Ice Victims
An abrupt change in sea conditions appears responsible for the
death of 11 killer whales that became trapped between ice floes and
concrete blocks along the coast of Japan’s Hokkaido Island.
Ice Victims
An abrupt change in sea conditions appears responsible for the death of 11 killer whales that became trapped between ice floes and concrete blocks along the coast of Japan’s Hokkaido Island. One of the orcas managed to break free into open water, but wildlife experts said she appeared weak and unable to move very well due to the ordeal. An environmentalist in the town of Rausu, where the whales became trapped, said rescue attempts were hampered by the ice clusters, and by the water being too shallow to allow boats to reach the victims.
Euro-Asian Blizzards
Winter storms across Eastern Europe and southern Asia brought heavy rain, blizzards and even welcome relief to drought while paralyzing parts of the region. Snowfall and avalanches in Kashmir trapped thousands of motorists, prompting Indian officials to send in troops to clear the highways. Chinese officials said nearly 4,600 head of cattle froze to death after a sudden snowstorm hit southwestern Tibet. Bitter cold and blizzard conditions were also responsible for numerous deaths from Hungary and the Balkans to northern Iran.
Volcanoes
One of the tallest and most active volcanoes in Alaska spewed hot rocks and lava that were visible to residents of the Alaska Peninsula more than 20 miles away. Vulcanologists said the volcano was not building to a more powerful eruption.
n Two streams of lava from Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano began entering the ocean on the southern shore of the Big Island.
Bird Flu Update
Vietnamese officials say the country’s latest outbreak of avian influenza shows signs of abating, and they hope to have it under control by the end of February. But U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization representative Anton Rychener believes the virus is not likely to be eradicated. “What is happening this year is not an outbreak. It is an endemic recurrence of a disease that is here to stay,” said Rychener.
n China’s agriculture ministry said its scientists have developed a new vaccine that can effectively “cut a key link in the transmission chain of avian influenza among water fowl.” The China Daily reported that tests show the vaccine enables ducks and geese to fight H5N1, the highly lethal strain of bird flu, three weeks after being vaccinated.
South American Slides
Days of torrential rainfall in Venezuela and parts of neighboring Colombia unleashed flooding and mudslides that demolished buildings, washed out roads and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes. One of the most deadly mudslides killed five members of a single family when their home was buried in the Venezuelan coastal town of Puerto Cabello. A state of emergency was declared in several areas.
Earthquakes
A powerful aftershock of the disastrous Dec. 26 temblor off Sumatra caused people to flee their homes in panic. Fearing another tsunami, some traveled more than a mile inland following the shaking.
n A sharp quake off the southern Philippines caused similar panic on Borneo. Malaysia issued its first-ever tsunami alert following the magnitude 7.1 temblor, which produced no ocean wave.
n Earth movements were also felt in the central Philippines, Papua New Guinea’s New Ireland region, Taiwan, northeastern Japan, eastern Nepal, northern Tunisia, the Turkey-Iraq border region and southern parts of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Tropical Cyclones
The outer bands of Cyclone Meena brought down trees, cut power and caused minor damage in the Cook Islands, but there were no reports of injuries.
• Cyclone Harvey caused flash flooding and wind damage when it struck a remote area of northern Australia, along the border of Queensland and the Northern Territory.
• Weak Cyclone Vivienne formed briefly off northwestern Australia.
Singing Monkey
Scientists exploring the rain forests of Bolivia say they have discovered a new monkey sub species that can be heard singing in a remote part of the country’s Madidi National Park. The primate is orange-brown in color with a golden crown, and stands less than 2 feet in height. Discoverers Robert Wallace and Humberto Gomez of the Wildlife Conservation Society said they had observed couples singing and hugging each other in the early morning as if they were human. The society plans to have the new monkey’s name chosen by the highest bidder in an Internet auction at charityfolks.com to raise funds to preserve the animals’ habitat.
– By Steve Newman
