being seized by NY state

P’nut the Squirrel, of internet fame, has been euthanized after the pet was seized by New York state earlier this week, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

The seven-year-old gray rescue squirrel, commonly referred to as “P’Nut” on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, was put to death, along with Fred the raccoon, so that the animals could be tested for the presence of rabies, according to a statement from the agency obtained by WETM.  

P’nut’s guardian Mark Longo took to Instagram to memorialize his beloved pet in a video.

Through tears Longo, with his girlfriend at his side, said, “P’nut was the best thing that ever happened to us.”

“RIP MY BEST FRIEND. Thank you for the best 7 years of my life. Thank you for bringing so much joy to us and the world. I’m sorry I failed you but thank you for everything,” Longo wrote in a caption to the post announcing P’nut’s death.

Longo also asked fans for financial help for a “legal battle” and for his non-profit P’Nut’s Freedom Farm.

The DEC claims that P’nut, who was notably docile and friendly over the course of his very public facing life, bit one of the investigators on the hand while being confiscated from his Elmira home on Wednesday.

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Scientists Uncover a Hidden “Sixth Sense” in Geckos, Prompting Questions About Human Extrasensory Potential

Researchers at the University of Maryland have uncovered a hidden and unexpected auditory “sixth sense” in geckos. 

In a study published in Current Biology, scientists revealed that geckos use a specialized part of their inner ear, known as the saccule, to detect low-frequency vibrations—a trait previously unrecognized in reptiles. 

Researchers believe other species could have a similar sixth sense. This would offer new insights into how animals perceive their environment and could have significant implications for evolutionary biology.

“The ear, as we know it, hears airborne sound. But this ancient inner pathway, which is typically linked to balance, helps geckos detect vibrations that travel through mediums like the ground or water,” study co-author and Professor of Biology at UMD, Dr. Catherine Carr, said in a press release. “This pathway exists in amphibians and fish, and now it’s proven to be preserved in lizards as well. Our findings shed light on how the auditory system evolved from what you see in fish to what you see in land animals, including humans.”

Typically associated with balance, the saccule is a part of the inner ear that allows geckos to sense vibrations through mediums like the ground or water rather than through airborne sounds like traditional hearing. 

The saccule’s sensitivity to vibrations between 50 and 200 Hz complements the gecko’s regular auditory system. This finding is significant when considering other reptiles, such as snakes or different species of lizards. 

Traditionally, many reptiles are believed to be “deaf” or “mute” because they do not vocalize sounds or respond well to airborne noise. However, the ability to detect vibrations offers a new explanation. Reptiles may communicate through vibrational signals, challenging long-held assumptions about their sensory perception.

“A lot of snakes and lizards were thought to be ‘mute’ or ‘deaf’ in the sense that they do not vocalize sounds or hear sounds well,” lead study author and PhD candidate Dawei Han explained. “But it turns out they could potentially be communicating via vibrational signals using this sensory pathway instead, which really changes the way scientists have thought about animal perception overall.”

This “sixth sense” in geckos also offers fresh insights into the evolution of hearing mechanisms across species. The saccule, present in both amphibians and fish, now shows its role in reptiles, suggesting that auditory systems may have developed more gradually and with greater complexity than previously believed. These findings highlight how hearing mechanisms likely adapted during the shift from aquatic to terrestrial environments, revealing a more nuanced evolutionary pathway than was once assumed.

The surprising discovery of an auditory “sixth sense” in geckos also raises intriguing questions about the potential for unexplored sensory abilities in humans. It opens the door to new research into the human auditory system, prompting scientists to consider whether we have similar undiscovered pathways that contribute to our perception of the world.

“Think about when you’re at a live rock concert,” Dr. Carr said. “It’s so loud that you can feel your whole head and body vibrate in the sound field. You can feel the music rather than just hearing it.”

“That feeling suggests that the human vestibular system may be stimulated during those loud concerts, meaning our sense of hearing and balance may also be linked closely.” 

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Shock Video: Haitian in Springfield Carves Up Animal in Public

A Haitian migrant was filmed butchering an animal in Springfield, Ohio, providing first-hand confirmation of the illegal migrants’ strange culinary habits highlighted recently by conservatives.

In a video uploaded by journalist Taylor Hansen at the Red Couch Village apartment complex, a migrant can be seen processing a small animal.

“A Haitian is caught on video chopping an animal apart with a machete in public,” Hansen captioned the video posted to X Monday evening.

Filmed surreptitiously through an apartment window screen, it’s unclear what type of animal the man is carving; however, he is seen slicing several filets off the carcass, likely for future consumption.

The video comes as the mainstream media has attempted to downplay claims that Haitians in the area have been feasting on local wildlife, while residents claim pets have been mysteriously disappearing, feared to have been consumed or sacrificed for ritualistic purposes.

The disturbing accounts were highlighted by former President Donald Trump during his debate last month with Democrat nominee Kamala Harris, who scoffed at the claims.

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Ohio Duck Rescue Expert Says Springfield Bird Disappearances Far Exceeding Previous Levels, Believes Rumors “To Be True”

Ohio duck rescuer Lisa Montgomery has been witnessing an uptick in missing ducks and geese in the Springfield area recently, according to an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail.

Montgomery has been rehoming wild geese in the state for a decade, and she’s specifically noticed birds in the city have disappeared at an alarming rate.

After Donald Trump said Haitian “migrants” in the Ohio city are eating dogs and cats, the media went wild claiming he’s spreading racist misinformation.

However, testimonies from locals allege they saw firsthand the illegal aliens were collecting cats, and it is known that animals are often used in Haitian voodoo rituals.

The Ohio bird rescuer said she’s noticed an “unusual” number of water birds going missing in the region, and has “serious concerns” they’re being “murdered for food.”

This year, Montgomery witnessed the geese and ducks disappearing by numbers that “far exceeded” past summers.

“I have over the years had many people reach out from the Springfield area. Recently with concerns of ducks and geese being murdered for food,” she said. “I do have serious concerns over the issue and believe it to be true.”

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YES – Haitian Migrants Are Eating Pets

Donald Trump claimed during the tilted debate that Haitian migrants are resorting to eating human pets. The moderators and Kamala Harris had a chuckle, and NBC, ABC, and the other parrots in the media taunted Trump with headlines that stated the former president was lying once again.

There are countless reports from residents in Springfield, Ohio, and elsewhere that state their pets have gone missing. “These Haitians are running into trash cans. They’re running into buildings. They’re flipping cars in the middle of the street, and I don’t know how like, y’all can be comfortable with this,” a resident named Anthony Harris complained to city officials last month. “They’re in the park, grabbing up ducks by the neck and cutting their heads off and eating them.” There are 911 phone calls from concerned residents stating that Haitian migrants are taking ducks and geese from ponds and eating them.

Springfield was once a small American town with a population of 58,000 as of 2020. Then, over 20,000 migrants arrived, failed to assimilate into American culture, and are completely reliant on US taxpayers. “How many people can they be expected to take? What are the limits to the federal government’s power? Could the federal government simply funnel into Ohio all the millions of migrants flooding in under the current administration’s watch?” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost finally questioned.

Yost accurately noted that the sheer number of migrants arriving in such a short amount of time is utterly unsustainable. Their behavior only worsens matters as his office stated that migrants are “causing car crashes, stealing property – including livestock, squatting in homes and killing wildlife for food.”

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The New York Times: Latest Descent into Madness

The New York Times really outdid itself this past weekend. On Sunday, the it published an Op Ed titled, “A Bat Flew Into My Bedroom and Reminded Me of All We Take for Granted.” I took the bait — I found the strange mix of triviality and hyperbole irresistible. 

The article starts out innocently enough. A mom in North Carolina, Belle Boggs, didn’t like the oppressive summer heat and the evening news so she went to bed early. But things quickly went off the rails. 

While she slept, her husband (who was working late) left a screen door open and a bat flew into the house. A light sleeper, she noticed the bat, told her husband to capture it (so that they could turn it in to the authorities!) but the bat flew away. 

That should be the end of the story, right?

Nope, Belle Boggs was just getting started. She lets us know that this incident was part of a heroic journey. “What happened over the next few days restored my faith in the systems in our country that keep us safe.” What!? 

I’ll let her explain: 

To decide what to do next, we consulted every resource. 

Richard, my husband, read the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. 

I called our health care after-hours line and spoke to a nurse who also consulted the C.D.C. 

We called our county’s animal control center, and an officer was at our house within 10 minutes. He searched the house and garage for bats, found none and put in a report to our county’s public health department.

Lady, THE BAT DID NOT TOUCH YOU AND FLEW AWAY. 

But Belle’s undiagnosed hypochondria was now in full bloom. So on Sunday morning Belle and her husband drove to the emergency room at the University of North Carolina Hospital; got two rabies shots, one in each arm; and “paid $600 E.R. copays with heftier hospital bills to come.”

Wait, she got rabies shots because she saw a bat that flew away!? That makes no sense. 

But it gets worse because she uses this harrowing tale — a bat flew into her house and then out again — to launch into a political critique!

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Chimpanzees Are Capable of Speech, According to New Analysis of Decades-Old Footage

In 1962, many American moviegoers were treated to an unusual display during screenings of the popular Universal Newsreels that aired before feature presentations. That year, a segment entitled “Now Hear This! Italians Unveil Talking Chimp” was shown, introducing audiences to Renata, a chimpanzee who had reportedly been trained to say “mama” by her handler.

“As explained by her foster mother, this is one of the most extraordinary chimps in the world,” announcer Ed Herlihy’s famous voice could be heard saying in the decades-old footage. “You don’t have to know Italian to understand Renata’s accent when she gets her cue.”

Then, as Renata’s handler taps her on the chin, the chimpanzee is shown saying the word “mama” several times.

The footage, likely viewed as little more than a novelty at the time, represented something potentially extraordinary: evidence of a non-human primate displaying the ability to speak, albeit crudely. Despite Renata’s unique talent, the footage was largely forgotten, and prevailing wisdom continued to insist that humans were the only primates with the required neural circuitry capable of speech.

However, Renata was not the only known example of a chimpanzee who displayed a limited ability to learn and speak human words. Decades later, in a video uploaded to YouTube on August 17, 2007, a chimpanzee named Johnny was also shown saying “mama,” seemingly in response to requests from his owner, after which he was awarded a treat.

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NATO’s Nuclear Bases Have Poisoned Water and Fish

Nuclear armed air bases at Kleine Brogel in Belgium, Büchel in Germany, Aviano and Ghedi in Italy, and Volkel in the Netherlands have poisoned the environment with PFAS.

Massive fires were intentionally lit in large fire pits at these bases and extinguished with cancer-causing fire-fighting foams during routine training exercises dating back 40 years or longer.  Afterward, the foam residue was typically allowed to run off or drain into the soil. The “forever chemicals” pollute the soil, sewers, sediment, surface water, groundwater, and the air. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) bases regularly tested sprinkler systems in hangars to create a carcinogenic foam layer to coat the expensive aircraft. The sprinkler systems often malfunctioned. The foams were sent to sewers or deposited in groundwater or surface water.

The PFAS-laden foams work miraculously well in putting out super-hot petroleum-based fires, but remarkable technologies may escape our control and imperil humanity.

Two astonishing inventions in 1938 are like Daedalus’ fastening of wings to wax: the splitting of the uranium atom by German scientists and the discovery of per – and poly fluoroalkyl substances, (PFAS) by Dupont chemists in New Jersey.  It’s not a stretch. Both nuclear weaponry and PFAS chemicals are existential threats to humanity. Their development and use are inextricably linked.

Wherever nuclear weapons are found, huge quantities of PFAS foams are ready to be used to snuff out a fire that may cause unimaginable destruction.

Like Pandora’s nightmare, once PFAS is let loose we can’t get it back in the box. We can’t get rid of it. We can’t bury it. We can’t incinerate it. We don’t know what to do with it. Notions of ”cleaning up” PFAS from these practices are largely misguided, propagandistic ploys promulgated by the U.S. military.

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OVERPOPULATION? After a 19-Year-Old Woman Was Attacked and Killed in Romania, Lawmakers Approve Killing Almost 500 Bears

The fatal brown bear attack against a 19-year-old female tourist hiker sent shocks across the Romanian societies, prompting the head of government to recall lawmakers from their recess in order to vote legislation tackling the ‘overpopulation’ of bears in the country.

And the Parliamentarians apparently came back with a vengeance, approving measures that many may feel are extreme.

CBS reported:

“Romania’s parliament on Monday approved the culling of almost 500 bears this year in a bid to control the protected species’ ‘overpopulation’ after a deadly attack on a 19-year-old hiker sparked nationwide outcry.”

The bear reportedly attacked the young woman on the trail, dragged her into the vegetation and dropped her into a chasm, coming down after her.

After reportedly trying to attack the rescuers, the bear was shot and killed.

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