This one at the town of Trout River in Newfoundland on Canada’s East Coast is rotting away and the community’s concern is that it might explode. The Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus can grow to 30 metres long and is believed to be the largest creature ever to have lived.

A Canadian fisheries expert says however it is unlikely to explode unless it is deliberately punctured, as usually the gasses caused by decomposition escape slowly and naturally as tissue integrity declines. You can read the full article below.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2616729/Ready-blow-Fears-six-ton-blue-whale-carcass-washed-beach-tiny-Newfoundland-village-EXPLODE-moment.html

Recently a Black Bear (Ursus americanus) killed a female worker in the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada. The 36 year old was declared dead at the scene of the incident at the Suncor Energy plant. Apparently she was on the way back from a washroom when the incident occurred. Royal Canadian Mounted Police later shot and killed the bear, which had remained in the area some 25km north of Fort McMurray. A Canadian OH&S spokesperson said bear attacks are unusual in the area. Total bear deaths in the US and Canada average about 2 a year, mostly involving bears habituated to living around and scavenging near camping grounds.

It all just goes to show that companies have to be ever vigilant to the many and varied kinds of wildlife hazards that are out there for their employees. I have little information on how this tragic incident occurred but to work and travel in pairs and watch your mates back must be key in reducing such needless fatalities.

I have been keeping them (I am British) since I was a teenager and have even written several books on the subject – so I feel well qualified in the subject. Anyway every 3rd Saturday of the month in Malaga Animal Ark will be hosting these courses.

Suitable for all ages, family friendly, I aim to assist all those with an interest or desire to learn more about these fascinating creatures. Licensing, feeding, housing, handling and all aspects of successful husbandry will be discussed and demonstrated. Of course there will also be loads of creatures to meet, feed and handle. Contact Animal Ark for further details.

I thought I would quickly Google the phenomenon to find out more, here’s what I found out. Not only have fish rained from the skies in Sri Lanka but also here in Australia fish began falling from the sky in a small outback town of Lajamanu in the Northern Territory, about 550km southwest of Katherine. This was back in 2010, and not only did the fish fall, but on two consecutive days! The town on the edge of the Tanami Desert is hundreds of kilometres from the nearest large body of water Lake Argyle. It is not even certain that this is where they came from.

Incredibly this also happened before in the same small town both in 1974 and 2004. The 2010 incident involved hundreds and hundreds of small Spangled Perch. Local resident Christine Balmer took the photos. “They fell from the sky everywhere. Locals were picking them up from the footy oval and on the ground everywhere”. “These fish were alive when they hit the ground” “Thanks god it didn’t rain crocodiles”

Western Greys are herbivores consuming mainly grasses, shrubs, leaves and tree bark. Their conservation status in Australia is as a least vulnerable species. They grow quickly reaching a length of around 94 – 222cm and weigh in at 30-50kg.

Breeding may occur year round but usually peaks between September and March. Gestation is just 30 days, and a single tiny naked jellybean sized newborn climbs through the fur to reach into the pouch and attaches itself to one of 4 teats. A joey leaves the pouch about 6-8 months later - but may still suckle until around 17 months of age. Lifespan is around 20 years. I really like the macropods and I know on our courses that feeding a joey is a highlight. Fortunately many of the rescued ones we see at NAR (Native Animal Rescue) do eventually get successfully released in new mobs made up other rehabilitated greys.