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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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New evidence suggests spate of Killer Whale-on-boat violence not tied to revenge but to fun
It was first reported, here, two months ago, that a pod of Killer Whales off the coasts of Spain and New Spain (i.e. Portugal) was exhibiting never-before-seen behavior in carrying out coordinated attacks on boats.
BeachGrit

Bear activity persists despite early snow
Two bears were shot in the Haines Borough this past weekend, both by homeowners defending chickens. Although bear-related calls to the police dipped after last week’s record-setting snowfall, the recent activity suggests this year’s Bearpocalypse is not yet over.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Philadelphia perching birds fighting over stripped chicken bone
This could point to potential climate or food shortage stressors affecting the feeding behaviors of the House Sparrows.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Search underway for bear following ‘predatory’ attack on a neighborhood dog in Sitka
The bear tore through a chain link enclosure around midnight on November 4, and killed a 125-pound mixed-breed dog belonging to Georgiana Smith — who immediately informed her Indian River-area neighbors of the incident on the Sitka Bear Report Facebook page.
Sitka, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Police kill brown bear believed responsible for vehicle damage
Two brown bears were killed in Haines last week, bringing the total killed outside hunting season in management unit 1D this year to 26. Bear calls to police have increased by about 600% compared to past years.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Ten polar bears - six adults and four cubs - besiege a stalled rubbish truck in Russian Arctic
Fellow driver tries to scare the predators away as they climb inside the truck to reach food scraps. All predators look healthy and well fed, however the author of the video suggests that it could have been hunger that made them surround the truck.
Siberian Times

Beluga Family Rescued From Low Tide by Russian Emergency Worker
Residents of the coastal Chumikan village reported two adult whales and one baby on Wednesday afternoon, on a shore of the Uda River that flows into the sea. Alexei Paramonov spent hours protecting the pod from wild animals and poachers and saved the baby whale from hypothermia.
Chumikan, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia
The Moscow Times

Bear in Denali National Park euthanized over safety concerns
The bear had entered buildings and food caches, according to National Park Service officials.
Denali National Park, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Fish and Game is looking for a black bear that followed and charged people in Anchorage park
The repeated run-ins with the bear were part of the reason that one children's camp decided to move out of Russian Jack to another park.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Hunter killed by bear in Wrangell-St. Elias died in ‘surprise attack’ while field-dressing moose, officials say
The National Park Service said a 22-year-old Ohio man was salvaging moose meat when he was killed in the national park’s first recorded fatal bear mauling.
Wrangall St. Elias National Park, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Brown bear breaks into Alaska Zoo, kills alpaca named Caesar
The bear tunneled under the zoo’s perimeter fence and broke through the cedar split rail fence around the alpaca enclosure before killing Caesar, according to the zoo’s executive director, Pat Lampi. Another alpaca -- Fuzzy Charlie -- was found unhurt though wide-eyed and skittish.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Gray heron seen for first time in contiguous US, as species expands range
This tall waterbird, native to Eurasia, was spotted in Nantucket. Could the species soon establish a foothold in the Americas?
Madaket, Massachusetts, United States
National Geographic

Juneau’s unsecured garbage and ‘bumper crop of yearling bears’ are a deadly combination
Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials say a bunch of young bears and a dwindling natural food supply are forcing the bruins to search human garbage for food before they hibernate for the winter.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

Six whales die in largest stranding of its type in Ireland's history
The seven northern bottlenose dolphins were spotted stranded on a beach in Rossnowlagh, County Donegal, on the north west coast of Ireland, earlier today.
Ballintra, Ulster, Ireland
Mail Online

Biologists hope dead sea lion will provide insight into endangered Aleutian population
Officials have been receiving reports of Steller sea lions hauling out on beaches in poor condition, but have been unable to retrieve the animals for research — largely because they are in remote areas.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States

Black bear injures Juneau man after following him through open door
With few fish and limited berries, bear encounters are high in Alaska's capital city this year.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Polar bear noticed near an urban-type settlement called Ugolnye Kopi
A polar bear was noticed 15 kilometers from an urban-type settlement in Anadyrsky District called Ugolnye Kopi on the morning of August 3. The predator was walking to the shore of the Anadyr estuary.
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia
Anadyr Online

Bear chases child near Whitehorse before mom intercepts, say conservation officers
Yukon conservation officers are patrolling after a black bear chased a child near Whitehorse last weekend. The boy's mom managed to get between her child and the animal.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

A bear walks the streets of Anadyr
On Thursday, July 16, a bear walking around the city was found in the district capital. This was reported at 2.00 a.m. by a resident of the village of Tavaivaam to the senior operational duty of the Crisis Management Center...
Anadyr, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
Анадырь - Онлайн

Woman killed after bear attack in Krasnoyarsk region
A resident of Krasnoyarsk region died as a result of a bear attack in Krasnoyarsk region. Rescuers recommend residents of the region to refrain from visiting the forests.The incident occurred in the Yenisei district. Not far from the village of Baikal, a woman with her husband and child was resting near the lake. A bear came out of the pond and attacked the victim. The predator managed to drive away, after which the husband took the victim to the hospital. The woman died on the way to the medical facility, KrasnoyarskMedia reports.
Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia
Известия

New song in Canada's white-throated sparrows
Most bird species are slow to change their songs, preferring to stick with tried-and-true tunes to defend territories and attract females — but this shift went viral across Canada.
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
CBC

Southern resident whales returning later to Salish Sea in ‘drastic’ change
Southern resident killer whales made their first appearance in the Salish Sea on Canada Day after more than two months with only a brief sighting off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Strait of Georgia
Times Colonist

Humpback whale up Saint Lawrence River
“It’s extremely rare. For the Quebec Mammal Emergency Network it’s a first,” said Marie-Ève Muller, a spokesperson for GREMM. “We’ve had minke whales before, belugas but for such large whale like a humpback whale, it’s a first​.”
St. Lawrence River, Sorel, Quebec, Canada
Global News

Bald eagle stabbed in heart by loon
It had to be one of the strangest cases of eagle death that Danielle D'Auria has ever seen.
Highland Lake, Bridgton, Maine, United States
UnionLeader.com

Possible Pacific White-sided Dolphin Sighting (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)
Unusually active marine mammals seen near Unalaska may actually be Pacific white-sided dolphins.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Melissa Good, Julieanne Renee Berikoff, Asia Beder

Harbor seal pupping season has begun
Two abandoned harbor seal pups were found on beaches near Haines last week. Tracy Mikowski, at Haines Animal Rescue Kennel, said two abandoned seal pups in a single week is unprecedented
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Watch: While Humans Stay Indoors, Urban Wildlife Comes Out To Play
Wild turkey sightings in Calgary and foxes in cities are becoming more common.
Canada
HuffPost Canada

The Return of Wildlife to Urban Areas
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Urban Deer Playing
Adult deer are often seen walking down residential roads in Victoria, but are rarely seen playing.
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Starving monkey 'gangs' battle in Thailand as coronavirus keeps tourists away
Video from Lopburi, Thailand shows two gangs of monkeys brawling in the street over a scrap of food. Coronavirus may be to blame.
Lopburi, Thailand
livescience.com

Brand new whale behaviour caught on video
Whale watchers in Eyjafjörður, North Iceland, witnessed something new and exciting during a tour last weekend. A marine biologist describes the hunting behaviour as unique and something never before seen around Iceland.
Hjalteyri, Northeast, Iceland
RÚV

Mild winter wakes Korkeasaari bears from hibernation
The brown bears hibernated for only two months due to the warm winter conditions, according to zoo officials.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Officials shot three bears, days apart, all eating trash on the same street in Kodiak
Temperatures might be down in Kodiak, but that doesn’t mean bear problems are down too. Fish & Game has tracked down and shot three problem bears in town over the last week, and they’re reminding residents — not all bears hibernate in the winter.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

Icing in the high mountains produces desperate reindeer
Icy conditions in the mountains have caused wild reindeer to descend towards the hut areas to find food. In several places ski areas are now closed to prevent the reindeer from being disturbed.
Hovden, Aust-Agder, Norway
NRK

Stranded Fork-tailed Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma furcata)
Bella Bella 1, British Columbia, Canada
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