MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF...

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

MASS ANIMAL DIE-OFF IN SOUTH AMERICA: Over 700,000 Chickens Culled Due To Bird Flu In Mexico; 22 Dead Whales Found On The East Coast Of The Falklands; Dozens Of Sea Lions, Turtles, Dolphins And Sharks Wash Up Dead In Peru; 20 Whales Dead After 45 Were Beached Along The Strait Of Magellan In Chile!
March 01, 2013 - FALKLAND ISLANDS -Twenty killer whales died and 25 others were rescued after becoming stranded along the Strait of Magellan by an unusually low tide, Chile's National Fishing Service said Tuesday.



The carcass of a beached whale is pictured at Caleta Susana beach, near Punta Arenas, about 3,415 km south of Santiago, on February 25, 2013. Around 46 whales were found beached at the area of which 20 were returned to the ocean with the help of local fisherman, local media said. - PHOTO: REUTERS.

20 Whales Dead After 45 Were Beached Along The Strait Of Magellan In Chile.
Fishermen and Chilean navy personnel struggled to save the orcas after they ran into trouble near Susan, a village on the strait that links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at the southern tip of South America, officials said.

"The maritime authority and fishermen in the area succeeded in returning 25 to the sea, but due to an unusually low tide, 20 animals could not be rescued and died at the scene," said Jorge Sierpa, director of the Fishing Service in Punta Arenas.

Orcas, members of the dolphin family with no natural predator, can weigh up to two tons and grow to lengths of up to 24 feet (eight meters). - Strait Times.

22 Dead Whales Found On The East Coast Of The Falklands.
The initial report was on Monday but by the time a team of Falklands Conservation staff, volunteers and FIG Environmental Officer Nick Rendell visited the site 22 adults stranded over the weekend had already died.



Falklands Conservation staff collecting valuable information from the dead whales (Photo: PN).
A further 30 whales that were reported swimming in the shallows near the stranded animals were not evident in the vicinity and it is hoped that they had moved off into deeper waters.

Pilot whales are the most common cetacean species to strand on the Falklands’ shores. Dr Andy Stanworth of FC says that “cetaceans are difficult to study due to their lives at sea and when stranding occurs at an accessible location, valuable information about the species can be collected if it is done before the bodies deteriorate and are scavenged by birds. On this occasion, information on the body condition and sex were gathered and samples taken that can be used to determine the ages and genetics of individuals within the pod”.

Sarah Crofts of Falklands Conservation adds that “the stranded individuals appeared in healthy condition and consisted of both males and females. The largest individual was approximately 6 metres long and the smallest, a female at just under 4 metres. There were no obvious reasons why the animals stranded, although remains of other cetaceans at this site suggest that this shallow sandy beach is a susceptible to such events”.

Falklands Conservation says that they would like to thank those individuals who reported the incident and Alan Eagle, manager of Fitzroy Farm. - Merco Press.

720,000 Chickens To Be Killed Due To Bird Flu In Mexico.
The governor of Guanajuato, Miguel Marquez, confirmed that it will increase the number of birds killed by the virus of avian influenza from 582.000 to 720.000.



A few hours before the National Health Service, Food Safety and Quality (Senasica) confirmed the presence of the virus in at least seven farms Bachoco company, located in the towns of Dolores Hidalgo and San Luis de la Paz of Guanajuato, the president of the company explained that the virus is controlled and maintained a sanitary cordon to prevent it from spreading within and outside the region.

Marquez Marquez urged the Federal (CJF) to punish any abuses related to the price of egg and chicken found the virus now affecting Guanajuato farms may have migrated from farms in Jalisco, which recorded affectations in late 2012.

Remember that this Friday the Agriculture Secretary Enrique Martinez y Martinez, ordered delivery of a million doses of the vaccine 911.000 against avian influenza to company representatives Bachoco for preventive application in poultry breeding and commercial position, located in surrounding farms to establish a buffer zone to mitigate the damage and isolate the source of infection.

Also turned to strengthen instructional supervisory duties in the 13 Points Verification and Inspection (PVI) located in the state. - Vanguardia. [Translated]

Dozens Of Turtles, Sea Lions, Dolphins And Sharks Wash Up Dead In Peru.
Experts are trying to work out why nearly 100 dead animals and birds have washed up on a Peruvian coastline.

The bodies of 18 sea turtles, 22 sea lions, eight dolphins, 16 angular roughsharks and 22 marine birds were found during an inspection by government officials.

Some of the creatures were sprayed with a special paint as part of an investigation into the grim discovery along 77 miles of the Lambayeque coastline.

The carcasses, were in various states of decomposition, were measured, placed in bags and then taken away for analysis.

Jaime De La Cruz, an engineer with Peru's Ocean Institute, said a report detailing their cause of death was expected in the coming weeks.

In the past couple of years, a worrying number of dead sea creatures have been ending up on Peru's shores.

While officials have yet to conclusively pinpoint a cause, some of the possible explanations include viruses, offshore oil exploration, or poisoned food sources. - SKY News.

WATCH: Dead sea animals wash up on Peruvian coast.