Wildlife Encounter in Colorado: Kill or be Killed?

I am hiking across acres of Southwest Colorado with my fabulous best friend, a Black Mouth Cur that I named, appropriately, “Blessing” on our morning “walk” through the fields and woods of the farm where we now live.  It is out …

The Maker of the Mountains I Can’t Climb

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These are not ordinary times and I am ready to dive off into the deep end.

Finally, I have reached the “want-to”, the readiness, the acceptance of furthering my “wilderness experiences” and I am willing to dive into the deep end, even though I can’t swim a single stroke on my own. Really, I can’t swim. I can fake it with fins on my feet, otherwise I’m floundering and lost in the vastness of the ocean, definitely “without a paddle”.

Recently there have been monumental mountains/changes in my life.  I lost a sibling to suicide on July the 4th to name just one.  Amazing how this tragedy has paved the avenue for a renewed and reconciled relationship with other family members, as only God can arrange, making beauty from of ashes.  Two of us got together yesterday and it was a delightful day of reunion and of memories, discovery, jokes…

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Bigfoot lives!? Existence backed by DNA, video, claim Sasquatch Genome Project researchers

DNA samples and video footage of an alleged Bigfoot sleeping in the Kentucky woods have been presented this week by researchers in Texas who say it all belongs to a ‘human hybrid.’

 

Bigfoot is real, and there’s now both DNA and video evidence to prove it, claims one group of devoted Sasquatch researchers.

The group’s “never-before-seen footage” of an alleged Bigfoot creature sleeping in the woods of Kentucky has been presented this week along with various blood and hair samples said to be unlike anything seen before.The group’s startling statements are supposedly backed by 11 outside laboratories and universities, which all reviewed the findings, and which were provided with blind samples, according to the report by the Sasquatch Genome Project.

“We want people to understand that this is a serious study,” Dr. Melba Ketchum, a genetics scientist, who led the project during the course of the five-year study, told CBS DFW.

Unsurprisingly, others are challenging Ketchum’s credibility, including New York University whose laboratory Ketchum claims similarly tested a field sample and found it having usual human mitochondrial results.

RELATED: FOOTPRINT IN OHIO BACKYARD LEAVES HOMEOWNER FEARING BIGFOOT

sasquatchgenomeproject.org

A tissue sample believed by the researchers to have been taken from a real-life Bigfoot is seen. The hair is described as far more coarse like a horse’s than a human’s.

Among the genetic and visual findings presented by the group in Dallas on Tuesday is video of what is described as “a reddish brown Sasquatch juvenile” sleeping in the woods after being tracked with her mother.

The juvenile is said to be just one of many witnessed and filmed in person by the researchers.

Other findings presented in the report, first published in February, include photos of coarse horse-like hair and at least one tissue sample believed by the group to be from an actual Sasquatch.

Another photo appears to show “fresh” drops of blood and large marks from “fangs” said to have punctured a metal downspout, according to the report.

“(A)pproximately one hundred and thirteen separate samples of hair, blood, mucus, toenail, bark scrapings, saliva and skin with hair and subcutaneous tissue attached were submitted by dozens of individuals and groups from thirty-four separate hominin collection sites around North America,” the report explains.

RELATED: PICTURE: DOES THIS DECOMPOSED PAW BELONG TO BIGFOOT?

sasquatchgenomeproject.org

Samples of hair collected from this wooden structure in the woods is said to have contained a never-before-seen genetic structure that is said to be human.

Through a generous $500,000 donation, by Bigfoot believer and businessman Adrian Erickson, the researchers say they were able to scientifically analyze all samples collected.

Labs said to have received them for study included the University of Texas Southwestern, the North Louisiana Crime Lab and NYU.

But a rep from NYU tells The News that the university never dealt with Ketchum  — who holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Texas A&M University — or accepted any data or samples from the Bigfoot Genome Project.

The Louisiana Crime Lab said it worked with Ketchum on her study but all they did was extract DNA from bones she sent them that she in turn sent to be sampled elsewhere.

“They didn’t know what they were testing,” Ketchum told the Daily News Wednesday by phone of the samples sent out. “I have one email from a tester saying ‘what have you done, discovered a new species?'”

RELATED: BREWER OFFERS $1M REWARD FOR BIGFOOT

sasquatchgenomeproject.org

A microscopic hair examination shows a variety of hair shaft profiles found. The full length of the hairs was approximately 15 cm and diameters ranged from 80 to 110 µm. Human head hairs typically range from 55 to 100 µm in diameter.

Though all of the samples turned out to be human, according to Ketchum, when the samples were broadened into genome sequences, some parts of the DNA were found to be identical to no other species previously known to man.

Instead what they say they’ve discovered is what they’re calling a genetic hybrid that defies what scientists once believed about evolution.

This new specifies, according to Ketchum, “originated from modern human females.”

“We have more data in our paper than ever done before to prove a new species but basic science doesn’t like the results,” said Ketchum who admits to once never believing in the existence of Bigfoot herself.

Previous arguments made against Ketchum’s findings include her samples’ possible contamination by their collectors — intentional or otherwise.

RELATED: SURVEY SHOWS REPUBLICANS MORE LIKELY TO BELIEVE CONSPIRACY THEORIES

Scott Carpenter/via YouTube

Dr. Melba Ketchum (r.) with members of the Sasquatch Genome Project. The group accuses mainstream science of being unable to ‘tolerate something controversial.’

That’s an idea she vehemently denies.

“If you have a contamination you’re going to have one profile overlapping over a second profile,” she said. “We do not have that in any samples of the study.”

Instead she says all samples were provided by credible sources with the understanding of the proper method of sample collection. Hair samples were further washed to prevent contamination, she said.

But, despite Ketchum and her team’s firm belief that their evidence is credible — some said to have been personally collected after trailing the bigfoots in the field — the researcher says she understands why her findings may be disputed by so many.

“The scientific community doesn’t know what to do with this new find. I call it the Galileo effect,” she said.

Still, in order to protect these creatures that are commonly refered to as “monsters” and even actively hunted by some, perhaps it’s for the better, she said.

“The whole point of this is that these are a type of people and they have culture and there’s plenty of evidence of this effect … they should have rights like we have,” she argued. “They’re not going to collect welfare and they’re not going to be a social burden but they don’t need to be hunted or even harassed.”

Golden eagle’s rare attack on deer caught on camera

 

Linda Kerley, Zoological Society of London

A camera trap set up to record tigers snapped three pictures of a golden eagle preying on a young deer in Siberia.

A rare death match between a golden eagle and a young deer was inadvertently captured by a camera trap set up to snap pictures of Russia’s endangered Siberian tigers.

The sika deer (Cervus nippon) was found dead in December 2011 by a researcher tending to the camera trap, which was being used to monitor the habits and movements of tigers in Lazovsky State Nature Reserve in Russia’s Far East.

Conservationist Linda Kerley, of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), recalled that something felt immediately wrong as she approached the carcass.

“There were no large carnivore tracks in the snow, and it looked like the deer had been running and then just stopped and died,” Kerley, who runs the ZSL’s camera trap project, said in a statement. “It was only after we got back to camp that I checked the images from the camera and pieced everything together. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”

The camera trap footage only captured two seconds of the attack in three photos, but it showed quite clearly an adult golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) clinging to the young deer’s back. [Camera Trapped: Elusive Wildlife Caught in Photos]

Linda Kerley, Zoological Society of London

A golden eagle’s unusual attack on a sika deer was recorded on camera in Russia’s Lazovsky State Nature Reserve on Dec. 1, 2011.

“I’ve been assessing deer causes of death in Russia for 18 years,” Kerley said in a statement. “This is the first time I’ve seen anything like this.”

An adult golden eagle can weigh more than 12 pounds (5.4 kilograms) and have a wingspan of about 7.5 feet (2.3 meters). Though they do not regularly prey on deer, the raptors are known for ambitious attacks on large animals, the researchers said. The birds, however, have not been known to attack people, despite what the “golden eagle” hoax video would have viewers believe.

“The scientific literature is full of references to golden eagle attacks on different animals from around the world, from things as small as rabbits — their regular prey — to coyote and deer, and even one record in 2004 of an eagle taking a brown bear cub,” Jonathan Slaght, of the Wildlife Conservation Society, said in a statement. (ZSL and WCS have been partnering on tiger monitoring in the region.)

“In this case I think Linda just got really lucky and was able to document a very rare, opportunistic predation event,” Slaght added.

Kerley and Slaght described the strange case in this month’s issue of the Journal of Raptor Research.

Looking Danger Square In the Eye

Good, Vibrant Morning! by Marybeth Haydon

TRAVELING ALONG THIS IMPRESSIVE RIVER, WHICH IS FLOWING NORTHWEST, paralleling the coast, I scramble up a hill for a photo op. Standing as close to the edge of my perch as safely possible, I hesitate to begin shooting. The awe and power of the river is complimented by the fantastic diversity of the rock walls and it is commanding my full attention. Clearly, iron dominates the rock canyon, leaving a fantastic rusty patina which is frequently interrupted with dark green trees and shrub. Gray to black mudstones, siltstones and sandstones further the pleasant variations. Even a swipe of golden brown color to complete the picture.

Rugged Pallet of Color by Marybeth Haydon

The river’s edge cuts a raw, white, jagged saw tooth line, the salt-crusted shoreline and boulders that rise above the water, where the natural water’s pulse and current spray have frequently misted the protruding boulders, scatter these highlights throughout the landscape. The current is intense, furious whenever the canyon walls insinuate upon the channel.
There is an odd, captivating rock formation close to the more turbulent section of the channel. It appears as though molten gray rock has spilled from the canyon wall with a round, spoon-shaped end closest to the water’s edge with its wide handle, ladle-like, balancing on the upper riverbank.  This salmon-frequented river flows primarily northeast before changing course to southern pastures and wetlands.

Interesting Color Contrast by Marybeth Haydon

Only a few hours into the trek and I’m met with dry-grass contrasting a man-made path with lush forests of oak and pines and other trees that I can’t distinguish, looming into its distant future. This revs my energy level, the promise of cooler, green pastures is inviting.

It doesn’t take long to leave signs of civilization behind and soon the hushed, fog-covered forest embraces my curious nature.  Every step is soft, debris-mulched and fragrant under my boot.

This is true paradise.

Lush Greenery Abounds by Marybeth Haydon

On up the trail I continue, not knowing just why I feel I should get really deep into the forest today but I am very happy to be here, doing what I’m doing.  The scenery never gets old, thank You God. The wildflowers are in full bloom and some are exceedingly fragrant. Their youth is renewed every spring, man, what a thrill that must be! I continue to scan the ubiquitous plant life and deeply inhale the surrounding scents. The perfume of the forest, nothing can beat it. The fragrances change as I proceed, pine mingling with wild licorice, licorice mingling with bay, bay mingling with mustard … I’m not sure if the oak trees have a scent but their dropped acorns are like marbles under my boots.

There is a spot reserved for me under a very large sequoia, its branches outstretched in a welcoming, “Come hither, under my canopy and rest.”  I oblige.  I remove my pack, habitually snapping the belt closed and settle down for a snack.  The sound of rusting paper from my energy bar has apparently alerted many creatures, the most forward and aggressive of which is the scrub jay in front of me.  Not far behind are a few squirrels & chipmunks in various stages of anticipation and wariness, and I’m beginning to wonder where Thumper and Bambi are.

I ignore the advancing blue jay and tip my head back to see if I can see any sky.  What I do see sends my heart racing and my hands shaking.

My head now on a swivel, I check my surroundings more thoroughly, then up again into the trees.  I begin to rise, keeping my eyes on the trees above me, moving ever so carefully, forcing slow and deliberate movement.

Where is mama bear?

Two curious black bear cubs are peeking down and over the foliage of the pine that is right next to the big sequoia that I am against.  Still looking up, I reach for my pack, once again thankful for my habit of cinching the belt, and toss my power bar over past the oak that holds the cubs. Backing away, thankful for the soft, cushy debris and needle-carpeted ground I am looking everywhere. Seriously everywhere. Behind me, above me, beside me. No longer does my immediate forest hold a critter audience, the animals have left town.

I just can not even believe this is happening.

Black bear cubs. courtesy Google images

My heart ratchets yet another level as I swing my eyes towards the scraping, then soft thump sound.  NO WAY! Those cubs are heading towards me, SNAP! I speak firmly to them, “No bear!” but apparently they don’t understand English. The larger of the two is still, although a bit hesitant, coming forward. I am nearly paralyzed with fear. WHERE IS MAMA BEAR?

Lord, please…

I bump into a bush, maybe a tree I don’t really care and could not afford to be distracted with finding out. My entire body is shaking, my muscles feel weak, defenseless  and inadequate. I sneak a look and find the path I came in on still backing away. Both cubs seem to be very perplexed, the smaller a bit distracted with a flying insect of sorts, the other looking from its sibling then to me, sizing up the situation.  Thankfully they are remaining grounded where they are.  But for how long, and the million dollar question: Where’s mama bear?!

I need not wonder any longer.

Angry bear courtesy Google images

Emerging from the underbrush, sending a fleeting glance toward my power bar, is protective mama bear!  She brawls at her cubs like a mother admonishing her children for straying beyond the yard, then gives her full, very direct attention to me.  Somehow I continue to back away, averting eye contact, wild and insane thoughts swirling through my mind. Out of the corner of my eye I see the cubs scrambling up a tree to safety.  Obedient children now that mom’s back.

Realizing that I have been shaking my head in a “no, no, no!” while retreating further, I force every cell, every adrenalin dump into sniper-concentrated focus.  I know the choices on what to do, now how on earth do I choose which avenue to take?  “Read the body language” comes back to memory and I continue backing away, not saying a word, my hands needlessly out in a “stay away” gesture.

Mama grunts threats, her sounds deep and quite menacing, then makes a swipe at the ground in front of her, sending dust and sticks flying into the air, shaking her lowered head. I’m reminded of a bull about to charge and I’m certain I’m going to lose it completely, right here. Right now.  She has not charged me, I take this as a very good sign.  I am still backing away when suddenly I’m falling, and I still haven’t landed yet!

Tangled in brush and briars, I look up the hill to see if she has decided to follow, then end me.  Piece by piece, Marybeth-mulch nourishing the forest. At this point I have lost all reason, tearing my clothes and skin as I thrash through the sticky under brush in full panic mode. I don’t see her, I have lost my pack somewhere along the fall and I no longer care. I am completely overcome with irrational fear as I begin to run down the trail.  DO NOT RUN FROM A PREDATOR but I figure after the fall that I’m far enough away and I’m around the bend so that she can’t see me? Panic trumps reason, it really does.

Paradise behind me. Courtesy Google images

I am back to the manmade pathway, out of the dense forest and I have not heard any movement or growl behind me since the fall but every fiber of my being is still at high alert. I collapse in a sobbing heap, then I begin to laugh. I think perhaps I’m hysterical, just a thought.

Once I recovered and was shakily on my way home I was first, exceedingly grateful that I was reasonably unharmed. Physically. Emotionally I’ll probably never be the same. I thought about the good habit of keeping my keys and phone separate from my pack and for the habit of always fastening my pack belt. Even though I lost my pack, had I not fallen, I would have had it for minute protection or for the first aid kit inside it.

Establishing good hiking habits and knowing how to interpret and react to animal behavior goes a very long way. Even when you mess up the best laid plans.

For information on safety, signs of presence, and first aid please click: 

Pt 1    http://ow.ly/gY1Yn    Pt 2  http://ow.ly/gY1UB      Pt 3    http://ow.ly/gY1Og    Fight or Flight

Visit me on Facebook  http://ow.ly/hycIm    or at Twitter  http://twitter.com/MarybethHaydon

Hundreds of California cattle feared hurt, dead as massive Rim Fire scorches region

The monstrous California wildfire that has scorched an area nearly the size of New York City doesn’t just loom over hundreds of homes — it’s also threatening one of the cornerstones of the regional economy: cattle.

Many of the thousands of grass-fed cows who have grazed on lush land in the Stanislaus National Forest — where the massive fire sparked Aug. 17 — are now feared displaced, wounded or dead, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

As local ranch hands deal with their potentially decimated stock — and with the future of grazing in the forest area unclear — the regional cattle industry may take a big hit, according to the newspaper.

“They go out every day, gathering the cows they can find, the ones that have made it into the green areas,” Susan Forbes, a national forest staffer, told the Chronicle. “They’re finding pockets of livestock and concentrating on removing them as fast as they can.”

Forbes told the newspaper that 12 of 36 grazing grounds in the park were devastated by the blaze. Herds of cattle are now scattered over thousands of acres — making evacuation efforts a huge challenge.

The Golden state accounts for 7.4 percent of the U.S. national revenue for livestock and livestock products. It’s also the number one state in cash farm receipts, making up 11.6 percent of the U.S. total, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Cattle and calves were California’s fifth leading commodity two years ago, and remain a chief state resource, according to CDFA data.

Meanwhile, crews battling the so-called Rim Fire made significant gains overnight, officials said.

The fire was 60 percent contained Monday morning, a jump from 45 percent Sunday night, said Dan Bastion, a spokesman for the multiagency fire management team.

Cooler temperatures and higher humidity allowed crews to get an advantage on the fire overnight, according to Bastion.

“The fire is a little less active today,” Bastion said early Monday.

And yet the so-called Rim Fire grew slightly late Sunday, and now spans over 357 square miles, or 228,670 acres, making it the fourth-largest blaze in modern California history, he said. It surpasses a 1932 fire in Ventura County, according to officials.

The fire threatens some 4,500 homes, although many of those structures are “not in imminent danger,” Bastion said. Some 11 residences have already burned down, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Mandatory evacuations still stand for some people south of Highway 120. Tioga Road west of Yosemite Creek Picnic Area remains shuttered, according to The Associated Press.

Crews will continue building fire lines and scorching away the fire’s potential fuel sources Monday, according to the wire service.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze, but the possibility that it was started by an illegal marijuana growing operation was recently raised by a fire chief in Tuolomne County.

Todd McNeal, fire chief in the town of Twain Harte, west of Yosemite, said at an Aug. 23 community meeting that officials “know it’s human caused, there’s no lightning in the area. … (We) highly suspect that it might be some sort of illicit grove, marijuana grow-type thing.”

His comments surfaced in a YouTube video of the meeting.

However, Rim Fire spokesman Brian Haines told NBC Bay Area that at this juncture, the marijuana theory is merely “an opinion.”

In June, 15,000 marijuana plants were pulled out the forest to the south and four miles of irrigation pipe were removed, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

The newspaper said a 40-acre wildfire the month earlier in the same area was blamed on marijuana growers tied to Mexican drug cartels.

Yosemite Wildfire Update: National Guard Launches Unmanned Drone to Monitor the Fire

Revive

Unmanned drone is the latest tool in the battle against the wildfire raging at Yosemite National Park.

The MQ-1 National Guard unmanned aircraft being remotely piloted hundreds of miles away quickly alerted fire bosses to a new flare-up they otherwise wouldn’t have immediately seen.

(MORE:  Yosemite Forecast | Yosemite Fire Among Largest in California History)

“This morning it’s allowed us to see a spot fire,” said Mike Wilkins, commander of forces at the Rim Fire.

The 12-day-old Rim Fire continued to grow, expanding to 292 square miles, and containment remained at 23 percent. But increasingly confident fire officials said they expect to fully surround it in three weeks, although it will burn for much longer than that.

Each icon represents one of the dozens of large fires currently burning across the West.

“It’s looking better every day,” said incident spokesman Glen Stratton.

While unmanned aircraft have mapped past fires…

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“Rim” fire one of the biggest wildfires in CA history est. containment winter

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Yosemite wildfire blankets region with choking smoke for more than 100 miles

“Rim” fire one of the biggest wildfires in California history.

Revive Note:  Hundreds of displaced bears and other wildlife. Campers, hikers be diligent!!

Ash and smoke pour into Reno, Nevada.

Firefighters reported significant progress Wednesday against one of the biggest wildfires in California’s history, but it was still spewing an enormous plume of smoke, dangerously contaminating the air across California and Nevada.

Authorities urged people in the region to avoid all outdoor activity as the Rim Fire’s choking haze — a mile and a quarter thick at some points — spread from the outskirts of Yosemite National Park into Nevada. “Unhealthful” and “very unhealthy” air quality readings were recorded Wednesday across the Reno and Carson City area.

The fire had grown from 144,000 acres Sunday to about 187,500 acres by late Wednesday morning — about the size of…

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“Heart Broken” for Teacher Who Died in Sierra Nevada Hiking Accident

Valencia High School Teacher Pat Hadley died on Thursday while hiking in the Sequoia National Forest

Friends mourned on Saturday the loss of a longtime Southern California high school teacher and running coach who died after falling 150 feet off a mountain ridge in the Sierra Nevada.

Pat Hadley died on Thursday in a fall on a rugged hillside in the Inyo National Forest, coroner’s officials said.

Tributes began to spring up online for the popular teacher who students called “Coach Hadley.”

“She is the mold that God made for teachers to follow,” wrote “Rose” in an online tribute page. “My heart is broken by Coach Hadley’s passing.”

Jim Bell, the principal at Valencia High School in Placentia, touted her accomplishments on the track and in the classroom in a statement posted on the school’s website.

“Pat tragically lost her life doing what she loved,” he said. “She will be missed and we ask you for your thoughts and prayers for her family.”

Hadley died while taking part in a series of day hikes on California mountain trails with about 20 others when she disappeared about 2 p.m. Thursday, said Jeff Mullenhour, a deputy coroner’s investigator in Inyo County.

Her body was found about two hours later. It was an accident, Mullenhour said. An autopsy set for Sunday would determine how she died.

The hiking community set up an online tribute for Hadley on Friday.

She was climbing alone on a ridge in Baxter Pass on Day 7 of the 10-day “Sierra Challenge,” a series of day-hikes to 10 peaks, wrote Bob Burd, a moderator on the site summitpost.org.

Fellow hikers found her lifeless body about 150 feet below the ridge, Burd wrote.

”All of us are devastated by this tragic loss,” wrote Burd, adding that the rest of the Challenge was canceled out of respect for Hadley’s family. “Our prayers and thoughts go out to her husband, family and a wide community of friends that will undoubtedly be greatly affected.”

The Wisconsin native taught ceramics and coached the boys cross country and boys and girls track teams in her nearly 20-year career at Valencia.

Hadley’s storied athletic career included national titles in mountain biking and a stint in the first unofficial female World Cup Soccer tournament, Bell said.

“Now cracks a noble heart,” wrote “MoapaPk” in the online tribute, referring to a line in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” “Good night sweet princess: And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”

Fire on Yosemite outskirts balloons to 84 square miles

A wildfire outside Yosemite National Park more than tripled in size overnight and still threatens about 2,500 homes, hotels and camp buildings.

Fire officials said the blaze burning in remote, steep terrain in Northern California had grown to more than 84 square miles and was only 2 percent contained on Thursday, down from 5 percent a day earlier.

Members of the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors gathered Wednesday night to write a resolution asking Gov. Jerry Brown for help, according to NBCBayArea.com.

Despite the progress crews made Wednesday, the fire has gone from burning 16,000 acres on Wednesday to 54,000 acres Thursday morning — making it almost twice the size of the city of San Francisco.

The fire fight is in its sixth day against the aggressive flames that have burned through trees, brush and nine structures. 

Crews were forced to close parts of Highway 120, a main east-west route that leads into the national park, and other roads because of the active fire. About 1,300 fire crews are battling the blaze.

The U.S. Forest Service announced Wednesday that it is running out of funds to fight wildfires and is diverting $600 million from timber and recreation. It has already spent $967 million on the more than 32,000 wildfires this year.