After a colon surgery, veterinarians discovered Tiffany had cancer
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Sunday was a sad day for the staff at Topeka Zoo in Kansas. Tiffany, a 49-year-old gorilla that everybody loved, passed out after veterinarians discovered she was suffering from stage 4 ovarian cancer. After performing a constipation surgery on the gorilla, they observed how the cancer had metastasized, and there was nothing more they could do.
Tiffany had cancer which metastasized
On Wednesday, Tiffany underwent an operation on her colon after suffering from severe constipation. After that, she didn’t show any improvements in her condition, and looked like she would never get better. Therefore, on Sunday, doctors decided to perform several CT scans on her.
This is how they discovered two massive abdominal masses. Afterwards, they found out these masses were actually tumors, and Tiffany was suffering from stage 4 ovarian cancer. They started another surgery, but the cancer had already spread, and there was nothing they could do. In this case, the wisest decision was to no longer wake the animal up after the operation.
Brendan Wiley, the director of Topeka Zoo, felt the need to explain the decision to euthanize the gorilla. Even if they had removed the tumors, it would still have been hard to administer a treatment to Tiffany. They could find no appropriate chemotherapy to give positive results.
The gorilla was one of the most loved animals at the zoo
Tiffany was among the most popular animals at Topeka Zoo, as she always received presents for Christmas or for her birthday. She died around 3 p.m. on Sunday, surrounded by all people who took care of her and loved her.
Immediately after Tiffany’s death, both staff and visitors shared the most beautiful experiences they lived with her. They are heartbroken, but happy they got to meet such an amazing animal that got to enjoy almost five decades of good life.
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Sierra Leone authorities are dealing with the aftermath of a hilltop collapsing in Freetown.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Sierra Leone is currently facing a desperate situation caused by a recent series of heavy flooding which led to mudslides and a hillside collapsing.
On Monday, August 14, a hillside collapsed in Regent, a mountain town near Freetown, during heavy rains. These latter are also held as the cause behind a series of mudslides which have turned deadly.
According to official reports released Tuesday, more than 300 people were killed by these natural disasters. Another 700 are also still missing as rescue teams are looking for survivors. The British Red Cross reported that its volunteers have already saved 71 people from the mud and the debris.
Sierra Leone Might be Hit by Even More Weather-Related Disasters
The full extent of the damage brought on by the heavy rains is still unknown. This is because the rains are also causing disruptions in the electricity and communication lines. It is known that the downpour has so far caused heavy flooding, mudslides, and the collapse of the hilltop.
“In places, entire communities seem to have been washed away and whatever is left is covered in mud,” stated Abdul Nasir, the program coordinator for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Alex Carle, the British Red Cross director of international programs also stated that “Although a full picture of the damage is still emerging, reports indicate that the situation in and around Freetown is extremely serious.”
Carle then continues by saying that, according to reports, more than a hundred houses have been affected by the hilltop collapse. Some of these were allegedly completely submerged.
Sierra Leone Red Cross volunteers as well as British Red Cross ones are assisting the local government in its search and rescue situations.
The United Nations migration agency also declared on August 15 that will be releasing $150,000 as an emergency first-response aid.
The situation could get even worse as many fear the spread of diseases such as typhoid and cholera, among others, as a result of the flooding.
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A woman called 911 after her pet boa constrictor wrapped around her neck
(Mirror Daily, United States) – On Thursday, a woman from Ohio called 911 after her pet boa constrictor wrapped around her face. The woman had brought the almost six-foot long snake in her home together with several other reptiles a few days earlier. She was planning to raise them as pets, when the boa thought of showing its affection in a strange way.
Scary boa constrictor attack in Ohio, but the victim was saved
A woman from Sheffield Lake, Ohio, called 911 and claimed to be lying on the floor with a boa constrictor stuck to her face. One of her nine snakes escaped, and started crawling around her waist, quickly reaching her face and grasping her nose.
The snake wasn’t venomous, and she could still breathe, as it didn’t start choking her. Fortunately, the paramedics got there just in time to save the woman, but it later turned out she was in far more danger than anyone would believe.
These snakes are extremely dangerous and shouldn’t be kept as pets
A recent study revealed boa constrictors didn’t suffocate their victims. Instead, they coil around the victim’s body and stop their blood flow. This prevents the oxygen from reaching the brain, causing them to lose consciousness and die in no time. The woman actually fell silent near the end of her 911 call, but the emergency services got there just in time.
They found the boa constrictor wrapped around her neck, biting her nose. It was wrapped quite tight, so they couldn’t make it let go of the woman. Therefore, they had to take a knife and cut its head off. This was the most serious snake attack ever recorded in Sheffield Lake, but such events are not uncommon in the area.
Authorities are concerned for the safety of the people, and want to raise awareness on the dangers of owning such deadly animals. They want to convince them to stop bringing the animals in their homes, as they are meant to live in wilderness and cannot be raised as pets.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani died after a four-year battle with cancer
(Mirror Daily, United States) – On July 16th, the 40-year-old Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani lost her battle with breast cancer. The woman has suffered from the terrible disease for four years, but the cancer spread to her bone marrow, and she could no longer fight for her life.
She won the Fields Medal in 2014
In 2014, Mirzakhani received the Fields Medal for her amazing discoveries in the fields of complex geometry and dynamic systems. This award was sometimes called “The Nobel Prize for Mathematics” and, since its creation in 1936, Mirzakhani was the first one, as well as the first Iranian, to receive it.
The mathematician was born in Tehran, Iran, but she moved to the United States for graduate school, and studied at Harvard University. Back at the time, she participated in the International Mathematical Olympiad, and was the first female member of Iran’s team. Also, before coming to the US, he had already had gold medals from several contests and competitions.
Mirzakhani was a role model and an inspiration to everyone
Four years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, she has led an intense fight with the disease, which defeated her much too early. The cancer had spread to her bone marrow, so she couldn’t fight any longer, as the disease had already become much harder to beat.
The entire scientific world is struck with grief, and cannot believe something like this could happen. Stanford officials, where she had been a professor since 2008, expressed their regret for losing their colleague so soon. They praised her immense contributions as a scholar, as well as her modesty and willingness to inspire others.
When talking about her passion, Mirzakhani would say mathematics was for her like a puzzle. She enjoyed putting all the pieces together, or connecting dots just like a detective solving a case. This is a huge loss for the scientific world, and she would surely be missed.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
The woman underwent a heart transplant, but doctors don’t blame this for her death
(Mirror Daily, United States) – A woman from Nashville, Tennessee, died a few hours after she gave birth to her first baby. Despite having received a heart transplant 7 years ago, the woman showed no signs of illness. Also, doctors think her death was not caused by this transplant.
On Tuesday, at 2:40 a.m., Meg Johnson, aged 31, gave birth to a healthy baby girl in the Medical Center of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Her husband, Nathan, sat at her side and helped her take care of little Eilee Kate. However, around 9 a.m., the woman started feeling sick. The doctors rushed immediately but, only a few minutes later, helplessly observed how they couldn’t do anything to save her.
Was the heart transplant to blame?
Seven years ago, Johnson underwent a heart transplant. This happened because the muscles of her heart became inflamed, and she developed myocarditis. Even so, doctors don’t think this was the cause of her death. However, myocarditis poses some risks during pregnancy.
Women who had suffered from this condition are at a higher risk of developing a different heart condition during pregnancy, namely peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM). This is a type of heart failure which occurs rarely during the last trimester of pregnancy. However, its symptoms are really similar to problems occurring often during this last trimester, so it is quite difficult to diagnose it.
Johnsons’ friends started a fundraiser for them
Doctors are now trying to find out what the cause of the woman’s death was. In the meantime, the Johnson family’s friends have started a GoFundMe account, and aim to raise $400,000 for Nathan and his baby daughter.
Only one day after this project was started, they managed to raise the impressive sum of $330,000. Nathan is a Christian musician, who raises money by touring and playing on the road, and who produces his own music. This fund will allow him to take some time off these activities to take care of his daughter, and even start a college fund for her.
Image Source: Pixnio
After the avian flu outbreak, all South African poultry products are banned in Zimbabwe
(Mirror Daily, United States) – An outbreak of avian flu shook the South African province Mpumalanga, as well as some other Free State provinces. This led to a ban issued by the authorities in Zimbabwe on all poultry imports coming from South Africa.
The ban will be lifted when the avian crisis passes
Dr. Josphat Nyika, the director of the country’s Department of Veterinary Services, revealed what poultry products are the subject of the ban. They include eggs, both for table and for hatching, frozen full-boned meat, as well as mechanically de-boned chicken.
The ban will be active for an indefinite period. They will reallow the import of poultry products from South Africa when the veterinary department of the country will report that the avian flu outbreak is over.
Two South African poultry farms became infected with avian influenza
This weekend, the Mpumalanga authorities reported of the avian flu outbreak. This determined the authorities to stop the commercialization of live hens all across the country, so as to avoid further contamination. Bomikazi Molapo, the spokesperson of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, said they would lift the ban only when the crisis was over.
The outbreak was caused by an extremely pathogenic strain of avian flu (HPAI), namely H5N8. This virus spreads incredibly quickly, and can infect many species of birds. It can easily be transmitted after contact with the infected animals, as well as from their sources of water and food.
After the weekend report, a farm from Standerton announced a second case of avian flu infection. Experts discovered the same virus was responsible, but there’s no link between the two farms. Therefore, they decided the virus suffered a separate introduction, which made them put all the 25,000 birds into quarantine and issue bans on the sale of many poultry products.
Image Source: Pixabay
Fidget spinners were the top internet craze over the past few months, but they have already started losing their popularity
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Fidget spinners took America by storm, but it seems that their popularity has already started declining. Data regarding online sales shows that the toy is no longer as popular among teens and children as it used to be. This might affect Amazon or other retail giants, who took great advantage from the popularity of the toy.
Google data shows fidget spinners started trending near the end of January and the beginning of February. However, both searches and sales peaked in May, when the toy achieved top popularity among children. However, new data shows that their interest has started fading.
Fidget spinners owned the supremacy over online sales
Fidget spinners have been everywhere on the interest during the past month, and dozens of YouTube videos of people playing with the toy became viral. However, the trend seems to be over. This comes as quite bad news for Amazon, Toys R Us, or Walmart, which acquired a lot of benefits from selling the toy.
The dominance of the fidget spinner was so great that, for the past months, around 17 percent of online sales per day consisted of orders for the toy. Toys R Us had to bring a supply of thousands of spinners to satisfy the huge demands of the customers.
Health benefits or safety hazards?
Many blamed the toy as another distraction for kids, but some experts thought it actually brought some benefits. They claimed that fidget spinners were great in helping kids suffering from ADHD and anxiety to deal with their conditions. Even so, they raised many safety concerns.
Many cases reported fidget spinners as choking hazards, as some children put them in their mouths and nearly choked on loose pieces. Also, while throwing the toy in the air, one child nearly lost an eye. This led to several school banning spinners, not only for the safety concerns, but also because they serve as distractions for children during classes.
Image Source: Pixabay
A woman from Maine was attacked by a rabid raccoon while jogging
(Mirror Daily, United States) – A woman from Maine went for a jog in the woods near her home, when she was suddenly attacked by a rabid raccoon. After the animal bit on her thumb, she managed to drown it in a puddle nearby. The attack came unexpectedly and took the victim by surprise, but she was able to think quickly and escape.
The girl encountered the raccoon while jogging near the forest
On June 3rd, Rachel Borch, aged 21, was getting ready to go for a run on a fire road near her home, when her brother warned her to be careful, as he saw a raccoon roaming around. Both of them found it quite odd, since it was daytime, and raccoons are nocturnal animals.
Later, while Borch was running, she suddenly stumbled upon the so-called raccoon, which was hiding under an underbrush and kept baring its teeth at the woman in a ferocious manner. She found this behavior peculiar, so she immediately knew she had to be careful with the bites.
She managed to escape after she drowned the animal
First, she started dancing and making sudden moves around the rabid animal, while thinking what she can do to escape. She realized the raccoon was going to bite her and, since she had nothing protect herself with, she thought it had better bite her hands rather than any other body part.
The animal flung at her thumb, bit it and, then, she noticed a swampy puddle nearby. With all her strength, she pushed the head of the raccoon into the water, and managed to drown it. After it stopped clenching its jaws over Borch’s thumb, she knew it was safe to let go.
On June 5th, the Maine CDC confirmed that the raccoon was suffering from rabies. The disease is quite common in most US regions and, if one infected animal is spotted, most surely there are other creatures in the area infected as well. They don’t always look aggressive, but they can also be dizzy or delirious.
Image Source: Pixabay
Eastern Iowa family chained child to weight.
According to the Peosta authorities, three adults were recently taken into custody and charged with child endangerment, after the police discovered they’d chained a child to weight in order to stop him from running away from home. One of the defendants pled guilty to the charge, telling the jury that he only fashion the chain attached to the weight.
Iowa Family Chains Child to Weight
An Eastern Iowa Court was recently faced with a most unusual case. According to court documents, three individual, identified by the authorities as being Cynthia Kobusch, Michael Kobusch, and Jeffrey Merfeld, are accused of child endangerment with resulted in bodily harm. Merfeld, Cynthia’s brother, declared before the magistrates that he didn’t consider himself guilty of any crime and went ahead in order to clear his name.
According to the authorities, the three individuals were taken into custody, after a child was discovered chained to a big weight in Cynthia and Michael’s house. The large weight was attached to the boy’s waist and secured with a robust padlock. The suspects’ testimonies reveal that this seemingly Medieval system had been devised by the boy’s uncle at the request of his parent.
Cynthia Said She Wanted a GPS Collar for Her Son
Cynthia and Michael told the authorities that the child had severe behavior issue and, as a result, he ran away from home on more than one occasion. The couple told the jury and the magistrates that all their attempts of disciplining the child were fruitless and that they sought alternative ways to teach him that running away from your problems is not an answer.
Jeffrey declared that one day, his sister approached him and explained that he wanted to get his son a GPS collar. However, the woman said that her son could easily take off such a device and asked the boy’s uncle to fashion a chain strong enough so that the boy can’t break it
After the man had created the metal chain, he gave it to the boy’s parent. But, instead of using it to install the GPS collar, the couple attached it to a heavy weight and chained the boy to it. Moreover, to make sure that he will not run away from home, they’ve secured the chain with a padlock.
During his hearing, the child’s uncle pleaded guilty to the charge of child endangerment with resulted in bodily harm and told the court that he merely provided the chain, and was not informed about how it will be used.
Image source: PublicDomainPictures
A man from New Mexico has been taken into custody for pushing his wife out of the vehicle.
One often wonder how far a domestic dispute between husband and wife can go. It appears that a recent event, which took place in New Mexico, proves that an irate husband is capable of doing just about anything to get rid of his wife’s constant nagging. A 53-year-old individual was recently booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center after he allegedly beat his wife and threw her out a moving vehicle.
New Mexico Resident Throws Wife from Car
Horacio Moreno (53) was recently taken into custody and charged with aggravated battery, resulting in life-threatening injuries, and battery against a family member. According to the authorities, the individual has already posted his bail, and now awaits the result of his trial.
Moreno’s story began on Saturday evening. The man was due to return to this New Mexico home in order to pick up his wife. According to the woman’s testimony, Horacio Moreno showed up at the house later than expected and opened the car’s door.
After jumping inside the car, Moreno’s 37-year-old wife noticed that the man was grasping a handgun. When confronted by his wife regarding the weapon, the man chose to remain silent. Nearing an intersection, the New Mexico man reportedly hit his wife at least a couple of times in the face, opened the side door, and brutally shoved her out of the speeding vehicle.
The Woman’s Injuries Were Not Life-Threatening
An eyewitness occupying a vehicle stopped and dialed 911. According to a Police Department spokesperson, when the 37-year-old woman was found, she was unresponsive. The paramedics took her to the local hospital where the ER doctors treated her for non-life-threatening injuries.
Moreno managed to elude the authorities for some time, but he was finally found and apprehended. When confronted with his deed, the 53-year-old New Mexico resident, made no attempts to explain his gesture.
For now, the reasons the man’s shocking gesture remain unknown. Was it the man’s plan to get back at his wife? Or did he really meant to kill her? Horacio Moreno, the New Mexico man who savagely beat his wife and threw her out a moving vehicle has been arrested and charged with aggravated battery which resulted in bodily harm and battery against a family member.
According to a New Mexico authorities, the suspect already posted the bail but will remain in police custody pending the outcome of his trial. We will keep up apprised if there are any developments.
Image source: Pexels