Outdoors – Syndication Server

Fishermen catch and release tiger shark; actions prompt public scorn

An Australian politician might have taken more heat just for praising the catch and posting about it on Facebook.

Australian shore fishermen aiming to catch something for the freezer instead landed an 11.5-foot tiger shark, then cheerfully posed for photos before releasing it.

They probably weren’t expecting the fallout from the catch and release, but they got an earful as their actions prompted online outrage and a rebuke from a marine biologist. It also got a politician in hot water.

Zach Hanning, Luke Williamson and Natalie Schutte were fishing on the beach at Lakes Entrance in Gippsland, Victoria, on Friday when something big took a bait, as reported by Today on 9Now.

“Pretty much from the get-go, I knew it was a shark,” Hanning told Today.

Hanning put on a harness, grabbed the rod and began a tug-of-war that went on for 90 minutes before landing the tiger shark on the beach.

“Over the years we have heard of the odd tiger shark getting caught down here, but it’s definitely not something we were targeting,” Hanning said. “We were just down there to have a fish and enjoy the beach on a warm day, maybe catch a bronze whaler or something for the freezer.”

Photos of the shark with one of the fishermen sitting on it were posted on Facebook by MAD Outdoors Sale.

Darren Chester, who is a member of the Australian House of Representatives for Gippsland in Victoria, called the catch “a beauty” in his Facebook post.

https://www.facebook.com/darrenchestermp/posts/pfbid0pNZY8NPLr4HJi4wPCY4rJU3f3Gpqn4XFqcj7q5NVVMzGQTyjPxqwxEURLpP3ikwnl

Chester’s post did not go over well.

“Shame on the MP for promoting this infantile behavior,” Mark Sewell wrote. “No benefit to anyone to catch and release a tiger shark, but fair risk of damage to one party or the other. Would no longer get my vote.”

To which Chester replied, “‘Shame on the MP’… thanks Mark, everyone enjoys a good dose of sanctimony to start the New Year. Pretty sure I would never have your vote!”

Others chimed in:

“If you respect the creatures you DON’T sit on them.”

“It’s not a carnival ride, you treat that animal with respect!!”

“Why sit on it?”

“Mounting a shark for a pic is not cool. You don’t have any clue what damage you could be doing.”

Also on FTW Outdoors: Girl’s record blue catfish sparks controversy; criticism appalls her mother

Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist and a spokesman for Humane Society International, talked about the possible damage to the shark. His biggest concern is when fishermen sit on them for photos.

“When you pull an animal out of the water whose body has evolved to always be buoyant, it can lead to internal injuries – organ crushing,” Chlebeck told Yahoo News Australia. “These are the types of things that kill beached whales and dolphins and it’s a very traumatic experience…If you’re adding weight on top of that, you’re just making things worse.”

Meanwhile, many of the comments on MAD Outdoors Sale’s post were positive in nature, though not all. A sampling:

“What a beautiful looking shark! Well done on the catch and release.”

“Animal Cruelty. How would you like to be treated like it?”

“Great catch and great photos.”

“Terrible behavior.”

“Disgrace.”

“Only [expletives] would jump on the back.”

“Great job boys.”

There were several other defenders of the catch (if not the sitting on the shark).

“People have been hunting fish since the beginning of time,” one commenter wrote. “It’s part of many cultures as well. You going to stop that?

“Get off your high horses. Most of you probably eat fish and chips and don’t think twice about where your food came from.

“I’m sure this tiger swam away healthy. Many [fishermen] are also in tagging programs so fish can be tracked and protected for future generations.”

Most likely, there will never be total agreement on the issue, except perhaps for the disdain about sitting on the shark.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Schutte.

Can you spot the hiding cougar ready to attack?

A mountain lion was well hidden as it stalked an elk in Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge.

Editor’s Note: A version of this post was first published on July 7, 2020.

A hard-to-spot mountain lion patiently waits for the right moment to attack an elk feeding in a gully at the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico in a photo posted by the refuge.

The elk was unaware of the predator’s presence, and at first glance one can understand why. The cougar is very well hidden. So much so, even many viewing the image on the refuge Facebook page admitted not being able to spot the mountain lion. (The answer is revealed below.)

The photo was captured by a trail camera as part of a monitoring project looking at the success of restoring arroyos at the refuge, located about 150 miles northeast of Albuquerque.

The Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge asked visitors to “share this and find out how many of your friends can actually spot this elusive predator.”

Also on FTW Outdoors: Can you spot the hiding rattlesnake? The homeowner’s dog did

“That was tougher than I thought it was going to be,” one commenter wrote.

“Oh wow! It took me a long time, but I finally found it. Such amazing camouflage!” another wrote.

“Congrats to the person who was reviewing these images! I would have moved right on past!!” said yet another.

Many found the mountain lion difficult to spot even when expanding the photo.

Other comments:

“I’d be dead since I still don’t see it.”

“I can’t find it even when I expand the size of the picture.”

“Found it but took about five minutes.”

Mountain lions are stealthy creatures, and typically they will see you before you see them. They hunt at night and often are lying in wait for prey or silently stalking it before pouncing from behind and delivering a lethal bite to the spinal cord, according to The National Wildlife Federation.

For those who missed it, we circled the hiding mountain lion.

So, what happened to the elk?

“We are not sure,” the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge wrote on Facebook. “The elk moved on and the puma moved out into the open and towards where the elk was. We are not sure what finally happened.”

Photo courtesy of the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge.

Rest assured, these creatures are not roaming Montana, Yellowstone

Image showing a hybrid bison/elk was produced by a program asked to reveal Montana’s favorite wild animal in 2024.

Something you will not see in Montana or Yellowstone National Park is the animal featured in the accompanying image.

But according to AI, the bizarre-looking critter was Montana’s favorite wild animal in 2024.

“If we were to give this species a name, we might call it Elson or Biselk,” Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks joked recently via social media.

The agency explained that the image showing a hybrid bison/elk was produced by an AI program that was asked to showcase the state’s most popular animal.

Viewers will note the uncharacteristically slender body and face of a bison, with antlers that’d look more realistic on an elk.

Can you imagine encountering this animal in Yellowstone, which is accessible from Montana via three entrance gates?

https://www.instagram.com/p/DEP-FvIJ2bR/

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks alluded to the controversial nature of AI-generated images and information before adding:

“One thing we can all agree on is Montana is one of the most spectacular states, and at Montana FWP, we recognize that people REALLY love the outdoors.

“From outdoor enthusiasts to hunters, there is a special place for all to enjoy. And we are honored to provide management and be the stewards of the lands we all love.”

Wolf launches attack on beaver in extraordinary nighttime footage

Wolf is shown detecting its prey and charging into the darkness before returning with “a full belly” and a portion of its catch.

A group that studies wolves in Minnesota stated Friday that capturing trail-cam footage showing a wolf ambushing a beaver was so extraordinary that it was “like winning the lottery.”

The accompanying footage, captured at night by a camera operated by the Voyageurs Wolf Project, was edited for brevity. But it shows the wolf detecting, crouching, and launching its attack.

The wolf disappears into the darkness, but audio reveals splashing and other sounds as the attack moved onto land. The next scene shows the wolf returning toward the camera with “a full belly” and beaver tail in its mouth.

More scenes show the wolf without the beaver tail, which it had apparently stashed, then later with the beaver tail again between its jaws.

Voyageurs Wolf Project stated: “To our knowledge, there are only a handful of videos of wolves hunting and killing beavers — our project has captured 3 of those instances…this is the fourth!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DEXjfZHPdwU/

The group, which studies wolves within the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem, was clear that wolf predation on beavers is not uncommon. But capturing footage of such events is extremely rare.

Can you spot the ‘moose head’ amid the snow in Yellowstone?

Moose sightings are fairly rare in Yellowstone National Park, but this “moose head” is commonly spotted in the northern range.

A hiking guide who leads excursions in Yellowstone National Park paused for a photo opportunity recently and later asked his Threads followers:

“Do you see the ‘moose head’ in this picture from Yellowstone National Park?”

Douglas Scott, who runs The Outdoor Society, allowed the use of his image so we also ask: Can you spot the moose head referenced by Scott?

Our only hint – not that one should be needed – is that this is not your typical Yellowstone critter quiz.

Before we reveal a closeup to confirm your guesses, a few facts about Yellowstone’s moose population:

– Moose are the largest members of the deer family in the park. Adult bulls can weigh nearly 1,000 pounds and stand nearly 8 feet at the shoulders. Female moose are nearly as large.

– Moose that inhabit the park are part of a subspecies that range from British Columbia to southern Colorado (Alces alces shirasi). They’re smaller than other types of moose in North America, and well-adapted for survival in the snow.

– Bull moose typically shed their antlers each winter to conserve energy in harsh weather.

– Fewer than 200 moose inhabit the park. Because they’re largely solitary and prefer to remain concealed, sightings are fairly rare.

– The “moose head” Scott photographed is in the park’s northern range, visible from a Lamar Valley-area rest stop. Below is Scott’s closeup image.

“Moose head” growing from rock in park’s northern range. Photo: Douglas Scott

Angler’s cap ‘says it all’ after shark swoops in on epic catch

Ryan Selvey was fighting what he described as a personal-best giant trevally when the tax collector came calling.

A fisherman based in Queensland, Australia, this week shared an image showing him posing with the head of a giant trevally after its body was cleanly severed by a shark during the fight.

“The hat says it all,” Ryan Selvy bemoaned via Instagram. “What would have been a [personal best] GT.”

The letters on the cap read, “Tax sucks.” (Click here to view Selvey’s post.)

For anglers around the world, a shark that steals hooked fish is referred to as the taxman, or tax collector.

Giant trevally are found throughout the Indian and central Pacific oceans, eastward to Hawaii, where they’re called ulua.

They’re prized mostly for their fighting ability and Selvey said the GT claimed by the shark would have been the largest he had caught (though well short of the world-record, 160-pound, 7-ounce giant trevally caught off Japan in 2006).

Selvey did not provide an estimated weight for the GT, but told FTW Outdoors that he was wearing the cap when the taxman came calling.

“One of my favorite hats,” he said.

Giant shark said to be OK after release – why some are skeptical

Image shows a “very large” thresher shark that looks to have seen its last days, but scientists assure that the opposite is true.

The recent accidental catch of a “very large” thresher shark off Rhode Island was fortuitous in that the shark was safely released and continues to provide researchers with important data.

The Atlantic Shark Institute shared the accompanying image this week via social media, stating:

“Pictures like this have long been associated with a large shark being displayed on a dock at a shark tournament, or from a group of offshore fisherman after a day on the water. This one is a little different and has a much better ending.”

Commercial fisherman Chris Brown discovered the female shark in one of his nets near Block Island in late October. Because the shark was too large to be freed by hand, Brown hauled her aboard and fitted her with an acoustic tag.

The shark was then released and, according to the Atlantic Shark Institute, “swam away at a robust pace and we are happy to share that we have since detected her several times on our acoustic array near the island, confirming her survival.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DELXItLPBOT/

The group thanked Brown “for tagging this shark and taking care to make sure that she continues to be a part of our critical ocean ecosystem.”

However, several Facebook followers were skeptical.

Top comment: “Great story but I don’t think this picture goes with it.”

Another follower: “Get a real picture and I may believe you. This shark is dead, and would not survive being hung upside down with a cable or high-tension rope for any length of time needed to do these tasks.”

Another follower, claiming to be a lifelong commercial fisherman: “Would love to see video of that shark alive before I believe it is not dead hanging there.”

Arrow points to tag location. Photo: Atlantic Shark Institute

The Atlantic Shark Institute addressed doubters by stating:

“If you look closely you will see the $400+ tag at the base of her dorsal fin. Our partners would never deploy a tag on a dead or lethargic shark. It would simply make no sense and not anything we would support. Protocol for 95%+ of our projects is to leave the shark in the water.

“With these commercial partners everything comes on deck as the net, with all its catch, is opened on it. Based on the size and weight of this shark the only option was to use the lift. Good news is that she has pinged in several times from her release location so all is good. We hope to follow her for the next 10 years.”

Intrepid baby bear takes on rushing creek in adorable footage

Newborn black bear struggles to cross creek, but triumphs in the end. Grizzly bear cubs facing similar obstacle also are featured.

Your National Parks on Tuesday shared footage showing a newborn black bear attempting to cross a creek, perhaps for the first time.

The footage, posted below, is titled, “Baby bear vs. creek.” It shows the tiny cub pausing before a riffle, then leaping for a boulder opposite the creek but falling just short.

After a brief struggle in swift water, the bear climbs onto the opposite shore and scampers off, presumably to catch up with mom.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DEPsG4qxl97/

The footage is reminiscent of a scene I witnessed in Yellowstone National Park in 2023, involving two first-year grizzly bear cubs navigating a narrow creek while trying to keep up with momma bear.

That footage is posted below and, as viewers can see, both cubs land in the water during their tiny leaps, but quickly cross and take up positions behind mom.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Csm-2UBgVC1/

To be sure, keeping up with a momma bear is often difficult. But overcoming obstacles like rushing creeks builds strength and confidence.

As Your National Parks stated: “Bear cubs learn new skills through a combination of instinct, observation, and play.”

Angler hooks ‘taxman’ but then a much larger shark comes calling

An angler in Mozambique was fighting a trevally when a large shark ate the trevally, only to find itself about to become prey.

A fishing-themed Instagram page on Sunday posted a “viral alert” image showing an angler posing with the head of a large shark and asked followers: “What did this?”

A little research reveals that the image was captured off Mozambique, in southeast Africa, in 2022.

Back then the charter company Fish Bazaruto described the chain of events, via Instagram, that explains the image: “On a recent session we hooked into a Yellowspotted Trevally that was taken by this shark, which was eventually taxed by an even bigger one.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cchga8OupQZ/?igsh=NjZiM2M3MzIxNA%3D%3D

A shark is often referred to as the taxman, or tax collector, if it devours all or part of a hooked game fish.

There was speculation in the comments, including by Fish Bazaruto, that the larger shark, which was not seen, was either a bull shark or tiger shark.

Watch: Best wildlife sightings of 2024 in what was a ‘wild year’

Extraordinary wildlife videos were posted by Latest Sightings this year, including a safari truck being attacked by an angry elephant.

Some of the most extraordinary wildlife videos are posted throughout the year by Latest Sightings, a South Africa-based site operated by Nadav Ossendryver and designed for wildlife enthusiasts.

It has become a tradition for Ossendryver to post an end-of-year compilation of the best sightings of the year. “This year we’ve had so many viral sightings that it may have just been the hardest yet,” he stated on his YouTube post.

Among the favorites is the view from inside a safari truck being lifted off the ground by an angry, attacking elephant.

“2024 was a WILD year for wildlife sightings!” Ossendryver stated.

A herd of zebras crossing a road, lions taking down a giraffe, a crocodile-vs.-snake encounter, an elephant tipping over a large tree and an amazing water buffalo escape are among the other favorites in the compilation.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Angry hippo tries to take a bite out of a safari vehicle (video)

An elephant trying to save a stuck rhino from hungry lions was among the top views at 18 million. The total number of views for the year for Latest Sightings topped an amazing 4 billion.

Photos courtesy of Latest Sightings.

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