A 24-year-old surfer punched and kicked a charging tiger shark until it retreated at a popular Hawaii surf spot, then walked away with little more than a broken board and scraped-up legs. Albert Westpfal was paddling over a reef at China Walls, a well-known break on Oahu's South Shore, on Tuesday afternoon when a tiger […] The post Surfer fights off 12-foot tiger shark with his fists off Oahu's South Shore appeared first on American Almanac .
A 24-year-old surfer punched and kicked a charging tiger shark until it retreated at a popular Hawaii surf spot, then walked away with little more than a broken board and scraped-up legs. Albert Westpfal was paddling over a reef at China Walls, a well-known break on Oahu's South Shore, on Tuesday afternoon when a tiger shark estimated at 12 feet clamped down on the tail of his surfboard. The shark bit clean through the fiberglass, knocked Westpfal off the board, and sent him into the open ocean, then turned and charged him a second time. Westpfal fought back. He kicked the shark in the head and punched its nose until the animal thrashed and finally backed off. He made it out of the water with abrasions on his leg from the shark's rough…Open
A leopard struck by a vehicle on a busy motorway in southwest India turned on the Forest Department official sent to save it, knocking the man to the ground before a sedative finally took hold. The incident unfolded near Anagodu, a town in southwest India, after the leopard was hit by a vehicle on a […] The post Leopard attacks rescue worker on Indian motorway after vehicle collision appeared first on American Almanac .
A leopard struck by a vehicle on a busy motorway in southwest India turned on the Forest Department official sent to save it, knocking the man to the ground before a sedative finally took hold. The incident unfolded near Anagodu, a town in southwest India, after the leopard was hit by a vehicle on a motorway around 11 p.m. The injured animal wound up stranded in a roadside drain, where members of the public spotted it and called the Forest Department for help. What followed was a rescue operation that went sideways fast. The Forest Department dispatched a team to the scene, and workers administered a heavy sedative to the leopard in an effort to subdue it for medical transport. But the drug had not fully taken effect when the animal…Open
An unidentified animal rushed people in a New Hampshire parking lot, and police reported three attacks while its species and possible illness remained unresolved. Footage published by The U.S. Sun shows the animal charging a man as he leaves a U-Haul van in Lebanon. It lunges at his feet, moves beneath the vehicle and circles […] The post Unidentified animal rushes two people in New Hampshire as police probe three attacks appeared first on American Almanac .
An unidentified animal rushed people in a New Hampshire parking lot, and police reported three attacks while its species and possible illness remained unresolved. Footage published by The U.S. Sun shows the animal charging a man as he leaves a U-Haul van in Lebanon. It lunges at his feet, moves beneath the vehicle and circles his legs as a woman approaches. Lebanon police said three attacks had been reported at Centerra Park. The department and New Hampshire Fish and Game were searching for the animal and trying to determine whether it was sick. The first encounter was reported on August 30. Two more followed by the evening of August 31, although the year and exact times were not stated. Police had not identified the species or found…Open
A pod of young killer whales tore away half the rudder of a racing sailboat off Spain in an eight-minute assault, the latest in a pattern of orca-on-vessel encounters that has rattled mariners since 2020. The Seika Racing crew had just finished a regatta near San Vicente, Spain, and were motoring their boat to another […] The post Orcas rip rudder off sailboat in eight-minute encounter off the Spanish coast appeared first on American Almanac .
A pod of young killer whales tore away half the rudder of a racing sailboat off Spain in an eight-minute assault, the latest in a pattern of orca-on-vessel encounters that has rattled mariners since 2020. The Seika Racing crew had just finished a regatta near San Vicente, Spain, and were motoring their boat to another marina when three to four orcas closed in on the stern. For roughly eight minutes the animals circled beneath the hull, repeatedly striking the rudder until they broke away approximately half of it. Crew member Gage Butler, a California native, captured the encounter on video and posted it on Instagram along with his account of what happened. Nobody aboard was hurt. The crew inspected the hull for leaks and found no major…Open
Surveillance video showing a wild animal lunging at a man in a New Hampshire parking lot has prompted police warnings after two more attacks were reported nearby. Police in Lebanon, New Hampshire, say a small, aggressive animal confronted a man near a U-Haul truck in a local parking lot on Sunday, August 30. The incident, […] The post Mystery animal attacks spark concern in New Hampshire town, police urge caution appeared first on American Almanac .
Surveillance video showing a wild animal lunging at a man in a New Hampshire parking lot has prompted police warnings after two more attacks were reported nearby. Police in Lebanon, New Hampshire, say a small, aggressive animal confronted a man near a U-Haul truck in a local parking lot on Sunday, August 30. The incident, captured on surveillance footage, shows the animal attempting to latch onto the man’s leg before running off. Authorities have since received reports of two additional attacks involving what witnesses described as the same animal. The Lebanon Police Department released a statement noting that the animal’s species has not been confirmed. Witnesses described it as “either a gray fox or a fisher” and reported that…Open
A swimmer is recovering after she says she was attacked by a river otter in Lake Tahoe. CNN affiliate KGO spoke with Lynnette Bellin about the incident.
A Big Sky, Montana, homeowner grabbed a can of bear spray and stopped a mother moose mid-charge to save her three dogs, including a 14-year-old deaf dog who could not hear the animal coming. Shelly Thorburn was outside her home when she spotted the cow moose barreling toward her and her dogs with its ears […] The post Montana woman fends off charging moose with bear spray to protect her dogs appeared first on American Almanac .
A Big Sky, Montana, homeowner grabbed a can of bear spray and stopped a mother moose mid-charge to save her three dogs, including a 14-year-old deaf dog who could not hear the animal coming. Shelly Thorburn was outside her home when she spotted the cow moose barreling toward her and her dogs with its ears pinned back. Doorbell camera footage captured the moment Thorburn deployed the spray, sending the moose fleeing and allowing her to rush all three dogs inside uninjured. The encounter, which took place on August 27 near one of the most wildlife-dense corridors in the American West, is a sharp reminder that living alongside large animals demands preparedness, not panic. Thorburn shared the Ring camera footage publicly, and the video…Open
A 27-year-old father of two survived a brown bear attack deep in the Alaska wilderness, telling interviewers he heard the bones in his face crunching as the animal bit him repeatedly, and thought he was going to die. Jadon Nicoara and his cousin Daniel were four days into a caribou hunt about 100 miles outside […] The post Alaska caribou hunter describes hearing his own bones crack during brown bear mauling appeared first on American Almanac .
A 27-year-old father of two survived a brown bear attack deep in the Alaska wilderness, telling interviewers he heard the bones in his face crunching as the animal bit him repeatedly, and thought he was going to die. Jadon Nicoara and his cousin Daniel were four days into a caribou hunt about 100 miles outside Deadhorse, Alaska, when a bear charged from the brush at close range and left Nicoara with severe bites to his arm, face, hands, and foot. Daniel, who is a doctor, emptied his handgun into the animal, managed Nicoara's bleeding after the bear fled, and helped arrange a helicopter evacuation that likely saved his cousin's life. Nicoara was airlifted to Harborview Hospital, where he awaits surgery. A GoFundMe campaign for his medical…Open
Surveillance video shows a small animal attacking a man in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Police say the unknown animal, which witnesses have described as either a gray fox or a fisher, is likely behind a string of recent attacks in the city.
Randy Fry, a seasoned abalone diver, was decapitated by an estimated 18-foot great white shark near Fort Bragg, California, an attack his diving partner said lasted just five seconds. Fry and his close friend Cliff Zimmerman had spent the morning trolling for fish before slipping into roughly 15 feet of water to hunt abalone along […] The post Diver killed by great white shark off California coast had told friends he wanted to die in the water appeared first on American Almanac .
Randy Fry, a seasoned abalone diver, was decapitated by an estimated 18-foot great white shark near Fort Bragg, California, an attack his diving partner said lasted just five seconds. Fry and his close friend Cliff Zimmerman had spent the morning trolling for fish before slipping into roughly 15 feet of water to hunt abalone along a stretch of rugged Northern California coastline. The spot sat beneath steep cliffs and was reachable only by boat. A third member of their group, Red Bartley, stayed topside as a lookout. All three men belonged to the Recreational Fishing Alliance. Zimmerman saw a fin surface between himself and Fry. Then the water erupted. The U.S. Sun reported that the shark struck Fry with what witnesses and experts…Open
