Animals

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How a total solar eclipse affects animal behavior

Reports of unusual animal behaviors during a total solar eclipse date back centuries, according to NASA, but the agency says the effects are not fully understood.

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of the United States, Canada and Mexico, briefly plunging millions of people — and animals — into midday darkness.

Ahead of the rare celestial event, we’ve published two VERIFIED guides on how people can safely watch and photograph the solar eclipse.

After our stories were shared online, VERIFY reader TM asked if total solar eclipses can affect animal behavior.

THE QUESTION

Do total solar eclipses affect animal behavior?

THE SOURCES

  • NASA
  • Eclipse Soundscapes Project
  • Oceana, a non-profit ocean conservation organization
  • Pacific University
  • University of Alabama in Huntsville
  • University of Arkansas at Little Rock
  • An article by Steve Portugal, Ph.D., comparative ecophysiologist and reader in animal biology and physiology at Royal Holloway University of London
  • Science News, a bi-weekly magazine published by the Society for Science, a non-profit dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education
  • Studies published on JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, books and primary sources
  • A study published in Animals, a peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal
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Animal Rights Influencer Dies of Complications After Liposuction Procedure

The Daily Beast/Instagram

The Daily Beast/Instagram

A Mexican model, influencer, and animal rights activist died just two days after a liposuction procedure, her team confirmed on social media.

Elena Larrea, 31, on Tuesday died of pulmonary thrombosis, also called pulmonary embolism, in which blood clots travel from the legs to the lungs. It is the leading cause of liposuction-related deaths, according to a 2023 study.

Larrea was a well-known Instagram horse girl and the founder of the animal rescue shelter Cuacolandia, which gave homes to horses, donkeys, and other equine animals. When the shelter was in danger of closing, Larrea joined OnlyFans to help raise money to keep it open.

Larrea was also an activist who helped change legislature in the Mexican state of Puebla. She partnered with the Animalist Movement of Puebla to make bestiality a crime in the state.

Her death prompted a statement from the regional governor Sergio Salomon, who called her a “tireless fighter” for animal rights and promised to keep Cuacolandia open through cooperation with the Ministry of Environment.

“We will provide all the necessary help so other horses are cared for by the authorities as well as those already rescued, prioritizing their wellbeing at all times. We

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New study reveals animal behavior during COVID lockdown

The COVID-19 lockdown for humans was not an opportunity for wildlife to run free, in fact a new study found herbivores tend to be more active around people, while carnivores remain hidden.

The study, published Monday in Nature Ecology and Evolution and led by researchers at the University of BC, is one of the largest of its kind on wildlife activity, involving 120 researchers worldwide and 5,000 so-called camera traps, taking pictures of the animals.

Lead author Cole Burton, an associate professor of forest resources management at UBC, says COVID-19 restrictions provided researchers with a “very unique opportunity” to study how animals respond to people.

The study says one striking pattern of animal responses to increased human activity came from species in more developed areas, and when humans were out, activity for many animals in those modified landscapes also picked up.

Burton says wolves, cougars and other carnivores still hide away from humans.

He says the findings of their study are useful amid a surge in outdoor recreation post-pandemic to understand how wildlife responds to human activity and to develop conservation plans.

He said the study could also help wildlife managers minimize the negative impacts by humans.

“For that reason,

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GNWT nutritionist talks health benefits of wild animals and plants

The NWT is full of nutritious food, and much of it can be found far beyond the doors of the territory’s grocery stores.

“Traditional foods are the foods that have been eaten for millennia by the original peoples of the Northwest Territories, and that would be food from the land, the sky and the waters,” said Mabel Wong, a registered dietician who works as a territorial nutritionist with the NWT’s chief public health officer. “There are no foods from the land, sky and waters that should be avoided. All animals are healthy to eat, but traditional hunters, trappers, and harvesters know how to look for a healthy animal compared to an animal that is not healthy, and their wisdom is really, really valued when a person goes hunting.”

Wong has been doing her job in the North for just shy of 50 years.

In that time, she has become well acquainted with many traditional foods, such as the meat of moose and caribou, as well as the NWT’s many species of birds.

Ungulates like moose and caribou, he says, have a comparable level of protein to domesticated animals like cows and pigs, but often include far more iron. Iron, an

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Animal Welfare Labels for Belgian Producers « Euro Weekly News

Approximately 60% of people express willingness to pay extra for products from welfare-friendly farming systems.

In Flanders, Belgium’s Dutch-speaking region, new animal-friendly labels will soon grace food packaging. Dubbed “Beter voor Dieren” (Better for Animals), these labels will signify products from companies adhering to ethical animal-raising practices for human consumption.

The Flemish Ministry of Animal Welfare hopes this initiative will prompt consumers to prioritize animal welfare in their food choices, while also highlighting producers’ methods and encouraging more ethical practices. This label aims to give an edge to producers emphasizing animal well-being in the market.

The importance of animal welfare

Recent EU surveys underscore the significance of such initiatives, with a vast majority of Europeans advocating better protection for farm animals and expressing readiness to pay more for welfare-friendly products.

Flemish Animal Welfare Minister Ben Weyts stated, “Beter voor Dieren label makes this possible and even easy,” considering its role in guiding purchasing decisions based on animal welfare. The label will appear on packaging from producers surpassing standard legal requirements, which may include actions such as minimizing animal transportation, providing higher-quality animal feed, or ensuring more spacious living conditions.

The labels will categorize producers

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How pets, wild animals may react to the solar eclipse

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — The solar eclipse is almost here and many people will be flocking to the path of totality. While we know the reaction from viewers, how will the animals react?

The Division of Wildlife wants your help to document any behaviors of animals before, during and after the solar eclipse through the iNaturalist app.

Sarah Schott with the Division of Wildlife explains what local residents might see from birds, mammals and even insects:

So we’re interested to see, particularly when those fake dusk and dawn periods come, are those birds starting to sing more there, and then they go quiet, and then they sing again? And then they maybe go about their regular daily activity in the afternoon?”

Other things like maybe skunks or raccoons that are more often active at night might come out. So any of those nocturnal species for that really short window period of time might become active.”

The mosquitoes are going to start coming out, and we all do experience that as dusk or dawn is around, the mosquitoes get worse. So you might notice there being more mosquitoes out around the time of eclipse.”

While the Division of Wildlife anticipates some

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How do animals without brains survive?

Jellyfish have survived all extinctions without brains or hearts.
Jellyfish have survived all extinctions without brains or hearts.
Cristina Espinoza

Cristina Espinoza Meteored Chile 6 min

Can you imagine living without a brain? What would be impossible to conceive for a human being is the reality for various species, mainly marine, that feed, excrete, reproduce and can learn from what happens in their environment without the need for that organ.

Jellyfish, starfish, anemones, corals and sea urchins are on the list, but so are they earthworms. Some look like plants or have gelatinous shapes, and many share the characteristics of having a nervous system or, at least, nerve endings. Although there are species that don’t even have that.

The evolution of the brain

Evolution allowed us to advance from the first chemical and electrical messages in multicellular organisms – more than 1.9 billion years ago – to sophisticated nervous systems, where neuronal communication becomes increasingly faster, more precise and complex.

The first nervous systems were nervous networks.
The first nervous systems were nervous networks.

The first nervous systems were nervous networks, which had no central command or brain, which can still be seen in organisms such as hydras and jellyfish. But about 500 million years ago, the first vertebrates developed basic versions of the pattern

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Middletown woman indicated after dogs found under frozen blankets

ExploreOxford man indicted in Hamilton cat cruelty case; grand jury ignores B&E charges

On Wednesday, the grand jury returned indictments for three counts of cruelty to companion animals, a fifth-degree felony, and three counts of confinement of dogs, a third-degree misdemeanor.

According to court documents, animal control officer Jamie Hearlihy was dispatched to the Grace residence to check on three dogs in the back of the house. She found two pitbull type dogs and a Labrador retriever mix in plastic crates with frozen blankets in them. All three dogs were tied on 6- to 10-foot tethers.

When Hearlihy spoke to Grace, she said she didn’t want to talk outside because “it was cold,” according to the report. Grace was told to bring the dogs inside, but she “refused to do so as she didn’t have room in the house for three large dogs.”

ExploreWoman indicted after dead dog and emaciated horse found in Hanover Twp.

Grace surrendered the dogs to the officer to be taken to a shelter. When Hearlihy checked on them one was dead and the other two were very thin with ribs showing, according to the report.

Grace is free on bond and is scheduled

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Investigation continues after dead animals left outside shop

As previously reported, the bodies of around 50 dead hares, as well as a barn owl and a kestrel, were found outside the Broughton Community Shop in High Street.

Hampshire Constabulary police officers were called at 6.20am on Friday, March 15.

READ MORE: Burnt out car found in hunt for suspect after dead animals dumped outside shop

Police are progressing all lines of inquiry to identify offenders, with members of its Neighborhood Policing Team carrying out reassurance patrols to speak with people in the village.

Country Watch Sergeant Stuart Ross said: “We know the effect this incident has had on the local community.

“To be clear, mindless criminal acts like this one will not be tolerated. Those responsible will face the full force of the law and the consequences for their actions.

“Crime in our rural communities can have a huge impact on the residents who live there, and on the countryside in general.

SEE ALSO: Larger police presence needed after dead animals dumped outside shop, say councillors

“Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has a dedicated team of officers called Country Watch, whose main priority is to disrupt and tackle the crimes affecting our rural communities.

“We have a

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Ag-tivity Center lets people see animals and farm practices up close | Local & State

Surrounded by animals at the Angelina County Fair, Cady Harvey contemplated some of the qualities she’s found to be crucial when she’s interacting with animals. She mentioned “being caring and kind and listening to them” as particularly important.

“They have to trust you, and you have to trust them,” Cady, a Zavalla High School junior, said. “Especially with bigger animals, you really have to trust them.”

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