Category: Outdoors

The Peanut the Squirrel confiscation and controversy, explained

This has blown up on social media.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you hearing about a squirrel that got confiscated and people on social media are losing their minds over it? And you’re confused? If so, we’re here to help.

That’s pretty much it. There’s a famous squirrel that just got confiscated, and people are up in arms about it. We’ll see how this story continues to develop, but for now, we’re here to help you learn more about a squirrel that goes by the name of Peanut.

Let’s dive in:

Wait, what’s that about Peanut the Squirrel?

Peanut the Squirrel is a much-followed social media star that also goes by PNUT. He belongs to a guy named Mark Longo. Peanut does some tricks, jumps on Longo and has been seen eating this like waffles.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAmQG2IS-o_/

What happened to Peanut the Squirrel?

Longo reported that the New York Department of Environmental Conservation showed up, took Peanut and it sounds like he was told that the squirrel would be euthanized.

“Peanut has been my best friend. He’s been the center of my world and many of yours for so long, I don’t know how to process this, emotionally,” he wrote.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBwhVpdymnG/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=3fa71eb4-0fe6-4774-9a67-0c9a6bd5b680

Why was Peanut taken?

Per a statement from the department to USA TODAY:

“Following multiple reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wildlife that could carry rabies and the illegal keeping of wildlife as pets, DEC conducted an investigation. DEC’s investigation is ongoing and additional information will be provided as it becomes available.”

Is anyone trying to get Peanut back?

Yes. There’s a GoFundMe and a Change.org petition. Longo thanked everyone for the support.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBzWJDryHZg/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=a6697174-73d8-4f0e-94eb-cc7bf5c385c2

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Bowfisherman shoots record brown trout, sparking anger online

“Absolute waste of a trophy trout,” one critic wrote in response to the announcement by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.

South Dakota last week recognized a new state bowfishing record for brown trout, stirring anger on social media.

“New state record alert!” South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks exclaimed via social media. “Ty Smith broke a record in the ‘bowfishing’ category with this 6lb, 12oz brown trout out of Lake Oahe. Congratulations, Ty!”

The issue some had was that brown trout are prized by most hook-and-line anglers (notably fly anglers) as a catch-and-release species. Trophy-size trout, they maintain, ought to be returned to the water.

“Absolute [waste] of a trophy trout, no records broken only a giant lost,” reads the top Facebook comment, which garnered more than 600 reactions.

MORE OUTDOORS: Burmese python tries to swallow 77-pound deer

South Dakota keeps hook-and-line records in a separate category.

Bowfishing records are part of a larger category described as “unrestricted records.” Unrestricted methods include spearing, snagging, and bow-and-arrow.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBryjD9q17o/

 

“I didn’t know this was a thing, or even ethical or legal,” one follower chimed in, in reference to bowfishing.

While many were critical of Smith, lots of followers were supportive.

A sampling:

–“Awesome trophy and great eating! The great sport of bowfishing continues to be awesome!”

–“Probably cooked up just fine.”

–“Fly fishermen are liberals of the sport.”

For those wondering, the South Dakota hook-and-line record for brown trout stands at 24 pounds, 8 ounces, for a fish caught (and kept) at Canyon Lake in 1990.

The world record is listed as a 44-pound, 5-ounce brown trout caught in New Zealand in 2020.

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Massive skate greets boaters in rare encounter caught on video

Footage shows the alien-like skate approaching the vessel in Deer Harbor, Wash., as if to offer a seasonal greeting.

A Washington State harbor master on Tuesday captured rare footage showing an enormous skate swimming to his boat as if to offer a seasonal greeting.

“Halloween is coming early to Deer Harbor this year!” Deer Harbor Charters announced via Instagram, in reference to the sea creature’s alien-like appearance.

“Appropriately named ‘Big Skate,’ this impressive creature is the largest in the skate (Rajidae) family. It is rare for us to have such an amazing encounter!”

(Click here if footage doesn’t appear below.)

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBuK4f3qACP/

The harbor master is Marc Broman, who presumably is among those chatting in the audio.

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, big skates range from central Baja California to the Bering Sea off Alaska. (The aquarium has at least one big skate on exhibit.)

They can measure 8 feet and they prey largely on shrimp, worms, clams and small fishes.

Big skates typically hide in the sand with only their eyes visible, so Tuesday’s surface encounter was indeed extraordinary.

Big skates are sometimes caught by anglers and, according to the International Game Fish Assn., the world record stands at 91 pounds, for a skate caught off Eureka, Ca., in 1993.

Maryland hunters harvest 125 black bears during six-day season

“Hunters enjoyed a week of trekking through western Maryland’s mountains pursuing one of the state’s most elusive game species.”

Maryland hunters harvested 125 black bears during a six-day season that concluded Saturday.

According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the harvest tally was higher than the five-year average of 104 bears.

Gender breakdown: 73 female and 52 male black bears.

The state’s 21st annual hunt was conducted in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties. The heaviest black bear, shot in Frederick County, weighed 650 pounds.

Said Karina Stonesifer, director of the MDNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service:

“Many hunters enjoyed a week of trekking through western Maryland’s mountains pursuing one of the state’s most elusive game species. The state’s bear hunting season is an essential part of the management strategy to mitigate human-bear conflict throughout the expanding black bear range.”

Massive gator easily tears through metal fence; ‘This can’t be real’

Footage shows the reptile methodically breaching the barrier to access the other side. “Only in Florida.”

–A version of this post was published by FTW Outdoors in March 2023.

In February 2023, a Florida weatherman shared a compelling image showing a massive alligator seemingly staring down a photographer on a golf course.

“Welcome to Florida, home to Jurassic Park,” Matt Devitt, Chief Meteorologist for WINK News, wrote on Facebook.

Weeks later, Devitt shared the accompanying footage, showing another large gator easily breaching a metal fence to access the other side. (Click here if the video player doesn’t appear below.)

https://www.facebook.com/MattDevittWeather/videos/2325264120968791

“Check out this big guy bend the aluminum bars and plow right through it this week in Placida,” Devitt wrote on Facebook. “He eventually got through according to the viewer who shot the video. Only in Florida!”

Devitt stressed in the comments section, which contained input from nearly 2,000 followers, that the bars were not as formidable as, say, wrought iron.

Still, many were impressed by the ease with which the gator clawed through the barrier.

“This can’t be real,” one follower wrote.

The alligator’s size was not provided, but for those who might wonder, the longest alligator recorded in Florida measured 14 feet, 3-1/2 inches. The weight record is 1,043 pounds.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) states on its website that about 1.3 million alligators reside in Florida.

Watch: Angry tiger reacts to ‘intrusive’ tourists in safari vehicle

Footage from India shows the agitated tiger charging an open-topped jeep full of tourists, including at least one child.

Wild animals exhibit remarkable restraint when tourists in vehicles violate their space. But occasionally, they lash out.

Video footage shared Sunday by a member of the Indian Forest Service shows an agitated tiger aggressively charging an open-topped vehicle before responding to loud sounds made by a guide and retreating into the forest.

(Click here to view the footage.)

“Sometimes, our ‘too much’ eagerness for ‘Tiger sighting’ is nothing but intrusion in their life,” Surender Mehra bemoaned via X.

Viewers might note that, with the vehicle just yards from the tiger, at least one infant can be heard in the audio.

The post brings to question the issue of responsible tourism, as in, how close is too close for the safety of wildlife and tourists? (In most regions of the world, any action that glaringly alters the behavior of a wild animal might be considered harassment.)

Reads one of the top comments: “But why [do] the visitors have to risk their life in an open jeep? One leap by the tiger can cause heart attacks to some of them sitting in the jeep. The thrill will vanish in a second.”

The top comment is from a follower who seemed to imply that had the tourists remained silent during the encounter, the tiger might not have felt compelled to lash out:

“Worst is the constant jabbering by tourists – they just won’t keep quiet!”

Burmese python in Florida tries to swallow 77-pound deer; video

Biologists studying the invasive reptiles’ impacts on Florida wildlife recently documented the extraordinary predation event.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida on Thursday shared images and video showing a Burmese python attempting to “ingest” a 77-pound white-tailed deer.

The adult female python, photographed in South Florida by conservancy biologist Ian Bartoszek, measured 14 feet, 8 inches.

Bartoszek stated: “Watching an invasive apex predator swallow a full-sized deer in front of you is something that you will never forget.

“The impact the Burmese python is having on native wildlife cannot be denied. This is a wildlife issue of our time for the Greater Everglades ecosystem.”

(Click here to view video footage showing the extraordinary predation event.)

The imagery, showcased via Facebook, was used in a collaborative study “to better understand the ecological impacts of the invasive Burmese python.”

https://www.facebook.com/ConservancySWF/posts/pfbid0W1ipaYfxoaTfKZcXV7YhBrRyaQnneRcFauyZ4hPdSu7qy17BzgG28rMYNKxEkaj3l

The study was published recently in the journal of Reptiles and Amphibians.

Burmese pythons, which can measure nearly 20 feet, are native to Southeast Asia. They have established populations throughout South Florida, including the Everglades region.

They have no natural predators (besides humans) and continue to expand their range, posing a growing threat to native wildlife.

Because of this, they are not protected and the state allows the humane killing of pythons without a permit or hunting license.

The largest python captured in Florida measured 18 feet.

Angler ‘still in shock’ after landing pending-record swordfish

Luc Ofield battled the massive swordfish for nearly five hours off San Diego; his catch could shatter the existing California record.

A San Diego angler last Sunday battled a massive swordfish for nearly five hours and returned to port in the dark with a potential record catch.

The swordfish landed by Luc Ofield tipped the San Diego Marlin Club scale at 666.2 pounds. A second weigh-in recorded a weight of 663.8 pounds.

The current California record stands at 520 pounds, for a swordfish caught off San Diego in October 2023. (It can take weeks for the state to review new record submissions.)

“After a 4.5 hours long battle with the gladiator of the sea, Luc and Dave managed to subdue this monster of a Swordfish!” the San Diego Marlin Club announced Monday via Instagram. “666.2 lbs weighed at the Marlin Club last night and it looks like this will take the new California State Record Swordfish!”

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

Ofield, who works at Angler’s Choice Tackle in San Diego, issued a statement Tuesday via Instagram, noting the lower weight and a longer fighting period:

“The ultimate battle with a Goliath of the sea! I have the utmost respect for this fish and the amazing battle it gave. 4 hours and 50 minutes of raw strength. Thanks to the boat skills of my buddy Dave, or this fish would have never made it to the scales.

“Thanks to Dylan, Michael, Todd, Jack, for helping record this piece of history once we reached the dock. 663.8 lbs! New pending state record. Still in shock.”

For comparison, the all-tackle world record stands at 1,182 pounds. That record, which might never be broken, was set in 1953 off Iquique, Chile.